#894188 by NV43
02 Feb 2015, 20:45
In order to whet your appetites for the forthcoming TR LHR-NRT, NRT-LHR, here's a taster.

On arrival at The Peninsula, Tokyo, we were escorted to our room and the charming receptionist offered to refresh my memory of the room's amenities and facilities.

I was fairly confident that I could remember how to control the temperature and humidity, obtain the outside wind direction, velocity, air temperature, wind chill, humidity and where to find the nail varnish dryer, so I declined.

Despite this, we were informed that The Peninsula was now delighted to offer VOIP calls; simply press the VOIP button on one of the telephone handsets (I think there were 5 in the room) dial 001 plus the country code and the landline or mobile number, and you're through, for free, for as long as you like.

Apologies were offered if the service was not perfect as, sometimes, the bandwith didn't allow VOIP, but that was just a fib; the service worked perfectly, everytime, and we were so irritating telephoning everybody that we had numbers for.

The quality of the connection was amazing and, if The Peninsula can deliver, let's see who follows?
#894192 by Bretty
02 Feb 2015, 20:59
Cool!
#894193 by gumshoe
02 Feb 2015, 21:01
Impressive.

In Hong Kong, a number of the upper end hotels now have smartphones in all rooms that you can use around the city with unlimited free 3G and international calls.

Asia is definitely raising the bar! In the UK it amazes me that most hotels still don't seem to have plug sockets next to the beds - surely a necessity in 2015?
#894195 by NV43
02 Feb 2015, 21:18
I think that, unfortunately, UK and USA hotels will not follow as they will perceive that there is no profit in providing the service; akin to continuing to charge, at often exhorbitant rates, for internet access which is free in virtually every hotel in the Far East.

VOIP costs, virtually, nothing if the hotel has a T1, or similar, internet connection.

Hotels should adopt technology and offer a service and attract customers, rather than attempting to extract the maximum profit from the consumer.

If I'm in a hotel that charges for local calls then I'll use my mobile; if they charge for international calls then I'll use email or Skype from somewhere, hotel or other, that has free wifi.

Attempt to charge me for something that is free, elsewhere, simply directs me to stay at another hotel, in the future.
#894196 by mitchja
02 Feb 2015, 21:23
Yes, far Eastern hotels always do seem miles ahead when it comes to in-room tech.

The hotel I stayed in when I was in Hong Kong had a mobile phone in the room you could use whilst staying there.

Go the other way and some UK and US hotels even try to block your 3G/4G cellular signal and so forcing you to use the over-inflated WiFi prices.
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