Just checked out of a Holiday Inn and got hit with a $15 Wi-Fi charge on my final bill. The listing definitely said complimentary internet, and I didn't opt into anything premium. Is this a common scam or did I miss something when I booked?
I've seen this happen at a few places - sometimes the free wifi is only for the room, and if you connected a device to their guest network or used it in the lobby they'll charge you seperately for that access. Check your itemized bill to see exactly what service triggered the $15 charge, then call the hotel's front desk with those details and ask them to remove it since the booking promised complimentary internet; most places will reverse it without much push back if you caught the discrepancy.
Most chains bundle free Wi-Fi into the room rate these days, so charging extra on checkout is pretty sketchy unless you actually upgraded to a premium tier during your stay - check your folio to see if there's a specific service listed. The lobby vs. room network distinction the other answer mentions rarely happens at major hotel chains; it's more likely a billing error or the hotel trying to sneak charges through, so I'd call and push back on it since your booking clearly promised complimentary internet.
Got double-charged for Wi-Fi at a chain hotel once and had to call it out at checkout - turned out the front desk person had manually added a premium package to my reservation without me requesting it, probably as an upsell tactic. Definitely contact Holiday Inn directly with your booking confirmation and ask them to show you exactly which service generated that $15 charge. Most of the time these are billing errors or sneaky add-ons rather than a deliberate scam, but the hotel should be able to pull your folio and reverse it if complimentary internet was genuinely included in your rate. Don't let it slide - they're counting on people not bothering to dispute it!
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