Mrs. Jeffsetter and I will be spending more than a month in Hawaii this summer and I am in the process of putting together the final pieces of the itinerary. This is the first leg of our early retirement bonanza, which I will write about more as the time approaches.
This will be our first time on Hawaii, so I am writing this post seeking suggestions and recommendations for our stay.
Our vacation breaks down to 30 nights on Maui, a week on the Big Island and 3 nights on Oahu. Flights and accommodations for Maui and the Big Island are all booked, and we just have accommodations on Oahu left to complete our plans.
Booking the last three nights on Oahu is giving me a bit of analysis paralysis.
Staying over a month at a time gives you a different view accommodations
Hotels on Maui are not economical when you are staying 30 nights (even burning points), so we turned to AirBNB for our stay. We were able to find a renovated ocean view condo in Kihei for about the price of the daily resort fee at the Andaz Maui. I don’t mind missing out on hotel points in that case. Of course, I would love an AirBNB loyalty program. Please make it happen!
On the big island we are doing two more AirBNB stays on various parts of the island. We want to explore a few areas of the island and the thought of staying in a Yurt was just too intriguing.
These properties are all highly rated on AirBNB and we will post reviews after our stay if you are interested in learning more.
Then there is Oahu. We have 3 nights on the island of Oahu before our Business Class flight on Hawaiian from HNL to PPT in French Polynesia. The stay is from Wednesday – Saturday.
I am nowhere close to deciding on where to stay. Our goal is to spend roughly $100 per night.
Any recommendations for a points earning/burning hotel on Oahu?
Using Awardmapper, we can see that there are plenty of hotel options on Oahu that are available with points. 17 hotels by my count. Nearly every major alliance is represented, which gives us many possibilities for points redemption.
At the same time, most of these hotels are on Waikiki Beach. I have heard this is an extremely touristy part of the island, which is something we would prefer to avoid. We will already have spent a month on the beach and will be looking to explore the natural beauty of the island.
There are two Marriott properties at Ko Olina that may be worth considering. But I rarely stay at Marriott and these rooms are well out of our budget.
That’s where I am seeking help from those of you who have visited Hawaii – Is there a points hotel bargain on Waikiki beach that anyone would recommend? Or is there something I am missing?
Or is there a reasonably priced local hotel worth booking using a portal like hotels.com?
AirBNB has many options, spread throughout the island
There are several options on AirBNB to consider. This would likely be less expensive, but would also require a cleaning fee, a car rental, and food.
So I am faced with the choice of convenience and certainty or a little more work to save money with AirBNB.
Right now I am leaning toward a points earning/burning hotel. Possibly the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach, to take advantage of my Hyatt Diamond status.
But I guess that is why I am writing this post. I want to make sure I’m not missing anything, and I know that many of you have been to Hawaii in the past.
Do you have any recommendations for a 3 night stay on Oahu?
And while we are at it…
Do you have any recommendations for things to do on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu?
We have a list of things to see and do, but always enjoy personal recommendations from readers!
P.S. If you are curious about AirBNB, here is a signup link you can use. I get a $25 credit when you book and you get $25 off your stay too!
Malaekahana Beach Campground
They have simple cottages that you can rent out. Very peaceful area as long as you’re ok with chickens/roosters. And you may need to bring your own bedding (buy sleeping bag while there?).
Thanks Ben… checking it out now
Hello, I live on Oahu! Yes, you’ll want to avoid Waikiki if you don’t like touristy areas! I always recommend staying on the windward side – in Kailua or Lanikai for folks who want to see the natural beauty of Oahu. There are lots of great hikes there. You’ll be wowed by the proximity to the Koolau mountains!
Check out VRBO.com as an alternative to Airbnb, I’ve successfully booked a few rentals on the windward side. Ko Olina is too far out on the west side of the island – it’s a pain to commute between Ko Olina and other parts of the island – we have very bad traffic here (it might JUST appear to be 10 miles but there will be traffic at rush hour). For things to do, I always recommend Andrew Doughty’s tour guides.
Feel free to email me if you have other questions.
Thanks Doris! This is very helpful, and I will definitely check out the windward side per your recommendation. I have heard good things!
First things first. You will definitely need a car. Otherwise you are bound to the tourist traps. Avoiding Waikiki is best. When we visit we typically rent a house. The prices can be cheap or you can splurge for out of this world. But you definitely need a car to enjoy Oahu.
Thanks Brant – I figured that would be the case and I appreciate you confirming!
I don’t really have hotel recommendations. We stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani for three or four days on our honeymoon, and liked it. But being a in the heart of the Waikiki touristy area was not our cup of tea. I sincerely recommend going to Diamondhead, the USS Arizona memorial, and the Punchbowl while you are on Oahu.
For the Big Island, we really wished we had had more time to explore Volcanoes National Park. Two days just wasn’t enough to hike all the trails and see everything we wanted to see. If you are feeling adventurous, try jumping into the ocean at South Point.
Appreciate the tips. We definitely plan doing all of the recommendations.
Hey Jeffsetter, just an FYI, there are no longer two Marriott properties at Ko Olina. The JW Marriott is no longer a Marriott and is going under a complete rebuild and will become a Four Seasons. It is slated to be closed all year and open early next year. A shame too as I stayed at the JW in Sept. A nice property. I also stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki and it was mediocre. The room was fine but the hotel was INSANE in regards to foot traffic and the very crowded pool. I recommend staying away from Waikiki.
Good to know on the hotel switch – I noticed I couldn’t find the JW Marriott on the booking website and figured it was just sold out. Love Four Seasons, but that would probably break the budget even more!
Great choice for Maui! As much as I am not a big Waikiki fan it does have some advantages with easy cheap busses it you want to get out of dodge, and walking distance to Diamond Head and the zoo. You will also have lots of food options. You can go out on an outrigger boat too. Is the hyatt Regency an option on points? They have a very nice breakfast and the towers can really get you above the road noise. I have stayed at most of the Hilton’s and they are all OK with pluses and minuses. Traffic being bad in Oahu is an understatement so a tour or bus is a lot less stressful. You can do a day rental for a car at many hotels if you chose to go off and explore as well.
Thanks for the tips, very helpful!
Ala Moana Hotel since its cheaper and attached the the really cool open air mall. Go drive Roundtop/Tantalus drive which overlooks the city and is jungle. If you like hiking go up koko head. Its only a quarter mile but its pretty much vertical. Go up to north shore where its quieter. Get poke from Nicos on the pier.
Great tips Drew! Have this in my evernote for ideas of things to do on Oahu.
On the windward side of Oahu they are opening a Courtyard Marriott (I think) in June. It might technically be considered North Shore, although in my mind it’s still windward The area is beautiful and has a “local vibe.
Thanks for the tip, Missy! Will see if they are opening by then. Might be a good use of the annual free night certificate that comes with the credit card.
The referral link to airbnb did not work for me…. can you check it and fix it??
Whoops! Fixed…
I just had a 3 month extended stay in O’ahu and was staying in Waikiki. Kailua is where you want to be if you want to avoid the more touristy stuff. My first two times on the island I used air bnb and vrbo for those stays. However, with that said Waikiki does have some hidden gems. Make sure you try to eat at 678 Hawaii for some of the best Korean food ever! I walked in almost every hotel on the beach and I don’t think you can really go wrong. The Hilton is on the beach as some of the others are across the street and wont have the ocean view. (Btw my brother Jordon sent me to this website. I think you’re friends from MN)
Thanks for the tips Aja! I will have to check out 678 Hawaii for sure and appreciate the tips about 678 Hawaii as well. And yes, Jordon and I go way back! Glad you found the blog and hope to keep hearing from you.
Aloha! I live on Oahu, just got back from the Big Island and have spent much time on Maui! There so much to cover on what to do, where to eat, etc. that I think it best if you shoot me an e-mail so we can discuss!
I also have a bunch of posts on Marriott Rewards Insiders from my various adventures around the islands. You can find me there as kharada46.
Good luck in your planning and hope to hear from you soon!
Kyle