Tommys888

Would be great to have some advice here on Hawaii hotels since during the last category change I remember that there was a significant amount of category increase for Hawaii hotel redemptions...

I myself and my wife plan to go to Hawaii for vacation from 7/25 to 8/6 and we plan to leverage our points to maximize their values, but we are okay to pay cash as well if needed. We have in total about 250K starpoints and 100K Hyatt points and 200K Chase points which should be easily transferable. Due to the merger, preference is to burn starpoints first. We want to go to Island of Hawaii, stay in Honolulu for sure and maybe another island if time allows.

Any suggestions on good redemption values?

Flymobile

If you are looking to maximize points with the best redemption rate from different hotel rewards programs I would advice you to use www.muchopoints.com

....I have used it before and provides a nice display of options group by hotel chains...this display kind of helps to compare between hotels inside a chain as well as between different chains...good luck and enjoy your vacations!

teeceedee

I didn't particularly enjoy my stay in Waikiki (Royal Hawaiian). Way too crowded, and I didn't really feel like it was worth the points. The Sheraton Waikiki right next door is cheaper, has beach access, and a nice infinity pool - I probably would've been much happier with bang for the buck value at that location.

That's about all I can offer

bhrubin

Since SPG won't end likely until 2018, I wouldn't be in such a rush to burn your SPG points--especially in a place like Honolulu where the hotel options aren't impressive for the points required.

I'd try to blow those points at the W or StR Punta Mita for a future Mexican holiday...or the W South Beach (or new W Miami after reno) or some other of the better SPG luxur properties...before blowing them in Oahu. Or you can look at the StR Princeville in Kauai, at least.

You also could transfer them to the airline miles for a carrier in which you have future interest--like Lufthansa or AA since you can't transfer other points to those.

Mangus

You have 250k and looking to burn so the obvious answer is the St. Regis Princeville. A diamond in the Starwood catalog. Stay 5th night free, get some bang for your buck and make it a stay you won't soon forget. Skip Honolulu and big island....go for Kauai and Lanai

codesinvan

I would also recommend Kauai. If you have a ton of points and can book the St Regis Princeville - you will not be disappointed. It's a great hotel and Hanalei town is one of my favorite places on the planet.

There is a Sheraton on the South coast (which is much sunnier with less rain) that does not cost as many points but is not even close to being in the same league. I've stayed there for a few days and found it adequate - because it has a nice beach and is nicely located close to restaurants etc.

Kauai is great because there is WAY less people, it still has that laid back feel, and yet there is top notch restaurants (and adequate shopping).

Los_Pepes

+1

The St. Regis is one of the best hotels in the SPG network.

eccentricfusion

The Sheraton in Waikiki is a decent property, but my opinion is that none of the Starwood properties on Oahu offer much value for point redemption. I'd rather pay cash at them.

CarNut

One of the worst hotel stays we have ever had was at The Westin Moana Surfrider. It was so bad that they actually refunded us most of the points we used for the stay. There is ZERO reason to go to Honolulu in my opinion.

no1cub17

Yup. Back when Sheraton Waikiki was a cat 5 you could get good value with points, but no longer (unless the cash rate is insanely high which it rarely is).

CPRich

I would also recommend some combination of Maui with either Kauai or the big island of Hawai'i. Lanai is nice, and different, but there is no SPG property that I'm aware of.

DCF

The reason to stay in Waikiki is that Kailua/Lanikai twenty miles away - where Obama takes his family each winter - is quite simply the best beach in the USA.

It's the only place in Hawaii with turquoise water and white sands like Bora Bora.

senzer

If you decide to do Maui - you can burn some Hyatt points at the Andaz - great property with lots to offer!

1readyset2go

If I had a lot of points to burn and wanted Hawaii I would head straight to the St Regis Princeville as others have mentioned, but it depends on what you are looking to do on your vacation. We have a Paid stay coming up there in Sept.
This property has the best view of any hotel in all of Hawaii. The world famous Kalalau trail is just about 20 minutes away, and the best beaches on Kauai are up on the north shore near the Regis.

Kauai is much more laid back with far fewer people and visitors are early to bed. So if shopping and partying are your thing Maui and Honolulu will be more to your liking. Kauai is about relaxing,hiking and exploring its many natural wonders like the great Napali coast and Waimea Canyon. Helicopter tours are must on Kauai (not so much the other islands except BI of course). So much of Kauai is inaccessible to view any other way. Good luck its a nice problem to have.

LIH Prem

On the Poipu side, IMHO, the Grand Hyatt is great property, compared to the Sheraton Poipu.

If you have never been to Waikiki, it's worth a couple of days to get the city/beach/Honolulu experience and there's tons of things to do on Oahu, but just walking around Waikiki is great too and there's a lot more food diversity on Oahu then elsewhere on the islands. Particularly right around the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton there's a ton of restaurants within a few blocks.

Most people here eschew the experience since they are looking to unwind. Contrary to others, I do like the Royal Hawaiian .. aka the historic pink palace, because it's like this amazing quiet and peaceful oasis in the middle of Waikiki. Still, rooms are on the small-side and if expecting a 5-star experience you will probably be disappointed. And I rarely stay there because it's an expensive property cash or points-wise.

The Sheraton next door is about the ugliest property on that part of the beach.

Anyway, that's a little more of local perspective at least from my point of view.

-David