Q: Why can I not use my guest room WiFi in the meeting space? Customer FAQs
A: The guest room, lobby/public space and meeting space are all on different networks, and therefore, the access in your guest room will not necessarily work in the meeting space. In order to provide Internet access appropriately for all groups with simultaneous meetings and multiple users with varying needs, additional equipment and labor is needed that is separate from the guest room network. Q: Why is bandwidth more expensive at the hotel, than at my house? A: Domestic cable is shared bandwidth between your home and up to 50 other nearby homes. Just like overbooking an aircraft, the cable company sells more bandwidth than they really have. Cable companies know that not all home users will try to use the connection at once. During your meeting everyone will try to use the connection at once, so the hotel provides you with the appropriate amount of bandwidth required for your group based on your meeting’s internet requirements. Q: How many connections will meeting internet support? A: The number of connections that can be supported varies based on the purpose of internet activity at your event. For example, surfing email is less intensive and takes less bandwidth than video conferencing. Q: Why do I need to pay for internet access, it’s free at Starbucks? A: Imagine trying to have your meeting at Starbucks. Would you expect everyone to get online simultaneously at a reasonable speed? Who would you call if the WiFi stopped working? Would you expect the facility to fix it immediately? Some facilities are able to offer a free, unsupported, basic WiFi service. In order to meet customer expectations in the meeting space we have to be able to deliver a reliable, consistent service supported onsite that works all day, every day. To accomplish this, the infrastructure located in our hotels requires a considerable amount of technical service and is in place to ensure a quality internet experience. Q: What can I expect when purchasing a WiFi Simplified package? A: We provide on-site technical support, a secure network and shared bandwidth in the meeting space for meeting attendees. Q: Can you support a customized network or can I use an outside WiFi provider? A: There may be times when your WiFi needs may reach beyond the hotel’s capabilities. Based on your group’s needs, the hotel will partner with the Audio Visual or Event Technology on-site leader and the Internet provider to determine if the current WiFi infrastructure will support your needs. If we cannot meet the needs determined, we will explore what options are available to you. Q: Why isn’t pricing standard across all Marriott International Hotels? A: While pricing will continue to vary among hotels in different markets, Marriott is working to minimize the different approaches to offering WiFi to our meeting planners. WiFi Simplified offers a standard and rational approach to pricing internet in the meeting space for meetings of all sizes and complexities.