# Your timeshare resort offer FREE internet?



## frenchieinme (Jan 15, 2012)

Just out of curiosity here and maybe informational to other owners or potential exchangers, how many timeshare resorts in FL offer FREE internet service to their owners?   If yours charges, please state what the charges are.

frenchieinme


----------



## ran-ran (Jan 15, 2012)

*FLBR offers FREE WiFi*



frenchieinme said:


> Just out of curiosity here and maybe informational to other owners or potential exchangers, how many timeshare resorts in FL offer FREE internet service to their owners?   If yours charges, please state what the charges are.
> 
> frenchieinme



Hi, I am currently staying at The Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort #2121 and they offer FREE WiFi throughout the resort and FREE use of computers in the lobby.


----------



## cpnuser (Jan 16, 2012)

*atlantic terrace*

Atlantic Terrace, South Daytona Shores, has free internet in office.  If you are lucky, you may find a spot in your unit that your laptop may connect to.   I love it when timeshares have free internet in each unit.

Have you seen the cartoon where the lady is hanging off her balcony(laptop in hands), trying to hook up?  LOL


----------



## chriskre (Jan 16, 2012)

Enchanted Isle offers free internet.

Other FL resorts that I've stayed at that offer free internet are:

Charter Club of Marco
Seawatch on the beach
Beach Club I
Vistana resort in Jensen beach
Vistana resort in Orlando
Wyndham Bonnet Creek
Ocean Palms Wyndham
Marriott Grande Vista
Coconut Palms in Ft. Lauderdale
Surf Club Marco Marriott
Port Largo Villas
Golden Strand in Sunny Isles (they do charge a resort fee though).
HGVC I-Drive
DVC resorts are now free.

Bluegreen has AT&T Wayport so for those of us who have a home or cell AT&T account it's free otherwise there's a charge.   

That's all I can remember now.


----------



## Hophop4 (Jan 16, 2012)

Landmark Holiday Beach Resort, Panama City Beach, FL has free wifi in all the units and around the resort.  They also have a computer for use in the lobby.


----------



## theo (Jan 16, 2012)

*Celebrity Indian Shores, FL (a.k.a. Legacy vacation Club)*

Charges a fee (as of March, 2011, anyhow) to gain Wi-Fi access via a third party  provider, with which the guest must register and pre-pay with a credit card for a day, multiple days, or a week. I don't recall the amount of the charge. It wasn't exorbitant but it's still "nickel and diming" people; one - time installation of a router for the one small building on site would cost them peanuts. They would, however, apparently prefer to get their "cut" from the third party provider for each registering / paying party instead....


----------



## SherryS (Jan 16, 2012)

Calini Beach Club, Siesta Key, FL, (#5026, or CNC) has free WiFi.


----------



## Margariet (Jan 16, 2012)

Palm Beach Shores - free, but very slow.
HGVC South Beach - free (only a few hours it didn't work).
Bayfront Inn Fifth, Naples - free and good.
Little Gull, Longboat Key - free, but only available at activities room.


----------



## sandcastles (Jan 16, 2012)

Hurricane House - Sanibel
South Seas - Captiva


----------



## smithiekid (Jan 16, 2012)

As of Jan 1st Bluegreen are starting to roll out free wi-fi to all owners at club resorts


----------



## chrispy08 (Jan 16, 2012)

orange lake has free wireless!


----------



## Gracey (Jan 17, 2012)

Longboat Bay Club also has free wireless


----------



## keysfan (Jan 17, 2012)

Coconut Beach Resort in Key West offers free wireless throughout the property - but it does not always work.  The resort did not anticipate the capacity it needed to accomodate each person having multiple devices.  I believe an upgrade is being planned.


----------



## timeos2 (Jan 17, 2012)

keysfan said:


> Coconut Beach Resort in Key West offers free wireless throughout the property - but it does not always work.  The resort did not anticipate the capacity it needed to accomodate each person having multiple devices.  I believe an upgrade is being planned.



That is my experience with most "free" internet access at resorts. It is some type of home level wireless router set up near the office that is not capable of handling the amount of connections & use a resort generates. 

It costs money to get an acceptable level of service in every unit especially at a bigger property. Since the vast majority of resorts do NOT supply it at no charge - it is never free as someone has to pay it - do you want your fees going to give it away to all your guests while you will likely pay again for most resorts you visit?  A reasonable fee is not out of line for an on demand type service not everyone wishes to pay for or use. 

Just my opinion. If I get charged too much I just use my cell data plan. Easy, cheap (it too is already paid for) and works virtually anywhere I go. I don't want to pay again at multiple resorts in my annual fees.


----------



## Ireland'sCall (Jan 17, 2012)

*Spain*

Marriotts in Spain have free Wi Fi
G


----------



## tashamen (Jan 17, 2012)

Club Intrawest in Sandestin has free wireless.


----------



## Lee55 (Jan 17, 2012)

Marriott Grande Vista does.


----------



## frenchieinme (Jan 17, 2012)

Westgate Lakes in Orlando is now offering owners FREE internet access and guests get it also a nominal coat.

frenchieinme


----------



## dioxide45 (Jan 17, 2012)

I believe all Marriott resorts offer free internet. It is really only free for those that don't own at them. There is a line item in the financial budget that covers internet at the resort. It costs each owner about $5 per week. Not bad really, but those that don't use it pay for something they won't use and are subsidizing those that do use it.


----------



## Bigbird130 (Jan 18, 2012)

Holiday Beach Resort Phase 1 and 2 in Destin fl have free internet


----------



## bnoble (Jan 18, 2012)

I was thinking about this, and I almost never bother with hotel/resort connectivity, because it is often slow/spotty.  I've taken to carrying my 4G MiFi with me when I travel, and more than half the time end up just relying on it rather than crappy local connectivity.


----------



## pedro47 (Jan 18, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> I believe all Marriott resorts offer free internet. It is really only free for those that don't own at them. There is a line item in the financial budget that covers internet at the resort. It costs each owner about $5 per week. Not bad really, but those that don't use it pay for something they won't use and are subsidizing those that do use it.



I also believe that all Marriott resorts and hotels offer free internet to all guest.


----------



## Numismatist (Jan 18, 2012)

IF it's 'free', it really means that YOU are paying for it through your maintenance fees somewhere...


----------



## timeos2 (Jan 18, 2012)

Numismatist said:


> IF it's 'free', it really means that YOU are paying for it through your maintenance fees somewhere...



Exactly. It seems too many don't realize that everything any resort offers, unless it happens to be subsidized by the developer/sales, is paid for in their fees. When they want "free" phones, internet, on site amenities, newspapers, coffee, welcome parties, pool side entertainment - whatever it may be - then ask why fees are "too high".  There is a basic misunderstanding of how a timeshare/condominium operates. Every dollar spent comes from one source - the owners. There is no "them" paying for the extras - it comes directly from their pockets. 

I enjoy a fully featured resort experience too. But I'm too well aware that free means I'm subsidizing it and not everything is needed. I'll pay a reasonable fee - say $20/week - to get Internet service if I need it. Why pay even $5 extra if I'll never take advantage of it or if I'll have to pay that at the majority of other resorts I might trade into.  Some things have to be supplied - I never use the resort phones but understand that legally they have to be able to offer it for emergencies or general contact with guests.  But I don't need a "free" newspaper. If I want one I'll buy it.  Same for "free" hot dogs by the pool.  If I want that I can buy it - I don't need to have it in my annual fees each year. 

I expect to have Internet available at any resort I stay at. But I also expect that I'll pay a small amount if I actually decide to use it. That is the fairest way to handle it for everyone IMO.


----------



## AwayWeGo (Jan 18, 2012)

*Paying For Internet 1 Way Or Another.*

We are currently enjoying our 2nd back-to-back Kissimmee FL timeshare week.  I am typing on the electric internet right now via a connection I am not paying for -- i.e., "free" wi-fi that somebody else is paying for, possibly the timeshare company (Wyndham), but more likely the individual fee-paying owners.  (Thank you, owners.) 

I am also drinking free coffee from a dispenser over in the lobby of the check-in building just across the way.  (Thank you, Mr. Wyndham.)

At the timeshare where we stayed last week, wi-fi was not "free."  If we wanted to connect via resort wi-fi, the cost would have been $19.95 or so for the whole week.  Since we already pay for portable wi-fi through our tiny Palm Pixi cell phone on the Verizon Wireless network, we just used that for internet, rather than paying again for a service we already have covered. 

Is this a great country or what ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## michpich35 (Jan 18, 2012)

I recently stayed in 3 Wyndhams back to back. They all provided free Wifi access which worked perfectly. 

Wyndham Cypress Palm - Free Wifi, free Use of computers in 'owners area'

Wyndham Palm Aire - Free Wifi. Computer Terminal available for use 0.29cents per minute - in 'business area' although front desk reception will print out things like vouchers/boarding passes etc (well they did for us anyway)

Wyndham Santa Barbara - Free Wifi, Use of computers in Activity Room


----------



## theo (Jan 19, 2012)

*O.K., I'll bite...*



bnoble said:


> ...I've taken to carrying my 4G MiFi with me when I travel, and more than half the time end up just relying on it rather than crappy local connectivity.



While reluctant to admit technological ignorance, I'll do so anyhow. What on earth is MiFi?


----------



## dioxide45 (Jan 19, 2012)

pedro47 said:


> I also believe that all Marriott resorts and hotels offer free internet to all guest.



Actually Marriott hotels offer free internet to gold members of their Marriott Rewards program. Those "lower end" Marriott names (Fairfield Inn, Courtyard) do offer internet free to all guests. The full service Marriott hotels do not.


----------



## bnoble (Jan 19, 2012)

> What on earth is MiFi?


It's a pocket-sized wifi base station that uses the cellular network for connectivity.  The 4G/LTE networks---where there is coverage---are very very fast.  Total usage is capped, so it's not something you'd watch netflix over, but for most other uses it's great.


----------



## timeos2 (Jan 19, 2012)

bnoble said:


> It's a pocket-sized wifi base station that uses the cellular network for connectivity.  The 4G/LTE networks---where there is coverage---are very very fast.  Total usage is capped, so it's not something you'd watch netflix over, but for most other uses it's great.



And there is perhaps the best reason it is likely a mistake for resorts to install infrastructure to supply "free" Internet access (WiFi or cabled).  There is no standard and many options that any guest might use.  Unlike a phone system the Internet isn't necessarily a requirement and those that don't use it - still a significant number - don't want even that $5-$10 / year on their fees. Those that do use it may have options such as cell service or the MiFi - there are plenty of others - so paying through their fees is an unneeded duplication. Plus the technology seemingly advances every 6-12 months. An investment in state of the art equipment may be totally out of date 18 months later.  Money gone & yet another upgrade (more $$) needed. 

If/when it settles down, every resort commits to supplying the service or the use reaches 85-90% of all guests then maybe it will be time to build it into the annual fees for all. Until then a reasonable fee for those that actually use it seems to be the most fair for both owners and guests.


----------



## AwayWeGo (Jan 19, 2012)

*Ours Is Just 3G -- Not That There's Anything Wrong With That.*




bnoble said:


> It's a pocket-sized wifi base station that uses the cellular network for connectivity.  The 4G/LTE networks---where there is coverage---are very very fast.


I don't think I will be able to bring myself to start calling it MiFi, will just stick to thinking of it as portable wi-fi. 

We used it last night to watch an on-line episode of a TV show that we missed when the program aired originally -- was little bit herky-jerky a few times, but the overall viewing experience was OK. 

For typing stuff on TUG-BBS, I switched back to the "free" timeshare WiFi.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


----------



## presley (Jan 19, 2012)

Villa L'auberge
Carlsbad Seapointe Inn

They have free internet, but they also have a resort fee.  The resort fee includes parking and some other stuff.  It's a bargain.


----------



## theo (Jan 19, 2012)

*Thanks*



bnoble said:


> It's a pocket-sized wifi base station that uses the cellular network for connectivity.  The 4G/LTE networks---where there is coverage---are very very fast.  Total usage is capped, so it's not something you'd watch netflix over, but for most other uses it's great.



Thanks. Somehow, I seem to continually be about a decade behind in the technological arena ---
not deliberately, but nonetheless quite successfully...


----------



## chriskre (Jan 31, 2012)

theo said:


> Thanks. Somehow, I seem to continually be about a decade behind in the technological arena ---
> not deliberately, but nonetheless quite successfully...



Don't feel bad you're not alone.   

Yesterday I had someone put the Mi-Fi app on my iPhone so I'm now out of jail for free.  You have to pay for the jailbreak, well I guess if you're tech savvy you could do it yourself but I'm not so inclined and the Mi-Fi app is $20 with a free 3 day trial.    Now I'm not paying for internet at any US resorts again.  If only I could get a cheap data plan for going abroad I'd be all set.


----------



## Dori (Feb 1, 2012)

I don't mind paying a reasonable fee for wifi in the unit, but many resorts charge, what I feel is an exorbitant amount. Sometimes the fees are as much as $50 per week. As an aside, when I write reviews, I try to include information regarding Wifi availability at each resort.

Dori


----------

