Just found this post today. I wrote a post on my blog about my pet peeve about paying for wireless at hotels a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments. And thanks much for the fun quote about paying for towels. I will definitely use it (and attribute it) often as I work with my clients to add value to their destination experiences.

I must admit that I wasn’t sure whether the tone I was taking was too strident but good to see that it has provoked some responses as I let off steam.

I think your recent post on yield management and price transparency was a good example of the kind of fundamental issue that needs to be understood by people at all levels in the industry but which is still largely the kind of issue is still too too distant from the comprehension of many at the smaller end of the industry and the support agencies who try to chivvy them along.

Great article, it really resonated with me in regards to the small tour and activity suppliers that I frequently deal with. I find this mindset that they fear technology, and at the same time are complaining about declining sales. I think blogs like yours are helping these businesses connect the dots that, “hey, this online thingy is actually changing the way customers expect to interact with us”.

Keep up the good work!
Phil

Sorry, I was losing myself in jargon there! DMOs are Destination Management Organisations – the kind of bodies that both market and manage the tourism potential of a specific area.

There’s even more acronyms in this paper here but it’s a good quick overview of what they do.

I would absolutely agree with you that there is a segment of the market where charging for additionals is a valid think to do and I think your example of Ryanair illustrates that perfectly.

And I think the your point that, “ONLY if the price matches the service and consumers are totally clear what they’re not getting for their money” is bang on point.

I think one of the other things that worries me is how a lot of the industry (especially in the small end of the market) appears still afraid of engaging not only with things like wifi but also simple decent web sites and the opportunities available from blogging and so forth. As you’re based in Scotland like me, I’m sure you can imagine a few that fit into that category locally and who as a group seem often to dictate the pace of discussion at an official level about how to really make our industry world class.

For every other provider I agree, don’t scrimp on the basics.

Believe it or not, you can still pay for towels at a few uk accommodation providers . . . within the campervan rental industry there are still companies with an add-on-extra charge of £12 or so for towels and sheets. Amazing, they’re just hotel rooms on wheels!

That’s exactly the kind of feedback I was getting as well. Especially if you are staying somewhere on business, an internet connection is not a luxury but a necessity!

The other fear I have is that, at the real ’straggler’ end of the market, there will be just enough encouragement to get them to engage with modern technology practices but they will then engage with no real understanding of what they are trying to achieve. Which will then just be ‘lipstick on a pig’ * in terms of that business and a waste of everyone’s efforts.

*Suggestions for a less charged phrase gratefully received!

I would rather have the cost of providing the service somehow built into the rate that was obviously affording the free service in the public areas. Maybe to that particular hotel, Internet at the desk in my room was “optional,” but when doing business away from home–and staying in a corporate hotel–I felt as if I was being unnecessarily charged for what should be a standard in-room feature.

Like the towels.