Hotwire Hotel: 3* Lihue-kappa "resort" for $66??

[Vacationman]

On Kauai:

For dates 5/7-5/15, hotwire has come up with a 3*hotel, showing the following icons: resort, near beach, restaurant, pool, fitness, golf, tennis, and laundry. Anyone have any ideas as to what this may be?

[LoneStar]

I did a packages search, and the cheapest 3 star that came up for those nights was at $77 (certainly possible, we know hotwire randomly changes its rates). The hotel is the Aloha Beach Resort Kauai, on the eastern shore of the island.

I know this property. It used to be a Holiday Inn Resort. I haven't been inside, but I've eyeballed it and it would seem to me to be a solid 3 star property. It is extremely well located if you're travelling with young children, because one of the 2 best beaches on Kauai for kids is right next to the hotel. Some people think the road near the hotel is busy, but I would not let that deter you. Good access to the whole island from there.

FWIW, if you're interested, I might try to bid $50 to $55 on priceline. Of course, you could get something else. Do a packages search on priceline FIRST (put in HNL as your origin city) and see if it comes up as the cheapest hotel in its category and zone.

[Vacationman]

Thanks. I think you're right. It seems to have mixed reviews; I'll keep it in mind, while I keep looking.

[LoneStar]

If you want a cheap Kauai vacation, I think this place is an outstanding value for under 70 bucks (and keep in mind that if you get an Entertainment Book, you can save $30 off every $95 Hotwire purchase -- unfortunately the one night + fees and taxes will be slightly under $95, but you could break your stay up into 2 night bids). It would probably be nicer than anything else you could get on the island for that price. But it might not be as nice as something you could get for $100-$120 on priceline. It all depends on how much you want to spend. One thing to consider is splitting your time between the East Shore and the South Shore (and between an expensive resort and a less expensive hotel) -- good if you want to sightsee on the whole island.

When you're ready to buy, just remember to recheck the packages section on hotwire or priceline to make sure the low-bidding hotel is still the one it was before.