Save Money On Your Next Vacation -The Importance Of #BookDirect

Save Money On Your Next Vacation #BookDirect
Save Money On Your Next Vacation #BookDirect

Save Money On Your Next Vacation. Today Is Guest Education Day where we share The Importance Of #BookDirect!

February 7, 2018 marked the first Vacation Rental Industry-wide campaign to bring awareness to our guests and guests of ALL worldwide vacation rentals by owners. The industry has chosen a simple hashtag to represent what it means to work directly with owners of Vacation Rentals – #BookDirect.

February 5, 2020 – UPDATE!  #BookDirect is working. Our guests are saving hundreds of dollars by booking directly with us, the vacation rental owner, an not using booking sites that charge fees!

For many years Online Travel Agencies (OTA) and online booking sites have been charging guests ‘convenience’ or ‘booking’ fees with little to no added value in the way of products or services. It’s simply a way to line the pockets of corporations with your hard earned dollars.

There was a time (before Expedia paid 4 BILLION dollars to acquire it) when VRBO.com was the vacation rental industry leader. In the beginning, VRBO was a simple plan really that became immensely successful.  Create a website where owners can pay a subscription fee to list their vacation rental. Guests pay nothing, but sign up to find rentals in the destination of their vacation, a matchmaking service if you will. But four billion dollars of stockholder money needs to be repaid and Expedia is doing that on the backs of vacationers like you and me. The booking fees are created using a mysterious algorithm and can range from 7 to 18%.  Vacation Rental owners do not collect this fee. Needles to say, we don’t list or advertise with VRBO (or any site that collects fees from guests.)

Guest Education Day #BookDirect

At Kihei Hale O Maluhia, we NEVER charge booking fees and NEVER list or advertise with websites that do either.  We think guests would agree that they’re looking for the best travel deals and want to spend hard earned money on activities, eating out or shopping. Not paying fees.

So today we ask that you share with your friends the hashtag #BookDirect. Help spread the word that the true value in travel lies with working directly with owners. After all, who knows our condo better than us? Certainly not an agent in a call center half-way around the world.

Guest Education Day #BookDirect

Benefits of #BookDirect

Book direct and save: Did you know that it’s not just VRBO that charges these outrageous fees. Airbnb, HomeAway and TripAdvisor also add hundreds of dollars of fees to your booking total?

When you book direct, you have direct contact with the manager or owner: When booking a vacation rental, peace of mind is important. Want to know if there is a grill, a kayak, 24/7 service, a grocery store close by? When you book direct, you can find out many of these important questions and more before you commit to booking.

The best price isn’t on the OTAs: Unlike hotels, OTAs and aggregators (like Airbnb, Expedia, Booking.com, VRBO.com, HomeAway, TripAdvisor, and FlipKey) don’t have the best price for travelers. In fact, you can save hundreds by booking direct and booking local.

Many of the best vacation rentals aren’t event listed on the major sites: Because of the cost of using the big sites, the best vacation homes with the highest demand cannot be found on the big websites. For example along North Carolina’s beaches, alone, only 30 percent of the homes for rent can be found on the big websites. By limiting your search to the aggregating websites, you might be missing out on the best vacation home for your family or group.

Mangers and owners have intimate knowledge about the destination: They can direct you the best rental for your needs and send you to the best activities, restaurants, and area service providers.

If you have special needs, a manager or homeowner can help: Looking for help with your family’s special needs or are you celebrating a special event like an anniversary or birthday? An owner or manager can work with you directly to help with any of your individual needs and give you these assurances before you commit to a booking.

During non-peak travel times, managers and owners have special offers available: From events and activities to special rates to onsite services, with direct communication with managers and owners, you get insider knowledge and the best offers.

The Evolution Is NOW

The travel industry is evolving to meet the needs of travelers and we recognize that and are evolving too. Destination marketing is really a key to survival for owners in a sea of rentals that are popping up.  We’ve partnered with www.VacationSoup.com a breakout leader in the travel industry.  The approach is simple, Owner contributed travel content driving travelers to destinations. As vacation rental owners, we know our destination better than the OTA’s and we love to share this insider information with our guests. We want our guests to have access to the latest and greatest things to do, places to see, activities to try and we post about it regularly. All of our blog posts are share with Vacation Soup, we’re part of the ‘ingredients’ that make it so immensely successful.

A few weeks ago we wrote a post ‘Best Money Saving Travel Tip‘ about saving money by booking direct. Essentially we were just ahead of this industry wide campaign to bring awareness to travelers looking to save money.

Travel Outside Of Maui

We know that our guests travel to places other than Maui and we’d like to share a few of the listing sites we’ve partnered with that DO NOT charge booking fees and allow direct contact with owners, saving you $$.

• TIP – When searching for a Vacation Rental, seek out regional listing sites!

Listing Sites with NO BOOKING FEES

 

www.vhrnetwork.com

www.homeescape.com

www.houfy.com/

Alternately, many vacation rental owners who are transitioning away from the big listing sites are still listed there but can be found by doing a simple Google search using the unit #, name of the vacation rental or looking the owner up on Facebook.

And finally, Facebook has seen an explosion in regional groups where owners and guests can chat about rentals available and things to see and do at the vacation destination. Simply search for groups using your desired destination as the keyword.

While we don’t advertise on this listing site, you can see that their parody really sums it up in a comical way.

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide!

Save Money On Your Next Vacation #BookDirect - www.AlohaCondoRental.com Vacation Rental Maui

She Screams Because She Paid Booking Fees With VRBO #BookDirect
Keep Your Money In The Bank When You #BookDirect
INSERT PINTEREST TEXT HERE
Sip Cocktails With The Money You Save When You #BookDirect For Your Vacation Rental
They Are Extatic - They Saved Money When They Booked Direct For Their Vacation Rental #BookDirect
INSERT PINTEREST TEXT HERE
They Are Happy Campers - They Saved Money On Their Vacation Rental #BookDirect
They Are Jumping For Joy Because They Didn't Pay Booking Fees- Book Your Next Vacation Rental Direct With Owners #BookDirect
They Got An Extra Day At The Beach Because They Didn't Pay Booking Fees- Book Your Next Vacation Rental Direct With Owners #BookDirect
She's Smiling Because She Didn't Pay Booking Fees- Book Your Next Vacation Rental Direct With Owners #BookDirect

Fork & Salad Serving Up Fast Healthy Meals On Maui

Fork & Salad Serving Up Fast Healthy Meals On Maui
Fork & Salad Is All About Healthy Eating

Forget about the salad bars of the past, take a look at what three local chefs are cooking up (or rather not a whole lot of cooking) at their newest healthy-eating restaurant in Kihei. Fork & Salad Serving Up Healthy Meals!! With an incredibly diverse menu and ingredients sourced locally these boys have hit a home run. Sandwiches, Wraps, Soup and Salad are the main fare at this north Kihei hot spot.

Fork & Salad

Fork & Salad

Building your own salad is a 3 step process.

First, pick your salad base of kale, arugula, spring mix, spinach, romaine (or other seasonal greens as available)

Second, pick your favorite dressing from the following

cilantro-smoked chili
miso-ginger
roasted shallot balsamic
green goddess
meyer lemon-herb
creamy ranch blue cheese classic caesar l
ilikoi-mango
thai lemongrass
avocado-lime
OR
BASICS

olive oil
squeeze of lemon & oil
balsamic vinegar
red wine vinegar

Third, pick 5 ingredients from  ‘Build Your Own’ salad ingredients list

apples
avocado
bacon
beets raw
beets roasted
spicy broccoli
carrots
chickpeas
cilantro and mint
corn raw
crimini mushroom
croutons
cucumber
curry golden raisins
dried cranberries
boiled eggs
fried garlic chips
fresh hearts of palm
green papaya
kabocha squash
kalamata olives
kim chee banana peppers
local sprouts papaya
pineapple
purple sweet potato
purple cabbage
red bell pepper
red onion
radish
roasted eggplant
brussel sprouts
strawberry
tomato
watermelon
CHEESE, NUTS, SEEDS, & GRAINS
blue cheese
cheddar
shredded feta
goat cheese
parmesan
slivered almonds
cashews
quinoa
health grain mix
buckwheat noodle
wasabi pea

And Viola! Healthy eating at it’s finest.

Fork & Salad

As visitors in search of healthy eating and locally sourced foods, we think this one is a real hit. The infinite number of combinations would be cost prohibitive if you were to try and purchase all of them individually and chances are you couldn’t eat what you’ve bought before your departure. This is a great option to get a very diverse salad or sandwich without breaking the bank.

Of course there are also order off the menu salads as well, both options will run you less than $10 and sandwiches slightly more.

Fresh soups are offered as well as healthy grain bowls.

About Fork & Salad

A chef-inspired salad company! “Eat local. Eat healthy!”

Our Mission: to redefine the possibilities of farm-to-table cuisine – as healthy, quick, convenient and affordable, so it can be enjoyed every day by everyone. In doing so, we will effectively support local farmers, ranchers and fishermen, taking us one step closer to a sustainable, edible Maui.

#EatLocalEatHealthy

We feature tasty chef-inspired salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, juices, organic coffee and more. We source as much of our produce locally and organically as possible. Every ingredient has an origin and every recipe is hand-crafted! Our diners will feel awesome eating healthy as they support our partner vendors!

Farm to Table 2.0

Founded by chef-owners Jaron Blosser, Cody Christopher and Travis Morrin in 2016, Fork & Salad is their second restaurant brain child, the first being Three’s Bar and Grill in Kihei, Maui. Their vision is to expand the farm-to-table movement to all parts of Hawai’i and make it accessible to all consumers and boost the local economy.

Fork & Salad

Click for a downloadable To-Go Menu (PDF)

Hours: Open Every Day 10:30AM to 9PM

Address: 1279 S Kihei Rd, Unit 204, Kihei, Hawaii 96753

Phone: 808-879-3675

More Info https://forkandsaladmaui.com/

Fork & Salad can be found on Facebook and Instagram

UPDATE: Fork and Salad has a second location in Kahului, very close to the airport if you want to grab a to-go meal for your flight home or a snack after arrival!

Pu’unene Shopping Center 120 Ho’okele St., Unit 330, Kahului, HI 96732
Kahului — 808-793-3256
Hours:
Open Every Day
11AM to 8PM

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide or Maui Events Calendar!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our Maui Travel Guide to receive the latest travel tips, special events and to find out what's happening in our Island Paradise! * Your privacy is paramount to us. We will never share or sell your information! *

Fork and Salad Serving Up Fast Healthy Meals On Maui - www.AlohaCondoRental.com Vacation Rental Maui

Photos property of Fork & Salad

How to plan your trip to Maui using ‘The Guidebook’

Plan your trip to Maui using The Guidebook

How to plan your trip to Maui using ‘The Guidebook’.

So you’ve booked your tickets and you’ve booked our condo and now you want to plan your activities and your trip.  The sheer volume of information, things to see and do, and activity vendors is staggering. How do you narrow it all down to fit within your time frame?  You may want to start by viewing our ‘Maui Bucket List’ which contains some of the things we feel are ‘don’t miss’ things for Maui.  It by no means covers all the wonderful things to do while visiting Maui but it’s a good place to start.

Sandy beachOf course you will want to visit our world-class beaches to get your much needed dose of Vitamin Sea!  You can start by reading our ‘Maui Beaches’ guide. You’ll find a brief overview of some of the top beaches that we enjoy spending time at as well as some of the more unique beaches of Maui such as ‘Waianapanapa’, the Black Sand Beach of eastern Maui.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”   – Mark Twain

For a much more in depth source of information, I recommend to all of our guests that they pick up a copy of Maui Revealed The Ultimate Guidebook, a thorough travel guide.  Written by Andrew Doughty of Kapaa on the island of Kauai.  Andrew is author of a handful of Hawaiian Island guides. We leave a copy in our condo for your use but having a copy well in advance of your departure will help you to plan your days and schedule activities.

In it you’ll find detailed maps, sections on The Basics, Maui broken up into regions, beaches, activities, adventures and island dining.

Maui Revealed Smartphone AppIf Tech is your thing you’ll be happy to know that Maui Revealed is now available as a Smartphone app. You can get your copy on iTunes, buy for Android or purchase the app from Amazon.

Regardless of how you obtain your copy, there’s one thing that those of us who love Maui wish to share as it relates to your upcoming travels. And that’s RESPECT.  There is some controversy surrounding Doughty’s guidebooks – some say he encourages tourists to trespass on private property, some say their ‘secret’ island spots are no longer secret and others say that travelers don’t pay heed to his cautions and warnings.  Please don’t be that  tourist.   Show the island, it’s people and inhabitants Ho’ihi. Ho’ihi is the Hawiian word for Respect. Please, when you go to Maui, go with reverence and honor for the land, the people, the wildlife.

Moving on to activities, Doughty does a great job at covering the available activities and offering his opinion. There’s no way we could have visited and tried them all so we defer to the guide ourselves when looking into a new activity. We’ve tried quite a few activities and you’ll find our thoughts and recommendations on the Maui Bucket List page as well as in our House Guide located in our condo.

Of course we’re always here to help and answer questions from our guests so don’t hesitate to shoot us an email or click the ‘Contact Us’ button over there on the right. If we don’t know the answer we’ll sure help you find it!

When I think of Maui I think of limitless activities, exotic visions of beautiful beaches and mysterious offshore islands. I think of the incredible drive along the Hana Highway with its countless waterfalls and the less-travelled drive around West Maui. I think of good food and good mai tais. Of early morning treks up to the frigid 10,000-foot level of Haleakala for morning sunrises. Of great times, high adventures and contented smiles at the end of the day. If you know where to go and what to see on Maui, I promise you memories of a lifetime. – Andrew Doughty

Plan your trip to Maui using The Guidebook

P.S. This post contains some affiliate links.

Email/Contact Us