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Will the new luxury Savoy offer free WiFi?
Will the new Savoy offer free WiFi or not?
London’s ultra-deluxe hotels currently fall into two camps: those which provide free WiFi and those that don’t. In my view, WiFi charges in luxury hotels are especially unforgivable when your room already costs hundreds of pounds a night. It’s all explained in my open letter to the hotel industry.
A recent survey showed that WiFi charges are hotel guests’ number 1 gripe. So doesn’t it make sense to go with the tide and not against it?
Some London hotels – like the visionary management at the Lanesborough – understand the importance of free WiFi and other technology-related benefits. Most hotels that are top-rated on TripAdvisor follow suit.
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Others persist in charging through the nose for an amenity which has today become a basic need (think housekeeping, water and towels – though the cheap Tune Hotels chain will charge you for these items as well!).
Which side of the fence will the soon-to-reopen Savoy choose to fall on?
As regular readers will know, we’re foaming at the mouth to see the exquisite Art Deco styling of this historic hotel when it reopens shortly. We were also very impressed recently by the Savoy’s eco credentials.
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A new River View Suite at the refurbished Savoy designed in an authentic Edwardian style
But on the issue of whether the Savoy will offer free WiFi, the answer is needlessly complex. When I initially contacted Fairmont, my enquiry fell on deaf ears and I got no response. This led me to expect the worst.
And after following up with their customer service, I discovered that there will in fact be a WiFi charge of $10 per day. Which to be fair is not as bad as some other London hotels, though the principle in my view is flawed.
However, it was then explained that this charge would be waived if I signed up to the Fairmont “President’s Club” loyalty programme. Joining the programme is free and entitles guests at any Fairmont hotel to free WiFi. But you need to have done this before you make your reservation.
I wonder why they make you go through this process. And how will they deal with guests who expect to be wired up as soon as they arrive at the hotel, not knowing they previously had to join the loyalty programme?
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Given London’s ultra-competitive luxury hotel market, some prospective clients are not going to bother. So I think Fairmont are missing a trick here, especially if they intend to charge some of London’s highest room rates.
If anyone at Fairmont wishes to clarify the matter we’d love to hear from them. After all, even the Savoy cat Kaspar will need internet access during his many breaks – he is after all only employed for that rare party of 13.
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Photo credits: The Savoy Hotel (Fairmont Hotels & Resorts).
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