BEAT OF HAWAII AND BEYOND

Hawaii will celebrate 50 years as the 50^th state this year on August 21.  There will be many festivities, which we will be covering as the date approaches.  In the meantime, both Prince Resorts and Aqua Resorts have 50th Anniversary specials. 

Did you know…

The land mass of Hawaii consists of over 6,000 square miles

Mauna Kea summit is the highest point in the state, at 13,806 feet  It snows in winter and is rather cold year-round.

The Nene (a Hawaiian duck) is our state bird.  It is both endangered and protected.

The hibiscus, Pua Aloalo, is the state flower

Kukui is our state tree

Hawaii is the widest state, stretching east to west nearly 1,500 miles from French Frigate Shoals to the Big Island.  It also stretches 1,600 miles from north (Kure Atoll) to south (again the Big Island)

And last but not least, don’t forget the beloved Hawaiian Monk Seal, which last year was named our State mammal.

If you want to go crazy with more Hawaii trivia, check this out.

Hyatt Hotels Twitter can really help. In what may be an important indication of the future of Twitter in travel, the hotel chain has introduced their online virtual concierge.  You can now contact your Hyatt hotel via Twitter with questions, or even just to tell them you’ll be arriving late.  If you’re not yet on Twitter, maybe this is the time to consider joining in the fun.  Here’s why.

Follow United’s Twitter, and win.  Speaking again of Twitter, United Airlines has recently chimed in.  If you are one of their first 10,000 followers (they have over 9,500 already) and register on their website, you’ll receive an undisclosed gift.  Even if you aren’t in the first 10,000, last week United began Tweeting some excellent deals not found elsewhere.

Are you ready to fly on a Chinese-made Airbus? The first A320 made in China completed its inaugural flight last week. You’ll have to go to China to fly on this plane however, as it will be flown by Sichuan Airways.

As I wrote about nearly a year ago, China’s role in global airliner production will be ever-increasing.  They currently plan to manufacture their own 757-sized planes.

JetBlue’s Refund Assurance.  While this may not help you here in Hawaii (since obviously Jet Blue does not fly here), I was pleased to see that if you purchase a ticket or package and subsequently loose your full-time job, JetBlue will refund your money.

Continental’s Upcoming Downgrade.  Flying Continental to Hawaii?  Get ready for 737 service.  Starting this summer, look for Continental to replace at least some of its existing 757 service with 737-900’s, between Los Angeles and Honolulu.

Are you negotiating your travel deals?

I am and it looks like I’m not alone. A survey of over 2,000 households  conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, indicates that two-thirds of those sampled have tried haggling in just the past six months.  Even more surprising perhaps is that of those who negotiated deals, more than 90 percent reported achieving a lower price on at least one item.

Here are some things I’ve succesfully negotiated recently:

• Reduced hotel rates (by calling or emailing properties directly).
• Additional services (better car, free driver, room and suite upgrades).
• Shopping (even on Tommy Bahama clothes at Macy’s Waikiki).
• Shipping.  I needed to send some furniture between Hawaii and the mainland, and just negotiated a 35 percent reduction.
• Priceline.  Here I’ve negotiated hotels (Hawaii Prince for example), and car rentals.

My tips to get the best negotiated travel deal:

• Remember that the on-line travel agencies charge hotels up to 30 percent of your total booking.  This leaves a lot of room to negotiate by calling the hotel directly.  For example, you may want to try for a 20 percent discount and the hotel still comes out ahead.

• Ask politely without being demanding.  People will be more willing to listen to you.  Sometimes I’ll start with, “forgive me for asking.”

• If in person, try to negotiate without other people hearing.

• Be reasonable.  Have a fair negotiation in mind that will likely be acceptable.  Bidding for travel is a great place to see what others have successfully negotiated on Priceline.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your negotiations.

Right on the heals of this weekend’s sad announcement that Southwest Airlines is postponing its planned code-share partnership with Westjet, we have a nice, but intentionally short-lived sale.  All prices are in CAD.  Following are two good examples, but the sale is good to/from all Westjet cities.

Vancouver to/from Honolulu $169 (lowest I find is $189)

Vancouver to/from Kahului $199

• Purchase by May 28; Travel by June 30
• Minimum/maximum stay:  None
• Advance purchase:  None
• One way or round-trip
• Availability:  Good but going fast

Note:  Service to Kona has ended and is scheduled to resume in December.

I received the Expedia promotion above in an email, which got me wondering what the competition might have to offer.  Here’s what I found.  Let me know if these are useful for you.  Most are valid outside Hawaii as well.

First, my shopping suggestion for the best deal

Try looking at hotel and air separately.  In today’s economy there are often better bargains to be found by contacting the hotel property directly by phone or on their website.  Sometimes though, online travel agency packages work out to be the best deal.  I’ve bought them myself. Compare before you buy. It’s always a good idea to check to see what promotions they may be running first, just by Googling “Expedia promotions” for example.

Expedia

1.  Receive $10 off per night of hotel stay, min 2 nights.  Book by May 31.  Use Coupon code: 10MA.

2.  Last night free sale valid at 59 Hawaii hotels.  Book by May 31 for travel through June 15.  Minimum 3 night stay.

Orbitz

1.  Book a qualifying flight + hotel package by July 30.  Stay 3 or more nights through August 31 and receive $75 off your booking.  Select “I have a promotion code,” enter 75orbit, then look for packages marked with the word “COUPON.”

2.  30% off hotel sale.  Just look for the $BIGsale! icon to find the deal.  Book by May 31.

Travelocity

To redeem your instant $75 discount on qualifying flight plus hotel purchase, enter promotional code HAWAII 75 on the billing page. Book by May 31, 2009.  Valid only for Hawaii travel.

Following is a guest post by Luke Shanahan.  Luke is a friend who is a phenomenal golfer, even though he only started playing about four years ago.

What could be better than golfing on Kauai?  I’ll tell you what: Golfing on Kauai and getting a great deal, too!!!

Here are some screaming-hot deals going on right now at two of my favorite courses on the island, Puakea Golf Course, in Lihue and The Prince Golf Course, in Princeville.

I love these wonderful courses, and the first reason is that they very well may be the two best-designed courses on the island.

Puakea Golf Course

Intelligently crafted by course architect Robin Nelson, Puakea Golf Course ranks high on every local golfer’s list. The back nine—the jungle surrounding the holes was used in the filming of Jurassic Park—is as stunning to behold as it is thrilling to golf. The par 5 11th of this fun, forgiving course serves as a perfect case study in the benefits of intelligent course management.

Prince Golf Course

For a little greater challenge, try the Prince Golf Course at Princeville on Kauai’s north shore. Consistently rated as the #1 course in all of Hawai’i, it’s featured on the video game EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. But no computer animation can do this undulating links-style Robert Trent Jones masterpiece justice. Nor can any photo, nor lavish description. You’ve got to play it.

Known as a difficult course, Prince is also eminently fair—unless you count the stunning ocean views on the holes approaching the turn. I do not exaggerate when I tell you that it’s so beautiful it can wreak havoc with your concentration. But then, so can running into one of the many celebrities who enjoy playing there, like the hilarious and talented Will Smith, who recently played a round at Prince with a golfing buddy of mine.

Visitors Welcome

Which brings me to the second reason I love these two courses: You don’t have to be a star to be treated like one. Visitors are made to feel welcome and at home at both Puakea and The Prince. A couple of course tips, a cool trade wind breeze, a breathtaking view, and a friendly smile—now you’re golfing Hawaii-style! One more thing: It’s PGA Free Lesson Month! When you schedule your round, see if you can also schedule a 10-minute free lesson with the club pro.

Here are the deals

Puakea Golf Course (Phone (808) 245-8756)

• For $99 plus tax you get golf w/shared cart.
• Range token and sleeve of Nike Power Distance golf balls.
• Puakea logo shirt (Ash City men’s or women’s solid).
• You must visit the concierge or activity desk at all major hotels and timeshare properties on island to get the deal. They will give you a voucher you must present at check in.  You can also go to golfnow. I believe they charge a $1.99 booking fee per person.
• Special good through August 18, 2009.

The Prince Golf Course (Phone (808) 826-5001)

• Two-day pass for $265 or three-day pass for $340.
• Buy a multi-day pass and get half off our club rental (a $25 per round savings).
• Twilight Special:  Enjoy 9+ Holes for $50 after 3:00 p.m.
• Specials good through May 31, 2009.

About Luke Shanahan.

When he’s not golfing, Luke is co-author of a new book Deep Nutrition, and the drcate.com alternative health and nutrition website.  Following his love of cooking and nutrition, he is currently writing a cookbook based on The Four Pillars of World Cuisine.

Luke studied creative writing at the University of Iowa workshop and earned his MFA from the University of Arizona where he won several awards. Since retiring from teaching college English, Luke has been a freelance writer for The Pacific Journal, the Garden Island Newspaper, and organizes creative writing and screenplay workshops.

Dr. Beach’s 2009 Top U.S. beach pick is Kauai’s renowned Hanalei Bay.

The selection of Hanalei Bay certainly comes as no surprise to us here at Beat of Hawaii, or to our readers.  This beautiful crescent-shaped jewel has been our own No. 1 beach year after year.  You’ll typically find me in the water there at least twice a week during summer for long-distance swimming.

Dr. Beach bases his selection on 60 criteria including water, sand, environmental quality, safety, services, and management.

Water:

Hanalei runs from mammoth waves in winter to complete tranquility in summer.  It is warm, clean and lush.  In the past few weeks the water clarity has been the best I can ever recall, such that you can literally look around and see a vast distance in nature’s own swimming pool.

Sand:

The broad, soft, blond-sand beach stretches two miles and with its gentle slope into the water is perfect for long walks.

Scenery:

Hanalei Bay is quintessential Hawaii, pure and simple.  The backdrop is of majestic green mountains repleat with many waterfalls, and in the background, iconic Bali Hai also known as Makana.

Amenities:

• Lifeguards
• Showers and bathrooms (which are in need of renovation)
• Picnic facilities with barbeques

If you’re at Hanalei Beach this summer and see me, be sure to give a “shout out.”

Bold, sophisticated, and featuring a new look in Hawaii hospitality, the Koa Kea Hotel and Resort has made its debut at Poipu Beach.

Does this self described calming sanctuary, the former Poipu Beach Hotel, live up to expectation? I stayed there recently to find out.

With the lowest opening special at $299 per night, my expectations were high. The Koa Kea met them in guest service, amenities and elegance.

What to expect from the design by Anita Brooks.

When I walked through the lobby its furnishings and color palate reminded me of modern Moroccan elegance. The lobby exterior had the feeling of a lodge with its stone archway and pillars leading out to the pool.

My partial ocean view room was done in a dark brown and white color combination with turquoise accents. A strong departure from traditional island colors.

On a tour of the property I saw some rooms with vaulted ceilings and others done in lighter shades.

My luxury room favorites.

I love coffee and having an in-room espresso maker was a big hit.

The two-person shower was elegantly done in Italian marble and featured a generous assortment of L’Occitane products. In addition to a regular shower head I could opt for a rainfall effect from the ceiling or have both at the same time. The rainfall was my favorite.  I also liked the lighting effect in the shower which replicated natural light from the outside.

Bath towels were large and over sized. I found the guest bathrobe, one size fits all, a perfect fit for my tall frame.

The bed linens were fine Egyptian cotton and featured a lush mattress topper for a good night sleep.

Outdoor pools were the ultimate in relaxation.

I liked the smooth rock lined jacuzzi that was kept hot at 104 degrees. There was no smell of chemicals in either pool. The swimming pool had a mottled dark blue bottom. As I lounged by the pool I enjoyed the view of the expansive lawn leading out to the ocean.

No beach and that’s okay.

There’s more privacy and unobstructed views. You’re always a close walk to where you can swim in the ocean.

Guest service professional and attentive.

With only 121 rooms the hotel prides itself on guest comfort and service. When I arrived I was met by the Valet who escorted me to the front desk and introduced me by name.  After check-in the guest service agent escorted me to my room to ensure everything was in working order. Nightly turn down service was excellent.  Whenever I had a special request it was seen to immediately.

My Guest Tips at Koa Kea.

1. Call the hotel directly at 808.828.8888 and negotiate upgrades.

2. Microwaves are free but you’ll need to make a request.

3. Ask for a top sheet if the down duvet is too heavy for you. It’s high quality and feels nice, but used as a top sheet the way it was intended, I found it too heavy for our tropical climate.

4. Resort fee is $15 per day and includes unlimited valet parking and high speed Internet. The gym is complimentary.

5. There are two guest service laundry rooms on the grounds.

6. When you step out on your lanai it won’t be completely private as you’ll see from my picture.

7.  For best views book a partial ocean category or higher. If you’re lucky enough to score an ocean front room, you’ll feel like you’re sleeping over the surf.

8.  I stayed in the ‘Eha building which had strong morning sun.  The ‘Ekolu building looks cooler that time of day with less glare and better evening sunset views.

If you stay at Koa Kea Hotel and Resort, be sure to comment and let us know about your guest experience.

We’re seeing the first glimpse of next Fall, Winter and Spring fares and it isn’t even Summer yet!

This is really unusual, since Hawaii Fall fares don’t normally start appearing until mid to late Summer.  While this may not be an earth-shatteringly good deal, it is good enough to lock in your Fall vacation dates early.

• Price:  $289 round trip (all-inclusive).
• Airline:  Continental .
• Minimum/maximum stay:  3/60 days.
• Days of week:  Monday through Thursday travel only.
• 2009 travel dates:  August 21 through November 16, and December 5 through 14.
• 2010 travel dates:  January 9 through March 9 and April 24 through June 8.
• Availability:  Excellent.

Pleasant Holidays has some of the best Hawaii air plus hotel packages around.  In part the Automobile Club of Southern California-owned company does it  by purchasing blocks of airline seats from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

1.  Good deals.

These are basically the same great deals from San Francisco and Los Angeles that we saw earlier this year.  The only extra is tax of approximately $50 per person.  It would be a good price for air only, and yet amazingly includes 3 nights at the beautifully located Sheraton Kauai on Poipu Beach.

2.  Other islands available.

These prices also include air and 3 nights hotel based on two people.

• Maui $399
• Oahu $349
• Kona $399.

3.  Very limited travel dates (at least to Kauai).

Checking last night for 3-day itineraries, below are the only dates I found.  It should also be possible to stay longer, but likely these are the only departure dates.

• From San Francisco to Lihue:  Departures on 8/21, 8/26, 8/27, and 8/28.
• From Los Angeles to Lihue: Departures on 8/16, 8/20, 8/21, 8/22, 8/23, 8/28

4.  Pleasant’s unpleasant website.

I take exception to a company offering such great Hawaii deals while having such a poor website.  There is at present no flexible date search and no easy or reasonable way to determine which dates will yield the bargain prices offered.  Many dates within the stated available date range returned prices two times the bargain price or more.  It probably took me 20-30 minutes just to ferret out available dates for Kauai.

Rather than just complaining, I contacted Pleasant Holidays’ director of strategy and business development, Roseanne Landay.  She was very helpful and explained that Pleasant is in the process of a website and booking engine redesign.  Roseanne assured me that the new website will allow you to quickly locate which dates yield the best deals.  In the interim, she suggested that if you’re having difficulties finding the deal, the best solution may be to give them at call at (800) 742-9244.

Here a nice car rental sale to pair with all of the great air and hotel deals we’ve featured recently.  With talk of escalating car rental prices and rumors that another car rental company may be seeking bankruptcy protection, it’s great news to find a highly desirable Jeep or (or on some dates also a convertible) for just over $200 a week.  Normally these can rent for up to double that, especially during peak summer travel dates.

The deal:

• National Car Rental.
• Location:  Honolulu Airport.
• Availability:  good.
• Codes:  Enter contract ID 6600435.  This is a publicly available rate.

This terrific offer is from Air Tahiti Nui. 2009 is without doubt the year to visit both Hawaii and Tahiti at unprecedented bargain prices on air and lodging.

We’ve written about French Polynesia before, which remains one of our favorite destinations (outside of Hawaii).  We plan to visit and report again from Tahiti soon.

The deal:

• $366 each way, all-inclusive
• Dates:  Purchase between May 18 and June 5 for travel from May 22 to July 22 and August 11 to September 12
• Minimum/maximum stay:  4 days/none

Add 4 nights hotel, breakfast and transfers for only $166 per person:

• Hilton Hotel Tahiti
• American breakfast daily
• Other choices and islands also available at additional cost