By admin | Published:
August 23, 2010
A big draw to the islands are weddings. Many engaged couples want to get married in paradise and often choose Hawaii as a place to announce their vows. As a tourist trade, the marriage marketplace has blown up in the past decade. Of course there are many options when it comes to getting married in Hawaii, but the biggest concern to most is location. So here we have outlined a few of the top spots that visitors and locals alike choose to get married.
Makena Cove
Remote and rich with scenery, Makena Cove tops the list for sunset weddings. A sheltered area with craggy rocks and tall palms with swaying leaves, the backdrop for photos is a bride’s wish and dream. The foamy water laps upon the shore with a myriad of blues to drink in while watching the ceremony. Kaholoowe and Molokini dot the horizon and the sunset provides the dramatic landscape to match the romantic occasion. It’s a joy for all visiting, with a few caveats. The site has limited parking and no restroom facilities. Also, multiple weddings are usually taking place, but most of the time, all are intimate groups each focused on their own wedding.
If you are looking for accommodations for your wedding party, or a place to stay on your scouting mission, check out Luana Kai - Kihei Maui Condos. Make your reservation now to enjoy the private and peaceful luxury of your own 1, 2 or 3 bedroom condo at Luana Kai Resort. Warm, inviting and friendly… It’s Always a Great Day at Luana Kai. Read More »
Posted in Maui, Weddings |
By admin | Published:
August 20, 2010
The vacation rental marketplace in Hawaii has proven to be a very profitable business when done right. Most vacationers are doing their vacation planning and booking online. So to have a strong online presence is essential in succeeding. Another key element is inventory. It is crucial to have a wide selection of rentals to choose from and also to have high quality listings.
The island of Maui is one of Hawaii’s most exciting visitor destinations with great beaches and lots of fun activities. For those going on a Valley Isle vacation, here are some examples of excellent beachfront condominium rentals available from Hawaiianbeachrentals.com. They are a leader in the vacation rental market.
Check out Maui Vacations Hawaii for more Maui info. Or if you are interested in making Hawaii home, look at these Maui homes for sale.
Maalaea Ocean Front is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom Asian themed condominium in Maalaea with ocean views, hot tub, and pool. Located on the third floor, the condo features a private elevator that brings you to this first-class condo with expansive bay views though 30 feet of continuous windows. This 1,550 square foot condo also has an expansive lanai. Read More »
By admin | Published:
August 6, 2010
The best Maui music venues have excellent atmosphere, food and drinks and of course, great live music. Most of the chain restaurants offer live music and location is certainly a plus, as many are on the beach; however, visiting a local spot will heighten the experience. If you are interested in more than just the nightlife in Maui check out Maui Vacations Hawaii for more island info, otherwise, read on.
Mulligan’s on the Blue in Wailea is an Irish pub serving an eclectic mix of pupu and dinner items and Hawaiian live music. This spot is fascinating, as it manages to meld Irish, Hawaiian and comfort food favorites into the menu. The music is Hawaiian, Irish, Jazz and more so check their website for music and dinner specials. Both indoors and outside overlooking the beach, Mulligan’s is a lovely spot for couples.
For great places to stay near the action, check out these Wailea vacation rentals. Read More »
By admin | Published:
July 9, 2010
Everybody associates sugarcane with Hawaiian agriculture, but there has been a huge shift in recent decades. Kona coffee and other coffee crops are surging in Hawaii while sugarcane has all but died out. Sugarcane was part of the Hawaiian landscape early (approximately 600 A.D.) and it became a cash crop gradually. Sugar plantations played a key role in all the islands’ economy and much Read More »
By admin | Published:
July 2, 2010
Trilogy’s Maui snorkeling tours seek to offer an unforgettable experience: Maui’s warm waters, tropical fish and incredible marine habitats. Beyond the basic expectations, Trilogy makes sure to take guests to the best spots, including Black Rock in Kaanapali. Black Rock is excellent for beginning snorkelers. Fish you’ll find include butterfly fish, parrot fish, damsel fish, surgeon fish, tang, wrasse, box fish, cardinal fish, perch, chub, trigger fish, the former Hawaii State Fish Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, goat fish, snapper, porcupine fish, hawk fish, jacks, mackerel, cornet fish, needle fish, turtles, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Read More »
By admin | Published:
August 11, 2009
I know I generally write about Internet business with a Hawaii theme, but I’ve been wanting to move to Diamond Head, and I came across this fabulous beach home that I wish I could afford!
America’s Coolest Beach Homes
Of course I thought this one was the best because it’s in a place I actually want to live.
By admin | Published:
July 27, 2009
I’ve been to Poipu, Kauai and it’s an amazing Hawaii vacation destination. So I can see why The Parrish Collection (TPC) is banking on the several Poipu resorts in the area. TPC manages vacation homes and condos in popular locations like Poipu Kai and Nihi Kai Villas. From what I know about the business, property managers are paid roughly 20% (only) when an accommodation is booked. The property manager is then responsible for marketing, providing customer service and cleaning the vacation rentals.
- Selling Services - Property management marketed through their Kauai vacation rental website.
The site itself is easy to navigate and there is great information about the properties including detailed descriptions and very nice photos. The problem with the site is its booking system which was not only slow and clunky, but a bit confusing to use. It was manageable, however, by improving this system they could up their conversion rate and therefore bookings. I’m guessing their current booking engine creates a lot of phone orders as well. So an improvement with this part of the site would reduce staff costs also.
The one thing that makes this site successful are the photos, floor plans and virtual tours. The photos are amazing and make me want to stay in their properties. If you don’t believe me, check out these pictures of their Donohugh home! The floor plans are a nice touch and something that most other vacation rentals sites don’t offer. Read More »
By admin | Published:
July 12, 2009
I’ve been wanting to do an evaluation of a Hawaii activity company for a while now, and I’ve finaly got my chance. Safari Helicopters has been taking people on Hawaii helicopter tours to “inaccessible wonders” in the islands for 22 years. Reading through the elaborate company section, you learn that this is a family run operation you takes pricde in their service and safety. The business itself works by selling their service directly to clients through their website. I’m guessing this direct sale is more valuable then selling through an activity desk or website which I’m assuming would charge a booking rate of about 25%.
- Selling Services - Direct sales bypass booking agencies.
The site is done very nicely and there’s a lot of information to help make a buying decision including video, photos, description and customer reviews and rating from TripAdvisor displayed directly on the site. I really like this last feature because it gives you the opportunity to see unbiased remarks about what others have experienced. From the reviews you can tell Safari Helicopters is a reputable company selling a good Kauai helicopter and Big Island helicopter tours.
The one place the site fell short was in the booking system. Not that it was bad, but it could definitely be improved which would lead to higher conversion and more sales. Read More »
By admin | Published:
April 29, 2009
Uptake is one of my favorite types of websites, a data aggregator (a site that compiles information from multiple sources into one place). If you take a look at their Hawaii activities section, for instance, you’ll see data pulled from Travelocity, Yahoo!, Trip Advisor, Yelp, Epinions and CitySearch as well as other information directly from Hawaii based websites such as HonoluluZoo.org. It’s pretty easy to see how a website like this can be useful, but how do they make money? A representative from Uptake told me that they worked on a CPC model. But if you look closely at their Hawaii romantic hotels or Hawaii family hotels sections, you’ll see a yellow button that says “Check Rates”. Clicking this button allows you search for hotel prices on TripAdvisor, Priceline and Expedia. So it appears that they are also working an affiliate angle.
- Cost Per Click (CPC) - They use Google Adsense for their contextual advertising. It also looks like they have some internal CPC going when they link out to other websites.
- Affiliate Model - They use multiple affiliate programs for at least hotels.
Uptakes use of information from multiple sources makes it a winner in my book. You can also see that with a lot of traffic, their CPC and Affiliate models could be very lucrative. After surpassing 1 million monthly visitors in less then a year after their launch in May 2008, they’re well on their way to becoming a profitable company. Read More »
By admin | Published:
April 15, 2009
I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Ted at Hawaii Destinations - a Hawaii travel and tourism site which is a guide for independent travelers visiting the islands. The goal of this website, as stated on their about page, is, “to become a respected destination and vacation guide, providing a quality and quantity of information without peer amongst independent websites”. Hawaii Destinations has made a good start with a respectable amount of information on Hawaii travel insurance as well as a nice selection of Hawaii accommodations. The site uses 2 monetization models:
- Cost Per Click (CPC) - They use Google Adsense for their contextual advertising.
- Affiliate Model - They use multiple affiliate programs to provide accommodations, car rentals, travel insurance, vacation packages, cruises and activities.
Overall, the site has a nice theme and is easy to navigate. I appreciate the simple straight forward navigation and everything is just one click away. The buttons to “book” and “learn more” are also easy to see which leads to high conversion ratios. Read More »