Radisson Hotels & Resorts has
announced that complimentary high-speed Internet access has been expanded
into Latin America and is now available in all guestrooms in the Americas
region.This includes 206 franchised and managed hotels located in the
U.S., Canada, Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean. There
is no program to join to obtain connectivity and Internet access is offered
either hard-wired or wireless depending on the individual property.
  At the end of 2005, Radisson was among the first upscale hotel
companies to begin phasing in the service as a complimentary in-room
amenity to guests. Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts in Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, and Radisson Edwardian Hotels in the United Kingdom also offer
complimentary high- speed Internet access in guestrooms.
  “It’s impossible for a hotel brand to successfully and profitably
operate today without offering high-speed Internet access at its
properties,” said Nancy Johnson, executive vice president, Full Service
Hotels for Carlson Hotels Worldwide. “Our point of difference is that we’ve
opted to provide it free of charge, in all our guestrooms throughout the
Americas. It’s just one more way we are delivering on the Radisson brand
promise of giving guests more control over their stay.”
  As a supplementary offering to in-room Internet access, Johnson says
Radisson hotels and resorts also offer guests the ability to securely print
from Internet-enabled devices. Guests can enter a security code to retrieve
documents at the hotel’s printing station, or choose the convenience of
having documents delivered to their room.
  “Bundling complimentary guestroom connectivity with our printing
service creates a virtual office environment in which guests can be as
productive when they travel as they are in their offices or homes,” added
Johnson.
  Additionally, most of the Radisson properties in the Americas also
provide high-speed connectivity in lobbies, restaurants and meeting rooms.
Approximately half of the hotels offer wireless connectivity throughout
their property with many additional hotels converting to this option.
  It is at the discretion of the hotels to charge for Internet access in
locations other than guestrooms. The rates for high-speed connectivity in
public spaces vary by property and local market conditions. Rates typically
range from USD $7 to USD $15 for a 24-hour period in public areas for
individual usage and does not include meeting space usage. Many of
Radisson’s franchised hotels in the U.S., however, opt to offer the service
complimentary throughout their hotels.
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