Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B&B Etiquette
In Hawaii, it is traditional and customary to remove your shoes before
entering anyone's home. The same is true for most bed-and-breakfast
facilities. Most hosts post signs or will politely ask you to remove your
shoes before entering the B&B. Not only does this keep the B&B clean, but
you'll be amazed how relaxed you feel walking around barefoot. If this
custom is unpleasant to you, a B&B may not be for you. Consider a condo
or hotel, where no one will be particular about your shoes.
Hotels, resorts, condos, and vacation rentals generally allow smoking in
the guest rooms (most also have nonsmoking rooms available), but the
majority of bed-and-breakfasts forbid smoking in the rooms. If this mat-
ters to you, be sure to check the policy of your accommodations before
you book.
Tips
of special rates are available for families,
the military, seniors, members of the
travel industry, corporate travelers, and
long-term stays. Also ask about
pack-
age deals,
which might include a car
rental or free breakfast for the same
price as a room by itself (see “Package
Deals,” above). I've found that it's
worth the extra few cents to make a
local call to the hotel; sometimes the
local reservations person knows about
package deals that the toll-free opera-
tors are unaware of. If all else fails, try
to get the hotel or resort to upgrade you
to a better room for the same price as a
budget room, or waive the parking fee
or extra fees for children. Persistence
and polite inquiries can pay off.
It's harder to bargain at
bed-and-
breakfasts.
You may be able to nego-
tiate down the minimum stay or get a
discount if you're staying a week or
longer. But generally, a B&B owner
has only a few rooms and has already
priced the property at a competitive
rate; expect to pay what's asked.
You have somewhat more leeway to
negotiate at
vacation rentals
and
con-
dos.
In addition to asking for a dis-
count on a multinight stay, also ask if
they can throw in a rental car to
sweeten the deal; believe it or not, they
often will.
USING A BOOKING
AGENCY VERSUS DOING
IT YOURSELF
If you don't have the time to call sev-
eral places yourself to bargain for
prices and to make sure they offer the
amenities you'd like, you might con-
sider a booking agency. The time an
agency spends on your behalf may be
well worth any fees you'll have to pay.
The top reservations service in the
state is
Hawaii's Best Bed & Break-
fasts
(
&
800/262-9912
or 808/
985-7488; www.bestbnb.com). This
service charges $20. The owners per-
sonally select the traditional home-
stays, cottages, and inns, based on each
one's hospitality, distinctive charm,
and attention to detail. They also book
vacation rentals, hotels, and resorts.
Other great statewide booking
agents are
Bed & Breakfast Hawaii
(
&
800/733-1632
or 808/822-7771;
www.bandb-hawaii.com), offering a
range of accommodations from vaca-
tion homes to B&Bs, starting at $65 a
night. For vacation rentals, contact
Hawaii Beachfront Vacation Homes
(
&
808/247-3637;
fax 808/235-
2644).
Hawaii Condo Exchange
(
&
800/442-0404;
http://hawaii
condoexchange.com) acts as a consol-
idator for condo and vacation-rental
properties.
