Remote workers are increasingly frustrated by hotels and vacation rentals advertising "high-speed internet" that can't handle basic video calls, raising questions about whether the hospitality industry is ready for the remote work era.
A frustrated post on Reddit captures what many digital nomads have experienced: "I'm in a Hyatt and my calls keep dropping."
The problem is so widespread that digital nomads are considering investing in personal Starlink systems—satellite internet devices costing several hundred dollars—just to work reliably while traveling.
The High-Speed Internet Lie
"It seems like every Airbnb, VRBO, and hotel advertises 'high speed internet' and then I get there and it's unusable garbage," the original poster writes. "Weak signal, slow speeds, dropped connections. I'm in a decent hotel as I write this and I'm having to use my phone's hotspot to connect."
The disconnect between advertised and actual internet quality has become one of the biggest pain points for remote workers. What hotels consider "high speed" often means adequate for checking email or browsing websites—not for video conferences, uploading large files, or accessing cloud-based software.
Even Business Centers Fail
Perhaps most frustrating is when hotels' dedicated business facilities can't deliver. "I'm sitting in the business center of a decent hotel, I feel like it shouldn't be too much to ask for a stable connection," the poster notes. "At minimum, it should be better than a crowded coffee shop."
This raises a fundamental question: If hotels are marketing to business travelers and remote workers, why isn't reliable internet their top infrastructure priority?
The Video Call Problem
the traveler acknowledges.
