Booking a Hotel Room

Yae!!! My daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter WILL be coming to Hawaii!!! Woo hoo! They'll be on Maui for a week and then Tif and KC will stay for a few days on Oahu with us. Ed will have to go back to Illinois from Maui since he's bogged down with more work.

Then we got the bright idea to join them on Maui. Ed, our son-in-law offered to get us a room using his frequent something or other points at a fancy hotel. Unfortunately, he couldn't find one for us, and the cheapest thing he could find in Kaanapali-Lahaina was $129.00 (a night for two people) at the Outrigger.

Wait! Remember me saying we usually stay at Motel 6? I don't like to pay more than $50.00 for a room.

I told Tif I would check and see if I could get a Kamaaina (local) rate. I checked Expedia and found Lahaina Shores Beach Resort for $99.00 a night. Yikes! Lahaina Inn was $89.00. Everything else was absurd! I could stay at Motel 6 for a week with those prices!

I called Lahaina Shores Beach and asked them in my best local accent (My brother is laughing right now since he says I'm still not up to par after living on the mailand for 35 years) for the cheapest Kamaaina rate.

"$169.00," the lady says.

"What? How come? That's expensive!" I retort in a nice local way.

"It's better not to use the Kamaaina rate," she explains. "Because of the bad economy, I have a special for you for $124.00."

"Whaaat? But I can get it for $99.00 on Expedia," I tell her in a friendly, but just slightly indignant voice. "Don't you think these prices are all a little crazy?"

"No, not crazy at all.... But, oh that IS better," she says cheerfully. "You should go with them, or try Rendezvous Tours. They're sometimes cheaper."

I tried Rendezvous Tours, but their hotel wasn't even listed.

Then I tried calling the other cheaper hotel, Lahaina Inn. The woman there quoted $170.00, with a bad economy discount of $99.00 for a standard (mountain view) room.

"Wait a minute," I said. "I can get it with Expedia for $89.00"

"Oh... in that case, I can match that price," she says.

"I'll think about what I want to do," I told her.

"No, wait, you'd want to do it direct with me because I can guarantee what kind of bed you'll get."

"Hunh?"

"If you go with Expedia, you won't know what kind of accommodation you'll get," she warns me.

"I'll check with my party and get back to you," I stall.

I then checked Cheap Tickets and Orbitz and found Expedia did give the best rate. They also had only one room available so I took it! Granted I get the Mountain View, not the Ocean View but heck, why do I need the ocean view? I can see the ocean right outside my window from my bedroom anytime I want. Sheesh!

Lahaina Shores Beach Resort is $10.00 more (a night) than Lahaina Inn but it gives you a FREE Continental Breakfast, and it has a refrigerator, kitchen, plates.

Art usually handles reservations, but he made me do it this time. And this is the last time.

You see? I told you we're not always frugal. In times like these where we don't get to see our loved ones very often, every minute is precious.

Sigh....... now to book our flight to Maui!