Rentals Oahu and Maui

[riverdees05]

My daughter and her family are wanting to go to Hawaii over their Christmas Break. Any recommendations on places to rent on Oahu and Maui? I told her that at this late options would be slim, but I would check and see if anyone had recommendations on resorts, etc. that they could check out.

 

[DeniseM]

Christmas week rentals are often significantly higher than the rest of the year, and airfare is criminal.

The top resorts are:

Oahu: KoOlina and Hilton Hawaiian Village

Maui: Westin and Marriott

 

[Passepartout]

You might consider www.vrbo.com instead of trying for a timeshare condo rental. As Denise said, this late, rentals and airfare over Christmas holiday break will be through the roof.

Good Luck!

 

[Luanne]

You might consider www.vrbo.com instead of trying for a timeshare condo rental. As Denise said, this late, rentals and airfare over Christmas holiday break will be through the roof.

Good Luck!

I second this recommendation. We've rented a couple of times on the Big Island through vrbo.

 

[LisaRex]

Also consider consolidators like Pleasant Holidays and Costco, that offer airfare, condo and car.

P.S. Christmas is one of those times that you must reserve your car in advance or risk having them sell out.

But I agree that everything is double the price at Christmas, from car rentals to airfare to condo rentals. If she can instead travel the week BEFORE Christmas, or the first week of January, she'll save a ton.

 

[riverdees05]

I told it would be costly, but she has FF miles for flights, already booked, and the time is set by school schedule. Any recommendation on smaller resorts or possible hotels & motels would be appreciated.

 

[deemarket]

Where are her flights booked to Oahu or Maui?

 

[riverdees05]

Oahu, she wants to spend 2-3 days there and then fly to Maui. At the end would fly back to Oahu for flight home to Detroit.

 

[rickandcindy23]

There is a place next to Hono Koa in West Maui with lots of folks who own condos there for rental on VRBO. It's called Hale Ono Loa. It's a beautiful little place, and there is one condo that is literally ten feet from the water, on the top floor. It's gorgeous. What a view.

Anything in Honokowai, where Hono Koa is located, is going to have a wonderful view of the ocean, as long as it's on the Kai side of the road.

Napili Kai is a nice little place on the ocean side of the road, across from Gardens at West Maui. It's expensive all the time, but there are little condos there. It's a hotel.

All that being said, I have gotten a couple of matches through II for this coming Christmas week for Maui through my Shell account. I didn't really want to go, but I entered a search to see if something would come through.

 

[silentg]

Have you tried OGS with RCI with one of your weeks? Also Check the Marketplace here on TUg. Maybe able to get a deal to rent part of a week, if owner is willing? Never hurts to ask.
Silentg

 

[Henry M.]

+1 on VRBO if you are going to rent. I've used the service on the Big Island, and several European locations and have always found great rentals at reasonable prices. In fact, inhave even preferred to rent than using my hotel points in some places, due to the much better location of the rental property, and the extra comfort of an apartment over a hotel room. I just finalized some rentals in Rome and Germany, just last week. I stayed in Volcano on the Big Island on a VRBO rental last month.

 

[n777lt]

+1 on VRBO if you are going to rent. I've used the service on the Big Island, and several European locations and have always found great rentals at reasonable prices. In fact, inhave even preferred to rent than using my hotel points in some places, due to the much better location of the rental property, and the extra comfort of an apartment over a hotel room. I just finalized some rentals in Rome and Germany, just last week. I stayed in Volcano on the Big Island on a VRBO rental last month.

We used VRBO very happily one year when we had a "gap night" to fill, but be warned that many rentals in Hawaii (and at other resort locations) have minimum stay requirements - most on Maui required a one-week stay during Easter week when we were looking. The way to get around this is to check the property's availability calendar for gaps. We found a unit that had a 2-night gap and the owner was willing to take our one-night reservation rather than risk not having anyone take either night. The unit was a full one-bedroom apt. in Lahaina on the water at the south end. Two years ago, it even came with all the beach equipment you could need! OP, PM me for the VRBO number if your daughter's interested.

 

[TAG]

Frustrating experience with VRBO

We were trying to book a couple of nights on Kauai. Even though the calendars said units were available, all of my bookings were rejected by the owner as "not available".

 

[DeniseM]

We were trying to book a couple of nights on Kauai. Even though the calendars said units were available, all of my bookings were rejected by the owner as "not available".

It is not really profitable to rent a few days, especially if it breaks up a week that someone else might take in it's entirety, so owners prefer full week rentals.

This would be especially true for a holiday week.

Your best bet would be to look at the points rentals in the TUG Marketplace and find someone like a Wyndham owner who can book a short stay for you with points.

 

[Luanne]

We have rented through vrbo for less than a week. I do think some places have a minimum of 2-3 nights, but there are some that will rent for one.

 

[DeniseM]

We have rented through vrbo for less than a week. I do think some places have a minimum of 2-3 nights, but there are some that will rent for one.

True - but if someone wants a few nights out of a prime rental week, many owners will say no, because they prefer to rent the full week.

 

[Luanne]

True - but if someone wants a few nights out of a prime rental week, many owners will say no, because they prefer to rent the full week.

Agree. But if that is what they prefer it's kind of misleading/dishonest to say they'll rent for a shorter time period.

 

[DeniseM]

Agree. But if that is what they prefer it's kind of misleading/dishonest to say they'll rent for a shorter time period.

Not at all - when they have partial weeks available, or it's off season, they are probably happy to rent shorter stays. Rentals are a business, and an owner or landlord has to run it as a business.

Of course, you have to follow the discrimination laws, buy you are never obligated to rent to anyone just because they want to rent from you. There is a particular person that I have refused multiple times, just because they are totally obnoxious.

 

[Luanne]

We were trying to book a couple of nights on Kauai. Even though the calendars said units were available, all of my bookings were rejected by the owner as "not available".

Denise, this is more or less what I was referring to.

If the calendar shows available, but the owner rejects the request, what is going on?

I can see refusing to rent for a couple of nights if the unit is already booked. Are you saying that the owner is probably holding out for a longer rental?

 

[DeniseM]

Are you saying that the owner is probably holding out for a longer rental?

Exactly....

if someone wants a few nights out of a prime rental week, many owners will say no, because they prefer to rent the full week.