Priceline Hotel: Resort Hawaii (Kamuela) Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel

[dlgbabe]

I am going to be taking my husband and 2 kids to the Big Island 2/22-3/2.

We arrive in the evening of 2/22 and think we want to stay in Kamuela area for 2 nights, since the night of arrival will be late. I bid in October and got the Mariott for $94 and it was nice, was under renovations but otherwise had a nice beach and pool. I paid a $15 resort fee for my 2 days there as well.

I am thinking of bidding the resorts first for this area, but don't know what price to put in.

The hilton shows sold out, do other hotels ever come up and if so, what price range?

I am hoping to keep my rooms to under $200/night.

The Marriott would be a good choice too, I can get a regular rate there of $199, what is the suggestion for a bid?

we are spending 2 nights in Hilo, at a non priceline hotel, the Hilo Hawaiian, a $145 senior rate. I booked that directely as I didn't see where I might get a better deal and its supposed to be the nicest in Hilo. Our room has a ocean view.

Anyway, we also want to go to Kona, and stay there 2/26-3/2. I am confused on where to stay.

In October, I stayed at the Royal SeaCliff with my sister at her timeshare. I liked the location and hotel.

Most of the Kona hotels are priced high, and some did not appear to be that great.

Any suggestions?

The Kamuela resort area is a long drive to Kona with the traffic and if you aren't going to see the rest of the Island, it could be good. There is a great snorkeling beach in Kona, and we want to sea kayak there if weather permits. If not, we want a hotel with a good pool, as if the ocean is rough, you have another option.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have used Priceline about 10 times in the past, all with good results. I have almost always had my kids with me too, and never had a problem yet with getting the right amount of beds, etc.

Thanks for your help, Hawaai could use more posts, its so hard to get flights there, that maybe Priceline/Hotwire aren't used much because there are to many customers already....

[thereuare]

Please only ask about one stay per thread, this makes things easier to keep organized and enables us to stick with the format of showing each hotel won in the topic title of the thread.

Use this thread for your 2/22-2/24 Kamuela stay and start a NEW TOPIC for your other stay(s) that you are seeking assistance for.

[dlgbabe]

I am wanting to bid on a hotel for Kailua Kona area for 2/26-3/2.

I see there are maybe 2 - three star hotels there. I am unsure as to what to bid for them.

Does anyone know what the hotels might be?

Kona is so varied with accomodations and condos, and some are not that great.

This is for myself and husband and 2 kids.

The place has to have a pool in case the weather is not good for the ocean.

Thanks

[thereuare]

The place has to have a pool in case the weather is not good for the ocean.

You can't guarantee this with Priceline... only with Hotwire.

Also, are you comfortable that priceline only guarantees double occupancy and you are looking for quad occupancy? (or are you seeking 2 rooms)

What is your maximum bid?

[LoneStar]

You can't guarantee this with Priceline... only with Hotwire.

Also, are you comfortable that priceline only guarantees double occupancy and you are looking for quad occupancy? (or are you seeking 2 rooms)

What is your maximum bid?

Realistically, the odds of a 3-star Hawaiian hotel not having a pool are zero. The kids present a small risk. If/when you win a room, call the hotel and ask for 2 beds. If they can't guarantee that, bring an inflatable mattress for the kids.

As far as what hotels that might be, if you plug your days into priceline vacations and hotwire vacations, you will get a rough idea (no guarantee, of course) of what kind of hotel you're likely to get. As far as what to bid goes, set your origination city for the packages function as HNL, subtract the airfare for 2 (check Orbitz, its usually about $160/pp) add up what's left and divide by your number of days. That would be "ballpark."

[LoneStar]

The 3 star Kona hotels tend to be fairly cheap.

$145/night to stay in Hilo is no bargain. There are only 2 hotels in town, and I think priceline does business with both of them. They are probably 2 star properties -- NOBODY vacations in Hilo anymore, so the hotels are a bit old and somewhat rundown. The only reason to stay there is price -- get it for under $100. Otherwise, find yourself a nice b&b or rental on the east coast. "Hawaii, the Big Island Revealed" will have good suggestions and is well worth buying (indeed, it would be silly, IMHO, to travel around the Big Island without a copy). Frommers also has good lodging choices for that area.

[dlgbabe]

I am hoping to pay somewhere around $150-$200 a night max.

I have never used Hotwire ever, I have used Priceline alot.

[LoneStar]

I am hoping to pay somewhere around $150-$200 a night max.

I have never used Hotwire ever, I have used Priceline alot.

Looking at hotwire, I can tell you will have no difficulties whatsoever meeting your price targets. I don't see any steals, but there are some interesting properties available around $150, including some seemingly nice 3.5 star 2 bedroom condos. Use the tools described here and throughout this forum to try to figure out what might be offered. If you see a specific hotwire property that you like (for example, the 2 bedroom condo would be great with kids), see if you can book it elsewhere for less (perhaps with a 50% Entertainment Card discount?). Otherwise, hotwire could be a good deal. If you're less picky on the specific property, bid less on priceline (I'd start at half and over time work my way up to $20 less than the cheapest hotwire listing in the category) and see what happens.

[dlgbabe]

We want to spend 3 days in Kailua Kona maybe by that great surfing/snorkeling beach.

We are then hoping to get something at the Hilton in Kamuela area for the last 3 nights.

[dlgbabe]

We had to change our whole trip out last night.

Leaving next week.

Want to spend 3 days, hopefully at the hilton since its so over the top.

Any bidding strageties for such a last minute trip, or any other suggestions?

Thank you.

[dlgbabe]

We are staying in Hilo for 2 nights because we have to look at some property there that a friend of ours bought recentely.

I had booked online for the Hilo Hawaiin at their castle web page, and got a senior rate for an ocean view room for $145.

That was when we were going in Feb.

Since we switched the trip to next week becasue of school issues, I called the hotel directely and rebooked for 1/20 and 1/21 and got the same ocean view room from their front desk person for $109.

Now thats quite a difference from their web reservations.

I think it is probably the only decent place to stay in Hilo.

I am well aware that Hilo is not the "in" spot anymore.

Maybe a good place to buy into????

Anyway, I am hoping to bid for the rest of my trip, and and pondering doing 2 night in Kailua-Kona and 3 ups the coast in Kamuela where all the nice resorts are but not much else.

Cant figure out what to bed on the resorts.

The Shearton in Kailua Kona, is considered a resort, where does that fall in the choices of areas?

Thank you.

[dlgbabe]

$181 Hapuna Beach Resort Kamuela 1/22-1/27

Decided to stay at the same place for the whoe 5 days instead of 2 days in Kona.

I know this hotel is a ways from everything, hopefully we will like it.

Choose Kamuela Area, Resorts

bid $140, reject

added Hilo, bid $147, reject

added Kona, bid $158, reject

closed broswer, and rebid $181.

went thru SavingsBarn.

This hotel is far from everything but we will have a car.

Report on it when we return if you like.

thanks for the help

[thereuare]

Looks like a decent deal, especially for putting this all together on 10 days notice!

This hotel gets very good reviews. I was recently at the Hawaii Prince and was impressed by the chain, hope your stay will be just as good.

Have a great trip, and thank you very much for using the PRICELINE links at SavingsBarn.com to begin your bids :)

[dlgbabe]

Thanks again, after all these reservations, I need a vacation!

I know they have the Alyeska Resort Prince in Girdwood, Alaska which I have stayed at and its wonderful.

I am glad this place gets good reviews as its a long way from Kona, so we will probably be there every evening.

I was in the Big Island my myself in November and stayed at the Mariott for a couple of nights.

This time my husband is coming, thank god he is taking time off work.

We are self employed and have 2 businesses, so we are always happy for a vacation, and living in Alaska, its cold here right now. If you are in Michigan, you know what I mean.