December 16, 2008

Our Kona condo has some great new features. In July we installed a new Jenn-Aire range in the kitchen–the old stove was really starting to show its age. We also put in new carpeting and new sleeper-sofas in the living room, and made various other minor improvements. Also this summer, Outrigger completed the final year of a three-year, resort-wide painting project. Just in time for the economic downturn, the place is looking really nice!

While the fall was slow, in terms of rentals, the high season is now in full swing and the condo has been booked solid from Thanksgiving through the end of February–still some open time in March. The good news for Hawaii travelers right now is that airfares have come back down substantially, and it’s possible to find some really good deals.

The other change this fall has been to the website. You’ll see that in addition to the home page we now have separate pages with information on the Kanaloa at Kona resort, and specific features of the rental condo. I’ve made some other design changes as well, particularly in the sidebar content. One thing I’m experimenting with is a live chat feature. Just type in your question or condo rental inquiry and I can respond immediately if I’m online–which I often am.

I have also started to include feeds of lowest available airfares to Kona, from the travel meta-search site kayak.com. This is a useful way of tracking prices and finding the best deal possible for your Kona vacation. So far I only have listings from the SF Bay Area but I’ll add more west coast departures soon. The lowest prices shown are for specific dates, but they give you an idea of what’s available and often the same rates apply to other dates. Just checking the link today for example I see the lowest fares to Kailua-Kona from the Bay Area are from San Jose–round trips from $415 for January-February.

I’m still hoping to develop this more into a Big Island travel blog in the coming year. Safe travels to all, and mahalo for visiting.

Oceanfront—or not?

The big expenses associated with any Hawaiian vacation of course are airfare and lodging. The former you can’t do much about, beyond shopping around for the best deal. But when it comes to choosing your hotel, resort or vacation rental property, a wide range of options exists.

No one wants to travel to Kailua-Kona and stay in a dump just to save a few bucks. But in a top-of-the-line resort like the Outrigger Kanaloa at Kona, you can save hundreds of dollars simply by skipping the higher priced oceanfront listings and choosing a garden or fairway view unit instead.

Now I know, for some, that’s hard to imagine. Oceanfront is what many people want when they come to Hawaii—the closer to the water the better! I know because I used to be one of those oceanfront addicts myself! But if affordability is an issue—and even if it’s not—there are good reasons to consider an non-oceanfront rental.

First a few caveats. Of course there are complexes where “garden-side” is really “street-side”. You don’t want that. There are also complexes where the living room is oceanfront and the bedroom is perfectly positioned for traffic noise—watch out for those. But at Kanaloa and other high-end places you’re not sandwiched in between the street and the shoreline, and the same high quality extends throughout the grounds.

A cost comparison

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Outrigger’s “Best Available” rate for a two-bedroom oceanfront unit at Kanaloa for seven nights in July is $345/night, compared to $259/night for a 2BR fairway-view unit. That’s a difference of $600 for the week, not including taxes.

Private owner rentals are less expensive overall but a similar price difference exists. Two-bedroom oceanfront listings at Kanaloa on VRBO average from $250-$300/night during the summer, which may or may not include air conditioning. My two-bedroom Kona condo, situated about 100 yards inland, is $165/night with AC included.

The $100 day or more you can save just by adjusting your location within the complex can more than offset the current round of airfare inflation.

Enjoy the savings

What many regular oceanfront renters don’t know until they experience it for themselves is how enjoyable and relaxing a garden or fairway unit can be.

Staying in a luxury condo a stone’s throw from the shoreline, but not right where the waves are crashing, has an appeal all it’s own. Birds are singing. Geckos are darting through the flowers. Sun and clouds are coloring the hills.

To me, it all feels just as Hawaiian as that view from the oceanfront lanai. The sea is still right there when you want it, but you might start to enjoy the peace and quiet of coming home to the garden side.

So what to choose? As the owner of a fairway-front unit I’m clearly biased. And don’t get me wrong, there are some spectacular oceanfront condos at Kanaloa and elsewhere in Kona that are great if you can afford the premium rates. But if you’re worried about the cost of Hawaii travel this year—consider a garden or fairway unit.

–Condo update. I have some new discount offers listed for my Kanaloa at Kona 1002 unit. I’m also in touch with a network of other owners of great Kanaloa condo units, so if my place is booked send an email anyway and I’ll forward you inquiry on to them.