We have just added pages on the Aloha Condos Website featuring the following:
Please see our Nohonani Resort Vacation Rentals section of the website for quick links to each of these new resort sections.
Do you live in the Northwest? Getting flights out to the island has never been cheaper. Hawaiian Airlines has super deals throughout the summer for as low as $155 per leg. We have carved out some sample itineraries below. If your travel is flexible you can’t beat the prices right now.
Nail down your flights and then hit AlohaCondos.com to search. Make sure to look at our posted specials on the main page to get the best deals for each island.
“Hawaii hotel occupancy hits new low.” This was just reported in the Pacific Business News. Statewide hotel occupancy fell to 61.9 percent. This is the lowest occupancy level recorded since 1987. The good news is people are flocking to condos! Why not? A larger space, a place to make your meals and often, a better or as good of a location. Take a look at Nohonani 204. Oceanfront, sleeps four, well decorated by professional designer, nice kitchen…all the comforts of home for as low as $125 a night! Really a steal!
Another five star accommodation is The Whaler 661. Located in Kaanapali on the beach, this recently updated condo complex is fantastic. Located next to Whaler’s Village, it offers shopping next door, restaurants, snorkeling trips to Molakini, a beachfront location at a LOW price. What could be better.? Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a spacious condo at a much lower price.
Check them out!
Susan K., owner of Nohonani 204 & The Whaler 661
CAN MY CONDOS IN MAUI IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?
Over the past ten years I have owned six condos on all of the major islands in Hawaii…Maui, Kauai, The Big Island and Oahu. I originally went to Hawaii as I was recovering from two major operations on my spine and I needed a peaceful place to recuperate. I was nervous about being so far away from my doctor in New York City, but I decided that this was really what the doctor had ordered! Rest, peace and serenity! I stayed in one of my condos overlooking the ocean for over two months. My husband joined me in the middle of my stay for two weeks. I was nervous initially about being away for so long (not to mention giving up the income I would have received for that time). However, my health was so fragile that I knew I needed a place where I could get better. I live in Connecticut and had my surgery in August of 2000. I headed to Hawaii around the third week in January of 2001. I was scared because I really didn’t know what to expect and I had left all my support systems at home. However, my attitude was “I can do this” and if I couldn’t, I could always return home.
I bring this topic up because yesterday I spoke to a woman who had been to my condo at The Whaler (661) last year. She told me that she had been sick this past year and so had her Mother. She proceeded to book one week for herself in May and another week in June for her Mom. When I asked why they were not going together, she said that each could only get away for one week in different months. She told me that the year before, she had found The Whaler 661 to be so soothing and peaceful and that because she was recovering from an illness, she wanted to go back to my condo, which had helped her previously. She said that since her Mom had also been sick, she thought this would be a good cure for her as well. You may be thinking “Well, only affluent people can afford this”. That is not the case. Over the years of talking to my clients, I have repeatedly heard that my condos and their locations have had an incredible effect on the physical and mental health of the people who rented them. I had decided when I originally invested in Hawaiian condos, that I would only buy oceanfront units that I myself found very relaxing. I also decided that I would decorate these condos in furnishings I really liked and that I would try to give people an experience that was 5 star, without the 5 star price! I had worked for 19 years as an interior designer and knew that you did not have to spend a fortune on furnishings to make the environment peaceful and relaxing. The location in and of itself would do that! I decided on a tropical looking bed that became my signature piece. The bed (which is very important when you don’t feel well) was equally important to me as was the location!. Clients often report that in Nohonani 204 on Maui, they find the sound of the waves gently coming ashore incredibly relaxing, while listening as they drift off to sleep. My guests in both units, The Whaler 661 and Nohonani 204 have found that just sitting on the lanai overlooking the ocean is in itself a wonderful cure for what ails them. Over the years I have had many friends visit and they all tell me the same thing:” They are a different person when they leave from what they were when they arrived.” Many have brought several books with them and have found that they have really enjoyed reading while perched on my lanai at the ocean’s edge and in many cases, found themselves not even reading, but just staring at the ocean for hours on end. There is something about the ocean that is amazing. It is always changing, fascinating and relaxing. For that reason, the locations I have chosen have always been very important to me. Sitting on the lanai, you can be partially shaded while also enjoying the warm sun on your body. I don’t really think there is any substitute for fabulous weather and the turquoise South Pacific. Many guests tell me that in as little as five days they feel renewed and re-energized. I think this same formula applies to one’s mental health as well. I can’t tell you how many repeat guests I have had who come back again the next year, for they report that their mini vacation allowed them to de-stress for the first time in a year. We all run in high gear and think we can’t afford a holiday or that we will just hang in there and somehow magically feel better. However, it just doesn’t really work!
One of the things that have totally fascinated my guests over the years is watching the whales breach in and out of the water. If you have never seen it, it is really magical beyond belief! The area in which Nohonani 204 is located is nick named “whale alley”! This is where the whales come for the winter (and who says people are smarter than animals)! It is so amazing to watch the whales jumping and frolicking in the ocean. At The Whaler 661, we have a large mirrored wall directly across from the bed and you can see the whales happily splashing while lying in bed. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this!
At this time, when so many of us are stressed out to the max about the economy, it might seem crazy to suggest that you take a vacation to Hawaii. But, in reality, in the ten years that I have been doing this, our prices have never been lower. We are really trying to work with our guests and offer them the best rate that we can, while still having the ability to pay our mortgages. We may not be making a profit right now, but we certainly are making a lot of people very happy! People from the West coast are flying to Maui for long weekends and report that they are so glad they did this and feel so much better. I sometimes think that while sipping that pina colada on our lanai, that people re-group and get more of a perspective on life and their own situation. Sometimes it takes getting out of ourselves and our environment, to realize that eventually everything will get better. It is amazing how fascinating it can be to simply watch sea turtles bask in the sunlight and the warm salty, glistening water. For those of us who live on the East coast, the winter seems endless. I know because this is the first year in ten years that I haven’t gone to Hawaii. My husband and I moved this year after selling our primary residence and I didn’t feel I could leave our home until I got it organized and everything into its new place. Although I love my new home, I definitely regret not getting my “dose” of Maui. I can feel that my body is not as relaxed as it is in Hawaii. Just not hearing the phone ring non-stop is one of the joys of getting away from it all. Although at home I wouldn’t dream of not reading the New York Times every day, I somehow make due just fine in Maui without knowing what is going on in the world! Sometimes when I am away, I feel as if I am in a world of my own and it is quite refreshing not to hear about one disaster after another.
So, give yourselves a break! Plan a visit to one of my condos, Nohonani 204 or The Whaler 661 and do yourself a favor. Even if you can’t afford to eat out, somehow grilling fresh fish caught that very day on the communal barbecues overlooking the Pacific, tastes a lot better than the fish served at home. If you want to re-new your sprit, feel healthier both mentally and physically, spend a LITTLE and you will get A LOT. After all, the daily rate of staying in one of my condos is less than the price of a therapist, who in any case will probably tell you what you already know…that you need to take care of yourself, communicate in a more positive way with your spouse and have that honeymoon all over again, even if it is only for a few days! To book, simply book on line or call us at 203-783-9094 or 866-270-1499 and we will do it for you. After all, you only go around once in this life and you deserve to be good to yourself.
As for me, I have already booked my time at both of my condos for next year. You won’t catch me missing out on Hawaii again. It is too important for my general well being and it will be for you as well! Remember, you can always justify the trip by telling your friends and family “It is just what the doctor ordered”!!!
Susan Kimmelman, owner
4/15/09 tax day!!!
I recently read an article in the NY Times that was talking about the economy and recession. Apparently, Whole Foods has a new ad campaign that uses the above logo “Sticker Shock…but in a good Way”. I thought this to be very interesting and applicable to my condos on Maui, as well. Normally, sticker shock means that something is incredibly expensive. Now, in this recession, it can mean the opposite.
I have lowered the prices of my gorgeous ocean front condos so significantly, that people are asking me, “What is wrong with them?” My answer is that nothing is wrong and that everything is right about them. As an owner of two condos in Maui, I speak to guests on a daily basis and listen to the stories of their lives. Many people out of work or retired, find themselves with their stock portfolios down 40% or more. There are others who are unfortunate victims of Bernie-Madoff-like-schemes. Suddenly, people find themselves in positions they never believed they would be in. You may ask, “What does this have to do with your condos in Hawaii?” My answer is that, because of the state of the economy and the troubling stories I hear every day, I have so significantly lowered the prices of our oceanfront condos, that they are often far less expensive than staying in a Howard Johnsons! I realize what is going on around us and have adjusted my prices so that people can still go on an affordable vacation or celebration. Because my condos have well stocked kitchens, many visitors are beginning to use them to bring down the cost of eating. In addition, there are great airfares from the West coast that make these trips possible. Many guests are also using their frequent flier miles to get to Maui. There are now direct flights into Maui, which also makes the trip less taxing. So, in reality, “Sticker Shock”, as it applies to my condos means that you are getting MORE FOR LESS! I think that may be part of the GOOD that has come out of this mess. So, if you can manage to cash in that big jar of coins you’ve been throwing nickels and quarters into every night, you may be surprised, as I was, that I had $421. This was like getting free money, as I didn’t really realize I had it! So, if you REALLY need a break or are STRESSED out to the max, you may want to think about visiting one of my oceanfront condos at a time when our prices have NEVER been lower. Get creative. Cash in your miles. If you are from the East coast, fly to the West coast and then take advantage of one of the many special airfares that are being offered. Use that loose change to do some grocery shopping and eat breakfast and lunch on our sunny lanai overlooking the shimmering turquoise blue South Pacific.If you don’t feel like cooking your own dinner, there are many places on Maui where you can get a great deal and don’t have to break the bank while doing it.The chain restaurant, Maui Tacos, offers delicious quality tacos that are incredibly inexpensive. Both of my condos have outdoor grills in the common areas where you can grill up a great piece of fish and meet some interesting people at the same time. Another idea, that I have used in the past to save money, is to have drinks and appetizers on the lanai, while watching the fiery orange sun set into the water. Then, we can go out for dinner and share a main course, because most restaurants offer way too much food to begin with. If you are still hungry, split a desert or go out to Cold Stone Creamery and share an ice cream cone. In some ways, it becomes a challenge to see how LITTLE you can spend and still have a wonderful vacation.
So, I’ve given you all my hints to maximize your fun and minimize the cost. The silver lining in all this doom and gloom is that instead of looking at the glass as half empty, you may want to think of the glass as being half full. There has truly never been a better time to go to Hawaii. I like Target’s ad campaign that says, “Expect more, pay less”! It says it all. We really like getting those emails from returning guests who tell us how much they loved their accommodations and what a bargain our condo was, as it sits right on the edge of the beautiful South Pacific!
So, what are you waiting for?. Call us at 203-783-9094 with any questions or book online, right NOW. It has never been a better time. As the Walmart ad says, “Save money. Live better”!
Susan Kimmelman, owner of Nohonani 204 and The Whaler 661