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Pearl HarborCost Saving Tips for an Economic Hawaii Vacation
By Eagle Strayhorn | June 12, 2009
Difficult economic phases do not necessarily mean you can’t plan a wonderful vacation to Hawaii. It just means it may be more of a challenge. We have compiled a few tips to make your planning on a budget easier. But let’s start by reminding you what General George S. Patton said about challenges. “Accept the challenges, so you may feel the exhilaration of victory”.
Don't be confused.
Strategic Planning
Sit down and list what vacation elements are most important to you. By discovering what is essential or not, you will be able to save money by process of elimination. For instance, maybe you wanted an ocean front room but determined staying 2 blocks from the sea is just fine. This decision alone will save funds that can be spent elsewhere.
Help is just a click away.
Haggle, Bargain and Barter
Now more than ever it is becoming apparent that travelers have the upper hand when it comes to vacation components. Don’t be timid about asking for a discount. If you see a hotel rate online, consider calling the property directly and asking the manager for a discount. You’ll be surprised how magical this can be. Most hotels in Hawaii are always sitting on what is known as “distressed inventory” – rooms that will probably go unsold. Most managers will be happy to take a few dollars off of a room that would most likely have been empty. The same can be said for tours and activities. Always book your tours directly with the vendor. Since they own and operate the tours, they are able to offer discounts that booking agent cannot.
Get creative and think about the old barter system. Possibly you have a skill a vendor can use. You could ask for a free tour in exchange for high quality photos and an online review on Trip Advisor. (We actually had a customer make this offer and guess what – we took them up on it).
Good deal!
Research – Ga Ga For Google
Spend a few hours online looking for discounts and you may be amazed at what you can save. Add the words free, discount, discounted or coupon to a search on Google and see what happens. Remember the ball is in your court. Hawaii businesses really want your support and may be willing to go out of their way to show it.
Condo Stay
You might consider booking a condo instead of a hotel room. There are plenty of vacation condos in Hawaii all of which include a kitchen. Having a kitchen will allow you to buy a few grocery items and cook some of your meals. Ok so you want to get out of the kitchen on your vacation, that’s fine, but a few nights in a kitchen in Hawaii is well worth it if it helps you save money.
We hope these tips have helped and we wish you victory in the challenge!
4 Comments
Alice R. on June 13, 2009 at 9:54 am.
Thanks for the tips. I would never have thought of bargaining or offering my services in exchange for activities.
Couver on December 9, 2009 at 1:14 pm.
Thanks for the tips, we just called our hotel and they said because we were the first to ask, we could be upgraded to ocean view since none have sold. Call right before you go!
Zoe Cowgill on March 4, 2010 at 5:10 pm.
Praises for the article, I will add this website to my bookmark, my roomie just stated to me about this last week. Thanks again
Best Hawaii Activities on March 31, 2010 at 1:17 am.
Great article highly helpful! Luaus are the quintessential Hawaii experience and the best way to experience authentic Hawaiian culture.