I travel on business frequently and have quite a bit of experience with hotel wifi connections that fail. Here's my recommendation though I suspect it may not solve your problem.
I suspect the problem lies with the internet service, not your iPad. First, take your problem to the hotel staff but don't expect any real help. If you're at a hotel that charges for wifi access, you may be able to contact the third party service provider via a 800 number for technical assistance. Or if the ISP is a local third party, the hotel may be able to give you a number to call for technical assistance.
My guess is that the internet provider doesn't support the Safari browser. Thus, you're not getting the splash screen that confirms your connection and validates the charge (if any) for wifi access. If that's the case, I've sometimes had success in getting a reduction in my bill as a good will gesture on the part of the hotel.
Finally, because I travel frequently, I pay for a wifi hotspot portable router provided by Verizon. It's a relatively expensive option, calling for a $50 per month two year contract (unlike the month to month option for a 3G iPad) but it does provide an alternative to hotels that advertise but don't really provide wifi access. And because it's a hotspot rather than a built-in option, I can use it for my laptop as well as my iPad.
Bottom line is that almost all hotels now offer "wifi internet." Whether it actually works and works in all rooms (sometimes far from their router) is another matter altogether. Best to check with the hotel ahead of time to see if they've had complaints and to make clear that internet access is essential for you.
