You are in your hotel room abroad. You need to call your bank, your airline, a doctor, someone with a regular phone number back home. The room phone is sitting right there on the nightstand. It looks easy. It probably is easy.
The problem is what shows up on your bill when you check out.
Hotel room phones have long had a reputation for being one of travel’s most reliable rip-offs. But a lot of people either don’t know that, or know it and do it anyway because they don’t realise there’s a better option that’s just as quick. This article covers all your choices and which one to actually use.
The hotel room phone trap
Hotels have always charged a premium for in-room calls. They use a network provider and then add their own markup on top, so you’re paying above an already high carrier rate. The exact charge varies from hotel to hotel, and even between properties under the same brand, because they don’t all use the same billing system. Most hotels don’t publish their call rates anywhere obvious, which means you often have no idea what you’ll be charged until you see your bill.
That’s a problem when you’re making an international call.
The stories are out there. One guest posted about being charged $80 for a single international call at a Marriott hotel. Someone else on Reddit shared a bill for over $180 for a call that wasn’t even international, just room to another US state.
The phone is right there. It looks like any other phone. You pick it up, dial, and have no idea that the meter is running at several dollars per minute.
I’ve been in that situation myself. Staying in France and needing to call a car hire company in Belgium, the room phone was right there. I didn’t use it, because I knew the reputation, but the temptation was real. For someone who doesn’t know what hotel phones typically cost, it’s very easy to get caught out.
For what it’s worth, I tried to find published per-minute rates on the websites of major hotel chains to include here. Most don’t list them anywhere. Which, if you think about it, makes the whole thing worse.
Your options at a glance
There are five realistic ways to make calls when you’re staying at a hotel abroad. The right one depends on who you’re calling, how long you’re travelling, and what connection you have available.
| Option | Best for | What you need | Cost |
| Hotel room phone | Local calls (sometimes free) | Nothing | Unknown (hotels don’t publish rates) |
| VoIP app (dials regular numbers) | Calling friends/family who have the same app | Hotel WiFi | Free |
| VoIP app (dials regular numbers) | Calling landlines, businesses, anyone without an app | Hotel WiFi or data | From $0.02/min (ZippCall) |
| eSIM or local SIM | Quick calls when WiFi isn’t available | Active roaming plan or bundle | ~$10–12/day (US) or £5–10/mo (UK) |
| eSIM or local SIM | Longer trips, reliable data everywhere | Compatible phone | ~$15–20 for 10 GB / 7 days |
Option 1: Use a messaging app (WhatsApp, FaceTime, Messenger)
If you’re trying to reach friends or family who you know are on WhatsApp, FaceTime, or a similar app, this is the first thing to try. It’s free, it works over hotel WiFi, and the call quality is usually fine.
The catch is obvious: both people need to have the same app. That works well for keeping in touch with people you know. It doesn’t work at all for the situations that often come up when you’re travelling: calling your bank, your airline, an insurance company, or an elderly relative who doesn’t own a smartphone. Those calls need to go to a regular phone number.
If you’re in that situation, you need something different. See our full guide to free international calling apps if you want a broader look at app options.
Option 2: Use a calling app that dials regular phone numbers
This is the option that solves the real problem: calling any phone number, anywhere, without the hotel phone markup.
VoIP calling apps route your call over the internet but connect to a regular phone line at the other end. Most travellers don’t think of them first, but they should. The person you’re calling doesn’t need any app, doesn’t need to do anything differently. They just answer their phone as normal.
I know someone who used this approach while staying in a hotel in Romania. He runs a tour company and needed to call one of his customers in the USA to confirm a booking. He used ZippCall over the hotel’s free WiFi. The call cost $0.02 per minute, it worked without any issues, and he was able to sort his business admin from his hotel room. He didn’t pay anything close to what the room phone would have charged.
Apps like ZippCall are also straightforward to get set up. You can go from downloading the app to making your first call in about two minutes: search for it, download it, add credit via card, and call. Rates start from $0.02 per minute for most countries, and you can check the rate for your destination before you even sign up. The rate is shown before you dial, so there are no surprises.
A note on hotel WiFi and VoIP: Hotel WiFi can sometimes be too slow or inconsistent to support a clear call (more on that below). If a call isn’t connecting or quality is poor, switching to mobile data (even briefly) usually fixes it.
Option 3: Use your mobile roaming plan
If hotel WiFi is poor and you don’t have an eSIM, your mobile roaming plan is a fallback. The call will work reliably since it’s using your carrier’s network, and it feels just like making a normal call.
The problem is cost. Without an international roaming bundle or day-pass add-on, roaming rates can be just as high as the hotel phone, sometimes higher. If you’re with a UK carrier, some like Three include certain destinations in your standard plan, while others charge per minute. US carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile offer international day-passes, but the daily fee stacks up quickly on a longer trip.
Check your plan before you travel, not when you need to make a call. US carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile typically charge around $10–12 per day for an international day-pass. UK carriers like EE work differently, with many offering international calling add-ons for around £5–10 per month that give you discounted or bundled international call minutes. Activating something before you leave is almost always cheaper than paying per-minute roaming rates without one.
Option 4: Get a local SIM or eSIM
For longer trips (anything over a week), this is worth considering. An eSIM (if your phone supports it) lets you buy a local or regional data plan without needing a physical SIM card swap. It’s cheap, it’s convenient, and it means you always have data wherever you are, not just when you’re on hotel WiFi.
I use an eSIM when I travel, specifically because I like the freedom of having data available at all times. Not having to hunt for WiFi every time I need to look something up, use Google Maps, or call an Uber makes a real difference.
One important thing to know: almost all travel eSIMs are data-only. They don’t include call minutes, and they certainly don’t include international calling minutes. An eSIM won’t let you call a regular phone number on its own.
Pair the eSIM with a VoIP calling app and you have reliable data wherever you are, with the app handling the actual call at a low per-minute rate. That combination (eSIM for data, VoIP app for the call) is probably the most reliable setup for anyone travelling regularly or for more than a few days.
A typical travel eSIM giving you around 10 GB of data for a week costs roughly $15–20 in the US, UK, or Europe. That covers all your navigation, messaging, and data needs. If you’re using a calling app over that data, your per-minute call costs are on top of that, starting from $0.02/min.
For a deeper look at eSIM options, see our guide to eSIM for international calling.
A word on hotel WiFi
Most of the options above depend on having a usable internet connection, and hotel WiFi is rarely reliable.
In my experience, hotel WiFi is inconsistent wherever you go. You don’t know what you’re getting until you’ve checked in and tried it. The speed can be fine one minute and drop the next. You could be watching something without issues and then suddenly it’s buffering. There’s usually a captive portal login to deal with when you first connect, and on some systems it will time out and ask you to re-authenticate, which can interrupt a call in progress.
There’s also a pricing tier issue at some hotels. Basic WiFi is often free but slow, fine for checking emails but not reliable for video calls or VoIP. Faster WiFi is offered as a paid upgrade, sometimes charged per day. If you’re planning to make calls from your room and the free WiFi feels sluggish, it may be worth paying for the faster tier, or falling back to mobile data instead.
What to watch out for
Using the hotel phone without asking the rate first. If you absolutely need to use the room phone, call the front desk first and ask what the per-minute rate is for international calls. That number should also be in the room compendium. Most guests never check.
Roaming without a bundle. Making a call on mobile data without an international bundle or day-pass active can be just as expensive as the hotel phone. Check your plan before you travel.
Hotel WiFi re-authentication. Many hotel WiFi systems log you out after a period of inactivity and ask you to log back in through a browser. If this happens mid-call, the call will drop. Keep an eye on your connection if you’re on a long call.
Toll-free numbers don’t work from abroad. Numbers like 0800 (UK) or 1-800 (US) are only free within their home country. They typically won’t connect at all when dialled from outside that country. Most banks and airlines provide an alternative number specifically for customers calling from abroad. It’s often printed on the back of your card or listed in their contact pages. Find that number before you call.
Your phone switching from WiFi to mobile data. Some phones automatically switch to mobile data when a WiFi connection drops or weakens. If your data roaming is turned on and this happens during a call, you may rack up charges without realising it. Either turn off data roaming while using WiFi calling, or keep an eye on which connection you’re using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make international calls from a hotel?
Yes, but how you do it matters a lot. The hotel room phone will connect the call, but the charge can be significant. Guests have reported bills of $80 or more for a single international call. Using your own phone over hotel WiFi with a VoIP calling app is almost always cheaper, and takes about the same amount of time to set up.
How much do hotels charge for phone calls?
It varies, and that’s part of the problem. Rates differ between hotel groups, and even between individual properties under the same brand, because they don’t all use the same billing system. Local calls within the country you’re staying are sometimes included, but international calls are where costs tend to be steep. Most hotels don’t publish their rates anywhere easily findable, so you’ll often have no idea what you’ll pay until you see the bill at checkout.
Does Marriott charge for phone calls?
Yes, in most cases. Rates vary by property and Marriott doesn’t publish a standard rate. Real guest experiences tell the story: one guest reported being charged $80 for a single international call, and another posted a bill for over $180 for a domestic US call, from one state to another. If you’re staying at a Marriott and need to make a call, ask the front desk for the rate before you dial, or use your phone and a calling app instead.
Does Hilton charge for phone calls?
Yes. Like most hotel chains, Hilton doesn’t publish a fixed rate, and charges vary by property. The safest approach is to check with the front desk before using the room phone for anything beyond a local call. Or skip it entirely and use a calling app over WiFi.
What’s the cheapest way to call home from a hotel abroad?
Using hotel WiFi with a VoIP calling app is usually the cheapest option. You’re paying a per-minute rate that’s a fraction of what the hotel phone charges. If hotel WiFi is poor or unreliable, mobile data via an eSIM paired with a calling app is the next best option. Both let you see the cost before you dial.
Can I use WhatsApp from hotel WiFi?
In most cases, yes. WhatsApp calls work over standard hotel WiFi without any special settings. The main limitation is that the person you’re calling also needs to have WhatsApp. For calling businesses, banks, airlines, or anyone on a regular phone number, you’ll need a VoIP calling app instead.
The bottom line
For most situations when you’re travelling abroad, the answer is: don’t touch the hotel room phone for international calls.
For a short trip (a few nights), try the hotel WiFi first. Download a calling app, top up with a small amount, and make the call. You’ll pay a fraction of what the room phone costs, and you’ll know the rate before you dial. If the hotel WiFi is too slow or unreliable, a nearby café or public WiFi spot will usually have a decent enough connection. Or use mobile data if you have it available.
For a longer trip where you know you’ll need to make calls regularly, get an eSIM for data before you leave and pair it with an international calling app. You’ll have a reliable connection wherever you are, and you’ll never be guessing what the call will cost.
The difference that matters: with the hotel phone, the charge is a mystery until checkout. With a calling app, you see the rate before you press dial.
A lot of people only find this out the hard way, after a shock bill. If you’re reading this because that already happened, at least you know for next time. If you’re reading it before you travel, you’re already ahead.
Entrepreneur and founder of ZippCall. After years living abroad, Josh built ZippCall to make international calling simple, affordable, and reliable.
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