Need to Fax at Your Hotel? Skip the Business Center and Send It from Your Phone
Hotel business centers charge $4–6 per page and are disappearing from lobbies. Send the same fax from your room, the airport, or anywhere with internet for a flat $3.50–$5.00 instead.
Hotel Business Center
- •$4–6 first page, $2–5 per additional page
- •Charged even if fax fails or line is busy
- •Must visit lobby; limited hours; public machine
OneFaxNow
- $3.50 for 1–10 pages, $5.00 for 11–50 pages
- Pay only on successful delivery (free retries)
- Fax from your phone 24/7 — scan docs with your camera
The Reality: Hotel Fax Machines Are Disappearing
If you just searched “fax at hotel,” you are not alone. Business travelers, healthcare workers, and attorneys routinely need to fax documents while away from the office. But the hotel business center is no longer the reliable option it once was.
Fax machines are vanishing from lobbies
Hotels are replacing traditional business centers with modern coworking-style lounges optimized for laptops and Wi-Fi, not legacy fax hardware. The global coworking-in-hospitality market is booming while fax machines quietly disappear.
When hotels do have fax, pricing is steep
Typical hotel fax rates run $4–6 for the first page and $2–5 for each additional page. A 10-page fax can cost $22–$51 depending on the property. Some hotels even charge per minute rather than per page.
Business centers keep limited hours
Many hotel business centers close by 9 or 10 PM, and some are unstaffed on weekends. If you need to fax a signed contract at midnight or early morning before a flight, you are out of luck.
Zero privacy on shared machines
Hotel fax machines sit in shared lobby areas where other guests, housekeeping staff, and front desk employees can see your documents. Output trays are public. There is no HIPAA compliance for walk-in fax customers.
Should You Fax at the Hotel or Use OneFaxNow?
The hotel business center is fine if:
- You have 1–2 non-sensitive pages and the fax machine is available
- Your hotel offers free fax for guests and you have confirmed availability
- You need to receive a fax and the front desk can hold it for you
OneFaxNow is usually better if:
- You are sending more than a couple pages (flat $3.50–$5.00 vs $4–6/page)
- You need to fax outside business center hours or from your room
- Your documents contain medical records, legal papers, or other sensitive info
- Your hotel has no fax machine or you do not want to leave your room
Key takeaway: A 10-page fax costs $22–$51 at a hotel vs $3.50 with OneFaxNow. A 50-page document? Up to $250+ at the hotel vs just $5.00 with us — that's over 95% savings.
Hotel Fax Prices vs OneFaxNow
Hotel fax pricing based on typical rates of $4–6 first page + $2–5 per additional page. Actual costs vary by property.
| Pages | Hotel (Low) | Hotel (High) | OneFaxNow | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $4.00 | $6.00 | $3.50 | 13–42% |
| 3 | $8.00 | $16.00 | $3.50 | 56–78% |
| 5 | $12.00 | $26.00 | $3.50 | 71–87% |
| 10 | $22.00 | $51.00 | $3.50 | 84–93% |
| 20 | $42.00 | $101.00 | $5.00 | 88–95% |
| 50 | $102.00 | $251.00 | $5.00 | 95–98% |
Warning: Hotels typically charge even when your fax fails to send. With OneFaxNow, you only pay on successful delivery.
OneFaxNow Pricing
- Lite: $3.50 (1–10 pages)
- Standard: $5.00 (11–50 pages)
- Optional HIPAA add-on: +$3 (Lite) / +$5 (Standard)
Hotel Hidden Fees
- Cover page: $2–5 extra at many hotels
- Receiving faxes: $1–3/page at front desk
- Failed transmission: still charged full rate
- International: $8–15+ per page at hotel rates
Bottom line: If you are sending more than 1–2 pages, OneFaxNow is usually dramatically cheaper than faxing at the hotel business center.
Faxing from the Hotel Lobby vs Faxing from Your Room
Hotel Business Center
- 1Check if your hotel even has a fax machine (call front desk)
- 2Walk to the lobby business center, wait if occupied
- 3Print your document if you only have a digital file
- 4Feed pages one by one into the fax machine
- 5Pay at the front desk; keep your paper receipt
- 6Hope it worked — limited delivery confirmation
OneFaxNow
- 1Open your browser on phone or laptop
- 2Upload PDF/Word/images (or scan with your camera on Android)
- 3Enter fax number (U.S./Canada), optional cover page
- 4Pay with card/Apple Pay/Google Pay
- 5Track delivery in real time; pay only on success
Need to find a physical fax near your hotel? See our full FedEx Office Fax Alternative page for in-store pricing.
Privacy: Hotel Lobby Fax vs Private Online Fax
At the Hotel Business Center
- •Shared, public machine in open lobby or business center
- •Documents may sit in output trays visible to anyone walking by
- •No Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for guest fax services
- •No audit trail beyond a paper receipt from the front desk
With OneFaxNow
- Upload directly from your own device over encrypted (TLS) connections
- Files processed, sent, and automatically deleted:
- Standard mode: minimal retention for delivery + receipts
- HIPAA Mode: stricter handling, automatic PHI deletion with audit logging
- Instant BAA and a HIPAA Audit Dashboard for PHI faxes
If you are a healthcare worker traveling and need to fax medical records or PHI, a hotel business center fax is NOT HIPAA-compliant. OneFaxNow's HIPAA Mode provides an instant BAA, encryption, audit logs, and secure deletion — all from your phone.
Learn about HIPAA FaxHotel Business Center Fax vs OneFaxNow — Full Comparison
| Feature | Hotel Business Center | OneFaxNow |
|---|---|---|
| How you fax | In person at hotel lobby/business center | Online from any device |
| Pricing model | Per page ($4–6 first, $2–5 additional) | Flat: $3.50 (1–10 pages), $5.00 (11–50 pages) |
| Hours | Business center hours only (often 7AM–10PM) | 24/7 |
| Availability | Depends on hotel; many have removed fax machines | Always available — works from any hotel, Airbnb, airport |
| Privacy | Public machines; staff and guests can see documents | Private, encrypted, no public handling |
| HIPAA support | No BAA for guest fax services | Optional HIPAA Mode with BAA, audit logs, secure deletion |
| Tracking | Paper receipt at best | Real-time online status + email confirmation |
| Retry on busy line | Must re-send manually; charged again | Up to 3 automatic retries; pay only on success |
| If fax fails? | Still charged the full per-page rate | No charge — pay only on success |
| Fax from phone? | No — must bring paper or print first | Yes — upload files or scan with camera |
| Account required? | Must be a hotel guest (usually) | No account; pay-per-fax checkout |
Who Needs to Fax While Traveling?
These are the travelers who most often search for hotel fax services.
Business Travelers
Signing contracts, sending purchase orders, or faxing authorization forms between meetings. A hotel fax machine at $6/page is not practical for a 15-page agreement.
Healthcare Workers
Nurses, doctors, and medical staff attending conferences or working locum tenens who need to fax patient records with HIPAA compliance. Hotel fax machines do not meet HIPAA standards.
Attorneys
Filing court documents, faxing affidavits, or sending time-sensitive legal papers while traveling. Courts and government offices often require fax as the only accepted submission method.
Real Estate Agents
Closing deals, faxing signed offers, or sending inspection reports while between property showings in another city. Timing matters and hotel business centers close early.
Insurance and Finance Professionals
Claims adjusters, auditors, and financial advisors who need to fax signed forms, W-9s, or other compliance documents while working remotely from a hotel.
Hotel Fax — Common Questions
Can you fax at a hotel?
Some hotels still have fax machines in their business centers, but availability is declining. Many hotels have removed fax machines or replaced business centers with coworking-style lounges. Call the front desk before your trip to confirm. Alternatively, you can skip the hotel fax entirely and send your fax online with OneFaxNow for $3.50–$5.00 flat from your phone or laptop.
How much does it cost to fax at a hotel?
Hotel fax rates typically run $4–6 for the first page and $2–5 for each additional page. A 10-page fax can cost $22–$51 depending on the property. Some hotels offer limited free faxing for guests, but this is inconsistent. OneFaxNow charges a flat $3.50 for up to 10 pages or $5.00 for up to 50 pages.
Do all hotels have fax machines?
No. Fax machines in hotel business centers are becoming less common. Budget and boutique hotels are especially unlikely to have one. Even larger chain hotels have been removing fax machines as they modernize their business centers. Always call ahead to verify before relying on a hotel fax.
Is it safe to fax medical records from a hotel business center?
Generally not for HIPAA compliance. Hotel fax machines are shared, public devices in open areas. Hotels do not offer Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), and there is no HIPAA-compliant audit trail or secure document deletion. If you need to fax medical records or PHI while traveling, OneFaxNow’s HIPAA Mode provides an instant BAA, encryption, audit logs, and secure deletion.
What if my hotel does not have a fax machine?
You have three options: (1) Ask the front desk if they can send a fax for you from their office equipment, (2) Visit a nearby FedEx Office, UPS Store, or Staples (typically $1.50–$2.50 per page), or (3) Use an online fax service like OneFaxNow to send from your phone or laptop without leaving the hotel.
Can I fax from my phone instead of the hotel business center?
Yes. OneFaxNow works on any smartphone browser. Upload a PDF, Word document, or image file, enter the fax number, and pay. On Android, you can also use the OneFaxNow app to scan physical documents with your camera and fax them directly. No printer or fax machine needed.
Do I need an account or subscription to use OneFaxNow?
No. OneFaxNow is strictly pay-per-fax. There is no account, no subscription, and no monthly fees. Upload your documents, enter a U.S. or Canada fax number, and pay only if the fax delivers successfully. It is designed for travelers and one-time senders.
Skip the Hotel Business Center — Send Your Fax from Your Room
Whether you are in a hotel, Airbnb, airport lounge, or conference center, OneFaxNow works anywhere with an internet connection. Upload, address, send — and pay only on successful delivery.