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How to Spot a Tech-Friendly Hotel
Power Trip · February 1, 2004

I've just checked into Shutters on the Beach, an understated luxury hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., that offers high-speed wireless Internet access to all guests. At least that's what it claims.

Just as many hotels made special arrangements for pets and kids in the late 1990s — and saw their businesses thrive as a result — the lodging industry is now discovering laptop travelers. They've known about them for a while, of course. But by "discover," I mean that they've really begun catering to them, by offering wireless Internet access, a PC "valet," 24-hour tech support, a laptop-friendly business center, and connectivity accessories in the gift shop or to borrow from the front desk. At a hotel in Orlando, Fla., that I recently visited, I saw the concierge handing out RJ-45 cables so users could connect to the high-speed data ports.

You want to stay at one of these hotels, because it could make your stay much more productive. But how do you find them? And how do you separate the ones who pay lip service to your laptop from those who truly get it? Here's how I do it:

Two words: Free Wi-Fi. The hotels that really care about the techie traveler offer high-speed wireless Internet access. They don't make you pay for it, either. A gratis connection makes sense in many respects. It attracts corporate travelers who typically pay more for their rooms, keeps the business center uncluttered and the phone lines free, and provides an important public service. I've spoken with a number of lodging industry insiders, and they tell me that in the not-too-distant future, free wireless access will be the standard — not unlike a TV or phone in every room is considered a standard today. Scott McMurren, who publishes a guide book about Alaska, prefers to stay at properties like Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites in Anchorage for that reason. "They have free Wi-Fi on the first two floors," he says. "It's my favorite."

Caution: "Free" may not always be free. For example, I just attended an industry conference at a hotel with free Wi-Fi access, where keychain-sized Wi-Fi decoder devices were provided to allow guests to log on to a secure wireless network. These devices were free for temporary use, but cost about $30 if lost or taken. And they were small and easy to lose or misplace. This is just an example. Be certain you know if "free" means free.

Hey buddy, got a spare? Having a laptop PC is important. So is having an Internet connection. But what if you leave your PC at home or it breaks while you're on the road? Well, if your hotel is truly concerned about your ability to get work done while you're a guest, it will offer you a spare. A business-center PC is a good start, and some properties will even set one up in your room, all downloaded with the essential applications. At the very least, there will be a computer in the lobby where any guest can retrieve e-mail remotely and surf the Web. As a guest at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Chicago, Henrik Helgesen, an application engineer from Bloomington, Minn., was pleased to find such a reserve PC waiting for him in the lobby. "In the breakfast area, there are hookups for broadband Internet — all free," he says.

Caution: These spare computers are sometimes old and in high demand. I just stayed at one hotel where the only PC was at an abandoned concierge desk, and there was always a line in front of it. I was afraid to use it because it looked as if the keyboard and mouse had never been cleaned. Yuck.

Focus on specific locations, not chains. It's no secret that entire hotel chains now claim to be laptop-friendly. But I've received mixed reports about some hotels that make those statements. Take Hilton, for example. Ruth Kaufman, a printer from New York, says it's the most tech-friendly hotel chain she's ever visited, "hands down." As a recent guest at the New York Hilton, I agree. The lounge area had free wireless access, which, to be blunt, really is the Holy Grail of connectivity. But M. Carl Gehr, a technology consultant from Cincinnati, remembers the disappointment at being billed $9.95 per day "per e-mail ID and per computer," at the Las Vegas Hilton. "I consider $9.95 to be excessive, but that was over-the-top," he says.

Caution: Don't believe what any chain says in its promotional material. Call to find out what the individual property will offer in order to accommodate your laptop (yes, call, because the content on Web sites isn't always updated as often as it should be).

To be absolutely certain, ask around. It amazes me which hotels are — and aren't — laptop-friendly. I just stayed a brand-new hotel in Palm Springs, Calif., that didn't even have a business center. OK, so it's a resort area, but still, there should at least be some kind of business facilities. On the other hand, I've found myself in a sparsely populated part of Idaho, where you wouldn't expect anything remotely resembling high-speed access. It offered the Holy Grail setup: Wi-Fi. While Catherine Howton was traveling from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., to Albuquerque, N.M., she stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn with impressive laptop facilities. "I had left my laptop at home to save space," she recalls. "The hotel had a free 'business office,' complete with a workstation with immediate Internet access, tape, a stapler, and printer. It was perfect."

Caution: When inquiring about the availability of high-speed or wireless access, make sure you ask someone who travels regularly with a laptop. Asking that of just any guest is like asking a vegetarian waiter about the meat entrees at a restaurant. The answer will be incomplete, to say the least.

In case you're wondering how my saga at Shutters ends, I ended up checking my e-mail (fortunately, there were a lot fewer messages than I feared there would be). I closed my laptop and headed downstairs to meet some friends for a drink.

Which actually brings me to the other facility no hotel tech-savvy hotel should be without: A well-stocked bar.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.

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