Scots hotels charging guests more than the Ritz for internet

LUXURY Scottish hotels are charging up to £6 for 60 minutes of internet usage – which works out as more expensive per hour than the Ritz – and have been accused of exploiting their guests’ need to stay connected.

A survey found the highest charges were at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and the Hilton chain, which charge £15 for 24 hours of usage.

The Balmoral also charges £6 for just 60 minutes of usage. The George Hotel in Edinburgh and the Marriott Hotel in Aberdeen charge £10 for 24 hours of wireless internet, and £5 will cover just one hour online at the Jury Inn in Edinburgh.

The findings come as consumer magazine Which? Travel highlighted similar fees at London hotels. The Ritz charges customers £26 for 24 hours of internet use.

The report in the consumer magazine stated: “Wi-fi has become an essential part of modern life. But many hotels charge a considerable amount for a service that some believe should be available at no extra cost.”

Some four- and five-star Scottish hotels bucked the trend for charging, however, and offered free wi-fi. In Edinburgh, the Scotsman Hotel and the boutique Hotel Missoni were not charging for wi-fi.

The same was true of spa hotel Blythswood Square and the Hotel Du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow.

Outside Scotland’s urban centres, the Gleneagles hotel, which hosted the 2005 G8 summit of the world’s richest industrialised countries, does not charge for wireless internet. The Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore also offers free internet.

A spokeswoman from the Balmoral Hotel said it “offers all guests complementary broadband internet access within our Business Centre, which is available for use 24 hours a day and is very popular with our guests.

“In addition to this free internet access, we have also recently installed a state-of-the-art wireless internet facility which offers high-speed internet access to all our guests and visitors.” Which? Travel asked hotel chains and ten London hotels for wi-fi rates. It found that several chains, including Best Western, Brittania De Vere Hotels, Malmaison and Radisson (Edwardian and Blu) provided free wi-fi.

The report said Travelodge was praised for introducing free wi-fi last September, but it is only free in its cafes – of which there are only 130 at its 1,017 UK branches.

Among the chains, 24-hour access ranged from £3 to £18. Rates also varied within a chain. Some Holiday Inn properties charged £5, others £15. Luxury London hotel the Dorchester charged £19.50 for 24 hours, while the W Hotel charged £15.95 for the same period.

The magazine report added: “Beware of hotels limiting the number of devices you can use. Four Seasons Park Lane’s £15 charge restricts you to one device. If you plan to use a phone, laptop and iPad, you could end up with a bigger bill.”