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Old Meets New on the Beach: Hawaii Packages for the Spring

February 13, 2004 -- Warm beaches with crashing waves, volcanoes spewing molten lava, vibrantly colored flora and fauna, and resuscitated ancient customs interplay with Hawaii's more modern elements: boogie boarding, helicopter rides, glass and steel hotels, and upscale spas and restaurants to indulge yourself. Such wide and varied choices makes our 50th state a perennial favorite for almost anyone. We've rounded up a bevy of beachy air and hotel retreats at mid-ranged prices to tickle your fancy. Some even throw in a rental car.

Liberty Travel, one of the country's largest travel agencies, has winter packages as low as $939 per person for a five-night stay. Their Hawaiian holidays include roundtrip midweek airfare, hotel accommodations, hotel tax, fresh flower lei greeting and more. On packages to Oahu, they also include roundtrip transfers, an Aloha breakfast briefing, a one-day trolley pass and a dining discount card. On the islands of Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, packages include the use of an Alamo rental car with unlimited mileage for the entire trip. Here are a few samples:

  • On Kauai, with prices valid through March 31: You can stay five nights at the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort, a luxury spot on the ocean, with a double room upgrade and $100 dining credit, from as low as $939 out of Los Angeles, $1,219 from Dallas/Fort Worth, $1,265 from JFK or Boston, and $1,275 out of Miami.
  • On the Big Island, valid through March 31: Five nights at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, with a free whale watching cruise, starts as low as $969 from Los Angeles, $1199 from Dallas Fort Worth, $1,255 from JFK and $1,200 from Miami. The resort has 36 holes of golf, a spa and a fabulous beach. Or you could try the Fairmont Orchid, another luxury resort, where five nights start at $1,039 out of Los Angeles, $1,319 from DFW, $1,365 from Boston and $1,415 from Baltimore Washington International.
  • Liberty also has some really low-priced deals for Oahu in spring, to wit: Five nights at the Ohana Maile Sky Court in Honolulu from $479 out of Los Angeles, $735 from JFK or DFW and $785 from BWI or Hartford. Valid April 21 through May 31.
  • On Maui, a spring deal, valid from April 25 to May 31, starts from $1,199 for five nights at the Hyatt Regency out of Los Angeles, $1,459 from JFK, DFW or Philadelphia, $1,499 from BWI or Miami. Daily buffet breakfast for two included, and up to two $100 flight credits for future travel.

Packages are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airport taxes and fees. Some restrictions may apply. Contact them by phoning 888/271-1584 or visiting www.libertytravel.com.

Pleasant Holidays has a cool handful of hot deals on Hawaii, too, featuring reduced rates for at least two resorts. For a four-night stay at Maui's Grand Wailea resort this spring, air-inclusive packages from Los Angeles or San Francisco start at $1,077 per person, which PH says is a savings of $557 per couple off there original prices. The deal includes lodging, roundtrip air, fresh flower lei greeting, daily Dollar Rental car, all hotel and car rental taxes, and more. The Grand Wailea is a luxury property on 40 oceanfront acres, with the world's only "water elevator," a river pool, slides and sandy beaches. Travel dates for this year are from February 18-24, February 29-March 4, March 8-11, May 28-31, and June 7-12.

At the Royal Kona on Big Island, four-night packages offered through Pleasant Holidays feature a special "Aloha Rate", with land-only deals from $356 per person. That includes room, fresh flower lei greeting, daily Dollar Rental car, all hotel and car rental taxes, and more. The hotel overlooks Kailua Bay and has its own private beach and lagoon. Valid dates April through June 21, August 21 through October 10, and October 18 through December 23, all in 2004. Contact Pleasant Holidays at www.pleasantholidays.com or phone 800/448-3333.

If you hurry and book by February 29, United Vacations will help you save up to $300 for any air-inclusive Hawaii vacation booked by then, with travel by August 31. You save as little as $50 for vacations from $1,000 to $1,499, then more on a sliding scale up to $300 on vacations of $4,000 or more.

A couple of sample vacations, including four nights of lodging, roundtrip airfare on United, and roundtrip airport/hotel transfers: Starting at $679 from Los Angeles and San Francisco at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel in basic partial ocean view room. Same deal from Denver is $859, from Chicago or New York City $959, from Washington DC $1009. The sample prices reflect Thursday departures for travel from now through March 4 and again from April 11 through May 27. Prices do not include airport taxes and fees, and some restrictions may apply. Contact United Vacations at 888/328-6877 or www.unitedvacations.com

For the latest on what to do in Hawaii, please read our recent online companion piece to our Frommer's Hawaii 2004 guide.


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