Best answer: As long as you've secured access to your hotel Wi-Fi and there are no restrictions on the number of devices you're able to connect, you should be fully capable of connecting your own Amazon Echo speaker to any hotel Wi-Fi. Alternatively, you might be able to use your phone's mobile hotspot feature or a portable wireless router extender like the TP-Link N300 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router if you want to create your own secure Wi-Fi network for your room and avoid any extra hotel charges for multiple devices.
Amazon: Amazon Echo Dot ($50)
Bring Alexa along when you travel to help with your daily routines
It might seem a bit weird at first to pack a smart speaker in your luggage for your next business trip or vacation, but that's only until you stop and consider the ways that having Alexa in your hotel room would be quite handy.
Maintain your daily routines and keep in touch with your smart product back home.
For those of us who rely on Alexa for setting alarms and for getting morning news briefings, it can be nice to start your day the same way even on the road. Alexa can also be used to help you find and recommend nearby restaurants or coffee shops using just your voice, or get the latest weather reports for the area. You'll just need to change the device's location in the Alexa app, which is especially important if you've got an extended stay planned.
With Alexa, you're always in control of your smart home products back at your house — even just by using the Alexa app. You can toggle the smart lights in your home or set them on a schedule to make it seem like someone is still home, ensure your smart thermostat is set to away mode and not wasting your money on heating an empty house, or ensure that your smart locks are still engaged.
Finally, one of the most obvious use cases for taking a smart speaker on the road with you is the easy ability to listen to your favorite music or podcasts while chilling in your hotel room. Calling up music using only your voice is one of Alexa's best features and it's a great thing to take with you, especially if you're staying at a noisier hotel or motel and require white noise or soothing sleep music to fall asleep.
Frequent travelers who stay at Marriott hotels should soon start finding special Amazon Echo products included with most Marriott hotels as the two companies reached a partnership agreement for Amazon's new Alexa for Hospitality program announced back in June 2018. Much like most hotel TVs, these won't function exactly like a consumer version of the product but is designed to act as a virtual concierge for hotel amenities including room service and controlling any smart products built into your room. This program is still in its infancy but it's pretty exciting to imagine how this might improve your future hotel stays once fully implemented.
What's the best Echo speaker for traveling?
Amazon has continued to improve the sound quality of each new generation of Echo speaker while also condensing everything into a more portable package, meaning that it's not unreasonable to pack a second-generation Echo or Echo Plus speaker in your luggage.
However, let's say you're a frequent traveler and are looking to buy a new speaker specifically for traveling. We recommend the third-generation Echo Dot because it's the most affordable speaker in Amazon's lineup, it's size makes it the easiest to travel with, and it's still a fully-capable speaker that should easily fill any standard hotel room with the sweet sound of music.
"I'm not tiny; I'm travel-sized for your convenience."
Portable enough to stash in any bag or luggage, the Echo Dot is easy to set up and use in any hotel that offers Wi-Fi, bringing the routine and the noise-blocking nature sounds you rely on to your home away from home.
You should be able to directly connect the Echo Dot to the hotel's Wi-Fi or alternatively use your phone's mobile hotspot feature to rebroadcast the hotel's Wi-Fi or potentially connect it wirelessly over your mobile data plan (additional charges may apply, so be sure to check with your carrier before setting this up).
