wheretostay Archives - Kihei Hale O Maluhia - Maui Vacation Rental Condo

Our Guests Are The Very Best | Book With Kihei Hale O Maluhia

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Where To Stay February 14, 2018February 13, 2018BookDirect, CondoByOwnerMaui, CondoRentalMaui, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, VacationInMaui, VacationRentalMaui, VacationSoup, wheretostay 0 Comment

Our Guests Are The Very Best | Book With Kihei Hale O Maluhia

We value our guests! It’s always a pleasure to host the wonderful guests that travel to Maui and stay in our vacation rental home.

We go the extra mile and are very appreciative when our guests recognize that. We know that there are many options when booking a vacation in Maui.

We strive to present our condo exactly as it is, but it’s the little details that don’t come across in the photos that matter to our guests. Things like a very detailed House Guide to stocking our first aid kit that makes Kihei Hale O Maluhia vacation condo rental shine above the rest. We make sure that we provide more than just the ‘bare necessities’ – we go that extra mile and our guests love it. Make sure when searching for a place to rent and price shopping that you are comparing apples to apples.

Some items we include in our condo that other condos might not have;

Kitchen – a nice French Press coffee pot (as foodies we appreciate a good cup of Maui grown coffee in the morning while listening to the birds start their day), a nice tea set for tea lovers, a Cuisinart mini food processor – way better than hand chopping macadamia nuts, and a Magic Bullet – you’re on Maui – there is a ton of fresh fruit available and you want a smoothie! Got you covered! Matching dishes! We’ve stayed at many condos in all the years we’ve been visiting Maui and many don’t even have something as simple as matching dishes, they had what seem to be thrift-store cast offs. We take pride in our kitchen kit and you’ll find a full set of matching Fiesta ware dishes and coffee cups!

Bath – we stock a full First Aid Kit – bumps and scrapes happen, hand embroidered Makeup wash clothes, plush all cotton bath rugs feel great after a shower!

Activities – Most vacation rentals provide chairs and umbrellas but the quality varies and the cheaper made beach chairs rust out and the seats get well used. We maintain our beach gear and replace any gear that is ‘well loved’ and ready for retirement. We supply Tommy Bahama backpack style folding beach chairs that have built-in cup and cell phone holders, a cooler in the back for snacks and drinks and can be work like a backpack to keep your hands free.

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen umbrellas launch on windy days, they go tumbling down the beach with their owners in hot pursuit. Why? They’re inferior with no sand anchor. We like the Tommy Bahama deluxe umbrella as they have an auger type screw anchor and the bag it comes in doubles as a wind anchor, simply by filling the bag with sand (and we’ve attached a shovel) and tying it to the prevailing wind side of the umbrella. Viola! Your umbrella stays put.

It’s little details like this that keep our guests happy and wanting to return. And we love that they love them.

Come stay with us and see why our guests say that vacationing at Kihei Hale O Maluhia is “A Five Star Experience!”

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

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide!

Travel Tip created by Laurie in association with Vacation Soup

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

Laurie Gray Bounsall Maui Travel Tips, Our Maui Guide, Where To Stay February 7, 2018February 5, 2020BookDirect, BudgetTravel, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, MauiVacationRental, nobookingfees, SavingMoney, Travel Tips, traveltips, VacationInMaui, VacationRental, VacationRentalByOwner, VacationSoup, wheretostay 2 Comments

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.)

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.

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.VacationSoup.com

www.vacation.rentals/

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!

Why We Love Our Guests

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Where To Stay January 31, 2018May 6, 2018BookDirect, GuestBookComments, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, nobookingfees, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, VisitMaui, wheretostay 0 Comment

Why We Love Our Guests!

We really love our guests! They say the nicest things, and it’s our pleasure to go above and beyond all other Maui vacation rentals. Have a look at what one guest wrote in our Guest Book.

If you’re thinking about where to stay on your Maui Vacation, consider Kihei Hale O Maluhia. You know you’re renting direct from the owner, no middleman, and that we’re here for you. Our Availability Calendar is live and up to date. Have a look and see when you can make your Maui Vacation Dreams come true!

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!

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Best Money Saving Travel Tip

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide January 24, 2018February 6, 2019BookDirect, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, Maui on a Shoestring, MauiVacationRental, nobookingfees, Saving Money, Travel, Travel Tips, VacationInMaui, VacationRentalByOwner, VacationSoup, wheretostay 0 Comment

Best Money Saving Travel Tip

Are you dreaming of getting away? Summer vacation is just around the corner and it’s time to start planning and booking your Maui Vacation!

Many don’t know this but most listing sites are now charging you huge BOOKING FEES or ‘Service Fees‘ when you book through their platform. AirBnB set the trend and it wasn’t long before VRBO (and the whole family of HomeAway websites), Trip Advisor and FlipKey followed suit. These corporations are happy to tack on an addition 12% to a whopping 20% just for the “convenience” of booking through their platform.

Imagine you’re paying the following;

With the big booking sites you could be paying a whopping $166 more or worse!

A colleague sent us this actual phone screenshot of a quote from TripAdvisor (not for our rental but another). Note the $500.00 TripAdvisor Fee plus a Booking Fee of $136.30. The fees are more than the rental cost. No, we’re not kidding! Insane right?

The question is WHY?

Imagine what you could spend this $166 on during your vacation. How about a Whale Watching adventure? Or what about a fancy dinner for two at Mama’s Fish House? Maybe you want to rent Kayaks or go Deep Sea Fishing?

The big corporations would have you believe that you’re ‘safer’ booking with their ‘guarantee’. But what if there’s a problem with your accommodations? Is someone in a call center halfway around the world going to help you out? Will they be able to give you inside travel tips about Maui? We think not. Wouldn’t you rather speak to the owner directly, someone who intimately knows the property you’re renting and can actually help solve issues? Yea, us too!

You won’t pay booking fees
You have direct contact with owners
Guaranteed lowest price
Shared local knowledge – We KNOW MAUI!
Payments are SECURE!

That’s why we’re proud to be part of the vacation rental revolution and we ONLY book our guests direct. We manage our calendar, our housekeeping staff, and the condo ourselves. The condo you’re staying in is our home away from home too. We want only the best and don’t want our guests to pay extra! You’re GUARANTEED to pay the lowest price when you book direct.

Word is getting out among savvy travelers, no one wants to pay an online travel agency more money for the same vacation. BOOK DIRECT AND SAVE!

For more money saving Maui Travel Tips, have a look at our post ‘Top 12 Ways To Save Money On Your Maui Vacation‘

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!

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Finding The Right Vacation Rental In Maui

Laurie Gray Bounsall Maui Travel Tips, Our Maui Guide January 20, 2018May 7, 2018Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, KiheiCondoRentalByOwner, Maui, Maui on a Shoestring, MauiCondoRental, MauiCondoRentalByOwner, MauiVacationRental, nobookingfees, rentalbyowner, Saving Money, Travel, Travel Tips, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, wheretostay 0 Comment

Finding The Right Vacation Rental In Maui

We know that when it comes to finding a vacation rental in Maui that you have literally thousands of choices. When it comes to finding the right vacation rental in Maui, reading previous guest reviews can help you decide if this condo is a match for your needs. So we’re always grateful to our wonderful guests and even more happy when they leave us kind words on our online reviews or in our Guest Book in the condo – you, our potential guest can see what others loved about choosing our condo.

We strive to have the best vacation condo rental in Kihei! We’re proud of our 5 star reviews! Have a look at what our guests say.

Have a look at why we get 5-Star reviews.

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!

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

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide August 23, 2017July 6, 2020#BookDirect #TravelTip, Beaches, Bucket List, BudgetTravel, Guidebook, Hawaii, Ho'ihi, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, MauiActivities, MauiVacationRental, Respect, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Guides, VacationInMaui, whattodo, wheretostay 0 Comment

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.

Of 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.

If 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

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