My wife checked us into the Sheraton in Tulsa (or was it Oklahoma City?) on the return leg of our wide circle trip out west and she turned to me and asked if I wanted to pay $10 for internet access. I almost exploded. One of the managers tried to tell me the reason they charged for it was to be up front about the costs of services they provided cause they were a "full service hotel". If I wasn't so tired, I would have asked if they also charged for soap.
The managers in the morning just stared at me blankly when I went off on them in the morning. "Why do they charge for internet but not phone service?", I asked.
The hospitality industry doesn't operate at nearly the same pace as the tech industry. If you think back, 10 years ago it wouldn't have seemed unreasonable for a hotel to charge for internet at all. They're likely under contract, they realize an additional revenue stream, etc. It's hardly the morning staff's fault.
Obviously you think the staff does not represent Sheraton in any way, shape or form. With that thought in mind, no one at Sheraton represents them except ... whom?
You also seem to want to ignore the fact that, on a 4000-mile, 10-day journey, they were the only hotel that charged for internet. This doesn't include the multitude of business trips I take every month where, again, I never get charged for internet.
So, iow, charging for internet service is not the norm. Nor is charging for telephone service. And don't mention it to the front desk. It's not their fault.
The managers in the morning just stared at me blankly when I went off on them in the morning. "Why do they charge for internet but not phone service?", I asked.