Travelers prefer Internet to mints on the pillow

A growing number of business travelers are taking steps to avoid extra charges for Internet access and telephone calls.

Kathie Nunley, an educational psychologist in Amherst, N.H., says, “I have a personal motto that I never pay for Internet in hotels.”

She uses various strategies to avoid paying the charge. She takes her laptop to the lobby, a lounge or a restaurant, for example, where free wireless Internet service is often provided. If that doesn’t work, she tries to pick up wireless Internet service from adjacent hotels. “The last choice is get up early, head to the airport way ahead of schedule and use Wi-Fi at the airport lounge,” she says.

Some travelers say they’ll only stay at hotels that provide Internet for free.

More hotels are offering Internet access. The American Hotel & Lodging Association found that about 90 percent of 9,300 hotels that responded to its recent survey offer Internet access, a big jump from 50 percent in 2004.

A check of a dozen randomly chosen hotels in 12 cities found that Internet access charges were free at five hotels, all with inexpensive room rates. Rates ranged as high as $13 daily at the Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu. Four of the hotels with free Internet access also offer free local phone calls.

Ken Coker, of Norman, Okla., says, “It’s ironic that the lowest-priced hotels in most chains provide free service, but their full-service hotels charge for the privilege of using the phone or Internet.”