Re: There be dragons here
You shouldn't confuse Marriott corp with the local franchise. I doubt this directive came down from national, more likely it was the local franchise owner trying to recoup his wasted investment in expensive wifi services. Some of the conventions I go to are hosted at a nearby Marriott and have never had this sort of issue. The fine will hurt the local franchise more than it would have hurt national. Not that it will necessarily be noticeable.
And yes, in the US you should tip housekeeping.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
