Marriott recently announced that they would be offering free WiFi in public areas at five of their brands in U.S. and Canada. The list includes two of my Marriott favorites Courtyard and Residence Inn.
Marriott says in their press release, “Having introduced free guest room high-speed and WiFi Internet access three years ago, these five Marriott brands are again responding to guests’ needs, eliminating WiFi charges for guests in lobbies and other public areas.”
Its not just business travelers who want to be connected these days so this is a welcome move. Connectivity in general should be a priority for all hotels. And that idea includes cellular connectivity as well.
There have been plenty of instances where myself and a colleague have wanted to work in the lounge or breakfast area after hours so we could sit at a larger table. Sometimes we couldn’t do it because we lost our net connection. This will help prevent those sorts of problems.