Hawaii trip planning questions
Oct 25th, 2004, 01:15 PM
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Hawaii trip planning questions
I have just started trying to plan a trip for my sister (late 20's) and parents (60ish) to Maui (4 nights) and Kaui (3-4 nights). Do most people use travel agents? Will I better deals with an agent or would it be better to research hotels and book the flight and hotels ourself. Also can you suggest hotels on both islands which would be mid range. Not looking for Ritz/Four Seaon but nice elegant accomodations and worth the dollars. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks
Oct 26th, 2004, 05:16 AM
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Try Outrigger Hotels on both Islands. We stayed at the Maui ElDorado which is a condo on Kanapalli Beach and the Kiahana Plantation on Kauai. They are condos, not hotels. Both were nicely furnished, centrally located, on beaches and had kitchens for breakfasts and meals, if wanted. They were very reasonably priced for what we got. We did have the Entertainment Book discount for both Islands.
I booked our trip myself and I believe I did better than with a travel agent. On the other hand, had something gone wrong, I wouldn't have any recourse or anyone to help me along the way. I'm not opposed to using travel agents, I just enjoy doing the research myself. Depending on when you want to go, there are pros and cons to what side of the Islands you want to stay on. Checking with a travel agent that has been to Hawaii and specializes in traveling to Hawaii would help you make some decisions on where to stay, what sides of the Island, when to go, etc.
Have fun - we loved Hawaii and would go back in a heartbeat if it wasn't a 14 hr. trip from home
I booked our trip myself and I believe I did better than with a travel agent. On the other hand, had something gone wrong, I wouldn't have any recourse or anyone to help me along the way. I'm not opposed to using travel agents, I just enjoy doing the research myself. Depending on when you want to go, there are pros and cons to what side of the Islands you want to stay on. Checking with a travel agent that has been to Hawaii and specializes in traveling to Hawaii would help you make some decisions on where to stay, what sides of the Island, when to go, etc.
Have fun - we loved Hawaii and would go back in a heartbeat if it wasn't a 14 hr. trip from home
Oct 26th, 2004, 11:32 AM
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Most times I get better rates by booking stuff myself than what a TA would quote me, so I don't use TA's.
Assuming you're interested in staying on the west side of Maui (Ka'anapali/Lahaina) any of the major hotels on Ka'anapali Beach - Hyatt, Westin, Marriott, Sheraton are really nice and not quite as expensive as the 4S and some other resorts on the south side (Wailea). Ka'anapali Beach Hotel, The Royal Lahaina, etc are cheaper if the others are too pricey. There's also plenty condo options in this area, if that works better. Hope that helps or at least gives you a place to start researching. Aloha
Assuming you're interested in staying on the west side of Maui (Ka'anapali/Lahaina) any of the major hotels on Ka'anapali Beach - Hyatt, Westin, Marriott, Sheraton are really nice and not quite as expensive as the 4S and some other resorts on the south side (Wailea). Ka'anapali Beach Hotel, The Royal Lahaina, etc are cheaper if the others are too pricey. There's also plenty condo options in this area, if that works better. Hope that helps or at least gives you a place to start researching. Aloha
Oct 26th, 2004, 12:15 PM
#5
For my folks 50th wedding anniversary they took 9 of us to Lahaina. We stayed one week in a condo/hotel a short walk south of downtown Lahaina. We all had a wonderful time! Day trip up to the volcano, Old Lahaina Luau, theater, shopping, etc. My parents made the arrangements thru AAA and/or Pleasant Hawaiian holidays.
I know this isn't exactly what you're describing, but mean this as encouragement for a great family trip. I *always* plan independently, but I think Hawaii because of the many air/car/hotel deals is one time a package may be valuable (whether you book it yourself or thru a TA).
I know this isn't exactly what you're describing, but mean this as encouragement for a great family trip. I *always* plan independently, but I think Hawaii because of the many air/car/hotel deals is one time a package may be valuable (whether you book it yourself or thru a TA).
Oct 26th, 2004, 01:21 PM
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In June, our family ranging from mid50s to 3 yrs old , stayed at the Hyatt in Kauai. Everyone loved it!!!!
The rooms were about $340 (Auto Club rate). They may also have a seniors rate. If you get the Hyatt Gold card (free) your room will automatically be upgraded. I don't know if that $ amount is beyond what you are considering, and I normally never pay that much for a hotel. But this one was soooooo worth it!!! If your family has not been to Hawaii before, I can't think of a better intro than walking into the open air lobby with its view of the deep blue Pacific Ocean, then strolling though those amazing gardens to your room(s).
In Maui, for a somehwat different experience, I would consider the Hololani Condos on the ocean in Kahana. They have very reasonable priced, very large condos . I stayed next door at the Royal Kahana, which was fine, inexpensive, but not "elegant" as you've specified. But next time I'd try the Hololani which apparently has higher quality furnishings. Personally, I dont like the big manicured high rise resorts feel of Kaanapali and prefer the atmosphere of Kahana, a few miles north of Kaanapali.
Have fun planning! re: TA--for Hawaii, I didn't find that it was worthwhile. You can usuallly get just as good ideas from sites like this one or from tripadvisor.com, which I highly recommend for its reader feedback on accomodations.
The rooms were about $340 (Auto Club rate). They may also have a seniors rate. If you get the Hyatt Gold card (free) your room will automatically be upgraded. I don't know if that $ amount is beyond what you are considering, and I normally never pay that much for a hotel. But this one was soooooo worth it!!! If your family has not been to Hawaii before, I can't think of a better intro than walking into the open air lobby with its view of the deep blue Pacific Ocean, then strolling though those amazing gardens to your room(s).
In Maui, for a somehwat different experience, I would consider the Hololani Condos on the ocean in Kahana. They have very reasonable priced, very large condos . I stayed next door at the Royal Kahana, which was fine, inexpensive, but not "elegant" as you've specified. But next time I'd try the Hololani which apparently has higher quality furnishings. Personally, I dont like the big manicured high rise resorts feel of Kaanapali and prefer the atmosphere of Kahana, a few miles north of Kaanapali.
Have fun planning! re: TA--for Hawaii, I didn't find that it was worthwhile. You can usuallly get just as good ideas from sites like this one or from tripadvisor.com, which I highly recommend for its reader feedback on accomodations.
Oct 26th, 2004, 01:39 PM
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mnag, I suggest you send your sister and parents to just one island...both Maui and Kaui have a nice variety of places on different sides of the island. Going to one island is less hassle, less packing and unpacking, and probably cheaper as well.
Kaui, for example, has a gorgeous, lush and tropical north side, and a south side that is drier and more built up. Maui has a south side that is sunny and has many great beaches, and Hana on the east side of Maui is green and tropical with water falls.
It's hard to plan a trip for someone else without knowing what they like. Some people would prefer to stay in the busiest city with lots of night life. Other people would prefer someplace peaceful and more private and their idea of nightlife is sitting in the hot-tub on the lanai looking at the stars. Some people love things like luaus and other people (like my husband) think they are tacky and boring.
I planned our family trip to Kaui on my own. I planned our trip to Maui with the help of my favorite AAA travel agent and got a package deal with Pleasant. The major difference is that with the package deal I had my excellent travel agent's advice (NOt all travel agent's are equally excellent so you might ask friend's for a reference if you want to do things that way.)
But you can plan an equally wonderful trip all on your own as long as you are willing to do the research yourself. I planned our family trip to Italy on my own and we had a fantastic trip.
Will your parents and sister have a car? If they will have a car they might enjoy a hotel that is a little more private and secluded, and they will have a car to drive to where the action is. But if they don't want a car then it's very important to put them at a hotel that is in the center of the action so they will have things to do that they can walk to.
Some hotels are a bit isolated but they have free shuttles into town which is a nice service. In Kaui we really loved the spacious condos near Poipu which are now called Castle Makahuena at Poipu. We took the kids and really appreciated having a kitchen and even a washer and drier. We had a partial ocean view and a balcony which really gave us that pleasant Hawaiian atmosphere. I loved being on the ocean for it's scenic value but from these condos you CANNOT swim nor get down to the beach...you can only look at it because it's on a rocky point with no sandy beach. But we loved the relative privacy, there was a nice pool, and a free shuttle into town. We had a car so we drove to the nearby Poipu beach to swim.
But on Kaui we actually preferred the lush tropical beauty of the north side of the island. We just didnt' like where we stayed on the north side...rooms at the Hanalei Bay Hotel were small and needed refurbishing. The pool was very nice but we found our rooms a big let-down, NOt worth the price. Would stay somewhere else on the north side if I returned. Would also consider staying at the same condos on the south side. At the time we were there several years ago, we really enjoyed the breakfat buffet at the Castle Makahuena at Poipu...it was under a different name when we were there.
Good luck.
Kaui, for example, has a gorgeous, lush and tropical north side, and a south side that is drier and more built up. Maui has a south side that is sunny and has many great beaches, and Hana on the east side of Maui is green and tropical with water falls.
It's hard to plan a trip for someone else without knowing what they like. Some people would prefer to stay in the busiest city with lots of night life. Other people would prefer someplace peaceful and more private and their idea of nightlife is sitting in the hot-tub on the lanai looking at the stars. Some people love things like luaus and other people (like my husband) think they are tacky and boring.
I planned our family trip to Kaui on my own. I planned our trip to Maui with the help of my favorite AAA travel agent and got a package deal with Pleasant. The major difference is that with the package deal I had my excellent travel agent's advice (NOt all travel agent's are equally excellent so you might ask friend's for a reference if you want to do things that way.)
But you can plan an equally wonderful trip all on your own as long as you are willing to do the research yourself. I planned our family trip to Italy on my own and we had a fantastic trip.
Will your parents and sister have a car? If they will have a car they might enjoy a hotel that is a little more private and secluded, and they will have a car to drive to where the action is. But if they don't want a car then it's very important to put them at a hotel that is in the center of the action so they will have things to do that they can walk to.
Some hotels are a bit isolated but they have free shuttles into town which is a nice service. In Kaui we really loved the spacious condos near Poipu which are now called Castle Makahuena at Poipu. We took the kids and really appreciated having a kitchen and even a washer and drier. We had a partial ocean view and a balcony which really gave us that pleasant Hawaiian atmosphere. I loved being on the ocean for it's scenic value but from these condos you CANNOT swim nor get down to the beach...you can only look at it because it's on a rocky point with no sandy beach. But we loved the relative privacy, there was a nice pool, and a free shuttle into town. We had a car so we drove to the nearby Poipu beach to swim.
But on Kaui we actually preferred the lush tropical beauty of the north side of the island. We just didnt' like where we stayed on the north side...rooms at the Hanalei Bay Hotel were small and needed refurbishing. The pool was very nice but we found our rooms a big let-down, NOt worth the price. Would stay somewhere else on the north side if I returned. Would also consider staying at the same condos on the south side. At the time we were there several years ago, we really enjoyed the breakfat buffet at the Castle Makahuena at Poipu...it was under a different name when we were there.
Good luck.
Oct 26th, 2004, 01:55 PM
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It all depends.If you choose a travel agent price around! We priced Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays with an independent travel agent, AAA Travel, & Liberty Travel prices after I priced places myself(using as many discounts as possible(AAA,entertainment book coupons,etc). There was a $3000 to $5000 price difference with 3 travel agents. Liberty Travel actually got us the best deal for a 2 week stay next summer.They could book with many specials like free breakfast buffet daily, rental car included, 2004 rates for 2005 vacation,leis upon arrival at airports,etc.It is unbelievable compared to the previous prices quotes by self inquiry & the other 2 travel agencies. Other friends have used them for years. So we are going with them this time. So do your homework & find the best value for your money. There are also discounts for staying at the same named hotel on 2 different islands. Good luck!
Oct 26th, 2004, 02:18 PM
#10
Good points about how you all like to spend your time and whether an isolated spot, large resort, or town would be best.
Why Lahaina worked so well for our group was people liked to do different things... some took the rental car, some went on foot to town, some (me!) stayed & layed by the pool. Then we all met up for dinner each night, and usually started the day with breakfast together.
Why Lahaina worked so well for our group was people liked to do different things... some took the rental car, some went on foot to town, some (me!) stayed & layed by the pool. Then we all met up for dinner each night, and usually started the day with breakfast together.
