Wireless Internet On Secured Router?

I travel some for work. When not traveling my laptop connects directly to my company's intranet via a standard Ethernet connection.While on the road I use a wireless modem to pick up hotels wireless Internet. I connect and then log into a VPN to access my email and websites. This has always worked very easily incubus unsecure public routers.

However twice now , and both times on secure wireless I cannot even connect. My laptop easily finds the signal, usually really strong I click to connect and it never passes " validating identity". I know the secure routers password but it never even comes up to ask for it. Like I said it seems like it only happens on secure wireless routers. In this case it's frustrating because it's when I visit family and their home routers are set up secure with password.