Hawaii is ridiculously unaffordable: who's travelling there?
Dec 1, 2021, 11:16 am
#136
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,729
West Maui local here. Yes, Maui is an expensive plce; it is a premier resort area. But there are a few ways to mitigate costs:
Likely a condo instead of a hotel room; you'll have a kitchen which is key since eating out is expensive. Think Whaler, Ali'i, Honua Kai, etc.,
I don't think you need to rent a car; Get a cab at the airport that will go to Costco, Safeway, wherever, on the way to Ka'anapali,
For activities think fun and free: swimming in the ocean, hiking, tennis. Golf is crazy expensive... Snorkel boats may be worth the fare.
You can spend a ton here. But you can also make it a reasonable vacation.
Likely a condo instead of a hotel room; you'll have a kitchen which is key since eating out is expensive. Think Whaler, Ali'i, Honua Kai, etc.,
I don't think you need to rent a car; Get a cab at the airport that will go to Costco, Safeway, wherever, on the way to Ka'anapali,
For activities think fun and free: swimming in the ocean, hiking, tennis. Golf is crazy expensive... Snorkel boats may be worth the fare.
You can spend a ton here. But you can also make it a reasonable vacation.
prior years there was some very good point deals there for hotels. Not now. Before Marriot inflated points on hiteks some non resort ones were reasonably priced on points and you could use free night carts.
Dec 1, 2021, 11:21 am
#137
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,729
many have stayed at home with an untouched travel/ vacation account over the last two summers…so they are splurging….especially now that their kids are vaxxed.
Dec 1, 2021, 11:28 am
#138
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,729
I'm always amazed by the number of younger couples I see at nice hotels in Hawaii. I assume a decent portion are on their honeymoons, but clearly some aren't. When I was that age, I could not have afforded these hotels. But there are a lot of young professionals who make decent money, have kids later, and have different ideas about spending and saving than I did back then, and they're out there spending.
right now you can book a RT west coast to hawaii RT for under $250 per person.
a 2 BR condo rental for a week is how much? Divide that by 4.
foodand drink cost.
a week trip can be done for under $4000/ couple.
a couple in any of the west coast cities in a tech field likely ears at least $160K combined so $4000 is 2.5% of their gross income. That does not break the bank.
Dec 1, 2021, 12:30 pm
#139
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Denver
Programs: UA Platinum
Posts: 866
Just a data point on how prices have increased on the Big Island. We rent a house at the Mauna Kea resort when we go. We go just about every year. Almost always with another couple so we split the cost, and have a 3 bedroom place with a pool, yard, hot tub and nice kitchen and BBQ set up (3,000 sq ft+ home). We signed our contract with the homeowner in late Spring for a stay in late September for about 10 days. The rate when we signed was $800/night. The rate moved up to $1,000/night several weeks after we booked. I looked the other day and it is $1,250/night - a 56% increase in less than a year! However, rooms at the Mauna Kea hotel start at $900/night and at Hapuna at $700/night. By those metrics, a house is a bargain.
Dec 1, 2021, 4:25 pm
#140
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,034
I don’t think that is the case. It depends on where they live.
right now you can book a RT west coast to hawaii RT for under $250 per person.
a 2 BR condo rental for a week is how much? Divide that by 4.
foodand drink cost.
a week trip can be done for under $4000/ couple.
a couple in any of the west coast cities in a tech field likely ears at least $160K combined so $4000 is 2.5% of their gross income. That does not break the bank.
right now you can book a RT west coast to hawaii RT for under $250 per person.
a 2 BR condo rental for a week is how much? Divide that by 4.
foodand drink cost.
a week trip can be done for under $4000/ couple.
a couple in any of the west coast cities in a tech field likely ears at least $160K combined so $4000 is 2.5% of their gross income. That does not break the bank.
Dec 1, 2021, 5:50 pm
#141
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: LAX/SMF/PDX/HNL
Programs: Hilton-lifetime diamond, Southwest A+, companion pass
Posts: 1,748
Just a data point on how prices have increased on the Big Island. We rent a house at the Mauna Kea resort when we go. We go just about every year. Almost always with another couple so we split the cost, and have a 3 bedroom place with a pool, yard, hot tub and nice kitchen and BBQ set up (3,000 sq ft+ home). We signed our contract with the homeowner in late Spring for a stay in late September for about 10 days. The rate when we signed was $800/night. The rate moved up to $1,000/night several weeks after we booked. I looked the other day and it is $1,250/night - a 56% increase in less than a year! However, rooms at the Mauna Kea hotel start at $900/night and at Hapuna at $700/night. By those metrics, a house is a bargain.
Dec 1, 2021, 7:40 pm
#142
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,864
If you're Marriott Platinum you still get a pretty great breakfast included and there are still no resort fees.
Dec 1, 2021, 9:17 pm
#143
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,139
I'm always amazed by the number of younger couples I see at nice hotels in Hawaii. I assume a decent portion are on their honeymoons, but clearly some aren't. When I was that age, I could not have afforded these hotels. But there are a lot of young professionals who make decent money, have kids later, and have different ideas about spending and saving than I did back then, and they're out there spending.
Dec 2, 2021, 9:13 am
#144
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,729
I thought I saw a points anomaly with that hotel where the points seriously blew away the sticker price if you bought points..especially with a points offer.
Dec 2, 2021, 12:13 pm
#145
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,034
Yeah - for sure. 30K points for a standard night. That's way out of line with the $1600/night prices they often command. But they have very, very few rooms that can be booked with points.
Dec 2, 2021, 5:35 pm
#146
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DCA, lived MCI, SEA/PDX,BUF (born/raised)
Programs: Marriott (Silver/Gold), IHG, Carlson, Best Western, Choice( Gold), AS (MVP), WN, UA
Posts: 8,729
Dec 2, 2021, 7:19 pm
#147
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,034
Dec 2, 2021, 10:08 pm
#149
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,034
Just to be clear, it's the dollar cost of the hotels that has changed. The points redemptions for most places has remained the same. So the high valuation isn't helping you get anything different from what you would have gotten for the same number of points three years ago in Hawaii.
Dec 3, 2021, 3:15 am
#150
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,913
Been to Hawai many, many times during my 20 years on the West Coast, but now based in Europe. I thought Hawaii pricing (specifically what normal people, not FTers pay) was excessive for what you get even before the pandemic, but now, prices have gone insane. Friends from PDX were going to visit me in Europe for the Christmas-NY break, but we called it off a couple days ago due to Covid restrictions/closures/lockdowns. Proud FTer, I told them (before even looking), why not go to Hawaii instead? Umm, not a good idea. Practically nothing on points, many hotels sold out altogether, the Courtyard at OGG airport $850 a night, Andaz Maui $2k. Rental cars, $1200 for 5 days, even with Costco and other discount options discussed here. Obviously, Christmas-NYE is expensive (although I have spent some 15 Thanksgivings in Hawaii, and used to BRG the SR Princeville for $300 a night or the SPK for $100, and there were lots of reasonable options on points, not to mention that cars cost practically nothing). Sorted things out for my friends thanks to Delta vacations, $1300 for two including flights and 5 days car rental, plus a Choice point redemption at a questionable 3* that's asking $850 a night but had "junior suites" for 30k points (~$155 worth of points bought via Discover America). I suspect that's as low as one can go on short notice over the holidays.