Oahu Vacation Rentals

[jonsmom]

Can anyone recommend a vacation condo in Oahu? Preferably oceanfront?

Will the new resort in Hawaii be available to anyone outside of DVC?

Thanks.

[NJGIRL]

Bumping up to see if anyone can answer.

[TheDuckRocks]

Be very careful about getting a vacation rental home on Oahu! Many people rent to tourists and they have no conection to any governing body. Because of this if the pictures they show you aren't what you get or the place is filthy or "close to the beach" is a ten minute drive or a million other things you have no recourse. It would be highly unlikely that you would ever get your money back. Most of these scammers ask for payment in full before your vacation begins.
If you want to rent in Hawaii contact the Visitors Bureau or a travel agent.
I am saying this as we lived in Hawaii for 13 years and during that time I was in real estate and the stories I heard were alarming. My sister once rented a 2 bedroom beach side cottage and the first bedroom was a screened in porch with a bed and the other one was an area built over the kitchen that was 1/2 story high ("for the kids as they're not so tall"). With my connections at the time we were able to get their money back and into a nice condo.

[jonsmom]

Thank you - it is exactly what I am afraid of.

These pictures I see online are way too good to be true.

As far as paying upfront, I think that is standard practice everywhere, including Disney.

I know that you cannot name a travel agency that specializes in Hawaii on these boards, but if you can PM me of someone that you can trust, I would appreciate it.

Joanne

[TheDuckRocks]

Joanne, I wish I could be more helpful but I haven't used a travel agent for Hawaii since 1979 (yes, I'm a senior citizen) and haven't lived there in 8 years. We have our favorites and would rather go back to ones we are familiar with. I know that we did use AAA for condo bookings in the past and they gave us a large selection and were knowledgable about locations of the different facilities.
You also asked about Aulani the new DVC location in Hawaii. Yes, they will be having rooms that are kept for the general public. I think that the number for them is slightly less than half of the rooms available. At present I have no clue as what they will be charging for them though.

[jonsmom]

Joanne, I wish I could be more helpful but I haven't used a travel agent for Hawaii since 1979 (yes, I'm a senior citizen) and haven't lived there in 8 years. We have our favorites and would rather go back to ones we are familiar with. I know that we did use AAA for condo bookings in the past and they gave us a large selection and were knowledgable about locations of the different facilities.
You also asked about Aulani the new DVC location in Hawaii. Yes, they will be having rooms that are kept for the general public. I think that the number for them is slightly less than half of the rooms available. At present I have no clue as what they will be charging for them though.

Thanks Kay

I did contact AAA and they told me they did book condos - didnt think they would book homes.

Out of the 5 or 6 VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) inquiries I made, only one woman was quick to respond and offered to be accomodating if for some reason I put down a deposit and was unable to make those dates. She had many reviews on her site as well. However, I would request to either contact those referrals or have them contact me.

I will wait and see what type of accomodations we can get @ Disney. I feel much more secure booking with them.

Can you rent points from DVC owners?

Joanne

[TheDuckRocks]

This is only a guess on my part but, as they are only opening the Aulani in a few months from now, I would guess in the next couple of years DVC Aulani owners would want to use their points themselfs.

[jonsmom]

This is only a guess on my part but, as they are only opening the Aulani in a few months from now, I would guess in the next couple of years DVC Aulani owners would want to use their points themselfs.

I agree

[BrerGnat]

I would stick with a vacation villa development that is attached to a larger resort (Sheraton, Hilton, Hyatt), etc. Much more flexibility for payment, a name you can trust, and locations that offer more in the way of amenities.

[BrerGnat]

This is only a guess on my part but, as they are only opening the Aulani in a few months from now, I would guess in the next couple of years DVC Aulani owners would want to use their points themselfs.

Not a few months...a YEAR plus a few months. The "first phase" is set to open in Fall 2011.

[jonsmom]

I would stick with a vacation villa development that is attached to a larger resort (Sheraton, Hilton, Hyatt), etc. Much more flexibility for payment, a name you can trust, and locations that offer more in the way of amenities.

I prefer not to be in the city. Their locations seem to be in the heart of Waiikiki

[TheDuckRocks]

Not a few months...a YEAR plus a few months. The "first phase" is set to open in Fall 2011.

Man, did I read the info from DVC wrong! Crazy me I thought it was this fall.
Of course I'm also the woman who has spent the past 10 months telling everyone and filling out forms with my age being a year older. Up side of this though is when my birthday rolls around in Sept. I'm still the same age. Right??

[TheDuckRocks]

If you really want to be out of the city, you might want to look into the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. I don't know how much they are now charging for rooms, but I do know they have beach cottages set a little ways away from the main hotel. They are very remote, probably an hour drive or more from Honolulu. The property is beautiful and the company I worked for always took us for a long weekend as our Christmas present and we always had a great stay.

[jonsmom]

If you really want to be out of the city, you might want to look into the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. I don't know how much they are now charging for rooms, but I do know they have beach cottages set a little ways away from the main hotel. They are very remote, probably an hour drive or more from Honolulu. The property is beautiful and the company I worked for always took us for a long weekend as our Christmas present and we always had a great stay.

I have seen photos of the property - it is beautiful. I think its nice to be away from the crowds and the city.

[HollyB]

We rented with Pat's Kailua Beach Properties on Kailua Beach on Oahu (across the island from Honolulu). The cottage we rented was clean, but simply furnished. The beds were comfy and it was just off the beach. There was no problem with the booking or the cottage (although there was a gecko that startled me one morning). The sunrises on Kailua were spectacular. We even saw the green flash one morning. If we were headed back to Oahu, I'd definitely look at Pat's again.

[jonsmom]

Thank you for the website - I will be sure to check it out. Its great to get referrals from people who have stayed at these places.

Joanne

[magicalmom]

Check books/organizations that specialize in Bed and Breakfasts - many of those have additional space, kitchens, and so forth (we had super good luck on the big island). Other than that, you should probably go with a company you know, or with an organization you know, like AAA.

Are there condos that are linked with the Polynesian Cultural Center? Opposite side of the island from Honolulu, and and project of the Latter Day Saints - they might stand behind lodging related to their center?

[ILoveLegos]

My family loves Turtle Bay. It's close to the north shore for (professional) Nov ==> Dec (big wave) surfing too!