When we first opened In 2002, everyone told me
"wireless internet access is the future" -- so I installed a rudimentary
wireless router, running 802.11b at 11 kilobytes per second off of an
incredibly unreliable cable modem.
This made us the first hotel in Iowa City to
offer free high-speed wireless internet access to all guests -- yet
for the first year, practically NO ONE used it, except staff members and the
occasional long-term guest. For a while it seemed as if we had
gone to great effort to provide a service that no one wanted...
Starting in the middle of 2003, however, I
noticed a dramatic change. First it was our Asian guests who pulled
out their palm-tops, and instantly connected to our network without saying a
word. Amazed at their technology (their computers had wi-fi capability
built-in, while ours required add-ons), I recognized that a "sea-change" was
taking place in the internet and lodging world.
Soon, EVERYONE was asking how to connect, as more
and more people purchased lap tops and palm-pilots with built-in Wi-Fi
capabilities.
So, in early 2004, I upgraded the system to the
newer (and faster) 802.11g standard. And in June of 2004, we
added a separate DSL line, providing redundancy with our cable system.
Now, no matter WHAT happens, we have wireless
internet access for you, our valued guest -- free!
Did you know that the
Iowa City Airport -- right next to the Inn -- was the site of the very first
transcontinental airmail flight? |