johnbrooks

As others have posted I am overwhelmed planning a trip to Hawaii December 2007! I was putting off making hotel reservations but apparantly I need to make them ASAP.
*We will arrive Oahu Dec 21, leave Dec 25 (staying in Honolulu/Waikiki area all 4 nites);
*arrive Maui Dec 25, leave Dec 28 (staying in Hana one nite, near Haleakala park one nite, and 2 nites near Lahaina);
*then arrive Big Island Dec 28, leave Jan 1 (staying one nite near Hilo, one nite close to VNP and 2 nites around Kona) .
Family of 6 (4 teenagers). One room would be best but if have to get 2 it would be ok if the proce was right.
Need budget accomodations(which I have discovered is $200 or less), no frills as all we plan to do is sleep there, fridge and microwave would be nice but not vital. I am running into roadblocks of not staying enough nites, high cost and not enough beds in a room. Thanks for any help!

suze

Even my favorite no-frills budget hotels in Waikiki won't come in under $200/night for sleeping 6 people, I'm afraid (places like The Royal Grove, Hawaiian King, The Hawaiiana Hotel, or Queen Kapiolani).

sylvia3

why are you flitting about so much on Maui? The time spent packing and moving for each night is wasted. Why not just get one condo, drive everywhere you need to go (easy on Maui). Best bet on a budget for those dates (another reason to get the same place, holidays have extended stay people arriving)would probably be Kihei; try VRBO. There are several places right across from Kamaole (I, II, III) Beach Parks that have 2 bdrm/2bt, and several even have lofts (Hale Kamaole)(Kamaole SAnds, Maui Kamaole, etc.).

msjames

I second Sylvia on the Maui comments and on renting a condo or house thru VRBO. Some other centrally located Maui towns good for a budget are Maalaea and Paia. For some reason VRBO lists Paia as being in the upcountry, but it's really in the middle of the north shore of the island, convenient to Haleakala, the Kihei/Wailea areas and on the road to Hana. I really think you will regret moving 6 people each day on Maui. I don't know anything about the Big Island, but would still suggest a centrally located condo. Get a good map, figure out the towns most convenient to all the things you want to do.

johnbrooks

Thanks for the QUICK replies. One reason why I was waiting to ask for HELP was so that I would look like the educated traveler. Well so much for that!
I will look into VRBO (not sure how that works yet either!) for a single location in Maui and BI. Tks!

suze

Hmm, as mentioned above & if I'm counting correctly that's SEVEN hotels in a 12-day trip??? That sounds awful to me. You will lose so much time checking in and out of places, waiting for rooms to be cleaned, dealing with the front desk, packing and unpacking.

suze

Sorry John, didn't mean to "pile on" - you and I were posting at the same time

ChristieP

The ONLY place we found near Volcano that accepts one-night stays is The Country Goose. www.countrygoose.com They have several cottages for rent that sleep more than 4 people. Honestly, I'd just stay there for 2 nights instead of moving to Hilo, as you'll likely have difficulty finding another large room there, and it's only an hour drive from Volcano to Hilo.

Ag3046

1. You will find it very difficult to find one night accomodations in Hana for 6 people for $200.

2. Similar problem staying near Haleakala. Why are you trying to stay one night near Haleakala?

3. Lahaina for 6 people under $200?

Stay in one place for all those nights, look at www.vrbo.com. You might find something cheaper in Paia, Kihei. Avoid Lahaina, Kanaapali, or West or South Maui.

Ag3046

You might even have to consider a dorm room in a hostel for that price at Christmastime. Try goggling for Maui Hostels. Banana Bungalow is one, but it's in a pretty rough neighborhood.

trippinkpj

Have you booked your airfaire yet? I bet that's high in December also. In low season you might get close to your budget but not in high season, especially Christmas.

Ag3046

Honestly, trying to get six people to pack and check out of one hotel and into another basically every night for six nights is lousy. Stay in one place on each island and enjoy. You waste so much time, and expend an enormous amount of effort to move 6 people in an out DAILY for those 6 days. Experienced travelers know better than to do that.

joesorce

Two Bedroom unit at the Aston Honolulu Prince. I think it has a queen bed, two twin beds, and a pull out sofa. Check the reviews though, it's not the Ritz.

www.resortquesthawaii.com

joesorce

Actually 2 reg rooms comes up to the same price as the 2 bedroom suite and then you 'd have two bathrooms. Bigger unit has kitchen though.

hulajake

The Royal Grove has category 2 room two singles and a double at $80 a night. If you can get two rooms there what you saved can up your budget for either Maui or the BI.

wtm003

If you haven't purchased your plane tickets, I would only choose two islands for this trip.

We spent ten days on the Big Island and made day trips from the Kohala area. We left our hotel early in the morning to explore VNP and returned to our hotel in the evening. It was a long day, but for us it wasn't worth packing and unpacking with our kids in tow.

On Maui, we also stayed in one location for a week. There is really no need to change hotels.

Good luck!

suze

You need to understand what you are getting into staying at a hotel like Royal Grove. While the price is right, it would not be to everyone's taste. I visited to check it out recently, and my biggest concern is that it is located right on a VERY busy street, the street noise from certain rooms would be unbearable imo.

Johnbrooks~ Can I clarify? Do you mean $200 for all 6 people... or that you could afford 2 rooms x $200 each?

trippinkpj

We stayed here on Maui in Haiku a few years ago:
http://www.tropohouse.com/
Variety of rooms/ units in a B&B environment. Nice and economical. It's near Paia (10 minutes maybe) in Upcountry.

suze

Try
www.hawaiianahotelatwaikiki.com
for Waikiki

elsiemoo

johnbrooks, as someone said above, you are going to Hawaii at the MOST expensive time. Is that the only time you can make it? I would definitely stick to one hotel on each island. You are going to have a hard time during high season getting anyone to bend the rules to allow you to stay just one night, anyway. Maybe you're asking too much, in more ways than one ... six people in a room, including 4 teens??? Are you sure you'd all survive that? I believe I'd spend a little more on a condo if I could!