Sure, you can pay $2,500 a night for one of the bungalows at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. Rocker Rod Stewart and comic Chevy Chase were recently seen chatting acros the lava rock wall that separated their two bungalows. Each of the five bungalows comes with private pool, butler and limousine. And you won't have a hard time finding places to pay $100 for a round of golf or $200 for dinner before the wine.
Or to quote a popular T-shirt on Maui: "Camp Kaanapali -- Survival on $500 a day."
But you can also have a great time for $150 or less a day, and you can do it without thinking small.
For starters, at least 220 hotels, motels, hostels and bed-and-breakfast inns offer lodging for $99 or less a night on all of the major islands.
Amenities may not necessarily include an ocean view, room service or dolphin show, and a television may be an extra charge. But you can find a place to stay that is comfortable, clean and close to the beach without going into Trumpesque debt. To give you an idea of the range:
Nightly rates at the Edmunds Hotel Aprtments, two blocks from Waikiki Beach on Ala Wai Blvd., begin at $35. The Aston Coral Reef Hotel is a block from the beach on Kuhio Ave. and rates begin at $65. (Aston is a local chain with hotels and condominiums on all islands. Call 800-922-7866.) Or you can be on the beach at the Outrigger Reef for $85 a night. (800-733-7777.) A night at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, between Kapiolani Park, the beach, Waikiki Aquarium and Outrigger Canoe Club, starts at $99. (800-35-OTANI).
But be advised: Whatever the nightly rate, you'll have to add a state hotel room tax and a general excise tax that total about nine percent.
Many hotels offer free lessons in hula, hat-weaving and other. Ask about these services and other features from TV to pool to maid service to parking when making reservations.
The other major expense is food. When it comes to dining, the best advice is watch -- or ask -- where local folks eat out. Hawaii is the most expensive place in the United States to live, and much of that has to do with the cost of groceries, so residents are looking for a good deal, too.
Ironically, what was "poor people's food" a generation or two ago in Hawaii -- sashimi, sushi, laulau and poi -- are now generally reserved for special occasions.
A modern local favorite is the plate lunch, which also makes a good dinner. It consists of an entree such as beef curry or teriyaki beef or ginger chicken served with macaroni salad, a dab of green salad and "two scoops rice," the white kind. You'll get filled up for under $4 and enjoy the local ambiance.
At most Chinese restaurants, a couple can feast for under $20. Hee Hing near Waikiki is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. And health food stores such as the Good Earth near the University of Hawaii also offer tasty but inexpensive fare.
And one of the best things about renting a condo is that you can save on food (and tips) by cooking a few meals.
You can save money on a rental car with many hotel packages. Aston, for instance, offers a rental car for $9 a day with some its rental condos.
The beach, the ocean, the sunshine and a smile are still free -- the best things always are -- and so are lots of fairs and festivals.
For instance, the Aloha Festivals -- the new name for what until recently was known as Aloha Week -- happens on all islands in late September and early October and features floral parades, street parties with live music and cultural events and demonstrations. The King Kamehameha Day Parade is in June. Equally entertaining to watch is the Honolulu Marathon, which drew nearly 30,000 entries in December. The Royal hawaiian band plays Friday noon concerts at the Iolani Palace bandstand. Free concerts happen almost every week at the kapiolani Park bandstand. Check local newspapers for happenings from ethnic festivals to craft fairs to free concerts.
Here's a possible one-day budget for two people: Hotel room, $80. Breakfast at Denny's, $10. Lunch at the pool snack shop, $12. Dinner at Hee Hing, $20. Which leaves $26 for sunset cocktails, film, souvenirs, postcarrds or sunscreen. Sunstitute a couple of plate lunch dinners at Burgerland or Rainbow Drive-in and save another $10.
It's not a lavish buidget, but who said that was a prerequisite for having a good time?
Group tours are another way to save money. The Hawaii Visitors Bureau claims that you can spend six days in Hawaii for $500 by shopping for tours that include airfare.
The HVB, celebrating its 91sh year of promoting the wonders of Hawaii, offers detailed printed guides to budget accomodations, dining and activities. They're free, of course. To receive a copy, write the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI. 96815.
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