Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Don't Drink The Water!

What does it mean when a hotel gives you free high-speed internet access but puts little signs on bottles of water in the room that say "A $5 charge will be added to your bill upon consumption."

Huh...
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3 comments:

Sean Baker said...

$5 for water! that's extortion!
at least the internet is free, but still go to the tap if your thirsty!

May 12, 2009 at 12:07 PM
RhetTbull said...

Nope, I wouldn't consider it extortion. (the practice of obtaining something, esp. money, through force or threats.) No one is forcing you to buy the expensive water. Furthermore, the hotel provided free water (and glasses!) for you to consume from the tap. As to Dan's post wondering why the hotel would offer free internet but charge for bottled water, I don't see anything illogical about this. Indeed, the reverse (paid WiFi and free bottled water) would be nonsensical.

No traveler in the US compares hotels based on the availability of potable water. We all assume there will be clean water to drink in the room (from the tap). Most travelers do consider free internet access as something highly desirable but, unlike water, this is something that is not a commodity and is a discriminator when choosing a hotel. Thus, it makes sense to offer free internet in order to encourage you to choose this particular hotel. Of course, it cost the hotel something to provide the internet. They would like to walk a fine line between offering you perceived value and getting as much of your money as they can. Now that you're in the room because of the free internet, they might be able to seduce you to buy expensive bottled water. Some travelers will find it convenient or desirable, others will just "expense it". The hotel doesn't care so long as a few 20-cent bottles of water turn into $5 sales, they're helping boost the bottom line. Hotels used to depend on phone calls ($1 for a local call!?!) to boost revenue but since most travelers use cell phones, this is no longer a reliable revenue source.

I wouldn't pay $5 for bottled water, but I would be happy for free internet. And no one is forcing me to drink the bottled water. Of course, if a hotel advertised free internet AND free bottled water, then they would really stand out from the competition...

May 12, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Sean Baker said...

wow RhetTbull that's really put things into retrospective for me thanks, i didn't see it like that, its like obvious when i think about it now to be honest..
and yes your right no one is inclined to buy the 5$ water as they can just use tap water.

May 12, 2009 at 10:28 PM

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