Priceline Hotel: Maui Bidding Advice

[christamaui]

Hello,

New to this site.

Looking for a place in Maui-could be all in one hotel or split the time- half in Wailea, the other half in Kaanapali. Where is the best place to get a hotel?

I have noticed that some people got the Westin (4*) through Priceline, but when I went to the site, the max stars shown was 3, and resorts were also shown. Could someone please tell me how to get a 4* + or which hotels are the resort hotels generally bidded on?

We are going to Maui Sept.20 - Oct.1.

Also....any suggestions to get a cheap rental car? Thanks for your help!

C

[awk316]

Hi,

Welcome to the site. "Thereuare" runs this site and give superb input and feedback. I'm sure he'll also post. He posts to every single topic. Incredible.

Click the Priceline Hotel List for the list of POSSIBLE hotels you may win for 4*. Again, read the disclaimer at the top. These are only possible hotels, and not guaranteed.

It looks like it's mostly resorts and not 4*, so I think you'll want to bid for RESORTS. You will also want to see if these resorts charge resort fees by contacting each one directly. These fees are usually not included in your Priceline bid, so you'll want to make your bid accordingly.

This thread is very helpful in bidding strategy: Bidding again within 24 hrs. Make sure you FULLY understand how it works before you attempt it. If you don't, you may end up with a hotel in an area you don't want.

Based on posts by others, it looks like the Hyatt has accepted $183 for similar date: Click here for the thread. Again, there is no guarantee that you'll also get the Hyatt. It's just a good basis. Here is my bidding strategy for a Kona RESORT that has yet to be accepted. You'll see how I use the "Hilo" zone where there are no RESORTS to get a "free rebid." Please ask if you have questions before you start.

As for where, I personally prefer Kaanapali. I've been to Maui 3 times and we stay near here. Everyone's opinion will be different. It depends on what you like to do. You will be there for a long time, so you may want to break it up. It's probably about an hour drive from Kaanapali to Wailea. Another tip is to pick up the book "Maui Revealed" if you've never been and you want to sight see. Great book.

As for cars, use this site and PRICELINE. Here is the thread for Hawaii car rentals. You can see my strategy for a recent booking for Kona, and do similar for OGG. Look for others who have bid for OGG and the dates. I don't think an SUV is necessary for Maui unless you have a lot of people. There are no real beaches I know of that can not be accessed by car.

With cars and hotels, I like to book directly through the hotel and car rental place, then start this Priceline strategy. You can usually cancel hotel/car booking up to a day or two before you leave (make sure though before you book). This gives you a basis. If Priceline doesn't end up being cheaper, you're covered. I'd defintely use Priceline for the car. Use the Cartool to see what rates are going for along with posts in the Hawaii thread noted above to decide on your starting bid.

Please use the links to start your Priceline bidding as they help support the site.

PRICELINE HOTELS and PRICELINE CARS.

Hope this is helpful and not too confusing.

Andy

[christamaui]

Thanks Andy,

That is a lot of helpful information. :)

C

[summerland76]

I scored a convertible for our trip in mid-October for $25 a day via priceline's name your own price. My friends got a regular compact car for something like $12 a day when they were there in March-they told us to upgrade to the convertible for the Road to Hana drive. Cars are cheap but gas is incredibly expensive from what I've heard.

[christamaui]

Through Priceline I bid $10/day on a compact car. That was accepted. They offered me several upgrades for a price. I ended up getting a convertible in Maui for $16/day through Priceline (Sept.20-Oct.1) total including tax for 11 days was $248.07.

Now.....I still need a hotel. What's the best way to get a 4* hotel? Do I have to bid on resorts? Are those considered 4*?

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions here. :)

I scored a convertible for our trip in mid-October for $25 a day via priceline's name your own price. My friends got a regular compact car for something like $12 a day when they were there in March-they told us to upgrade to the convertible for the Road to Hana drive. Cars are cheap but gas is incredibly expensive from what I've heard.

[awk316]

4* and Resorts are different. Resorts are considered better than the 4* hotels. Look at the link in my first response to see which hotels are possibilities for a 4* and which are a possibility for a resort. Based on this, you need to decide which you prefer. This shows there are only two 4* hotels, and possibly one (The Diamond Resort; The second hotel may have been upgraded to a resort). Again, there may be more hotels that you could get, but these are the ones people have posted.

After you decide if you want to stay in a Priceline 4* or Resort, use the Hotel Checker to see what rates are going for for those hotels. Also see if others have posted for a 4* or Resort in Maui and what hotel they have and what price (Hyatt - $208, $183; Marriott - $167 although dates are different). Again, you have to include resort fees/parking fees in your budget for bidding. These are not included in your bid. The person who won the Marriott says there is a $25 resort fee and a $15 parking fee, so the $167 turns into $207. I would say most resorts on Maui will have some sort of Resort fee.

Good luck,

Andy

[christamaui]

How are these people getting 4* hotels through PRICELINE when the max stars listed is 3?

Also, Can anyone identify what the 4* resort in Ka'anapali is? The current price (for sept.20-oct.1) is $135/night.

Thank you

[christamaui]

Re: my last post.....the 4* resort in Kaanapali for $135/night was listed on HOTWIRE.

[thereuare]

How are these people getting 4* hotels through PRICELINE when the max stars listed is 3?

Which people are getting 4* hotels in Maui?? The most recent report i could find of a 4* hotel in Maui was this win for the Westin Maui which was nearly 9 months ago. Looking at the Priceline Hotel List for this area shows that this property is now rated at the Resort category, so it has obviously been upgraded within the last 9 months.

Also, Can anyone identify what the 4* resort in Ka'anapali is? The current price (for sept.20-oct.1) is $135/night.

If you need help identifying a HOTWIRE hotel please include the amenities that are associated wtih the property.

Please use these PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links to begin your travel purchases.