Originally Posted by
iahphx
So if I'm understanding you correctly, you went to Delta's "travel packages" website and got them a little savings on the car? If so, that's not a bad tip for "regular" travellers.
Agreed, I hereby advise "regular" travelers to check package offers, even though I don't necessarily think this would be a "tip" for most FT old-timers. Much joy has come to this community via the various package deals with often inexplicable pricing and ill-advised coupon offers.
But yes, in this case, standalone rental cars are $1200 for my friends' dates (everything except Budget sold out). Delta Vacations was $1300 for RT flights for two pax PDX-OGG plus rental car for 5 nights. It's important to shop around -- some OTAs were well over $2000 for the same trip (which I assume means not everyone has access to the same car inventory). Delta Vacations turned out to be the winner thanks to a $200 back on $1000 spent AMEX offer.
Originally Posted by
iahphx
I assume that the Choice hotel you booked is the Kohea Kai. I stayed there on less than half-as-many points in 2019 after they joined Choice. It's perfectly fine for what it is: an old school 3 star hotel across the street from the beach in Kihei. Arguably, even at 30K points, it's a good deal now because you're not going to be able to find a comparable hotel on Maui for $155 all in. One tip: they'll probably try to charge your friends their resort fee. That's a gray area in the Choice program now. I haven't paid one yet at their Ascend Hotels on an award stay, but I suspect I'd have to if the hotel insisted.
Yes, that's the hotel. Thanks for the feedback! I'm gonna say $155 a night is a solid deal for that place when HR/Westin/Sheraton/Residence Inn are $1200-1600, or the Airport Coutyard $850. They'll be out and about all day anyway, so no fancy hotel needed.
Also, agree with josephstern, HNL is comparatively reasonable. Had a 3-night stay at the Surfjack in Spring, $135 a night, resort fee waived. And have the HR booked for Feb 2022, $180 a night. If one doesn't mind staying in Waikiki, an advantage is that the trip is doable without a car, major cost savings these days.