Wi-Fi Woes at Marriott International

This is the second story in a series on hotel Wi-Fi policies

Marriott International’s recent reversal of its effort to seek FCC permission to allow it to block customer Wi-Fi devices, is the latest in a string of actions that have angered travel professionals.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) had joined Marriott in petitioning the FCC to reconsider its long-standing ban on blocking or jamming Wi-Fi signals.

But Google, Microsoft and other technology companies filed their own brief opposing the petition.

Reversing gears
Marriott started backtracking almost immediately.

First came a clarification that the company had no intention of interfering with customer Wi-Fi devices in guest rooms or public spaces such as lobbies. But Marriott insisted that it had the right to protect network security in event spaces by blocking personal Wi-Fi devices.
    
Then—in its mid-January about-face—Marriott bowed to the backlash and said it would not block customer’s personal Wi-Fi devices at its properties.

That move signaled a turnaround in company Wi-Fi policy.

“Marriott International listens to its customers, and we will not block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi devices at any of our managed hotels,” the company said in a statement.

Marriott did not respond to requests for comment from Travel Market Report.

Marriott and the AH&LA, however, have not retracted their FCC petition asking for a change in Wi-Fi blocking rules.

AH&LA’s position
“We petitioned the government to provide clarity on the steps a business can legally take to provide secure and reliable Wi-Fi internet,” the AH&LA said in a written statement to Travel Market Report.

“To be clear, the hotel industry is not interested in stopping guests from using personal hotspots,” the statement said. “Our customers expect to access their devices on our properties and to do so in a secure way.

“We believe addressing the security issue is of the utmost importance and are doing all we can as an industry to find a solution that balances the security concerns with access to Wi-Fi.”

Angry reactions
“What were they [Marriott] thinking?” asked Robert Cole, founder of travel management company RockCheetah.

“First you infuriate your customers by blocking their Wi-Fi, then you infuriate agents by encouraging their travelers to book direct,” said Cole.

“The more forward-looking chains are treating wi-fi like a utility,” he added. “You don’t charge extra for water or electricity and you shouldn’t charge extra for Wi-Fi.”

Free to a few
Cole was referring to Marriott’s announcement late last fall that Wi-Fi in guest rooms and public spaces would be free for Marriott Rewards loyalty program members who booked directly with the company.

Marriott said it was simply trying to help its loyal customers who deserved a break on Wi-Fi.

Travel agents, however, fumed about a move that results in clients bypassing them and pointed to the potential savings on commissions the company would net if Rewards members started booking directly.

Security concerns . . .
Last October, Marriott also was required to pay a $600,000 fine to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for blocking Wi-Fi at its Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville.

The company cited network security concerns as its motivation for that action, but many observers noted that the chain was charging between $250 and $1,000 per day to access its own Wi-Fi network.

Marriott had installed network monitoring equipment that could detect and block personal Wi-Fi hotspots.

Business travelers, convention attendees and exhibitors commonly use cell phone signals to create personal Wi-Fi hotspots. These personal networks operate independently of hotel and other facility Wi-Fi networks.   

“Marriott’s efforts to push their own solution was a short sighted move,” said Norm Rose, president of Travel Tech Consulting.

“It was designed to protect an income stream that was exposed to pressure from technology and hotel industry trends in Wi-Fi.”

 . . . A real concern
Rose and Cole both agreed that Wi-Fi security is a very real concern.

It is remarkably easy to sit in a guestroom, lobby or event space with a laptop and spoof the hotel Wi-Fi network. The danger is similar in airports, coffee shops and on other public Wi-Fi networks.

“Corporate information is valuable and needs to be protected,” Rose said. “Every traveler should be thinking of data security on every Wi-Fi network.”

Every Wi-Fi login should use a VPN, a virtual private network, he added. The additional security can help insulate travelers from weak security that is part of many public Wi-Fi networks.
 
Cole adds a second tactic. When he logs into a hotel or other public Wi-Fi network, he intentionally enters an incorrect password.

If the incorrect password is accepted, he knows the network is a fake and cannot be trusted. If the network rejects the incorrect password, it is likely a legitimate network and he logs on using the correct password.

Next time: how hotel Wi-Fi policies affect business travel

Related story:
The Hotel Wi-Fi Wars