41 thoughts on “1,300 Jobs Culled At Largest Hawaii Vacation Rental: Shocks Industry”
Jacquelyn M
Vacasa has been our property manager for the last several years. We live part time in our Poipu condo and rent when not there.
Our local contact, Daniel, has been a dream and become a friend. We know our cleaning crew and they are fantastic. All of our reviews have been 5 star.
We would not be able to keep track of all the Hawaii taxes and fees nor have the world wide advertising abolities on our own.
Please remember the Kauai Vacasa employees are local. Bashing the corporation hurts local families.
I just rented a home in Truckee, CA for a family ski trip. Booked it through VRBO but managed by Vacasa. Essentially $1000 for the three nights and $1000 in fees and taxes. Got an email saying I could extend my stay an extra night for $165. Sounds great until you click to actually book the extra night. Ends up $577 with the taxes and fees for the extra night. It has gotten really outrageous!
Due to mismanagement,overpriced or predatory bookings a lot of “vacationers” are cutting back on booking holidays and purchases in Hawai’i
(exhorbatant fees & taxes are the most add-ons. 😱
Sounds like California has an outrageous amount of taxes added to the rental properties, another reason why I stay away! Not knowing where the Fees are going I am “guessing” that some are imposed by the Local Taxing Authority, everyone must get in on the Feeding Frenzy!
Hawaii be begging the so called low Enders to come back soon. 1 percent have the money to all your chips in on the 1 percent when there are much better options around is getting a bit risky. What about all the big conventions I know there was a dentist convention had like 5000 or so come into Waikiki. Are the attendees supposed to pay and then get reimbursed?
I used to live in O’ahu and still have family there. That being said I now live on the East coast. With all that is going on in Hawaii and the costs to vacation there the Caribbean is a
Better option for an Island vacation. I am by no means comparing the culture as I have Relatives with Hawaiian blood. I am just comparing pricing
Vacations in the Caribbean are Awesome and depending upon where you go an”All Inclusive” 10 day vacation including Round Trip Airfare costs about $1,000.00 per person. We can have 3 Vacations for the price of One in Hawaii. Why should anyone visit Hawaii frequently just to waste money on everything that’s overpriced and being told that you’re not welcome? Think about That!
Airbnb is a search and booking engine, for which it takes a huge fee and offers little else.
Most Airbnb-listed rentals are available through another booking route, such as a local property manager – or, for Vacasa properties, Vacasa’s own web site.
If visitors only knew the difference they would choose vacation rentals that are owner managed and have a few dozen 5 star reviews on VRBO and/or AirBnb.
On every rental room or rental property visitors are forced to pay ridiculous, unwarranted and unethical sales tax, occupancy tax, county fees, city fees, resort fees, miscellaneous, readily undefined fees and in certain cases cleaning fees.
Hawaii is a world class, beautiful place to visit, to explore and to return to time and time again but the continuing economic burden placed on visitors cannot continue without some negative effects.
Visitors will go elsewhere. They have a choice.
Hawaii needs to change leadership in a big way. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening anytime soon and the consequences may be jobs lost in the tourism sector in a big way.
5 percent is world class 95 percent is a dump. Seriously take away the high end resort areas kahala and a few others and it really is no better than Detroit with a beach a few miles away.
Do the BOH writers have a beef with Vacasa or have an undisclosed conflict of interest? I’m on FB and can tell you than the Vacasa Fraud Victim Page has little activity — of course, this hit piece may change that. Also, Yelp is an unreliable barometer for customer satisfaction — we all know that typically only disgruntled customers post on it.
Having said all that, I will probably be accused of being a Vacasa shill. I can tell you that I am definitely not. Have I used Vacasa in the past? Yes, with few issues. Would I use them again? I guess it depends on where I am traveling and what my needs are. But this article will not deter me.
Vacasa has been our property manager for the last several years. We live part time in our Poipu condo and rent when not there.
Our local contact, Daniel, has been a dream and become a friend. We know our cleaning crew and they are fantastic. All of our reviews have been 5 star.
We would not be able to keep track of all the Hawaii taxes and fees nor have the world wide advertising abolities on our own.
Please remember the Kauai Vacasa employees are local. Bashing the corporation hurts local families.
I just rented a home in Truckee, CA for a family ski trip. Booked it through VRBO but managed by Vacasa. Essentially $1000 for the three nights and $1000 in fees and taxes. Got an email saying I could extend my stay an extra night for $165. Sounds great until you click to actually book the extra night. Ends up $577 with the taxes and fees for the extra night. It has gotten really outrageous!
Due to mismanagement,overpriced or predatory bookings a lot of “vacationers” are cutting back on booking holidays and purchases in Hawai’i
(exhorbatant fees & taxes are the most add-ons. 😱
Probably trying to recover their 2 BillionDollar losses from you. (Yes, taxes & “The Fees” are way out of the ballpark)😡
Sounds like California has an outrageous amount of taxes added to the rental properties, another reason why I stay away! Not knowing where the Fees are going I am “guessing” that some are imposed by the Local Taxing Authority, everyone must get in on the Feeding Frenzy!
That is good news
Hawaii be begging the so called low Enders to come back soon. 1 percent have the money to all your chips in on the 1 percent when there are much better options around is getting a bit risky. What about all the big conventions I know there was a dentist convention had like 5000 or so come into Waikiki. Are the attendees supposed to pay and then get reimbursed?
I used to live in O’ahu and still have family there. That being said I now live on the East coast. With all that is going on in Hawaii and the costs to vacation there the Caribbean is a
Better option for an Island vacation. I am by no means comparing the culture as I have Relatives with Hawaiian blood. I am just comparing pricing
Vacations in the Caribbean are Awesome and depending upon where you go an”All Inclusive” 10 day vacation including Round Trip Airfare costs about $1,000.00 per person. We can have 3 Vacations for the price of One in Hawaii. Why should anyone visit Hawaii frequently just to waste money on everything that’s overpriced and being told that you’re not welcome? Think about That!
Airbnb is a search and booking engine, for which it takes a huge fee and offers little else.
Most Airbnb-listed rentals are available through another booking route, such as a local property manager – or, for Vacasa properties, Vacasa’s own web site.
Use Airbnb to search and then book directly.
“We hear the words but no longer hear the music.” Thanks for the laugh, and I am stealing that! It’s such an all-purpose phrase, isn’t it?
If visitors only knew the difference they would choose vacation rentals that are owner managed and have a few dozen 5 star reviews on VRBO and/or AirBnb.
On every rental room or rental property visitors are forced to pay ridiculous, unwarranted and unethical sales tax, occupancy tax, county fees, city fees, resort fees, miscellaneous, readily undefined fees and in certain cases cleaning fees.
Hawaii is a world class, beautiful place to visit, to explore and to return to time and time again but the continuing economic burden placed on visitors cannot continue without some negative effects.
Visitors will go elsewhere. They have a choice.
Hawaii needs to change leadership in a big way. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening anytime soon and the consequences may be jobs lost in the tourism sector in a big way.
5 percent is world class 95 percent is a dump. Seriously take away the high end resort areas kahala and a few others and it really is no better than Detroit with a beach a few miles away.
Do the BOH writers have a beef with Vacasa or have an undisclosed conflict of interest? I’m on FB and can tell you than the Vacasa Fraud Victim Page has little activity — of course, this hit piece may change that. Also, Yelp is an unreliable barometer for customer satisfaction — we all know that typically only disgruntled customers post on it.
Having said all that, I will probably be accused of being a Vacasa shill. I can tell you that I am definitely not. Have I used Vacasa in the past? Yes, with few issues. Would I use them again? I guess it depends on where I am traveling and what my needs are. But this article will not deter me.