What free services can you enjoy when checking into a hotel? As per the norm, small items like toiletries, free bagged tea and coffee in the room, free breakfast, to larger facilities such as swimming in the pool, working out in the gym, or even parking in the hotel’s parking lot. Besides these, more and more hotel services are included in the price of the room, making the added-value services and experiences provided by hotels an important part of travel.
1. Free Internet Plan
The development of technology has made internet access more widespread, with wired and wireless options always available. However, not all hotels offer free internet, which depends on the hotel group and different areas. For example, at Marriott hotels, internet access is charged at The Ritz-Carlton, but it's free at Courtyard and Fairfield brands. Hilton hotels have made concessions on Garden Inn and Hampton Inn, but they still charge for high-end Hilton hotels and luxury Conrad and Waldorf-Astoria. Other hotel brands such as Starwood, InterContinental, and Hyatt generally follow similar principles.
For guests who wish to enjoy free internet in their rooms, they should consider the hotel choice carefully. Hotels like Langham Hong Kong, The Oriental Bangkok, Hotel Indigo Chicago, Residence hotels in England, Best Western Arosa Madrid, Pont Royal Paris, Quality Crown London, Radisson hotels in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Best Western hotels in the US and Canada, most Four Points by Sheraton offer free room internet. Marriott's Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace, Fairfield Inn offer free internet everywhere. Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn provide free internet everywhere, while some Embassy Suites and DoubleTree lobbies are free. InterContinental's Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites offer free internet everywhere. Additionally, Hyatt's Andaz, Hyatt Place Amerisuites, Hawthorn Suites, Springfield Suites offer free internet everywhere.
2. Free Entertainment Plan
This free entertainment plan includes two parts: one is the free entertainment projects within many resort hotels, and the other is the tourism projects outside the hotel.
Many resort hotels adopt a semi-inclusive package, like the Kuda Huraa Four Seasons Resort in Bali, offering a 4-night package including accommodation, round-trip airport transfers, fresh fruit and drinks, a bottle of champagne upon arrival, breakfast, and candlelit dinner (excluding drinks). The new Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia offers a "Weekend Traveler Package" where two nights for $398 not only includes accommodation but also provides two vintage bicycles, a picnic lunch, hand-drawn bicycle route maps, tickets to Mount Vernon, and two boat tour tickets.
Some resort hotels adopt an all-inclusive package. Club Med, for example, is one of the resorts that requires little thought about what is free because almost all items are included in the price, known as the all-inclusive holiday package. This package includes round-trip transportation to and from Club Med local resorts, buffet-style three meals a day including wine and beer with lunch and dinner, soft drinks, free bar service and snacks. It also includes various water and land activities within the resort and relevant coaching and introductory courses, careful infant care equipment for babies aged 4~23 months (most family resorts provide this service, reservation required), thoughtful service for children aged 4~10, and daily free entertainment activities within the resort, evening large-scale cultural performances and happy atmosphere. However, note that the tours outside Club Med require extra booking and fees, which are not included in the specified items of the room rate.
Hyatt Group promotes the "Local Discovery" project. The newly opened Park Hyatt Beijing last year includes the Great Wall tour in the room price. Churchill Hyatt London offers free breakfast and traditional British afternoon tea, along with London sightseeing passes allowing visits to places like Hamilton Regent Palace, Windsor Castle, London Aquarium, and parks. There are also free movie tickets and a cute teddy bear. The Hyatt Madeleine Paris includes two-day museum passes (over 80 attractions) in the room price.
Ritz-Carlton launched the "Reconnect Package" in the Caribbean Sea and Mexico, offering couples planning to get married and staying over 3 nights a free wedding ceremony in the hotel, with room prices starting at $439 per night. Participating hotels include Ritz-Carlton Cancun, Grand Cayman Ritz-Carlton, Rose Hall Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort in Jamaica, and San Juan Ritz-Carlton Spa and Casino in Puerto Rico.
The Mandarin Oriental Geneva introduced a special package for female guests, where guests staying in executive-level rooms with breakfast over the weekend before September will receive a "Play Surprise" gift set, including a pocket guide to Geneva "must-see" spots, driving a convertible Fiat 500 from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, "Play Surprise" welcome gift pack and souvenirs, enjoying two cocktails at MO Bar, having a 3-course dinner at Le Sud restaurant, and VIP access to Platinum Glam club with premium champagne.
Chengdu Shangri-La Hotel's "Summer Package" starting at 928 yuan includes a stay in a superior room, free enjoyment of a breakfast buffet at Rong Coffee, a 300 yuan cash voucher at Qi SPA, a welcome cocktail or beer at Mooneys Bar, and late checkout until 16:00. If booked 3 days in advance, the room can be upgraded to a deluxe room for free. Moreover, free broadband and business center internet access, and full Wi-Fi coverage in public areas and restaurants are provided.
Additionally, the "cheap" deals offered by hotels are not limited to value-added experiences with project restrictions; they can also be in the form of flexible vouchers that offset most paid consumption within the hotel.
For example, Shanghai Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel's "Reconnect Package", staying in a luxurious room starting at 1400 yuan or a luxurious suite starting at 2500 yuan (minimum two-night stay on weekends, inclusive of 15% service charge) until December 30, 2009, offers 50 USD credit for two nights in a luxurious room, 100 USD credit for three nights, 100 USD credit for two nights in a luxurious suite, and 200 USD credit for three nights. The credit can be used for most hotel consumption (cannot offset room rates and taxes, must be used during the stay).
3. Free Fitness Plan
Hotel gyms and swimming pools have become increasingly humanized in recent years. Many hotel gyms have moved upstairs, from enclosed spaces to ones with windows offering different city views; some have even been moved to the rooftop with natural running tracks, not just treadmills but also yoga and pilates classes. For most hotels, swimming pools and exercise equipment are included in the room rate, but yoga and pilates classes are only free in some hotels, especially resort hotels, such as the yoga class at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. Additionally, Hong Kong's InterContinental Hotel offers free Tai Chi classes, just remember to confirm with the hotel in advance if you want to participate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings.
Some people do not feel comfortable exercising with strangers in unfamiliar places, so many hotels offer indoor fitness plans, which are naturally free. For instance, providing yoga mats and resistance bands in the room, and some hotels go further, like Marriott's "Personal Fitness Plan (Great Health, Fit for You)" project in the US and Canada, where Marriott delivers corresponding fitness equipment directly to the room. Additionally, some hotels offer free bicycles, like Berlin's Hotel Gates, which equipped 12 red bicycles in May 2008 for free use by guests. Typically, hotel hot springs and private beaches are free for guests, although some additional care services may incur charges.
4. Free Accommodation/Traffic Plan
Pay attention to the promotional schemes launched by hotels, the most appealing to customers is undoubtedly the promotion of staying several nights and getting several nights free. That means paying for a certain number of nights' accommodation and receiving extra free nights or discounts.
For example, W Hotels by Starwood offer a promotion where staying two nights at any W Hotel globally gives you one night free, which will continue until September 30, 2009. Additionally, The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam launched a "Summer Family Getaway" plan this summer, where paying for two nights gets you three nights, or paying for three nights gets you four nights, along with free daily breakfast, round-trip airport transfers, daily shuttle bus rides, laundry service (excluding dry cleaning), free minibar drinks, and complimentary pre-dinner cocktails every evening. Staying four nights or more also grants a free lunch or dinner.
Shangri-La Group launched a "Family Fun Getaway" project, where before September 30, 2009, children under 12 can enjoy multiple free benefits including eating, sleeping, and playing, saving much on hotel expenses for family trips. This includes two children staying free with parents in one room, free breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the children's menu, and free use of various children's recreational facilities.
Not only accommodations but also transportation costs are sometimes given away for free. For example, Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16's "Summer French Leisure" package before September 30 includes overnight accommodation for two, free upgrade to a sea-view deluxe room, dinner buffet for two at Mistral Restaurant, and additionally, a return of 200 USD in ferry/air tickets (showing valid ferry/air tickets for return, deducted from room rate upon check-out).
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