Advice on eateries near Westin Harbour Castle

[NIL OMNI]

Yep, 25 cents/minute! Actually the in room fee is $15/day, I just checked.[/QUOTE


25 cents a minute?? That strikes me as outrageous. I travel alot for work and I've never been charged for the business centre's internet access - guess I just must have lucked out with my choice of hotels (unless this is a new trend I've yet to personally experience...)

 

[TOareaFan]

Doesn't the Westin provide free access to their business centre to guests? That could be an option to circumvent the room fee.

Most Starwood hotels offer free wifi in the lobbies.....I think the business model is to drive people into the lobbies with their ipads and notebooks and while they are there sell 'em some coffee and stuff.

The main reason upper star (4 and 5) chains still charge in the rooms is, frankly, because they can. They have a disporportionate number of their guests being business travellers who need to stay in touch with the office so don't mind the expense and, on that topic, the expsense is an expense that they can pass back to their employer via the expense account.

Until there significant customer resistance, they will not see the need to change this model.....that is typically how it works in the hotel biz. Used to be phone calls....even short local calls used to be really expensive cause people were trapped there and the room phone was the only way to call back to the home office (or the home)......now that everyone has cell phones, there is competition so the hotels make less money off of their phones.....all that is needed for all hotel chains to stop charging is for an alternative to steal this cash flow and they will adjust (or eliminate) the charge.

 

[Riverman]

Most Starwood hotels offer free wifi in the lobbies.....I think the business model is to drive people into the lobbies with their ipads and notebooks and while they are there sell 'em some coffee and stuff.

I don't have an issue with this. If I have to buy a coffee or a cocktail to get wifi I will. Nothing wrong with paying a reasonable cost for services.

......now that everyone has cell phones, there is competition so the hotels make less money off of their phones.....all that is needed for all hotel chains to stop charging is for an alternative to steal this cash flow and they will adjust (or eliminate) the charge.

Yep, this source of revenue is disappearing too, pretty well everyone travelling for business has a smart phone and a data plan.

 

[madmolecule]

I think all Starbucks are now free? You may have to register or something but that will come up on your browser. I've had free WiFi there through Bell for a long time but I seem to recall reading something about it now being free for everyone. Tim's doesn't have internet. Not sure about Second Cup.

Second Cup has free wireless. There is one a couple of blocks north of the Westin, at Bay and Lakeshore, as well as the one a couple of blocks west on the lakefront.

 

[LV90]

Piazza Manna is a good lunch spot at the NW corner of Queen's Quay & Bay.

Hit the Starbucks just west York & Queen's Quay for free wifi.

Not many breakfast joints down on the Waterfront. Cocoberry Cafe is decent and Cafe Supreme in Queen's Quay Terminal has good breakfast bagels.