Priceline Hotel: 4* Oahu (Waikiki Marina) Ala Moana

[daffyd]

Apparently people like Hawaii in summer. Who knew?

We managed to save a bunch on airfares by flying into Hawaii on the way from Australia to the US mainland. So we have 2 nights at the beginning and 1 night at the end during which somewhere to sleep might be handy.

We'd like something budget (under $100 per night) - the first couple of nights it would be useful to be somewhere with tourist destinations within easy reach (beach, city, whatever) while the last night we're there from 2:20pm and flying out 12:30pm the next day so as long as we can get to the airport, location is less important.

The 2-2.5* hotels on Expedia etc. all have mixed reviews (even from the perspective of getting a clean room!) We don't need anything fancy but would appreciate somewhere clean. Getting two beds does not seem to be an issue around Waikiki.

For the first stay Hotwire is currently showing 2.5-star hotel in Waikiki North with only Near Beach, a 2* North and South and a 2.5* in Waikiki South with Breakfast, Pool, Laundry, High Speed Internet. Neither of these options sound (on the face of it) better than choosing one from Expedia/Travelocity.

What I'm wondering is if it's worth taking a gamble on Priceline to either get something a little nicer for the money or get a random 2*-3* for less. How much should I expect to have to bid for such things? I guess we'd rather spend a bit less but a clean room to sleep in would be nice!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

David.

[thereuare]

Please use separate threads for each leg of your stay. Each has different criteria, and you're likely to receive different hotels for each leg of your stay, so keeping them seprate will enable us to reflect the hotel won for each leg in the topic title of the respective thread. We'll use this thread for the first part of your stay, 8/8-8/10....

My advice would be, if possible, stretch your budget a little. For instance, there is a 3.5* hotel on HOTWIRE in the Waikiki North zone for $129... believed to be the Outrigger Luana Waikiki which gets pretty good reviews (at least better than what you're describing at the 2.5* and 3* levels thru other sources)

If you don't want to push your budget at all i would take the chance with priceline... bidding systematically for the highest star level possible, then lowering each step of the way. There are enough 'touristy zones' in the Waikiki area that you can maximize your bids and <hopefully> land yourself a good deal.

[daffyd]

Thanks for the advice.

Given that we would like a clean room, decided to try my luck on 4* Priceline at a similar price to Hotwire's offering:

$100 Waikiki Beach Area

$105 rebid

$110 rebid

$115 rebid

$120 rebid

$100 Waikiki Marina Area

$105 rebid

$110 rebid

$115 rebid

$120 rebid

$125 Waikiki Beach + Marina Area

Offered a rebid for $22 more so I had to keep going a little!

$129 rebid

$133 rebid - ACCEPTED

Ala Moana Hotel

Reviews look similar to the 3.5* Hotwire you mentioned. All have at least a bed and a sofa bed so will be just fine for our needs. A little pricier than desired but avoiding the bedbugs is a priority :)

Thanks for your help.

Regards,

David

Kids at home: Use savingsbarn.com - it's the choice of a new generation

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win.

I think you made a good decision to splurge a little on this leg of your stay... for your one nite return near the airport you can go a bit more budget, but if you're going to be 'out and about' in Waikiki i think you should be a bit more central as you have chosen to do.

Thanks for the report and for using the PRICELINE links at SavingsBarn.com to begin your bidding.

Enjoy (this leg) of your stay.

[jiji]

IMHO,

Despite the short stay over on Oahu for that last night, I would still suggest anyplace in Waikiki as opposed to the hotels near the airport.

There are only a few and they both are BAD. Motel 6 is better than these two.

There are several hotels that should be winnable in Waikiki - even a 2* that will be better than these lousy hotels near the airport...YMHO

[thereuare]

The return stay was already purchased and can be seen in this Priceline Waikiki thread. (and yes, they're staying in Waikiki)

[dc3]

The rack rate on the Ala Moana Hotel using Resortquest's web site is usually $125 per night - so while $133 is a decent rate you should always check the possible hotels to be sure. The Hawaiii Prince is in the same zone and it's a much more expensive hotel that comes in as 4* for similar bids. It's a matter of luck I guess.