Saigon’s Caravelle Hotel is giving guests the chance to log in before they check in.
Starting this month, the Caravelle’s wi-fi system reaches as far as the hotel’s fleet of cars, including the chauffeur-driven vehicles picking up guests at the airport or those ferrying business travellers between appointments.
“This new complimentary hotel-wide service ensures that guests can touch base with work and stay in touch with family no matter where they are or what they’re doing,†said John Gardner, general manager of the Caravelle.
The Caravelle says it will is pick up the tab.
Two years ago the Caravelle became the first five-star hotel to offer free access to the Internet in Ho Chi Minh City
“Both business and leisure travellers today expect instant and easy access to the Internet – and here you don’t even need a password,†said Gardner.
“Furthermore, with our hotspot connection in all hotel cars, you are online minutes after touching down. That’s especially handy in a city famed for its chaotic traffic.â€
The general manager said the hotel believes the benefits of the goodwill engendered by complimentary Internet access outweigh the revenues, and complaints, that result from squeezing $10 – $20 per day fees from guests.
Guests sending emails or blog posts the from the hotel’s fabled rooftop bar are also upholding a fine tradition.
It was here wartime correspondents watched the US military and the Vietnamese army clashing on the fringes of the city before filing stories from offices located in and around the hotel.
