I do agree, however my wife and I used their WIFI to advantage as the $15 includes two computers and

When The Cosmopolitan opened, it told us it was different. This was going to be hip, almost travel clubs bc anti-corporate (even if it was owned by a German bank) Strip casino for the next generation. It wouldn't have holodecks, but it would use technology in ways that other Vegas casinos hadn't. iPad check-ins! Super-advanced in-room technology! And free wifi throughout the property, so inveterate Facebookers and Tweeters wouldn't have any reason to post continuous status updates.
On a more positive note, The Cosmopolitan is the first hotel-casino to position itself, from the ground up, for the social-networking generation. Its loyalty program is called the Identity Club, and it promises guests variety above all. That's travel clubs bc something that consumers weaned on custom ring tones expect.
Now, it's gone. I already talked in my latest Business Press column about what that might mean . Now I'm going to take a step back and put this into the broader history of casinos giving, then taking away, freebies.
I can speak fairly strongly about this because I grew up during the Great Atlantic City Bus Wars. If you weren't around Atlantic City during the 1980s, here's the story: Atlantic City casinos then made a great deal of their money from bus people. These were folks who got on a casino charter bus in Philly or New York City and got a free trip down to Atlantic City to gamble. Often, they'd pay $10 for a bus ticket and get $10 in coin (no freeplay coupons back then) and a coffee shop or buffet voucher.
One problem with bus promotions was that some senior citizens would catch the bus down to Atlantic City, get their roll of quarters, eat lunch, then sit on the Boardwalk for a few hours before heading back home. Doesn't sound like much fun but, as my grandmother would say, it's better than sitting at home. Some enterprising folks even figured out how to zig-zag a series travel clubs bc of charters, travel clubs bc picking up several rolls of quarters each day. For someone on a fixed income travel clubs bc with time to kill, that's not the worst way to spend a day, particularly if you bring a book.
But that wasn't the worst part: casinos started travel clubs bc getting too competitive, offering more and more money: $15, $20, $25. It doesn't sound like much, but, again, if you multiply it by 14 million each year, that's a considerably marketing expense that often didn't translate into play.
Around travel clubs bc this time, a few casinos travel clubs bc slipped into bankruptcy, and just about everyone cut back their bus marketing. People still bus it to Atlantic City (about 4 million travel clubs bc last year), but it's nothing like it was in the glory days of bus giveaways.
I'd put The Cosmopolitan wifi in the same category: now that we've grown accustomed to free wifi there, whether as hotel guests or restaurant/club visitors, we're going to be irked every time we look at our phones and see "3G" instead of that wavy wireless symbol. It'll just be a reminder that we're not getting as much out of the resort as we used to.
I'm certainly not disputing The Cosmopolitan's right to discontinue a service that they don't think is bringing return on investment. But when taking away what had been previously provided for free, there's always the risk of a backlash.
Judging from one Yelp comment , that backlash has already started. But looking at earlier wifi-related travel clubs bc comments travel clubs bc , it seems that wifi never really worked that well anyway. Maybe that was the problem, and instead of improving service the company decided to cut down on the users by charging.
In any event, when you're asked to pay for something that was once free, and that every LaQuinta Inn and Starbucks can afford travel clubs bc to provide, it's reasonable to imagine that you're going to think less of the company that's charging you. To my mind, there's the potential for some real damage to the vaunted travel clubs bc Cosmopolitan brand.
"...when you're asked to pay for something that was once free, and that every LaQuinta Inn and Starbucks can afford to provide, it's reasonable to imagine that you're going to think less of the company that's charging you."
Maybe. But remember, Cosmo was the outlier as far as Strip properties travel clubs bc and wifi are concerned. Despite the fact that nearly every La Quinta and Holiday Inn gives away free wifi, properties on the Las Vegas Strip do not.
I do agree, however my wife and I used their WIFI to advantage as the $15 includes two computers and we had an IPad and a netbook. The other casinos wanted $12.99 and $13.99 for each machine. Unfortunatley the $15 does not get cut in half if you have only one machine.
On a typical trip, I'm carrying a smartphone, tablet and laptop. That's three devices. travel clubs bc If my wife is along, that could be another three. Multiple devices is becoming the norm and with smartphones and tablets, they use way less battery on Wifi vs. 3G so there's a good reason travel clubs bc to get connected.
It's these sort of little things - the stuff that costs them nearly nothing to provide on an ongoing basis - that really matters to the customers. Connectivity is one step behind electricity as expected these days.
It doesn't have to be free - just be fair. Have a single fee for an entire stay that covers however many devices you have... but if you want to charge for it, you had better make sure that it works and it is fast.
And what about those of us who carry utility belts with multiple iterations travel clubs bc of devices - iPhone 2, 3, 3gs, 4, 4s, iPad 1, 2, 2s, 3 and Droid HTC Mark II Super Incredible Underwater, Droid Invisible HTC Mark III Super Duper Subzero Underwater et al? Seriously... being a superhero requires effort, not just posing in a mismatched suit belt and tie. It also doesn't pay well either... at this rate I'm paying travel clubs bc $225 per day for connectivity? Perhaps I should start bringing a wifi router?
I personally don't give a damn about Wifi, I don't use it when I'm there. Vegas is an escape from being interconnected with everyone all the time. If I am ever sitting travel clubs bc around in Vegas reading something on my phone, something has gone horribly wrong.
I agree but you are correct. travel clubs bc Often they do not have an ethernet connection. Maureen does have a smart phone but she picks up mail only at wireless hot spots so we don't try to connect it to the room. Kind of funny to be travelling with your router.
Some information that would be really helpful: What is the signal strength of the top wireless providers' (i.e. ATT, Verizon, travel clubs bc Sprint, TMobile) 4G service? At the various hotels, in various locations. That is, if you have one of those 4G wifi hotspots, will it work in your room?
I know many many people for whom this is a big deal, yes. You may not want to use your gadgets when you're there but a lot of people do. For me, it usually has nothing to do with the Web site - I rarely post from town other than the random Twitter photo.
Also keep in mind that Las Vegas is a convention town - a lot of business needs to get done there. Many conventioneers are on expense accounts but not all... and they go to conferences in other cities where WiFi is part of their hotel's offerings.
Oh yeah...it is a big deal...and no I don't sit in my room during the day and obsessively read the news...but...when I get back at nite, I usually have an email or two to send, and I often pop in to my room to get info off the web relative to my trip. For a small business owner, you're never really "off" of work...even if you're travel clubs bc on vacation. On the flip side, I'm in Vegas for work several times a year...and yes...I do have to spend many hours a day in my room in the computer...and yes...it burns me up to pay for the wifi. I stayed at a week at Cosmo last April solely because there was no resort fee nor wifi fee...even if I was paying more for the room, it was more of a principal travel clubs bc thing for me. I figured we would lose some amenities from that property in the first year...never thought the free wifi would go. Bad, bad choice...and I hope everyone writes Cosmo and tells them so (I have).
I can tell you it was very inconvenient at the other hotels that I could only use one device as my netbook has an outlook travel clubs bc adaption which allows me access to my office e-mails wihch is not available on the IPad. So the choice was use the more convenient IPad and not have access to work or use the netbook without VEGASMATE!! travel clubs bc :)
Last trip the lack of free wifi was really bugging me, when places like Monte Carlo are charging resort fees on comped room and all their including is wired access, something is wrong across the board.
I'd almost rather see Cosmo just put a $5/fee per night on for guest wifi and just open it up. From a security standpoint, travel clubs bc I have to imagine it's easier. I do wonder what other cuts we will see (perhaps premium cocktails to average players) which I have to believe might hurt a bigger base then they think, at least from their gambling base.