I'm looking to book a condo for family of 7 (5 adults & 2 kids--13 & 17). I've found 2 possible places on the vrbo website but I'm hesitant since I've never used them before. What questions should I ask? What problems should I watch for? I see there's a request for a $200 security deposit which is refunded within 30 days if "no incidentals" (whatever that means). Worried about getting scammed since they require full payment beforehand. We're looking at 2 condos in Waikiki: Island Colony on Seaside Ave. and Keoniana, both from Waikiki Rental Condos. Both condos look to be within walking distance of everything in Waikiki. The other place is a house near Diamond Head which looks too far to walk. Any comments, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. We need to go the condo route to save money since we're such a large group. Would be very expensive to do 3 rooms in a hotel and then not have kitchen facilities. Also worried a little about bug problems. Anyone have bad experiences with bugs in condos?

Not sure what your budget is but we stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower this past Easter. Great location. Right across the street from the beach.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath oceanfront suite. The master bedroom had it's own bath. The 2nd bedroom had two double beds. The living room had a pull out sofa.

Kitchen was small but perfect for our needs. The unit also had a washer/dryer. No bugs!!

We would definately stay there again. Read the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com
Make sure you search for Aston Waikiki Beach Tower not Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel. I believe you can also go the condo website through www.resortquest.com. Even though we booked through a travel agent I think you can get better rates from their website.

Thanks, Anita, I'll check that out. We're looking for something around $200/night. It may be more expensive as we're going just after Christmas.

I checked the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower and the rate for 2 bdrm for our dates is $376/night with no free nights.

I just did a VRBO on the Big Island, and I too was nervous about paying up front and the deposit. Luckily the house was gorgeous and everything worked out-it was a far better deal than anything I couldn't have gotten from a hotel. I've only been back a week so I haven't seen my deposit yet.

Hawaii, like any tropical destination, has bugs. 4 star hotels have bugs. They might knock themselves out to make sure their guests never see them, but they have bugs. If you see a roach, it doesn't mean you're staying in a terrible place-they really are ubiquitous.

My sister and I are paranoid beyond all reason about roaches. I would rather have a gecko in my room to ensure no roaches. My skin's starting to crawl justing thinking about it. One time my husband and I stayed in the Holiday Inn in Hollywood, Florida and I could see roaches crawling up the door before we even entered our room. I stayed awake all night with the light on and was out the door at daybreak. My husband said it was the first time I had gotten up and ready before him. He never saw me move so fast. And these were just small roaches, not the industrial size ones they have in Hawaii.

We also had a good experience with renting a condo (on Sanibel before the hurricanes last summer) through VRBO. In our case, the contact was via email and then via phone with the owner, followed by contact with a local rental company. I would definitely try this route again.

Hope your trip goes well!

I don't know what I can tell you that may ease your fears but I've used VRBO for Kauai, Colorado and Canada in the past w/ no problems. I will use them again for our trip to the BI next year.

Thanks for your input, Sapphire. I'm feeling a little more relaxed with the vrbo route. The prices are much better. We can save about $1000 for the week so we'll have more money to spend on having fun!! I've done a search here on vrbo and haven't come up with any negative comments yet. We're staying a week on Oahu so would like a reasonably comfortable place but don't need a lot of frills.

The advantages of VRBO are getting a much better rate on for lodging and many more locations available for lodging. Most have free parking. Many have free use of boogie boards, snorkel equipment, etc.

The disadvantages are, as you already know some of them, "rent" and a security/damage deposit in advance (these are run like apartments and they want the $$$ up front) and usually a minimum of four to seven nights. Some also charge a cleaning fee of around $30 no matter how long you stay.

You might also try the Aston Waikiki Sunset. These are one or two bedrooms with full kitchen. It's located on the Diamond Head end of Waikiki.

Try Aston (Resortquest) Waikiki Banyan. Ocean view one bedroom condo for $118/night with Entertainment Book rate (worth the $30 to buy the card). Call the Aston Hotel toll free phone number. That way,you can get two condos for your large group, and be near your budget. It's a two block walk to Waikiki Beach, and in a nice part of Kuhio Ave (there are some blocks of Kuhio that i would not want to be on at night).
As for VRBO, I've used them to book apt in Paris, and recently enquired about condo on Maui, web site. The lady i spoke with was great, and I'd have felt just fine booking with her had I not found s'thing less $ at an Outrigger property.
Aslo, if you book via one of the chains (eg Ohana/Outrigger; Aston) you may get more frequent , even daily, housekeeping service --if that is a factor for you.

I agree with CaliNurse--try Aston. They typically run a 5th night free deal. We stayed at Aston Kaanapali Villas and then Aston Poipu Kai. Both were great. Try www.hawaiivisitorscenter.com for deals.

The Island Colony is a pretty nice place. It's right by the Ali Wai Canal, and it's got a fabulous view of the canal and the mountains beyond Waikiki.

Can't comment on Waikiki accommodations but we have used vrbo and similar sites many times in various places and never had a problem. Condos were always as advertised but would never consider one that didn't have photos. We have always gotten the security dep back on time. We find that, even having to pay an additional cleaning fee of up to $75, it's still lots cheaper than renting through an agency. Just do your homework - call the owner to get a "feel", call the property to verify that person really owns the unit, check with the website to see if they've had any complaints, etc. Often, I can find the complex on an agency's website or I Google it to get more info on the whole property. Have a great time.

I go to Hawaii at least once a year, and have used vrbo.com many times & never had a problem - used it again for my Maui trip next Feb. For the Waikiki area, I agree you should try Aston - I've stayed at the Aston Waikiki Sunset & the Pacific Monarch. They both have pretty good rates & are only a couple blocks from the beach. Aston properties are not deluxe, but do have all the basics.
Dianne

I just checked out the Astons (ResortQuest) and they look exactly what we want but for the time we need they are running $450-500 per night. I saw someone mention the Ilima and checked that out--may be a possibility. CaliNurse, you mentioned an Entertainment Book. Where would I get this book? Can I order it online? I like the looks of the Waikiki Banyan and $118 for a 1-bedroom is very good. Would it be good for the dates I need it? Can you preview the book to see if it's worth buying before you actually purchase it?

As an owner on a unit on VRBO, my advise would be to speak with the owner not just use e-mail. You can tell a lot from the conversation. Also, ask the owner if they is able to give you names and phone numbers of previous guests who recently stayed in the unit you are considering.

Hi antlori,

I actually rented a unit at the Island Colony for 3 months just before I moved back to the mainland in 96.

Our partial view of the ocean was lovely because we were so high up. Pool and surrounding canal area are nice too. I like walking along that canal. Still a bit of a walk to the beach. That will only matter if you want to spend most of your time in Waikiki. Better beaches over on the windward side.

Our only misgiving is that because Island Colony is lower end, NICE PROPERTY but older in some respects and some times cheaper, it can draw in some seedy types. OH I HATE SAYING THAT. You will wonder what I am talking about if you stay or even visit the hotel. We just saw a few incidences, you have to keep in mind this was almost 10 years ago now. The most troubling was a prostitution bust on our floor. We also were graced with the presence of prostitutes a few times in the elevator and lobby. I did not see evidence of prostitution at all in Waikiki on my last trip out. I suspect the city has cleaned up this aspect considerably. Go to trip advisor and read more recent reviews. That is a must because the city has changed in this regard and my reservation here might be of no concern to you. Still I would not suggest Island Colony to my family for this past summer for this reason. Check out trip advisor for more recent reviews.

Have you checked out prices at the Ilikai? You are closer to the beach and affordable parking. Hotel honors discounts for State and Federal employees. Think Valet parking there was $7 a day if memory serves (had a NJ state worker with us). Call the front desk for the condo association # on the second floor. They are separate from the hotel. Check with them then check rates with Hotel, you can still find condo units in hotel inventory.

Listen to previous poster. You want to pay close attention to whoever you are renting through. For the most part you get what you pay for in Hawaii but if you sense someone/something is not right go elsewhere. I just had a bad experience on Kauai because the person I went with would not go with my gut on an owner. Guy asked us for a deposit before he ever sent us lease on apt. Was gruff and quick with us. Well he lied about stove, AC and mold. Rare but it happens. I have avoided this kind of a problem on most trips because for the most part people want your repeat or word of mouth business.

I kind of chickened out on the VRBO thing and booked with the Waikiki Banyan. It's a condo and looks very nice--a little more than we wanted to pay but we're there for a week and we wanted to be comfortable. It looks to be in walking distance to International Marketplace, and a friend stayed there and liked it. We're saving money on Maui so we thought we could afford a little extra in Waikiki. Thanks everyone for your valuable input. If it were just me and my husband I'd take a chance, but with my mom and dad along I don't want them to be worried.