> there are enough Smiths/Lopezes/Kims/Lis out there that if you try each of those against every room number (100-1000) you could reasonably get free wifi in minutes
Stolen wifi, since someone will end up getting charged for it.
Stolen wifi, since someone will end up getting charged for it.
Honestly though I stopped going to hotels that don't offer complimentary wifi and breakfast. That means no Hilton or Marriott. All Holiday inn hotels I've dealt with have been scores nicer than the "high end" crap Hilton pretends to be.
Courtyard was a bit better but I got a similar experience as the Hilton. 5 dollar water bottles in the room, nickel and diming all over the place.
My understanding is that it's not just that you can afford it, it's that these places cater heavily towards corporate stays, so the guest is usually not the one paying.
Holiday inn breakfasts are a bit worse quality but I've always been treated with utmost respect as a guest there, so they get my business. Room size is something I don't usually care about as long as there's a desk.
I was pretty impressed with Home2 suites, usually just a bit more than Hampton. No omelette bar but otherwise nice breakfasts with microwaveable sandwiches, and the snacks are pretty cheap instead of $5/water.
My last trip I had a box of those soylent shakes sent ahead of me and just used those for breakfast - reasonably healthy and tasty enough. Better then the free breakfast for my use case anyways.
I'll second Hilton on good customer service though, definitely one of my preferred chains. That and the business oriented Holiday Inn Express or whatever they're calling it now.
Used to go with Marriott, but they don’t have much inventory outside of major city centers.
Edit: Hell, just call it "liberated" wifi ;-)