Tag: free WiFi

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It's a Start: The Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington is Doing Free WiFi Days Next Week

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1401 Lee Highway [map], Arlington, VA, United States, 22209
May 8, 2012 at 4:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

Marriott Hotels have consistently made the "Worst" list on our Annual Hotel WiFi Report but one Marriott is trying to change that.

The Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia--Marriott's second and longest-operating hotel--let us know that the hotel is "finally moving into the 21st century" by joining with AT&T to put fast WiFi in all the guest rooms, suites, meeting spaces and the lobby.

Due to the switch, guests can get online faster and have up to 12 times more bandwidth and reliable connectivity. To celebrate the new wireless provider, the hotel is offering free WiFi for all guests in the guestrooms on May 16 and May 17. The only catch is the WiFi will only have a 2-megabytes per second (mbps) capacity.

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So Long, Affinia Chicago. Hello, MileNorth Hotel!

Where: 166 E. Superior St [map], Chicago, IL, United States
May 3, 2012 at 5:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

A junior suite at the Affinia-now-MileNorth Hotel.

UPDATE: The hotel is offering Free WiFi! A hotel rep tells us, "There are some kinks in the system so it is still charging but the hotel is refunding the charge and the system should be converted to free Wi-Fi in the next couple days." Some glorious news for free WiFi lovers in Chicago!

The Affinia Hotel Chicago and its Fedora-wearing doormen are no longer.

Lowe Enterprises Investors have just acquired the hotel, which sits just off Michigan Avenue, from the Denihan Hospitality Group and are rebranding the hotel as The MileNorth Hotel. (No space between Mile and North apparently.)

Destination Hotels & Resorts (an affiliate company of LEI) is managing the property which has 213 guestrooms, the C-House groundfloor restaurant and the C-View rooftop bar.

Considering that Affinia did a recent renovation of the property a few years back, there isn't much for Destination Hotels to do to the place except change up the websites.

Indeed, the Affinia Chicago hotel website is now defunct while the MileNorth website is up and running.

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Legit Fire Pit Seekers, Take Note: Glen Oaks Big Sur Does Not Mess Around

March 29, 2012 at 4:11 PM | by | Comments (0)

We love trendy hotel fire pits as much as any bumpin' traveler, but there's nothing quiet as amazing as a fire pit at Glen Oaks Lodge Big Sur. This is not the place for swanky cocktail service or a happening poolside scene, but it’s exactly where you go to find the magic and mystery of a glorious California redwood forest by the sea, all around a fire.

Located just off California’s Highway 1 in Big Sur and hiking distance to Pfieffer Beach, Glen Oaks extends into the forest across 10 acres on both sides of the highway. Originally conceived as an adobe motor lodge in the 50s, the property has since been carefully remade with mostly organic and sustainable materials to reflect a modern yet rustic aesthetic. We love how cool slabs of imperfect stone and wood-paneled walls come together with sleek fixtures and hip patterns to make for a totally rad vibe.

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IHG's New Even Hotels Will Even Have Free WiFi

March 1, 2012 at 5:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

The other day the hotel world was abuzz with news of InterContinental Hotel Group's newest hotel brand, Even Hotels, designed for the "healthy-minded mainstream traveler."

We got the chance to speak with IHG's Christian Hempell, vice president of new business development and delivery, and he gave us a ton more insight into what Even is about and what it will be offering to guests.

We'll have the full story on that tomorrow but we wanted you to know upfront that Even Hotels will have even offer guests free WiFi. Woot. And we're guessing you can probably access the free internet while you're on the treadmill too since Even is all about healthy living.

As for the hotel guests who aren't crazy about working out while traveling (or at all), Hempell said there are options for everyone. And if you were worried the food at Even Hotel would be wheatgrass juice and alfafa sprouts, Hempell let us know there will be burgers and wine available downstairs, just healthier kinds.

Stayed tuned for our full interview with Hempell on Even Hotels, coming tomorrow!

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Could This Be, Free Internet at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 401 K Street [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
January 2, 2012 at 2:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

The other day when we were investigating some hotel options in San Diego, we came across this interesting bit of info at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter--complimentary internet.

That's a highly unusual service at a Hilton hotel since it's pretty much a brand standard to charge for internet so we had to call the hotel to double-check. And indeed the internet is gloriously free!

However, there is a little caveat. While the internet is free wireless in the lobby, upstairs in the guestrooms, it's wired. So if you had hopes of working from bed, be sure to bring an extra long ethernet cable with you.

Still, with the good news from earlier today that Bryant Park Hotel has gone the way of free WiFi, could 2012 really be THE year that hotels finally listen to our "Free WiFi For All" chants? We know it's premature to be thinking like this, after all it's only the second day of the new year but we just can't help ourselves.

Know of a hotel that once charged for internet but is now offering it gratis? Let us know!

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Guests at Bryant Park Hotel No Longer Have To Walk Across the Street To Get Free WiFi

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 40 W 40th St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10018
January 2, 2012 at 1:20 PM | by | Comment (1)

As of yesterday, the Bryant Park Hotel offers free WiFi

On December 29, a little birdie clued us into the fact that Bryant Park Hotel was considering making the switch to free WiFi. And in a moment of somewhat warranted self-flattery, we wondered if our list of New Year's resolutions for hotels had anything to do with the its decision.

But Front Desk Manager Darren Sumner set the record straight, explaining that over the years, the hotel had received "many, many requests from guests," and simply wanted to "listen to their needs." So it seems we aren't the only ones who like to gripe about hotels still ruthlessly charging for the convenience of in-room WiFi. Not that surprising, really. We're just glad to be a part of the revolution.

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A Few of Our Favorite Things at East, a 'Business Hotel with a Life'

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Hong Kong, China
December 15, 2011 at 11:40 AM | by | Comments (0)

Guess The Hotel Revealed!

We got a chance to tour the East Hotel in Hong Kong in the city's Taikoo Shing district which bills itself as a "business hotel with a life" and while the hanging chairs in the suites definitely topped our list of Things We Liked, there's so much more to explore.

Our contributing editor, JetsetCD, did a thorough review of the hotel last year so be sure to read her play-by-play of an overnight stay if you're interested in booking a room here. But for now, allow us to pull out a few of our favorite things about East:

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King & Grove Set to Make Waves at the Tides With FREE WiFi

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1220 Ocean Dr [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33139
November 30, 2011 at 4:53 PM | by | Comments (0)

This is a rarity--a new hotel management company comes into a hotel and instead of doing away with the free WiFi previously offered, they actually put in free WiFi.

That's what King & Grove Hotels are doing next week at their newest property The Tides South Beach, previously run by Viceroy Hotels. So if you're a huge fan of the Tides but always hated paying for WiFi, consider this an early Christmas present! As for the F&B and design refresh, we hear that's underway as well.

When Art Basel kicks off tomorrow, rooms at the hotel are surprisingly still available starting at $765 a night but next week when King & Grove are in the house, the rates drop to about $395 a night on Monday. But they do increase as the week goes on. Good thing that WiFi is now free!

Looking for more hotels with free WiFi in Miami? Check out our list right here!

[Photo: jochenwb/HotelChatter Flickr Pool]

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Touchdown! London Hotel Blog Campaigns For Free WiFi, Calling Out the Bad Guys

November 29, 2011 at 4:31 PM | by | Comments (4)

What do we want? Free Wifi! When do we want it? Now! Such are the chants heard from London blog London Hotels Insight, who has been pushing for some of the city's most prominent hotels to bite the cost and offer guests free wireless connection. The site's "Free WiFi 'Touchdown' Campaign" has gone official, turning occasional online griping into a full-fledged rallying cry.

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The Free Port At The River Inn Will Get You Rolling On The (Mississippi) River

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 50 Harbor Town Square [map], Memphis, TN, United States, 38103
August 5, 2011 at 10:29 AM | by | Comments (0)

All this week, Julia Buckley will be taking us down the Blues trail in the Mississippi Delta and giving us the lowdown on the hotel scene. So kick off your blue suede shoes and get comfy.

Chocolate, schmocolate. Turndown service usually leaves us slightly cold – or rather, it did until our stay at the River Inn of Harbor Town in Memphis two weeks ago. Because there, turndown not only means a gussied up bed. It not only means posh, round, Ferrero Rocher-like truffles rather than a tasteless slab of sugar on the pillow. No, at the River Inn, turndown also means a little carafe of port.

Why mention Memphis in HotelChatter's official Mississippi Delta Week? Because if you’re traveling to the Delta, it’s most likely that you’ll start off (and end up) in Memphis. Not only is it the closest major airport to the Delta, but it’s a fitting place to top and tail your trip, seeing as Memphis was the town all the blues musicians wanted to get to.

We’ve been to Memphis a couple times now, but never had much luck with hotels, the Benchmark being the low point, and the surprisingly snazzy Motel 6 in Horn Lake the high – but it’s a 20 minute drive from town. And though we’ve hung out and watched the duck parade at the Peabody, it’s always been out of our budget or fully booked.

But this time was third time lucky in Memphis, and not just because of the port.

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It's Always Sunny in Miami, Especially With All This Free Hotel WiFi

May 4, 2011 at 9:17 AM | by | Comment (1)

Soho Beach House and its glorious free in-room WiFi.

Last year, we were less than impressed with the lineup of Miami hotels offering Free WiFi. But there must be something in that blue, blue water because Miami is now teeming with hotels giving us the goods. Even better: many of them are the newest hotels downtown and on the beach.

Here's an update on Where To Find Free Hotel WiFi in Miami. We haven't included all the chains that offer Free WiFi as a matter of course--but you can read up on those in our 2011 Hotel WiFi Report. Oh, and if you have a hotel to add to this shortlist, just drop us a line and we'll get updatin'.

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Um, Which Network Should We Sign Onto?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 6801 Collins Avenue [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33141
May 3, 2011 at 11:18 AM | by | Comments (0)

So remember in our 2011 Hotel WiFi Report we told you to only sign onto the hotel's networks? Yeah, well, we really mean that.

This is the list of networks that popped up when we logged on at the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach. The WiFi required a passcode but we had to make sure we were signing onto the right network to get it and to ensure a safe connection. (That would be CRGUEST, not theranch and definitely not Swallowmyload.)

More good news from the Canyon Ranch? We signed on with both an iPad and a laptop and both were totally free. Canyon Ranch obviously doesn't want us stressing about internet charges while relaxing at their hotel. We just wish these hotels thought the same thing.

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