I've recently returned from a two-week summer holiday to Gran Canaria. We stayed in an 'All Inclusive' four-star hotel in Maspalomas, ideally located close to the beach, shopping centres and local nightlife.
Having evaluated other destinations and hotels, we decided to stick with something we knew we'd enjoy, as we had previously stayed at the hotel 9 years ago. One of the dangers of returning to a hotel you've stayed at before is that you find yourself comparing it to your last visit, which can potentially spoil your experience. However, not in this instance… the hotel truly lived up to our expectations.
That said, when we stayed there 9 years ago, WiFi hadn't quite arrived, and it certainly wasn't something we 'expected' as it was such new technology… laptops used to weigh a ton and required a PCMCIA card to connect to WiFi. A smartphone was a Nokia 9500, which was the first device of its kind to be WiFi enabled, and the only Apple device I owned was the iPod Classic (4th Gen).
Having checked TripAdvisor before booking, the hotel had great reviews except for the WiFi. This was a common complaint for most—having to pay for WiFi at an All Inclusive resort. And it's a pet peeve of mine too. 6 euros for 24 hours, 12 euros for 3 days, or 19 euros for a week, but it didn't deter me.
Before setting off on our travels, I made sure to pack a nano-router (TP-LINK TL-WR70N ), as there was a good chance the room had an internet connection or at least a nearby Ethernet port that would allow me to create my own wireless network. I'm quite a techie, and I was already taking my MacBook, which I'd preloaded with movies, so I could use the laptop as a power source for the router too. I also took my iPhone, iPad, & Kindle.
When we arrived, there were no visible Ethernet ports in the room or nearby corridors. I scouted the hotel and saw their Access Points were all external ones located on the rooftops, and there was no way I'd have access. So, that was it—no free WiFi for me, and the only option was to pay.
I resisted for the first two days; I kept telling myself I could cope with being cut off from home. I didn't need to check Facebook or the news, and I could certainly live without checking my bank balance.
Then Day 3 arrived… I could still live without social media, but I'd finished the books on my Kindle, and we'd realised that some of the Apps on the iPad needed an internet connection to work. So, by 10 AM on Day 3, we had convinced ourselves that 19 euros wasn't that much to pay for WiFi for a week. Madness, I know—paying more for a week's access than you would pay for a month's access at home.
After a few attempts on my iPhone, I gave in, fired up my Mac, and logged on to the network. I was given the option of purchasing through PayPal or paying for a code at the reception and entering the details to gain access. I opted to pay online. It meant I could do it from my balcony and didn't have to walk to the reception at the other side of the hotel. Knowing the provider would have to pay merchant fees to PayPal made me a little happier about parting with my money.
Great, I'm online… emails from Tesco, Twitter, and others started flooding my inbox, and without much thought, I was already signed in to Facebook, viewing the notifications I'd received over the past few days. I signed in to the WiFi on the iPad to update a few Apps, and while they were updating, I focussed my attention back to Facebook on my Mac, only to find that the WiFi had kicked me off…! Then I realised, the WiFi would only work with one MAC address at a time.
A quick search on Google, and I uncovered how to share the internet connection from my Mac by plugging the nano-router into the Ethernet port. I managed to trick their network, created a gateway with one MAC address, and successfully connected all my devices simultaneously using my own little router. I even shared the connection with a few friends we made whilst staying there!
In 2013, charging 19 euros for a week's WiFi access is a little steep, especially at an All Inclusive resort. Even more so when there are other ways providers can fund the cost of their WiFi network, either through Social WiFi, WiFi Sponsorship, or even advertising on splash pages. If the connection was somewhat restricted to stop users from downloading large files or streaming music & videos, I'd prefer a restricted free service over paying a premium for a mediocre connection.
I'll certainly be taking the router with me on my next holiday, just in case I encounter the same situation.
