Using hotel lobbies for informal meetings is nothing new. What is new is that hotels are now trying to cater to not only their own guests — but non-guests, too. Here’s what it means for you.

Hotels like the W chain or the Giraffe Hotel in New York actually encourage short meetings in their lobbies, even by non-guests.

For the hotel, it’s good publicity. For you and your fellow business travelers, it’s free wireless Internet access — and usually, comfortable chairs.

Other hotels are happy to let non-guests use their lobby’s Wifi, provided they buy a drink or snack from the lobby bar.

Now a cocktail at a lobby bar probably won’t be a cheap drink, but if it comes with free Wifi, it could be worth the price.

Just remember — a hotel lobby isn’t an office, your presentations won’t be private and it could be noisy. But for a cheap, convenient meeting place, a hotel lobby could work well.

Check out our Hotels section for more tips.