blade2007

Anyone can help with this question please. Thank you.



Free wireless networks in London, Really? Posted by: blade2007 on Aug 5, 2009 at 09:28 PM
Posted in: Europe

Tagged: United Kingdom
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I looked up www.jiwire.com to locate hot spots that provide free wireless networks. It seems there are many hot spots all over just about everywhere. Is it really free and easily accessable for laptop use?
Any one know, is Mariott London Grosvenor House the same as The Grosvenor House Jw Park lane? There is a hot spot @ Mariott London Grosvenor House common Area. According from what I read, The Grosvenor House Park Lane does not provide FREE internet, so where is this common area?

I got The Grosvenor House Jw Park Lane via Priceline 5* in Mayfair/Soho.

Thank you.

tod

Haven't you watched 'The REAL Hustle'? That programme reckons sending information & email over 'wireless' is dangerous. Do you agree?

avalon

They are the same hotel. The common area would be the lobby and perhaps the breakfast room.

GBbabe

blade, I don't know about your hotel, but my experience with Marriotts is that you pay for wi-fi. When I was in England in June and July, I found McDonalds easy to use. Depending on your screen, you might have to scroll down to see the free button and then you just give them your name and email and you're on.

tod- wireless communication and that includes cell/mobile phones can be intercepted by other parties. I don't do my banking or credit card accounts over unsecured wi-fi because of that. I don't worry about my email, because I don't have anything interesting to anyone else.

Dukey

i used the free one at St. Pancras in April; I agree that Marriott usually charges an arm and a leg for accessibility.

blade2007

Thanks for your replies.
GBbabe, I will lookout for McDonalds. I'll use it only for checking emails not for banking/credit card etc.

avalon, when I try to google the hotel it shows 2 different locations that's why I'm confused.

Do you know the best/most economical way from LHR to the hotel? We will be getting the travelcard for 7 days for zone 1 & 2, get the 2 for 1 offers. We will be arriving LHR around 10 am in the morning on Thursday.

jent103

Most economical would be to get an extension for the Tube and take the Piccadilly line from LHR to Hyde Park Corner, then walk what appears to be about a half mile to your hotel. (This is assuming it's the one very near Park Lane.) Do you realize that for the 2-for-1 offers, you need to buy your *paper* travelcard at a National Rail station, not an Underground station? A regular Oyster card is not accepted for those offers.

janisj

Best and most economical may/may not be the same thing. Most economical by far would be the tube as jent103 described. You'd have a bit of a trek up Park Lane w/ your bags (as aell as a bit of a trek to the tube station at LHR depending on the terminal).

Easiest would be a pre-booked car service from arrivals at LHR to the front door of the hotel -- approx £30-ish plus small tip.

helen_belsize

Marriott have two hotels on Park Lane. I think you have Grosvenor House a JW Marriott hotel. This is not the time to abbreviate. This has been rebranded as a JW Marriott for 2009. This one is nearer to Hyde Park Corner. If you choose to take the tube from Heathrow make sure you choose the right exit because above the underground station is a complex and large road junction. You might find it easier to walk from the next stop Green Park underground station, if you check the walking route on a map you will know which exit to take, or to put it another way you definitely don't want the Green Park exit because it is on the wrong side of the road.

The web pages for the Grosvenor House JW Marriott are not very detailed on internet access but they have high powered internet wired to the rooms for business users, so I expect you pay and only mention wireless in Meeting rooms but these may be those that people hire for meetings.

Out and about there is quite a lot of free wireless access. I know the Costa chain of coffee shops have free wifi as well as McDonalds, there may be others. Some public libraries now offer it too. This is in the Borough of Westminster so you could check their website for more info.

blade2007

Thanks all for your information.

I emailed the hotel for add'l help in regards to which tube station and which exit from underground. Hope to hear from them back soon.

I also called Marriott to confirm our reservation. It is the Grosvenor House, A Jw Marriott Hotel.

jkbritt

Costa Coffee in Heathrow does not have free wi-fi. You have to buy interent service at abut 10-12 pounds per day for internet service from a provider that does airports, bus terminals, etc.

taggie

There is another Marriot close by, by the US Embassy, so that's probably where the confusion lies.

I stayed at the Grosvenor House in Jan/Feb (also via PL). The wireless internet charge is something like 20 GBP per day and it ticks me off! There is a computer in the lobby business centre but it's hard to get on to as it's very busy with everyone else who doesn't want to pay the fees.

A few tips regarding that hotel:
It's quite a walk from the Hyde Park Corner tube stop, and busy going up Park Lane. Easiest for your first day though if you are taking the Tube from Heathrow. Marble Arch stop (on the Central line) is actually closer - something to take into consideration when planning routes. Also, after my first day I would get off at Green Park when I was on the Picadilly Line, and wandering through backstreets in Mayfair to get to the hotel. Probably a bit more walking than with Hyde Park Corner, but nicer IMO. You'll be able to figure it out when you get there and see the lay of the land. You'll probably go past Berkely Square, home of the Nightingale (lol), the famous Annabel's nightclub (innocuous looking during the day, but at night they pull out the awning and the beefy security) and the Most Haunted Building in London (according to London Walks!).

Breakfast at that hotel is fiercely expensive, but it's a bit of a walk to any alternatives. Shepherd Market (southeast of the hotel) has some cafes if you want a full breakfast. I actually ended up walking almost straight east, past the US Embassy area, and hitting Carnaby St. for Starbucks, etc. Nice, interesting walk through Mayfair.
There are also a few small M&S and Sainsbury's outfits - one is close to Green Park tube and one up by Marble Arch - to pick up sandwiches, fruit and pastries for breakfast in your room if you like (I managed to fit stuff around the things in the minibar fridge).

Finally, there isn't usually a tea and coffee making facility in the room but it will be provided if you ask. They bring a lovely tray with a kettle, french press, good selection of teas and coffee, and tiny little shortbread biscuits.

And the bathrooms (all marble with quite the array of plumbing!) are gorgeous. All in all, a nice hotel especially if you got a good rate from PL. I don't think I'll stay there again, though.

Have a great trip!

janisj

I had assumed you meant the Grosvenor House -- which is why I mentioned the slog from the tube station. Hyde Park Corner is very large and complicated tube station. Not the station itself -- but all the tunnel exits and subways (underground walkways - not 'subways' as in trains). You could easily find yourselves walking around in circles -- even w/ clear instruction re which exit to take. (Park Lane east side)

You'd eventually get the hang of it but it would be tough in a semi-jetlagged fog.

If you got a huge deal on the hotel -- I'd just spring for a car service and be delivered w/ your luggage right to the front of the hotel.

blade2007

taggie - Thank you for your info on the hotel and etc. It's very helpful to hear from someone who just stayed in the same hotel. Please tell me if the electrical outlets are same as here in US? Should I buy/bring a converter?

I'm curious why you will NOT stay there again. Is it location or something else? The walk from hotel to tube station I assume is not more than 20+ min. ?

janisj - Thank you too, for your help always. I tried to get to dot2dot.com as posted here with GBP 30 round trip for a door to door service. but it took me to a different site not related at all. i also tried justairport.com and can't find the link for the service, it took me to groundtransportation.com. I submitted and requested for a quote. Help!!

jent103

blade2007 - the electrical outlets in the UK are not the same as in the US (even if you're staying in a US-branded hotel). The plugs are different shapes and they use different voltage. If your appliance (camera charger, iPod charger, whatever) has "100-240V" written in the fine print, all you need is an adapter. If it does not, you will need to get a converter as well (or leave it at home).

Just Airports' web site is justairports.com. That's probably why you were having trouble there. In my experience they're not incredibly communicative via email, but did provide great service for a reasonable price.

janisj

The link didn't work because the "<B>s</B>" was omitted.

use the link jent provided.

helen_belsize

I should clarify my post re Green Park. If you take the southern side of Piccadilly exit you are beside the actual Green Park, which is what I meant by you do not want this. On the north side there is an exit onto Piccadilly but also a side exit which is quieter and fractionally nearer the hotel.

Re Breakfast there are several chain cafes near Green Park station plus a branch of Boots, which Fodorites like for food and a branch of Marks and Spencer above the ticket hall of the station.

This is a good site for seeking out walking routes http://www.walkit.com/cities/?welcome, good for London, they are adding other cities. You can opt for most direct, quieter and if available less pollution as variations on the routes.

Re Costa cafes and free wifi. I think one has to treat airports as virtually foreign territory. They are designed to make money and I suspect internet access is rather controlled because of all the traffic needed for flights. If I am wrong on that techies please don't shoot me down.

avalon

I think you are talking about 2 seperate hotels. There is only one Grosvenor House. There is also a Marriott Grosvenor Square.

willit

Many Costa and other coffee shops, and some pubs will have free wireless.

As an alternative, if people are in the UK for any length of time, a Pay as you Go wireless USB stick is available for about £15 with access costing around £2 a day, £10 a week or £15 a month. It is not that fast (The 3.6mb/s is probably only if actually sitting on a transmitter) , but it is fast enough for casual browsing and email use.

blade2007

Hi all. Thanks for your replies.

taggie - Do you recall if Grosvenor House has the US outlets? I seem to read someone mentioned that this hotel has US outlets.

Janisj - I submitted a request to justairports.com and hope to hear from them back soon.

jen103 - for electrical outlets, are converter available to purchase in London(for the 120 volt only)?

helen_belsize - Thanks for your clearification. The Grosvenor hotel called and suggested the Green Park stn & said there is only ONE exit from it. I will definetely look out and take the side exit from the NORTH side (Piccadilly). If we take the tube from LHR to the Hotel.

Since the travelcard is not available for purchase at LHR till we get to London rail stn (Paddington or Charing cross. Purchasing an oyster card @ LHR just to get to the hotel for the two of us, the cost is probably close to GBP 30. May be we are better off to prebook for the door to door service.

avalon - You are right. It's the Grosvenor House A Jw Marriott hotel on Park Lane, not the Marriott Grosvenor Square.
willit - thanks for your info on the wireless.