Where to stay on Oahu in January?

July 17, 2011 11:08 AM

Recommendations on where stay on Oahu the first week in January, with two little kids?

My husband and two kids (3 and 6) and I are going to be on the island of Oahu from January 3-7, and need to find a place to stay. (we're staying at a resort with my parents the week before). We'll have a car, so anywhere on then island is fine. Ideally cheaper would be better ($100/night, rather than $200/night, say!). I like bed and breakfasty type places, but it's hard to find such places that can sleep 4.

posted by leahwrenn to Travel & Transportation around Oahu, HI (9 answers total)

This is probably a question better addressed to hotels.com, which offered a couple of choices, like the OHANA Waikiki West and the OHANA East near your $100/ night price range, for single rooms for a party of your description (2 adults, 2 children). But book early, as January is in high tourist season.
posted by paulsc at 11:23 AM on July 17, 2011

What about VRBO or AirBnB?
posted by k8t at 11:24 AM on July 17, 2011

AirB&B is really your best bet. It's easy to talk to the owners ahead of time and figure out if it will work out for your specific situation. I've had a great experience with the site so far (4 trips with no snafu).
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 11:26 AM on July 17, 2011

Response by poster: We've actually done a fair amount of poking around at AirBnB, but it's a little hard to tell from their descriptions whether things will be nice (and there seems to be a fair amount of "come stay in my apartment that I usually live in" going on, at least for some of the listings). It's nice to hear from someone that has had a positive experience with them---I've never used them.

(I do know about hotels.com, etc., but the great thing about Metafilter is that recommendations are more curated!)
posted by leahwrenn at 11:43 AM on July 17, 2011

You might also want to revisit the Oahu tag right here for past suggestions that might be relevant to you.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 12:15 PM on July 17, 2011

I was just out at Ko'olina last weekend and saw the not-yet-opened Disney resort out there, which they're calling "Aulani." As I say, it's not open yet, and it's about as far from a "B&B type place" as it's possible to get, but my understanding is that it's supposed to open later this summer or early fall. Being a Disney thing, the kids might appreciate it. It's also probably going to be closer to (or in excess of) the $200/night level, but since it's just opening it might be possible to get some deals. I have no further information on the place, but it might be worth at least checking out.

That's about all I've got for suggestions, but feel free to mefi-mail me if you've got any specific questions as your trip approaches. (My qualifications: I have two young kids and I live on Oahu.)
posted by lex mercatoria at 3:18 PM on July 17, 2011

I've stayed here in Kailua before and had a great experience. Nice to have a kitchen in the guest house, cheap rates, and an easy walk to Kailua beach.
posted by belau at 4:00 PM on July 17, 2011

When I went to Hawaii 18 months ago, I stayed in two separate places off VRBO and they were fantastic. This was Kauai so I can't recommend the specific places, but I have used that website around 4 separate times in different areas and all with great results. I also wouldn't underestimate the convenience of having an apartment/cottage with your own kitchen.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 5:42 PM on July 17, 2011

We have also used VRBO several times - including once for Oahu and once for Maui - and have always been extremely happy with the places we ended up. They have a pretty good review system and we usually try to pick places that have at least a few positive reviews.

This is the place we stayed in Honolulu, and we highly recommend it:
http://www.vrbo.com/185005

However if you are open to staying elsewhere on the island you can probably find more space for a better deal.
posted by sanitycheck at 7:10 PM on July 17, 2011