London's hotels most expensive for WiFi
Hotels - 01/11/2006 16:17:46
Tourists staying in London's hotels are paying more to access wireless (WiFi) internet connections than anywhere else in the world.
Research by Webaroo, who deliver off-line internet content, has found that five-star hotels in London charge up to £20 for 24 hours of web access.
On top of that, many hotels cap download sizes and will charge extra to send large files such as presentations or digital photo albums.
Webaroo's study revealed that Munich came second, charging 17 an hour for internet access, followed by Paris and Rome, where hotels charged £14 and £13 respectively.
Brad Husick, president of Webaroo, said: "I am always amazed at the prices people are asked to pay for WiFi on holiday or on their travels.
"Even with the top hotels you have to be careful to check the fine print as their 24 hour period is from 12:00 GMT to 12:00 GMT the next day, so you could end up paying £40 for two days use because you checked your connection in the morning and at night the same day."
According to Webaroo, the average cost was £14.17, the equivalent cost of a month's home broadband connection, with internet cafes even charging £1.77 an hour for access – more than a cup of coffee.
Check out our online directory to find hotels around the country who can supply you with WiFi access as well as a host of other services.