I’m seeing many great Hawaii travel deals right now on hotels and vacation rentals to start the New Year. Combine this with a fantastic Hawaii airfare deal and you’re set to take the chill off winter with a Hawaii vacation.

1. Cottages at Poipu Kai, featured in USA Today, are now $99 with all taxes and fees included. For details see the 12 Days of Holiday Deals from The Parrish Collection Kauai. They also have specials on oceanfront homes and condos up to 50 percent off. Book by Christmas Day and look for daily updates on their Facebook page.

2. Aqua Hotels and Resorts celebrates its 10th year with 10% off all properties through August. No minimum stay required.

3. Castle Resorts’ free vacation sweepstakes ends on December 31st for a five night stay at their Big Island resort at Waikoloa. Entry form is on their Facebook page. Winner gets a two bedroom villa. You can also save up to 50% with their Waistdeep Winter Savings on Molokai, Maui, Oahu, Big Island and Kauai.

4. Aston Hotels Winter Escapes start at $103 a night on Oahu. Also featured are deals at their properties on Kauai, Big Island and Maui. Stays must be completed by March.

5. Marriott’s Sand Dollars Package will save you money on five properties (Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai) with free breakfast and 4th or 5th night free and daily breakfast for two. Rates start at $229.

6. The Lodge at Koele, a Four Seasons Resort on Lanai (a personal favorite pictured above) has “Stay Longer – Third Night Free” which lowers your rate to $197 nightly. You can fly to Maui and then take the ferry over to Lanai and do both islands. This upcountry lodge is gorgeous and has a golf course.

7. Starwood Hawaii’s Sunsational Savings is on Oahu, Maui, Big Island at Kauai. Free nights with upgrades through December 2012.

8. Tippr has Half Off a Travelocity Hotel Gift Card so you can pick where you stay. Pay $50 and get a $100 gift card to use through next June. Two night minimum stay required. You’ll have to buy this on Tippr by December 21.

If you’ve been interested in trying the new Disney Aulani on Oahu’s leeward coast, but haven’t wanted to pay the steep opening prices (from $399), this may the deal that clinches your Hawaii vacation.

The newest property in Hawaii features 359 hotel rooms and 460 vacation club villas.

This probably isn’t the hotel you’ll find me in, but a lot of you have asked about it. If you stay there, please comment on it and convince me to go. Laura Bly, USA Today travel writer and Beat of Hawaii friend stayed there recently and wrote about Aulani.

Here’s today’s Hawaii travel deal for the Disney Aulani Resort and Spa, Ko Olina, Oahu:

• 5th Night Free (20% off). Available from November 27 through December 16, and from January 4 through 12 and 16 through 25. Book by 12/16/11. Based on availability. Plus taxes/fees. This offer is via Disney partner Small World Vacations or WDWinfo. Use booking code Y5J.
• 10% off. Valid if you currently are or become a Disney theme park annual pass holder. This offer is valid for stays through 2012. Also via Disney partner Small World Vacations.
• 25% off. If you’re a Hawaii resident, Kamaaina discounts are available.

I’ve written about the historic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel before and their fantastic art collection. Today’s deal on this Big Island gem, built by Rockefeller on the Kohala Coast, is the lowest I’ve seen even without the free golf.

I cannot say enough good things about either the property or its location. If you have a chance, do yourself a favor and take advantage of this Hawaii travel deal. I think I’m going to.

Book by October 12 and stay between October 12 – December 17 (not valid between  November 18 – 26).

Deal:

• Five nights lodging (reg. more than $1600)
• Choice of either Robert Trent Jones golf for two (normally $450) or luau for two (normally $192)

Cost:

$995 for five nights ($199/night). No resort fee. Additional amenities included.

It is unusual to see top-of-the-line Waikiki properties go for these Hawaii travel deal prices. Call it a sign of the times, but it’s also an opportunity to experience these properties I otherwise consider out of reach.

The Modern Honolulu $155/night

This is the hotel that made all the recent press in an on-again off-again series of name and management changes. Nonetheless, it’s remains one of the newest and most prestigious Waikiki addresses. Located on the Ala Moana side of town, it’s within a brief stroll of my favorite Waikiki beaches and all of Honolulu’s activities. The Modern is as it’s name says, both modern and hip.

Today’s deal is offered through Jetsetter, so you have to go through their free sign up. Reservations must be made in the next three days. Availability, however, is from now through January. Even the holidays appear to be available.

Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk $199/night

Rooms at this property typically start north of $350 per night, making this quite the deal. We’re talking 5-star ultra-luxury. In the heart of Waikiki, rooms feature spectacular views, floor-to-ceiling windows, gourmet kitchens and marble baths. This one sounds pretty good just writing about it.

Okay, so have you stayed at either of these new Waikiki luxury properties? If so, please chime in and let us know your thoughts.

Photo: Trump Waikiki.

This fall is the perfect time for a return visit or a once in a lifetime Hawaii vacation. Fall Hawaii airfare deals will also definitely start popping within the next couple of weeks. We’ll be following them for you so keep your mouse pointed to Beat of Hawaii.

When it comes down to it, for most Hawaii vacations, the hotel or vacation rental cost is the biggest expense. We went looking for the best half off deals this fall to share with you. Here’s our first list of savings you can take advantage of between now and mid-December.

Kauai

Save up to 50% on vacation rentals at The Parrish Collection Kauai. Includes condos and oceanfront homes island-wide. Also save half off Holo Holo Na Pali cruises. Offer ends December 19, 2011. Call 800-325-5701 to book.

Save 50% at Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas. Includes $50 food and beverage credit, 5th night free and 2 for 1 surfing lesson at Hanalei Bay. Book online and use promo code 5050PK. Offer ends December 30, 2011.

Lanai

While not a 50% off deal, you can stay at the charming Hotel Lanai, now an Aqua Resort, starting at $99 with continental breakfast included. Book online.

Oahu

Save up to 40% on Aston Hotels Oahu Fall Savings. Locations include downtown, oceanfront and Waikiki. Offer ends December 21, 2011. Book online.

All Islands

Save 55% at Castle Resorts and Hotels. Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai and Molokai location vary from hotels to condos. Offer ends December 22, 2011. Book online.

Photo is of the World War II Liberty Ship taken at Kaiolohia (Shipwreck Beach), Lanai.

Need a cheap 4-star resort on Maui this fall? Here’s a great Hawaii travel deal to fit the bill. It even includes a two-for-one gourmet breakfast.

The resort is situated directly on legendary Kaanapali beach. The massive pool has a 150 foot water slide and waterfalls. It was recently included in Travel and Leisure’s Best 500 hotels in the world, and is AAA four diamond rated.

Today’s deal:

Where: Hyatt Regency Maui.

When: Stay from November 25 through December 22. Or, from October 1 through November 18, the cost is $30 more.

Price: $169/night.

Details: Partial ocean view room. Two for one breakfast is $30 for two people (normally $30 per person). $25 resort fee includes internet, fitness center and tennis.

You’ll save 60% on this unusual Hawaii travel deal. I’m a perennial fan of spa treatments, although I usually steer clear of Hawaii hotel spas. While they can be luxurious and relaxing, they are typically just too expensive for my frugal ways.

Here’s a deal to bring the cost of a top Hawaii hotel spa day down to the point where we consider it to be a great deal.

Mandara Spas originated in Bali and are pioneers in the tropical Asian spa experience. There are now three in Hawaii. The Mandara Spa at the Hilton Hawaiian Village has been named Hawaii’s Best by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Today’s Hawaii travel deal:

Where: Mandara Spa at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki.
When: Purchase by September 22 for Spa services through March 22, 2012.
What: This spa day experience includes all of the following:

• Fifty minute massage (style of your choice)
• Mandara Balinese body polish (twenty-five minutes)
• Hair and scalp treatment
• Use of spa amenities (fitness center, pool, saunas and Jacuzzis)

There’s a Hawaii travel deal on the Grand Hyatt Kauai tonight that’s pretty hard to beat. The hotel, which regularly sees rooms going at multiples of this price, was recently renovated. In fact this nets out to be the lowest price we’ve seen in two years.

Keep reading for some of the fine print details. You may also recall we just wrote about another very good Jetsetter Kauai hotel deal.

Here’s the Grand Hyatt Kauai deal:

• Price: $205/night less $25 credit by signing up for the Jetsetter newsletter. Sign up for more Jetsetter accounts to buy multiple nights.
• Availability: Through mid-March excluding Christmas week.
• Purchase by: September 17, 2011.
• $25/night resort fee.

Aston is having a 50 days of aloha sale, that has only 14 days left.  These are their lowest rates of 2011 for hotels and condos on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu.

While I admittedly haven’t stayed at most of these properties, a couple of my favorites are included. One of them is the Waimea Plantatation Cottages on Kauai. Do you have any that you can comment on?

Here’s the deal:

• Book through  August 29 for travel through December 21
• Full payment is due at booking and is not refundable
• There are some black out dates and minimum stay requirements

One of my favorite Kauai hotels is on Jetsetter today, for a price that’s about $30 below their own website’s price. This makes for another great Hawaii travel deal.

In order to take advantage of this deal, you’ll need to sign up free for Jetsetter. I recently started getting their newsletters. If you’re not already familiar with it, Jetsetter is a  ”Flash Sales” deals site. They offer exclusive rates which they claim are not found anywhere else (seems true for this deal), but which are available for a limited time only. Jetsetter is a part of Gilt Group,  perhaps better known for flash sales of designer apparel.

Here’s today’s Kauai Beach Resort offer from Jetsetter:

How it works: Sign up for Jetsetter emails so that you can see today’s offer.

Cost: From $82 nightly

Availability: August 16 through December 22

Terms: A two-night minimum stay is required.

Room: 320 sq. foot mountain/garden view, with one king or two doubles