travel and leisure

You've finally decided you and your family on going to take that long awaited dream vacation in Hawaii. You've decided that you want to go the vacation rental route for numerous reasons: privacy
comfort
location and cost effectiveness. Next
you probably Googled Oahu Vacation Rentals and are faced with the daunting task of choosing among some 175
0
web sites. Where to begin? Here's two secrets that will help you make the right choice so you can enjoy your stay in Hawaii to its fullest.

Secret One: Use a reservation service. There are several reasons for this. First
a single property vacation rental listing by owner will severely limit you to the dates that you can take your vacation. Vacation rental properties in Hawaii run nearly 90% occupancy
so unless you know your travel dates six months to a year out the odds are high that their property won't be available for the travel dates you had in mind. Second
the owner is only concerned with booking their own property so they will extol the virtues of their vacation rental and not mention any of the faults.

Secret Two: Make the right choice of reservation service. Make sure it is locally owned and operated. Websites like vrbo and findrentals (for instance) don't have a clue about geography
weather
attractions
events and the other necessary information required to give you the property that best fills your needs. For instance
let's say you want to whale watch but also want to vacation on Oahu. Your reservation service should be able to tell you that you need to stay on the windward side of the island if you want to see the whales. Another tip-off of services to avoid are those that do automated
credit card bookings. Steer clear of these services as this implies they aren't interested in talking to you
they just want your money. Be wary of sites that have more than 100 properties….there aren't that many decent selections on Oahu
or any of the other Hawaiian islands
on the market. The more a service exceeds 100 properties
the greater the odds you'll end up in an overpriced
undesirable vacation rental. Here's another great hint. If a reservation service states that they have hotels or condos available in Kailua
or will have them soon
choose another service. Since
by zoning law
Kailua does not allow hotels or condos
you should realize that once again
this is a service that wants your money
not your piece of mind. Always ask the reservation service person you are talking to where they are located. Someone based in Las Vegas or Los Angeles won't have a clue about how to give you the best property for the vacation experience you have in mind.

With the standard vacation rental property terms being no refunds after you've paid your deposit
you absolutely want to make sure you make the right choice. A good reservation service will ask you questions about what you want to do and see on your vacation and will actually try and talk you out of a property you had in mind if they don't think it appropriate to what you had in mind. This is not an attempt to upsell you
it's more a matter of matching your vacation desires and needs with the perfect choice of vacation rental venue. One vacation rental reservation service that meets all these requirements is Pacific Islands Reservations. They are owned and operated by Ingrid Carvalho
who was born and raised in the islands
as were her parents
grandparents and great-grandparents. She has been serving visitors to Hawaii vacation rental needs since 1996. She currently represents ninety vacation rentals on Oahu and another 90 vacation rentals on Maui
Kauai and the Big Island. She has actually been to each and every property she represents--she even took most of the photographs of the vacation rentals you see on her web sites. She doesn't take credit cards but she's happy to spend time talking with you to make sure you get the right property to maximize the value and enjoyment of your vacation.