Hawaii On $100 A Day + Hat Tip to Frommer’s

Some long-time readers know that Beat of Hawaii was, in some ways, spawned with the help of the man considered the father of modern-day travel, Arthur Frommer. He started promoting Beat of Hawaii when our website was only four months old. That was 15 years ago, and the rest is history.

Arthur Frommer became known for travel when in 1957, he published the groundbreaking guidebook “Europe on Five Dollars a Day.” But remember, that was when phone calls cost a dime, and it was a different world.

Today’s post’s genesis is partly in honor of Arthur Frommer, who is now 93 years old. As you may know, BOH editors became friends with Arthur and his daughter Pauline and have appeared on the Frommers’ NYC-based travel radio program. In addition, at the end of the month, we are celebrating the publishing Beat of Hawaii for the past 15 years.

Hawaii on $100 a day is the same as $10 a day based on 1957 dollars.

One dollar in 1957 is worth over $10 today. So for comparison purposes, our Hawaii on $100 a day comes down to Hawaii on $10 a day based on those 1957 dollars.

To make the most of the money, we chose a hotel with a kitchenette and good reviews. After looking at many options in comparable price ranges, we opted for the Kuhio Banyon Hotel, a moderately priced and rated property in Waikiki.

Waikiki 7-night vacation with two people sharing:

The total cost for one week on Oahu was $736 or just over $100 per day.

1. Accommodations: We looked at Kuhio Banyon Hotel with a kitchenette (using booking.com). The total for 2 is $962/week was $481/week per person.

2. Food: $30/day with two cook-in meals and one budget eat-out, for a total of $210/week.

3. Free or low-priced activities: Going to the beach, hiking Diamond Head, finding complimentary music and hula for starters.

4. Transportation by The Bus: $6/day x 7: $42/week. As it turns out, Oahu is the only island where bus transportation makes sense instead of a rental car. For only slightly more, you can have unlimited bus travel throughout your week long stay.

What about Kauai, Maui, and Big Island?

In most cases, you’re going to need a rental car which adds substantially to your costs. If so, shop for the best deals and try Discount Hawaii Car Rentals, Priceline, and Autoslash for comparisons. Airbnb may be another good source for discounted accommodations. Also, try Booking.com for more ideas. When you stay at economy properties, check the reviews, map out the location to see how far you are from the beach, and make sure you are protected if the accommodation does not match the listing.

How to create your trip to Hawaii on $100 a day.

1. Did you get the best deal? Try calling the hotel directly. The hotel rate we found above was on Booking, and there may be additional savings possible by going to the hotel.

2. Many Hawaii restaurants offer discounts for early dining or on specific days of the week. Tip: make lunch your eat-out meal since that is usually cheaper than dinner.

3. Cheap airfare. Travel on airline routes with strong competition. During Cyber week, we had airfares as low as $91 each way, including taxes and fees from west coast gateways. There will be more airfare sales with similar prices.

4. Travel during off-peak periods. This remains a top travel tip. Visit in late summer instead of mid-summer, during fall (except Thanksgiving), and  January through early June (except Spring Break).

5. Book within the last sixty days for great deals on airfare and accommodations.

6. Plan Hawaii flights and accommodations at the same time to not get surprised by one or the other being priced too high for your budget.

7. Find free and cheap Hawaii activities. Hawaii excels in this area. From hiking to beaches with snorkeling, great swimming, and spectacular Hawaii sunsets.

8. In Honolulu, The Bus is the cheapest at $3, even coming from the airport if you don’t have much luggage. Or travel all day for just $7.50.

What are your best tips for staying close to a $100 nightly Hawaii vacation budget?