What You Can Do About Soaring Hawaii hotel prices.
178 thoughts on “Updated Hawaii Hotel Prices Avg. To $913 | Hawaii Vacation Rentals Avg. $251”
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I thought it is illegal, at least on the Big Island, to rent a home/condo for less than 30 days. Is this no longer true?
Hi Bob.
Short term vacation rentals on the Big Island are prohibited in single-family residential and agricultural zones and only allowed in hotel, resort, commercial, and multifamily commercial zones. Hope that helps.
Aloha.
Speaking to some folks in the business, some owners are going under. Whereas the more traditional owner had sufficient funds to weather storms etc, in recent years people have mortgaged properties or stretched themselves financially to buy a property and used the rentals to pay for the costs etc. No rentals no income so looks like some of the small fish will sell up which probably means prices will spike. For a group of 4 or so then renting a house makes much more sense out side of staying in Waikiki where the right hotels have beach access and beachside pools. Wait to see what happens with Airbnb. I think a lot of folks are having trouble getting refunds for these rentals where hotels just require the usual notice. Think things will change.Maybe the move to condos at Hilton etc will see hotel chains getting more into rentals if it is a growth market. Might fit with the experience model they use for Millenials etc.
I loved that you mentioned renting a vacation property in Hawaii will make you feel more local. My husband and I are thinking about our next vacation destination, and we are looking for advice about choosing a hotel or rent a vacation property. I will let him know about the benefits of renting a vacation property to help his decision.
Could you offer advice about determining what constitutes a legal rental? There are tons of rentals on the North Shore of Oahu but my guess is that only a handful are truly “legal.” Is anywhere on Oahu’s North Shore specifically considered a designated tourist area–from Wailua to Kahuku?
Thanks.
Hi Julianna.
Perhaps others can chime in too. One thing is that there is a vacation rental number associated with legal rentals. Those may or may not be in the actual listing. You might also check with directly with the provider and ask them for some more formal confirmation of legality.
Aloha.
Turtle Bay is a North Shore resort area and short term rentals are approved in resort areas.
I found is that there is no simple and easy way to determine whether a vacation rental I find on AirBnB or VRBO is in fact legal. For example, on the Big Island legality depends on the zoning designation the vacation rental is located in (i.e., whether it is in a Residential, Ag, commercial/visitor zone) and whether the rental is occupied by its owner or not. Non-owner occupied vacation rentals in all single family residential zoned areas (RS) and Agriculture Areas (AG) of the Big Island are banned starting September 2019, meaning that nobody is allowed to establish a new vaca rental there after that date if it is not their primary residence. Existing rentals already established by April 2019 are allowed to continue if they file for a yearly special permit. On the other hand, vacation rentals in visitor areas (CV) such as downtown Kailua Kona, Waikoloa, or Hilo’s Banyan Drive continue to be legal regardless of whether the owner actually lives there, or lives somewhere else. (The majority of vacation rentals on the Big Island are non owner occupied.)
We own a single condo rental on the Big Island. We applied for and received and STVR License and Certificate. All legal rentals must post their Certificate on the outside entrance window and on the back of the main and bedroom(s) doors. All advertising must carry the STVR legal rental number, which we do on Air BnB, or exclusive posting site. There should be no confusion for those seeking legal rentals on the BI. As for the other islands I don’t know
Vacation rentals are a perfect choice for families as they allow for a quality vacation at a lower price than in a hotel + meals. A family of 4 would spend at least a 150 usd if you need to buy 3 meals a day.
What hotels can do is to create aparthotels like in Europe. They have prime real estate on the shore, and just need to converts some do the rooms into 1bdrm suites with all amenities that vacation rentals offer.
Aloha all! We’ve been renting condos, apts. and homes for 10 years now and only book a hotel if the stay is less than 3 nights (cleaning fees alone can make or break a good deal). We want a kitchen. We want to be in local neighborhoods vs high traffic tourist spots. In fact this morning I came home from a week in Portland – AirB&B – we scour every ad, read every review (and know some people just cannot be made happy) and ask specific questions of the owner/host before committing. We’ll be in O’ahu in October for 2 weeks…yep, in a condo (and it will be our 6th Hawaii trip without the use of a hotel). There is something comforting about a home versus a hotel.
Aloha Tea, I totally understand that you’d prefer to be in a local neighborhood. At the same time, please consider that as a consciencious traveler you might want to hesitate before renting a condo or even an entire house outside any of our visitor areas. It is an open secret that vacation rental numbers in our once quiet residential neighborhoods have spiralled out of control and many locals are increasingly getting fed up with the situation and resentful of tourists, which is so sad. Local traffic, rents, and house prices are up and nobody seems to know who their neighbors are any more. On the Oahu North Shore, for example, one in five local homes is a vacation rental. Neighborhoods feel that they are at the breaking point. If you read any of our local newspapers such as the Honolulu Star Advertiser, you probably know what I mean. If you love and care for Hawaii’s future, you might choose a condominium in one of the traditional visitor areas such as Waikiki, Kailua-Kona Village, Waikoloa (but not Waikoloa Village, many workers live there), etc. etc. Just my 2 cents.
Sarah, you will be happy to know that for our Hawaii trips, all have been in “tourist destinations” (not so with all of our trips though), and yes, I realize that my friends and I are part of the problem, especially with skyrocketing rents. It’s a double edged sword, we want reasonable accommodations with all the comforts of home, and traditional hotels just don’t offer that for us when we’re traveling for 2 weeks at a time ☹️ (I used to love hotels!)
Aloha Sarah. I don’t know your island, but as for the Big Island there was a pretty good process last year by Mayor Kim to get all rentals legal. These included rentals in Waikoloa Village. Our legal condo is in Keauhou and fits the perfect example of those locations where visitors don’t want to deal with the noise and crowded areas, but want to be near shopping, beaches and outdoor activities. The situation on Oahu might be different, but the now legal STVR’s on the Big Island are well-regulated. I would even say that Waikoloa Village is an excellent choice. The condos available for rent are actually away from the resort crowds, yet a ten-minute drive down to the best beaches on Hawaii Island. I’m curious about whether you meant homes in residential neighborhoods or condos.
The hotels have to be competitive. If they want business, stop gouging guests with ridiculous “resort fees” purportedly to cover the cost of things that are already provided. For me personally, this was a real turn off that drove me to the vacation rental sector
I agree!
Thanks a lot for this great blog about Hawaii hotels vs vacation rentals that contains a lot practical tips and advices that people would like to take note of. Very helpful share.
I think this article has me convinced that Hawaii rentals win every day. Hawaii is the best, and I would love to enhance my experience with a rental home. I will have to look into this for my next Hawaii trip.
I agree wholeheartedly about vacation rentals. We have been staying almost exclusively in rentals for the past decade. One of our first was on the Big Island. A lovely place with 3 bedrooms, a full kitchen and so close to the ocean that we had to close the windows our first couple of night because the waves crashing on the shore. All for a whopping $600. I checked recently and saw that it’s up to $900 (for the week) but what a deal!
Only problem for me is there has to be a pool. It does limit the options for rental properties.
You will love it! Just make certain you read reviews, and the listing carefully, so you understand what you’re getting. Also ask questions if you aren’t clear on something. We have stayed in numerous VRBO’s in Hawaii in the past 10 years, and each one has been great! Spent anywhere from $800 a week for 2/2, to $350 a night for a sprawling 3/2 home with gorgeous views, and loved each one for its unique qualities.
We were recently “treated” to 8 nights at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu. What an incredible location, but I couldn’t help feel as if I were paying, I’d rather be in a home with kitchen and laundry, and fewer people. Plus enough left over for another trip to Hawaii!
We have had two disappointing VRBO’s. One with misleading description and many reviews that make one wonder ‘where did they come from?” Our experience was awful. Teenie, tiny DARK shower, bed that we rolled to the center in, an outdoor kitchen, which looked great in photos, but was a mosquito hatchery, had NO hot water and you had to walk through the living room to get to the indoor dining area or else eat with the mosquitoes during Dengue fever outbreak. Also listened to sirens all night. Very bad experience.
Our other try was problematic due to the two sets of adult parents who left during the day leaving a kid about 14 to watch the little ones who ran back and forth upstairs from about 6 a.m. until bedtime. Non stop – and I am not exaggerating. Condo was great. Neighbors were not. My suggestion: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS rent the top floor unit. Hopefully, you can manage stairs.
We now have two weeks of timeshare on the Big Island and we love it there. Although our last time there the folks below us had a very loud party all night and were even running around the golf course naked! They were evicted the next morning. But we put in one lousy night. Nothing like that had ever happened before.
We would try a vacation rental again though – due to the savings and the potential for a lovely visit. I have researched hotels. We would have to eat PB & J’s the entire trip if we paid those rates. It is sad.