HOTELS: Say Goodbye to Expensive WiFi

Paying $14.95 for 24 hours of Internet in your hotel room may soon become obsolete. Bucking the norm in luxury stays, Loews Hotels is now offering free WiFi in its 18 properties throughout North America. WiFi is the No. 1 amenity guests seek, CEO Paul Whetsell (snapped keynoting the 2013 Bisnow Lodging Investment Summit) tells us. “I can’t live without technology, and unless you’re climbing Mount Everest, you’re not out of touch… it’s irritating to pay to just check email.” It’s something we've seen for a while in mid-range, select-service hotels, but Paul expects others in the luxury space to soon follow suit. (Those guests who need to download 100 files in 30 minutes will have a premium service—and are willing to pay for it.)

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