How important is it to you to have high speed and/or wireless internet access in your accommodations when you travel?

Dial-up will not suffice for me, but whether I require it on a vacation depends on whether I bring my laptop; I usually don't.

Not important at all. I don't care about internet access at a hotel, no matter what speed it is. I use cybercafes to check my e-mail when I travel.

Hi nounty,

Zero importance. I'm on VACATION!

Not important. I don't bring a computer when I travel on vacation. However, if they have a computer in the lobby with free internet access for checking emails, that's a benefit.

Essential.

It's not important anymore because I have a Blackberry. And if I vacation in some remote location then I have made that plan precisely so that I will not have tv or any other technology...except indoor plumbing.

I've just about given up dialup. And I'm finding that high speed access is more important. I've got a little Toshiba Libretto laptop which measures about 9x6", and I've started toting that along.

We recently spent a month in Florida. We had a condo for a week in Daytona Beach, then went down through the Keys, then leisurely back up the Atlantic coast (we took the Auto Train, which dumps you out in Sanford.)

I found a surprising amount of lodging had WiFi (though the condo didn't.) And I used it to sometimes book rooms, and to occasionally post pictures to online albums.

I wouldn't carry a full-size laptop. Nor would I bother with it for a short trip. But it was a nice asset on the FL jaunt....

I don't care what the hotel has, as I don't travel with my own computer, I just go out and use internet cafes as needed.

Essential to have wifi or, if nec., high speed. If connection is unreliable, it's a big problem too.

If I'm on vacation, I don't want any access. If on business, High speed is essential.

Vacation-Don't really care.
Most of my travel (3wks/mo) is for business. High speed internet is essential.

Absolutely essential to have free internet WiFi in the room. Dialup doesn't even count. Since so many places now offer this, I won't even consider a hotel that doesn't.

For vacation - it doesn't even enter into the equation. I don't take my computer, so I don't care.

When I travel for work, I have to have high speed internet, wireless if possible.

Essential. We take a laptop everywhere now, and never have to deal with those often strange keyboards in internet cafes and/or hotel business centers. Even on vacation I have to be able to email, and am all thumbs unless I have a mouse--trackball just is too hard for me.

You mean, there are still places that only have dial-up?

No high-speed internet, no reservation from me.

Even on chartered yachts, my wife & I must have it.

It's important and highly desirable, because I do travel with a laptop, but I also have a (slow) cell phone modem to tether my laptop to the internet, as long as I have cell service. Mine is through T-Mobile and it's probably the slowest cell internet service out there; Verizon and Sprint have EV-DO which is pretty fast and well-regarded. In a pinch T-Mobile works fine, however, because at least I can check my email. WiFi is much desired however.

Traveling in Italy last year, cell phone internet thing wasn't an option so WiFi was even more important. I used internet cafes for a few days there when my laptop died and it was a huge pain, really - I was so happy when the laptop came back to life...

For work: requirement

For vacation: not needed

We have an EVDO card so we don't care whether or not the hotel provides access. We can connect anywhere we go.

Useless to me.

Essential.

Essential, at least in a lobby, bar or business center. I can live without it in my room.

I try not to use computers while on vacations, so don't even pay attention to this part of hotels' descriptions.

Essential. Major agravation to me that the mid-price hotels provide no charge internet access and the most expensive hotels have the highest per diems.

I've seen as high as $29.95 per day in Europe.

not at all.

Neither my wife nor I have the luxury of completing "leaving" work, even when on vacation in the middle of the Caribbean.

But we also love having high-speed access for vacation research -- checking out up-to-the-minute destination information, making dinner reservations, finding phone numbers, etc etc.

As a leisure tool, the internet is equally important to us as it is crucial to stay on top of things at our various business interests.

"The buck stops here," wherever the buck may be.

As replies are showing, I think the answer might change for at least some of us whether the trip is for business or pleasure.

All this is moot if you have an....

iPhone

It used to be essential when I didn't hve a blackberry but now that I do and use my blackberry as a tandem modem, not so much unless it is in a remote location and my blackberry won't have signal.

Vacation or not, I like having access to the internet because often times, we look up something essential if say we decided to change the pace or the activities on the trip.

The thing that gets to me about wifi is that they charge separately. At this day and age, it's pretty much like having electricity!

Just my opinion...

Essential for both my husband and myself.

We're able to keep track of work related issues without being interrupted by phone calls as well as plan activities and make reservations. Also very very helpful to stay in touch with family members at home.

Mandatory for business travel (most of my trips are).

Couldn;t care less on vacation.

ncounty it is now very important for dh - as he continues to work - we are going to Europe in December and will be gone for 12 days - and he has to be able to continue to respond to business.

Almost all of my travel is work related. Access is essential. On vacation I still like to have internet access in the room. I travel with laptop all the time.

Are there any hotels/motels in the US without it? I know overseas it can be a bit pricey, but I did pay for it at least every other day.

None. I don't travel with my laptop because I don't like to be in touch with everyone and their mom while I'm on vaca! I like to enjoy the trip and relaaaaaaax... plus, if anyone knows I can be reached on my vacation, 9 times out of 10, they'll try to contact me. I don't really want that.

You question is "while we travel" which is interesting since I can't say what we do is "vacation" any longer. DH retired recently and we are spending a lot of time on the road traveling in our RV. I still work part time and my job is done on the internet. I do have a Verizon air card so access at the campground isn't required unless I don't have coverage with the aircard. Wifi at campgrounds is becoming very common.

We recently spent 9 nights in Zion National Park, so imagine working from there!

utahtea

not important. If i need to check email, i'll go to the business center.

I travel extensively for business and that will determine where I stay.

VERY
I'm switching hotels right now (for current trip) for just that reason.

Alot of people are equating wifi access with work and business. For the purposes of travel, especially in unfamiliar territory, Google maps and business search, photo upload, blog updates, e-mailing friends, etc... are all an extension of "travelly" things you do w/o technology.

I think in one or two more generations, or maybe even the current generation, when technology comes as second nature, this will be a moot question. Industries that don't support a high tech infrastructure will suffer.

Some people who need wifi access wouldn't even be able to take a vacation without it. I'd rather go somewhere and be log-in once in awhile rather than not go at all.

It's a nice feature, but it has to be free.

When I am on vacation, I do not even think about a computer. I have all my email blocked and notify all my friends not to send, as I block so none would go through anyway. The computer is not my life where I would just die without it.

Thanks for all your responses. It was a very interesting range of responses to me. I was on vacation posting from a dial-up so this was my first opportunity to respond. I agree with how irksome it is that high end hotels charge for this when it is complimentary in the more budget hotels. I appreciate having free internet access when I travel and don't mind dial-up although of course, the higher end the amenity for no added cost, the better.

I tried to do some math with the responses. I think about 19 out of 40 people felt it was either essential or somewhat important to them. I did not include those who responded that they needed it only for work trips in the numerator; I only counted those who indicated for vacation travel including those who have to take work with them on vacation. So, approximately half of respondents indicated a significant preference for internet access, preferably high speed, preferably free. I also did not include those who have their own technology so that it is a moot point whether the property they are staying at has access or not (iphone, blackberry, EVDO card, etc.). If I included this group and the business traveler group, it is a significant majority (about 3/4) who need internet access with travel.

Essential to have my high-speed internet in my room ... and I only travel for pleasure. I simply like being able to "look things up" and to have access to my e-mail. It's not that I use it very much ... but I like to have it, if needed.

Same as elsiemoo. I haven't had dial-up in so many years that that's not even in the equation for me. We stayed in a hotel this weekend where it was available but at a cost, and went looking for someplace else where we could log on for free. That said, even if I had to pay for it, it's very very important -- some people read before bed; I surf the 'net. Also, we watch our favorite home sports teams on our laptop (combination of TiVo and Slingbox), even when on vacation. I doubt I'll lug the laptop to Europe or Africa, though.

For business travel, I take my laptop computer with me, because WiFi is an essential communications tool for me, when I'm on the road. Dial-up access is both very problematic and just "painful" to use, if you are a user of broadband Internet access service(s), unless your cell phone can also function as a data modem and you have set up this communications option for your laptop computer.

For leisure travel, having WiFi or broadband access is discretionary, but using either a laptop computer or a hand-held WiFi device (such as an Apple iTouch or iPhone) to get current information and updates when traveling is very handy requisite for planning and getting the most from your leisure travel. Travel, like most other activities, is a dynamic, rather than a static activity, where whatever can happen to your trip plans usually does happen, so one would be well advised to have some way of getting current information about a destination that you are traveling in, other than trying to use the telephone or sending smoke signals from the top of your nearest mesa for communications purposes.

We take a computer on holiday because we take so many photos we download them each night.

My husband put some photos on his IPOD but didn't tell me how, I wish someone would.

It was fortunate that the condo on Kauai had wireless internet due to the fact we lost a camera on the flight over and we used the sony site to order another. We had it shipped to the condo office overnight.

It dosen't always have to be a business reason for internet usage.

I would not stay at a hotel that did not have WiFi.

I never take my computer on a trip so not importnt.

I don't take my computer on vacation but it's nice to have FREE internet access in the hotel to check weather in the next location, print boarding passes, etc. On a recent trip, we stayed in a lower cost chain that had a computer off the lobby for guest use (suggested limiting time to 15 minutes) and then a Renaissance where you had to pay the business center to use the internet. That really irks me, especially when you pay about twice as much for the Renaissance room.

I find the laptop great in my room before bed, checking local things like activities, museum hours, bringing up mapquest directions, making dinner reservations, and dozens of other things. I do NOT like using a lobby one for more than a couple minutes to check emails as invariably someone will be standing over my shoulder waiting for me to finish. And most places have a 5 minute or so time limit anyway.

So yes, it is important, and I'll admit I can't deal with dial up any more. The most important thing though is that it is free. I still can't get over checking with a "long term rental" suite hotel that told me they charge $11.95 a day for high speed internet. I asked if there was a break for a month stay, and they said "no". I'm not about to spend $360 for high speed internet access!

One thing about the US, which you probably already know, if you have European or Asian friends, is that our internet access infrastructure is woeful, which is why the general public still isn't used to ubiquitous, affordable internet. We are behind the curve. It is tough hooking up our nation though, given that we have so much surface area to cover.

Just because someone uses the internet during vacation doesn't mean that person is checking e-mail or working. I like looking things up about the place I'm traveling in to enhance the travel experience. You can discover more things with access to the virtual encyclopedia that the internet is.

I'd just like to have broadband at home! I live in an Australian capital city of 1 million plus people and I can't even get broadband.

As for holidays, I don't own a laptop, nor would I take it on holiday anyway - too much else to lug as it is. However, I do think it is a bonus if a hotel offers free access to a pc with internet access. Although this is only important on long overseas holidays and not short local ones.