Communications

Internet

If you've brought your laptop or tablet with you to the Big Island, you should have no problem checking email or connecting to the Internet. Most of the major hotels and resorts offer high-speed access in rooms or lobbies. You should check with your hotel in advance to confirm that access is wireless; if not, ask whether in-room cables are provided. It's a good idea to bring your own ethernet cable. In some cases, there will be an hourly or daily charge posted to your room. The latest unhappy trend is for the major hotels to charge a resort fee, a mandatory daily fee that is supposed to cover Wi-Fi and parking and may range from $25 to $40. If you're staying at a small inn or bed-and-breakfast without Internet access, ask the proprietor for the nearest café or shopping center with wireless access.