Fabulous fall and winter Hawaii travel deals | Hawaii Travel Guide

by Julie Blakley

Sometimes the most torturous part of working for a travel company is that you are constantly bombarded with really incredible travel deals, only a few of which you are ever actually able to take advantage of. And, while I’m certainly not complaining about living and breathing travel every day, it sure can make you want to pack up your suitcase and head out on an adventure of your own sometimes. Especially when you see amazing deals to some of your favorite destinations.

This week, I wrote about some of the fabulous fall specials in Hawaii right now. While fall has traditionally been the more affordable time to head to the islands (Hawaiian Airlines rep Keoni Wagner told me in an interview last year that shoulder seasons—fall and spring—are the best time to get the cheapest flights to Hawaii ), the deals this year are especially good.

With the recession curbing many people’s travel plans, some more “luxury” destinations like Hawaii and Vegas have been especially hard hit. In fact, Hawaii has hit record lows in hotel occupancy in the past few weeks. And with far fewer people traveling to the islands this year, that means lots of empty hotel rooms—which in turn means lots of specials, discounted rates, free nights and other promotions to lure visitors to the isles. Accommodations that may have been way out of your league price wise just a year or two ago now seem to be among the cheap Hawaii hotels that you can actually afford.

Last week, the New York Times published, “ Travel Deals: Fall Sales in Maui, ” which outlined some of the great sales happening at hotels on the island this fall. In fact, some of the Maui hotel deals were so good I was really tempted to take advantage of the low fares to the islands and the new direct flight from Portland to Maui and plan a little autumn getaway to the islands. The year-old Honua Kai Resort and Spa is actually offering rooms for 50% off through December 12. The deal is valid for one and two-bedroom stays between September 1 and December 12. Rates start at $225 a night based on double occupancy.

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