Patent ID: 8245276

Claim:
A method for providing Internet access services to guests of a hotel chain comprising: (a) entering guest identifying data in a first property management system of a first hotel of said hotel chain; (b) receiving at a central authentication server from a guest computer in said first hotel an Internet access request, said request comprising guest input for confirming said guest's registration status; (c) transmitting from said central authentication server to said property management system a request to confirm said guest's registration status at said first hotel using said guest identifying data; (d) confirming said guest's registration status at said first hotel; (e) transmitting said request for Internet access to an Internet gateway device at said first hotel; (f) assigning at said Internet gateway device guest authentication information to said guest identifying data; (g) transmitting said authentication information to said guest and said central authentication server; (h) receiving at said central authentication server from said guest computer said guest authentication information; (i) authenticating said guest according to said guest authentication information; (j) opening for said guest computer a connection to the Internet through said Internet gateway device at said first hotel; and (k) transmitting to said first property management system from said Internet gateway device transaction data for a session using said connection to the Internet.