# Anyone has been to Hawaii? Private apt./condo vs. B & B ?



## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Hello, we have booked tickets to Hawaii next spring and I am doing some preliminary research for accommodation. We will stay in Honolulu for 1 week.

My wife prefers to stay at a Bed and Breakfast (B & B) while I prefer to stay at at private apartment/condo. Based on my (limited) research so far, the pros and cons for each are as follows

*B & B advantages*

- More affordable. I have seen some of them going for about $50/night. We would like to keep accommodation to within $100/night
- Uniqueness of each B & B and more *off-the-beaten-path*
- Breakfast is provided every morning
- Great place to meet other visitors and interact with hosts
- Advice on places to go, things to do

*B & B disadvantages*

- Laundry facilities not always available
- Lack of privacy
- Sharing rooms and amenities with other guests
- Typically not close to beaches or attractions and may require a car to get around

*Private apt/Condo Advantages*

- More privacy and spaces
- Laundry and kitchen facilities available. Can cook your own meals to save money
- Typically closer to beaches and attractions

*Private apt/Condo Disadvantages*

- More expensive than B & B (including cleaning fee). I briefly searched for available units on vrbo.com, airbnb.com and homeaway.com and a decent one would command at least $90/night.
- Possibly more noisy than B & B due to close proximity to beaches and attractions
- We are on our own in terms of finding places to go and things to do. This may not be a big deal since I will bring my laptop and do prior research.

If you have stayed in Hawaii and have stayed at either a private apt./Condo or a B & B and have feedback to share, please do. Thank you.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

You can also check into hostels. We stayed at hostels for the first time last summer, and were very pleasantly surprised. Most have double rooms (so you don't have to share with anyone), with private bath. There are shared cooking & laundry facilities in most. So, kind of a mix between the 2 options.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

We've only stayed at condos, beach front, because we cherished the privacy. Just depends on what type of person you are, stick to yourself, or find joy in others.

Which island(s) are you going to?


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Sampson said:


> We've only stayed at condos, beach front, because we cherished the privacy. Just depends on what type of person you are, stick to yourself, or find joy in others.
> 
> Which island(s) are you going to?


We will land in Honolulu so we will stay there first, Sampson. I have not done any research on activities but if we have time, I wouldn't mind visiting Oahu, seeing that it is only about $100/ticket between the 2 islands.

Btw what website did you use to book the beachfront condo, Sampson?

Thanks for the hostels suggestion, Spudd, that never crossed my mind but I will be sure to look into that. We decided against hotels mainly because of costs.


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## Dopplegangerr (Sep 3, 2011)

My brother and I also stayed in a hostel when we went to Hawaii. It was just fine. And very affordable. But definitely not our first time in hostels, we are already pretty used to that type of life.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

We have gotten deals using both VRBO.com and Hotwire.

Honolulu is on Oahu, so you maybe referring to a different island? We personally didn't like honolulu much, too big of a city, and too much time spent in traffic and finding parking, and Waikiki beach has got to be the worst beach of all the islands. We loved Kailua and beachs on the East side, the North shore has terrific beaches and obviously surfing, but if you really want some serenity, try the beaches on the West side, miles and miles with no one, but lock your doors and don't leave anything valuable in sight.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Start reading the trip advisors for the hotels around Waikiki. Very crowded, shoulder to shoulder, homeless people/drug addicts begging for money at the front door. 

We went to Maui, much better island IMO. Really it was unbelievable.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

@Sampson, sorry you are right, i meant Maui (still getting used to all the island names!). We decided to stay and explore Oahu this time due to time constraint.

@Jungle: Due to logistical reason, we are flying into Honolulu and will have to make do with Oahu. I have heard great things about Maui though. This is our first trip to Hawaii so we will def. do Maui next time.

All: I managed to convince my wife to go for an apt./condo instead of B&B. I think B&B is lovely, esp. for a long weekend in Vermont or New Hampshire, but for a 7-night stay in a place with lots of to do and see, I prefer the flexibility and privacy. We are looking something like this here, within our budget, proximity to all the attractions and most important of all, I hope the positive reviews speak for themselves.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37099


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

You should consider renting a car to access other parts of the island, but be warned you'll probably have to pay for parking in honolulu near your hotel/condo. There is some free parking on Ala Wai Blvd, but it is usually full during the day.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

We stayed in a hotel in Oahu (Waikiki) and Kauai (Poipu) and a condo on the beach in Maui at Kaanapali. Had a car in the last two places. Liked all 3 although they are very different. We took TheBus to get around Oahu, but rented a car to see the north shore. Also rented a motorbike on my own.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Sampson, yes that will be my next step. I will wrap up the accommodation booking by this weekend as spots are filling up fast, even though we don't go there until next spring.

I was going to look at Hotwire or Priceline for car rental but poster on another board suggests I look at Costco.ca which will then forward my request to the local Budget office. The price may be a tad higher but I can cancel the reservations up to 24 hours before pick-up date. That is the worst-case scenario but it's certainly nice to have that option available (as opposed to the other 2 places where cancellation policy is quite restrictive)

I will try to look for accommodation that includes parking and free Wi-Fi but those aren't necessarily deal breakers. I am sure there is Wi-Fi in the condo hotel lobby and I have read about parking rental for about $10/day. Certainly not the end of the world.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I have never been to hawaii but my brother and sister in law went to Honolulu and stayed in a hotel there ,they didn't like it at all as it was too much like big city Toronto .They ended up renting a car and going to another Island while still having to pay for the full week at the original hotel.If I were going the distance I would do Maui first as it seems to be the highest rated.If you go off season the crowds are not so big.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

marina628 said:


> They ended up renting a car and going to another Island while still having to pay for the full week at the original hotel.


Surely they went to a _different_ part of the same island in their rental car.

Maui is fantastic, but so is Oahu.

Maui has very accessible and very family friendly beaches, but Oahu also has wonderful beaches, Pearl Harbour really is worth visiting, the vibe at the North shore is one of a kind, and there is plenty of calm serenity too. Oahu also has much more selection and diversity of cuisine too. One week isn't a whole lot, just pick a couple of activities, and repeat through the week.

We've spent about 6 weeks over the past 2 years, visiting 3 islands (Maui twice, Oahu and the Big Island). Each has been terrific and offer completely unique experiences.

Re: Wi-Fi. It's the US, there are plenty of McDonalds and Starbucks around. Enough to have free Wi-Fi virtually anywhere you go in Honolulu.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Agree with Sampson, I have seen a few posts *dissing* Oahu, for whatever reasons. Your vacation is only as good as you make it to be. 

This is our first trip to Hawaii, hopefully not the last one. I am going in with the *glass half-full* approach. Love our great country to death but I would rather be in Oahu at the tail end of winter - early spring which is when we are going than Ottawa, Toronto or Calgary.


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## Sampson (Apr 3, 2009)

canabiz said:


> Love our great country to death but I would rather be in Oahu at the tail end of winter - early spring which is when we are going than Ottawa, Toronto or Calgary.


Clearly you aren't a skier or boarder, and or don't enjoy doing it in a bikini.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

canabiz said:


> Agree with Sampson, I have seen a few posts *dissing* Oahu, for whatever reasons. Your vacation is only as good as you make it to be...


Those would be travelers who stay in Waikiki. It is great to experience but a few days is all that is required.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Sampson said:


> Clearly you aren't a skier or boarder, and or don't enjoy doing it in a bikini.


Nah, been there and done all of that stuff. We can ski or snowboard here anytime, sorry if I sound like I take things for granted but this is our backyard, after all. We would like to but we certainly can't go to Hawaii anytime we like ;-)


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

We have friends, who if they're not in New Zealand for the winter, always go to Maui......they love it........visited them there about 20 years ago.....thought "ho hum"...no desire to return.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Funny I said earlier we didn't consider hotels because of the costs but in the end the wife never warmed up to the idea of renting a condo so long story short, we booked a room at the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach for $98/night via Hotwire, about 40% cheaper the regular rate.

Pretty decent reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. The complimentary breakfast is a huge bonus so we are looking forward to staying here. I also reserved a car on Costcotravel.com and will put in aggressive bids on Priceline name your own price as the departure date nears.


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Guys, I took your advice and did a side trip to Maui and will have to spend more time there next time we visit Hawai'i. You guys are right both O'ahu and Maui offer very unique and interesting experiences.

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Note I am by no means a good photographer and it rained quite a bit when we were there but we still made the most out of the trip

Aloha!

Royal Iolaoni Palace, O'ahu










Iao Valley, Maui










Top of the Hale'a'kala Crater, Maui










Beach in Maui


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Main dish (Kalua pig) at the Polynesian Cultural Center Luau, O'ahu










Ocean view from Shangri-La, Doris Duke's estate, O'ahu










Waikiki view atop Diamond Head, O'ahu










Main street Maui, parrots for tourists postcards


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Tropical fruits, fruit stand on side of the road, Maui










Giant sea turtle, Laniakea Beach, North Shore O'ahu


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## lonewolf (Jun 12, 2012)

couch surfing is another option. I have no experience with it, a lot of travelers like it while they save in expenses


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## financialnoob (Feb 26, 2011)

Those are amazing photos, looks like you had an awesome time!


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

It wouldn't work for your trip, but another option is camping. My cousin has done it lots, she goes there and lives on shoestring budget. Just brings a tent and some camping gear.


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