Assuming you're not going to sleep on the beach, you'll
need a place to stay. If you MUST have Don Ho singing you
to sleep, and HAVE to be on the beach, and CAN'T LIVE
without room service, this page is not for you. There are
a few places in Waikiki where you don't have to mortgage
your home to pay for your hotel bill. We all would love to
stay at the Hilton, or the Royal Hawaiian, but those of us
who aren't independently wealthy think saving a few bucks
on accommodations is worth it.
Let's face it - did you come to Hawaii to stay in your
room, or to use it as a place to grab a few winks before
heading back to the beach? Personally, if I paid $200+ a
night for an ocean view room, I'd feel guilty every time I
left it. Save a couple bucks and spend it doing something
fun.
I have worked for the past 4 years in the hotel business,
as a night auditor, so I believe I have some room to talk.
If you listen to an insider, you just might save a few
dollars and that makes a lot of cents.
No matter who you call for a reservation, be friendly. Tell them how excited you are about your trip to Hawaii. If possible talk to the property directly. You will probably be quoted "rack" (full - no discount) rates. Take a breath, don't panic. Ask if there are any "property specials or general manager's specials" available. During slow periods, discounts of up to 40-50% can be had. Airline employees and travel agents usually receive a 50% discount at most hotels. Seniors, Triple A members, AARP members etc usually have some kind of discount also.
In addition there are several hotel discount programs which
involve some membership costs, chief among these is the
Entertainment card. You purchase a book of discounts
(dining, attractions, activities) and receive a card which
is good for up to 50% off on selected hotels (you get a
list of participating hotels with the book). You can
quickly recoup the cost of the book(~$50) with one stay.
You also get 2 for 1 discounts on meals and sightseeing -
a great value. For information on the Entertainment card,
click
here. You
can purchase the book online by clicking on the sign me up
button at the card site. Be sure to order the Hawaii
Visitors coupon book. 50% hotel discounts are limited, and
almost NEVER AVAILABLE DURING THE HOLIDAY PERIOD. Book is
good January through December, yearly.
There are 2 major hotel chains in Hawaii - Aston and
Outrigger. Both have
everything from 3 or 4 star beachfront hotels to 1 star
places to stay. I will focus on the 1 star variety
(remember - every dollar you save, you can spend on doing
something fun).
Both Aston and Outrigger use a central reservations system.
The people who answer the phone are not in Hawaii (Aston's
central res is in Dallas, Outrigger's is in Denver), so
remember you are not speaking to a local Hawaiian. For
Aston, the least expensive place is the
Honolulu
Prince, for Outrigger, the bargain property is the
Outrigger
Hobron. You can call Aston properties direct (and maybe
get a better deal), but Outrigger properties will refer you
to their central res number. You can also check out, via
the world wide web, the other
Aston or
Outrigger hotels in
Waikiki, or on the outer islands.
If you're into the condo thing (cooking facilities, pots
and pans - just like home) try
Aloha Waikiki Vacation
Condos. They own units in a couple of choice
properties, where you can have all the comforts of home
(plus daily maid service, a break for the ladies).
If you're into cooking during your vacation, a condo is the
way to go (and you can save a few bucks on food and go blow
the savings on a really nice meal).