Priceline Hotel: Hawaii for families

[LoneStar]

Priceline seems like a no-brainer for couples travelling to Hawaii, but it's a tougher call for families -- especially larger families like my own with 3 kids. Realistically, we need 2 rooms (and I'm not even sure many families with 2 kids want to be cooped up in a single room for a vacation). But buying 2 rooms at a Hawaiian resort on priceline is an over $200/night proposition -- pretty expensive, in my book.

The alternative is a house or condo rental (somewhat of a shame, because the over-the-top resorts have many of the amenities that kids would really like). Hotwire has a few condo properties listed, but they don't seem to be a particularly good deal. Does anybody know of a good resource for finding "deals" on Hawaiian rental properties? Otherwise, it seems like a pretty arduous task going through all the on-line rental listings and figuring out what the best option is. I even generally enjoy travel planning, but I'm not looking forward to that task.

Anyone with any suggestions?

[lamchop168]

Yeah, but the amenities are important with the kids, the clear water pool especially.

Here is a site that has a lots of Condo rentals, hope this helps....

http://hawaii.com/visit/oahu/accommodations/condos/

[thereuare]

Doesn't help your family of 5 situation, but in an expensive zone such as this perhaps Hotwire would be a good alternative now that they allow you to guarantee quad occupancy.

[LoneStar]

I honestly don't think quad occupancy is much of a problem in the Hawaiian resorts. Quintuple occupany definitely is, though! The state fire marshall is apparently pretty strict on this stuff, and I really don't feel like having to "sneak" a kid into a Hawaiian resort. Also, the idea of spending a vacation with 3 small children in a single room isn't that appealing. (That said, has anyone done it -- like at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island?).

Too bad the "suite" concept doesn't seem too popular among hotels in Hawaii. I guess folks who need more room rent condos. The problem I've found though is that the mass market deluxe condos (for example, those marketed by Aston) are very expensive, with even a "half off" discount still bringing the rate above $200 for a two-bedroom. The cheaper condos are a little less, but they don't seem anywhere near as lavish as the resort hotels.

As I said, it's a conundrum for families looking for "cheap luxury" -- aka, the kind of value we're accustomed to bidding on priceline.

FWIW, I did discover that the Moana Surfrider (one of the original luxury Waikiki hotels) allows quintuple occupancy (better bring your own blow-up bed, though, because they charge $60/night extra for a cot!). It's only 10,000 points/night in the Starwood program, and they've been participating in the Starwood "points and cash" program where you pay $60 and 4000 points. A good deal. If they offer it for March (dates right now only run through New Year's), I might take 2 rooms just to be comfortable.

[LoneStar]

Here is a site that has a lots of Condo rentals, hope this helps....

Thanks. I went there and then found this link (it's for the Big Island -- other lists for other islands). It's a truly daunting proposition sifting through the options. Also, in general, they don't look particularly cheap (compared to the value of a $100/night 4-star Hawaiian hotel on priceline).

http://vrbo.com/vrbo/bigisle.htm

[dahammer]

Never been to Hawaii.....but we have rented several condos in Florida (Marco Island, Sanibel, Cocoa Beach) and these have always been through Brokers or Realtor web sites. I am always concerned about renting a vacation property directly through an owner, in case there is a problem, it could be difficult to resolve with an absentee owner hundreds of miles away. At least if you are working through a broker and there is a problem, you may have some leverage to get things made right or even get placed into another unit. Brokers sometimes charge 30% or more to handle a listing, a big fee for a $2000 weekly rental, but some property owners feel that they can eliminate the middleman and handle the rental themselves, pocketing the commission. I would only consider renting directly from an owner only if it can be had at a savings of at least 30% from a rate available from a broker, this will compensate me for the added risk. I have also found that sometimes in the off season, brokers know their inventory and know property owners that will negotiate a little just to keep the condo full and the rental rolling in to pay the mortgage.

[LoneStar]

There's definitely some logic in your approach, hammer. I've rented many vacation properties in recent years (through brokers and on and off site owners) and I haven't yet had a significant problem. But I know that's no guarantee it won't happen. Indeed, the odds say that someday something WILL go wrong. I am particularly leery of sending a large deposit to an individual. What guarantee do I have that they will still be there is a few months?

I guess the bottomline is that you need to feel comfortable with the arrangements you make. There are definitely "comfort" advantages to using a broker -- but, as you say, it usually costs more.

[heinous]

Hi! I've stayed in condos and hotels in Waikiki all my life. Many of the mega-resorts on Oahu now have a timeshare condo property right on-site. I stayed in a condo in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and I had access to all the resort amenities. If was a great balance. I loved having the condo; my sister and I shared with my parents. We had separate bedrooms, but one common area to have family time. We loved having a living room with a big TV and DVD, and having the full kitchen and dining are were great. We always had cold drinks on hand, and we could whip up breakfast and snacks for the whole family without having to spend major money on bad resort food. You can save a lot of money with that kitchen, especially with 3 kids.

Check out www.hgvc.com (Hilton) and www.vacationclub.com (Marriott). In my experience, these condos are new and very well furnished. They can be booked directly through the chain (or you can find owners who want to sell their time), and you won't have to sit through the sales pitch. However, if you don't mind spending the hour to do that, you could save lots of money.

FYI, the Moana Surfrider is beautiful (have brunch on the veranda!), but it is an older hotel, so be sure of which room you're getting. I've known many people who have gotten tiny, older rooms with no view, whereas others have much nicer, newer rooms.

Have fun!

[LoneStar]

Many of the mega-resorts on Oahu now have a timeshare condo property right on-site. I stayed in a condo in the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and I had access to all the resort amenities. If was a great balance.

Thanks, heinous, that's useful information. It's sure nice not to be couped up in a single room when you vacation with your family. Does anybody know of any resorts on the Big Island that have a condo component?

[heinous]

Hi! Yes, the Hilton group (www.hgvc.com) has a property on the big island at Waikoloa. I haven't stayed there, but I hear very good things about it. I've stayed at many of the Hilton HGVC properties, and they are all up to, or exceed, the Hilton standard.

[LoneStar]

Just an update on my search for good value family accomodations in Hawaii. On Oahu, I'm leaning toward booking something with Aston using the Entertainment Card 50% off discount. On the neighboring islands, I've found some of their condo rates to be pretty high (compared to 4-star and resort level priceline rates -- although those going to Kauai should definitely consider Aston's Wiamea Plantation Cottages), but the situation seems different on Waikiki.

Using the 50% discount, a family can get a condo a couple blocks from the beach for about $100, depending on the specific property and the dates. My guess is that quality of these places (and probably their clientele) is slightly lower than a priceline 3 star, but you get lots more room (valuable for a family). So if you figure a priceline 3 star goes for about $70 (including their fee) and you can get a 1-bedroom with Aston for $100 (and pick your specific property, with easy refundability), Aston is pretty competitive.

Here's a list of Aston's Honolulu hotels. You pretty much can get half off the rates quoted on the "Rates and Reservations" page.

Hotels.com/aston/islandConcierge/oahu/islandHomepage.do?destinationAreaId=41"]http://www.aston-Hotels.com/aston/islandCo...nationAreaId=41

FWIW, my initial impression is that Aston's Banyan Waikiki offers good value for families, and even non-families might want to consider Aston's Coconut Plaza Hotel (a "boutique" property rated very highly by Frommers, with small rooms going for little more than 50 bucks, including cont. breakfast).

I'd love to hear any feedback regarding Aston's Waikiki properties. I've read some of the reviews at tripadvisor, and they seem generally favorable (but, like with almost all Hawaiian properties, there are a minority of folks who don't like them at all).

[LoneStar]

Another thing about Aston Waikiki properties that makes them more competitive than on neighboring islands is that the "resorts" on Waikiki generally don't have the lush grounds and over-the-top pools that make the neighboring island resorts "more interesting" than condo rentals. So it's more of a "room to room" comparison, in which the larger (or cheaper) Aston properties seem more competitive.

[gmarie]

I've stayed at the Aston Pacific Monarch using the entertaiment book and would definitely rate it 3*. During the same stay we extended our trip so I booked a last minute at 3* Sheraton Waikiki on the beach through priceline and I would choose the Pacific Monarch hands down over the Sheraton. We booked a 1bdr condo with an oceanview that looked right up the street to Dukes statue. It was only an easy block and a half to the beach and the kids loved the pool and jacuzzi that was on the roof of the building...32floors up. You could see all of waikiki, diamond head and the ocean from up there. As for the room, it was clean, fairly decorated and had a spacious lanai, full kitchen facilities so we saved a lot of money by cooking a lot of meals ourself. I think most of the units are individually owned and just managed by Aston so they will probably vary slightly. By no means is it a luxury hotel, but it was a pleasant stay, I think the best view are on the 02 side and the higher up the better because as you can see from these photos views from Aston Pacific Monarch I just posted...the Hyatt is blocking some of the view.

BTW...thereuare, I made a mistake when uploading the pics and couldn't forget how to delete a photo from the hotel index section.

[LoneStar]

Thanks, gmarie. I didn't mention the Pacific Monarch, but it is another one of the decent $100-or-so Waikiki properties available from Aston. From the website, it certainly does look like the equivalent of a 3 star. I'm not surprised that you enjoyed having the extra room, and the kitchen facilities.

[timstravel]

That said, has anyone done it -- like at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island?

Well, I'm planning to do it for 8 nights in early March. I will be sure to post a report on our experience upon our return. We have already booked the room directly with the folks at HWV and advised them of the situation (3 kids: 6, 3 & 1). Still debating whether or not it would be better to take a room with 2 twins or one with a king bed and let the older two share an inflatable mattress. I am definitely leaning toward the king/inflatable idea.

[LoneStar]

[We have already booked the room directly with the folks at HWV and advised them of the situation (3 kids: 6, 3 & 1).

Curious. My recollection is that I once called the HWV direct and they told me that the "state fire marshall" prohibited more than 4 people in a room, even if the 5th person was an infant. Maybe the rules have changed, maybe the person you spoke to was more sympathetic!

The thing you don't want to happen is get to the front desk and have them say you need 2 rooms. So I guess I'd get it in writing (or at least the name of the person who said it was OK), or I would not "present" your entire family at the front desk when you check in. Better safe than sorry.

As far as bedding goes, my own experience is that it's always a crapshoot with kids. Most do seem more than comfortable on an air mattress. Certainly more comfortable than 2 adults are sharing a twin! FWIW, I've heard the rooms at the HWV are a roomy 600 square feet, so there should be plenty of floor space to utilize.

Let us know how it goes.