A new survey from the American Automobile Association lists Honolulu as the most expensive city in the United States for vacationers.

The average price for meals and lodging for two adults per day, at least according to AAA’s 2008 Annual Vacation Costs Survey? $673.

That’s more than second place New York City, which AAA estimates at $606 per couple, per day; and third place Miami at $370 a day.

Of that $673 per day spent in Honolulu, AAA says $546 goes to lodging and $127 on meals.

As longtime residents, we know that Honolulu (and Hawaii, in general) can be pricey. Still, AAA’s numbers seemed hard to believe. There are lots of places to stay for under $546 a night, and we could eat pretty well on $127 a day.

The numbers don’t match Hawaii’s own surveys, given to all visitors leaving Honolulu International Airport. Couples reported spending an average $368 per day on Oahu, in 2007. That number included not just lodging and food, but activities, shopping and ground transportation.

So how the heck did AAA get its figures, which were widely reported? 

The good news for everyone—except, perhaps, AAA members—is that the company’s numbers are sort of bogus.

Spokesperson Marie Montgomery told us that AAA’s Annual Vacation Costs Survey is based solely on numbers provided by hotels and restaurants requesting to be included in AAA’s diamond rating program or 50-state TourBook series. The company did not have a breakdown of how many Honolulu-based hotels and restaurants reported numbers to them, but said that it currently tracks more than 100 of each throughout Hawaii.

This methodology—which is skewed by a large number of luxury properties seeking AAA’s potentially lucrative five-diamond rating—leaves out many hotels and restaurants in Honolulu. It also doesn’t include condos, timeshare rentals and bed-and-breakfasts.

Further, AAA seems to be averaging high-end suites (of which there are only a few) in with standard hotel rooms (of which there are plenty) at each property, in order to come up with its $673 figure.

“I believe that most seasoned travelers realize, ‘Gosh, I don’t have to pay that much.’ By the same token, it would be nice to have a more realistic average,” said AAA’s Montgomery. “It’s just these are the numbers that the hotels themselves give us. They don’t give us the average rate that all of their customers paid for a room in a year. They just give us the rate that they want us to publish in the TourBook.”

State of Hawaii tourism liaison Marsha Wienert found the AAA survey hard to believe.  

“I thought, ‘How could (visitors) spend that much money?’ That makes no sense to me. Not when I know what they really spend. The (actual) numbers don’t come anywhere close to what AAA is saying.”

Of course, if you’d like to spend $673 a day here in Honolulu, that’s fine with us. We’d opt for a cheaper room and really live it up in the restaurants, however.

What do you think of AAA's numbers? Do you spend as much as $673 per day on just room and meals in Honolulu?

  

Here’s something we're looking forward to. 

The 27th Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival will work its Maui magic from June 26-29 this year.

The three-day festival is presided over by Master Sommelier Fred Dame—who we enjoy for his genial wit, as well as his palate.

It kicks off Friday with chef demonstrations and a grand tasting with 100 wines, exceptional pupu and a Kapalua beachfront sunset. 

It ends Sunday with the Seafood Festival, a bounty of Island seafood, prepared by star chefs, with, of course, plenty of wines.

In between, there are tastings, cooking demonstrations, dinners and a guest appearance from Chef Frank Ostini, whose Hitching Post Restaurant had a starring role in the film Sideways.

Perhaps our favorite moment.  A seminar Sunday morning called “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” featuring Bloody Mary recipes from the star sommeliers.  Perhaps the seminar should be called, “Hair of the Dog.”

If you love food, wine and Maui (and it’s a short list of people who don’t), you can make reservations here, or (888) 665-9160.
 

You ask. We answer.

HAWAII Magazine reader Charles Eldon wrote: 

“Can you tell me when (or if) the former Poipu Beach Hotel will open?  It was, before Iniki, my favorite place to stay.”

In 1992, three Poipu hotels—the Sheraton, the Poipu Beach Hotel and the Stouffer Waiohai—suffered the most from Hurricane Iniki.  

It took nearly five years for the Sheraton Kauai Resort to reopen. In 2004, the site of the old Stouffer Waiohai site was transformed into Marriott's new Waiohai Beach Club.

Now the Poipu Beach Hotel, which was one of the oldest hotels on the Garden isle, finally looks like it's coming back--more than 16 years after Iniki.  

But it’s not exactly the old Poipu Beach Hotel.

It will be the Ko’a Kea, a totally reconstructed 121-room contemporary hotel, built on the original footprint of the Poipu Beach Hotel and therefore offering unmatched proximity to the ocean.  

The luxury property will offer rooms with internet and espresso makers, a lounge, a spa and restaurant named Red Salt.

It opens August 29, and is already taking reservations. (877) 806-2288.

 

Many of you asked. Some of you guessed after my weekend post. Now, I can finally answer.

Yes, after some none-too-subtle campaigning on my part, I attended the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele Kona beer dinner on Saturday.

It was departing executive sous chef Thomas Bellec’s grand finale at the Lodge—a five-course dinner menu, paired with craft beers from Kona Brewing Co. He’d done a couple of wine dinners, and even a scotch dinner in the past—all in the Lodge’s country manor-reminiscent interiors.

But the beer dinner seemed apt for a more casual setting. So taking advantage of good upcountry weather, dinner was served under the stars on the Lodge’s croquet court.

The Four Seasons pulled out all stops. Guests were seated at elegantly-appointed picnic tables equipped with padded seats. Tiki torches lit the area. Heat lamps offset the chilly evening tradewinds. Pashminas were handed out to whoever wanted one. A guitarist strummed gentle Hawaiian tunes.

How to break the ice? How about a trio of cocktails, all beer-infused—a mai tai with a float of Amstel Light (so-so), a bloody mary with a kicky bite of Corona and lime (good), and a fresh-squeezed lemonade mixed with Hangar 1 vodka, kafir lime and a float of Corona (best).

After a couple of each over a half-hour, conversation flowed.

I sat across from Mark and Barbara Zigmond, owners of Lanai City’s Pele’s Other Garden restaurant—and right next to Tom Roelens and his wife Sara. Roelens was ending his third week as general manager of both Four Seasons resorts on the island—the Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Resort. 

He was still giddy about getting the job, regaling us with tales of his Belgian childhood, where quaffing beer as a minor was legal, and his father occasionally brewed up a batch of the stuff in the family living room.

“We kids looked forward to days we could come home from school for lunch,” said Roelens, after one story.

Responded Zigmond, to much laughter, “Yes, but did you learn anything after lunch?”

Chef Bellec's aim was to match each course with the right beer. Kona Brewing’s light, citrusy Wailua Wheat beer, for instance, complemented  the dressing on the green salad with Lanai venison pastrami.

Roelens enjoyed the subtle spice, fruit and smooth finish of Kona Brewing’s wonderful 3K Belgian Triple ale so much, that he ordered a second round for our table before we could finish our beer-glazed brie and roasted pear on egg brioche.

Another high point? The brewer’s Pipeline Porter—rich with roasted coffee aroma and a smoky dark chocolate finish—paired with one of the richest entrées I’ve ever encountered.  It was, first, an applewood-smoked bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on, second, a bed of kalua pulled pork, plus parsnip puree and Brussels sprouts fricassee, all in beer infused demi glace. I'm still surprised I survived it.

Four Seasons Resort Lanai public relations director Brad Packer said it was his dream to host a similar dinner at the Lodge … with tequila.

I’ll bring the limes and salt, dude.

And HawaiiMagazine.com readers will, again, know about it before it happens. Cheers!
 

One of the cooler things about my job is escaping the office on Oahu every couple of months, flying to one of the neighbor islands and getting to call what I do there work.

I’m on the island of Lanai this weekend, taking in some scenery, activities and food. You’ll see everything I collect while I'm here in future HawaiiMagazine.com Web posts and HAWAII Magazine articles.

For now, though, some photographic evidence of what I was up to on Friday.

Vog from Kilauea enveloped most of Hawaii on Friday, obscuring views of Oahu and Molokai on the morning flight to Lanai. The effect it had on the view of the manicured gardens at the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele when I checked in, however, was wonderfully dramatic.

A view of the island's only town, Lanai City, from a bluff above the Lodge at Koele. With just over 3,000 residents, a handful of businesses and comprised mainly of homes, it's not your classic definition of a "city." But you'll meet some of the friendliest people in Hawaii here.

I rented a Jeep 4x4  to explore the island's beaches for a future HAWAII Magazine feature. With only 30 miles of paved road on the island, Jeeps are pretty much the only rental available. Fortunately, they're the best way to see Lanai (other than on horseback, which I'm also doing a bit of this weekend for a HAWAII feature). This is a beach road on the island's north shore.

Polihua Beach, on Lanai's north side, is your reward after a lengthy and extremely bumpy drive down a single-lane Jeep trail. Stretching more than two miles, it's Lanai's longest white sand beach. It's also one of the island's most remote. On a typical late afternoon visit, you'll find about as many people exploring its breathtaking grandeur as you do in this photo.

My dinner after a long day of "work"—a meat lover's pizza at Pele's Other Garden in Lanai City. It's always a joy visiting owners Mark and Barbara Zigmond, and sampling their terrific homemade Italian entrees, pizzas, deli sandwiches and desserts. Great people. Must-have-food on Lanai. Check out Mark's must-read "My Corner of Paradise" feature in our Jan./Feb. 2008 issue.

 

You ask. We answer.

Reader Joe McPherson is headed to Maui next week and had a question for us. What’s the best way to make arrangements in advance for golf tee times?

Simple. No matter which island is your destination, call the concierge of the hotel or resort you are staying at before you get there.

First, they’ll be happy to reserve tee times for you. More importantly, they’ll know the most convenient and best courses, costs and availability. They may even be able to find you special golf packages at the resort.

Also keep in mind that registered guests at nearby resorts almost always get the best rates. So if you're staying at, say, The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, your best bet is teeing off at Kapalua Resort.

Maui’s golf courses are among Hawaii’s best. Here are just a few recommendations:

Wailea Golf Club. Guests staying at resorts in south Maui's Wailea resort area get the best rates, but all three courses are open to the public. Book tee time here, or call (800) 888-6100, ext. 8. Click here for rates.

Kapalua Resort. Kapalua's two courses are world-renowned for hosting championship golf tournaments. The Plantation Course  hosts the PGA Tour season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in January; the Bay Course the Kapalua LPGA Classic in October. The resort won Golf Magazine's 2008 Gold Award for best value. Book tee time here, or call (877) 527-2582. Click here for rates.

Kaanapali Golf Resort. There are two courses here—The Royal Kaanapali and the Kaanapali Kai.  The Royal Kaanapali is one of only two courses in Hawaii designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. It's also the main location for the current season of the Golf Channel's reality series Big Break. Book tee time here, or call (866) 454-4653. Click here for rates.

Makena Golf Courses. Two courses—a North and South course—designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. 808-891-4000. Book tee time here, or call (808) 891-4000. Click here for rates.

 

Molokai Ranch closed earlier this month, forcibly relocating Aloha Music Camp.

For the last five years, the Hawaiian music, dance and culture camp convened each summer at Molokai Ranch’s isolated Kaupoa Beach Village.

This year’s camp—scheduled for June 22-28—will move to the Big Island’s considerably less remote Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.

The camp suffered an even more irreplaceable loss last week with the death of much-loved kupuna Auntie Winona Beamer. The noted Hawaiian entertainer and cultural touchstone (in middle photo), along with members of the Beamer ohana—including her son, Grammy-nominated slack-key musician Keola Beamer—hosted the camp each year.

“The camp really is about her life, in a lot of ways,” says camp administrator Mark Kailana Nelson. “Her whole life was dedicated to having Hawaiian culture reach out and be taught and cherished and understood. And that’s why we’re continuing it.”

Nelson and Keola Beamer founded Aloha Music Camp on the Big Island in 2001, before moving it to the beachside lodging owned by Molokai Ranch.

“Molokai was just the most perfect place imaginable. There was a very Hawaiian presence,” says Nelson. “The village was on a secluded beach. The people on Molokai had such aloha. Our hearts really go out to them. So many of them lost their livelihoods.”

The camp is moving to a conventional Hawaii resort—perhaps longer on amenities, but hardly as isolated, or as surrounded by nature.

Nelson argues the camp itself transcends its setting.  “It’s not about the location. It’s the people. It’s the aloha. It’s the ohana. We’ve been fortunate enough to create that experience in two different locations now. That’s what we’re going to do at the Keauhou as well.”

But Molokai will be missed.

It’s a special place,” says Nelson. “The utter silence. The sound of the ocean, the birds, the wind through the trees. Listening to Keola sing ‘Honolulu City Lights’ with the Honolulu city lights right across the channel was chicken skin.

““The first time he did that, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

Aloha Music Camp still has space at its June gathering. For more information or to register, click here.
 
Check out a YouTube video of Aloha Music Camp life on Molokai here.

 

Hawaii is no stranger to movie screens. This Friday (4/18), Hawaii has another starring location role, this time in a new film called Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Most of the movie’s scenes were filmed on Oahu’s North Shore, including places such as Turtle Bay Resort. Actor Jason Segel (who plays Peter Bretter, the film’s main character) even wrote the script in Hawaii.

In this romantic disaster comedy, Segel’s character, Peter, takes a trip to Hawaii in an attempt to heal his broken heart. But he discovers that his ex, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), is staying at the same resort with her new boyfriend.

It’s no surprise why many filmmakers set movies in Hawaii. The tropical sunny weather is appealing, just as much as Hawaii’s palm trees and beaches. According to the Hawaii Film Office, the Islands hosted hundreds of feature films since 1913, including Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Waterworld, Blue Hawaii, From Here to Eternity and Godzilla.

We posted our favorite five "made-in-Hawaii" movies here, in January.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is produced by Judd Apatow (Superbad, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and features stars such as Mila Kunis (“That ‘70s Show”), Paul Rudd (Knocked Up, Clueless) and Jonah Hill (Superbad, Evan Almighty). Even a few Hawaii residents landed acting roles, including Hawaii surfer Kalani Robb.

As with any movie, there’s always mixed reviews. Here’s a sample of what critics had to say: Rotten Tomatoes, The Village Voice, The Movie Blog and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

 

Wish you were here?

Can’t blame you.

Here’s almost the next best thing. We’ve collected links to a handful of Webcams around the state offering live views of our beaches and—well, pretty much just our beaches.

Want to see the sun set over Hanalei Bay on Kauai? Click the Sheraton Princeville’s beach-roving camera below.

Got friends staying in Waikiki? Tell 'em to stand in front of the Duke Kahanamoku statue fronting Kuhio Beach and then give you a call, while you click the “Waikiki Beach” cam.

It’s almost sunset here as I’m posting this. Click now and you won’t miss it.


Kuhio Beach, Oahu: A view of the folks wading in the surf off Waikiki.

Click here.


Waikiki Beach, Oahu: More a view of the Duke Kahanamoku statue than a beach view, but, oh well.

Click here.


Waikiki Beach from the sky, Oahu: Point a camera at the top of the 31-story Sheraton Waikiki towards Diamond Head or the surf below, mix a mai tai, enjoy.

Click here.


Sunset Beach and North Shore of Oahu surf spots: Check the wave action at some of the best surf spots.

Click here.


Hanalei Bay, Kauai: The sunsets are terrific from this Webcam at the Sheraton Princeville Resort.

Click here.


Kaanapali Beach, Maui: The weather and ocean action on one of West Maui’s best beaches, fronting the Sheraton Kaanapali Resort.

Click here.


Hilo Bay, Big Island: A so-so view of the bayfront. At least you’ll be able to tell if it’s a sunny or rainy day in Hilo town.

Click here.


The South Kohala Coast, Big Island: From the rooftop of the Mauna Lani  Resort.

Click here.
 

Have a favorite Hawaii Webcam we missed? Leave us a comment below.
 

Thought we’d share a couple of kid-friendly packages we recently found out about from the folks at the Big Island’s Mauna Lani Resort and ResortQuest Hawaii.

The first is golf.

Already home to a couple of top-ranked courses designed by Francis H. Ii Brown, the Mauna Lani resort recently opened a nine-hole golf course for kids. Designed for junior golfers with some skills—if not enough to play the 18-hole Brown courses—and beginning players under age 18, the par 33 course is, according to the Mauna Lani, the only course of its kind in the state.

No surprise, if your child wants to learn how to play, the resort’s golf academy also offers customized lessons for beginning juniors. Golfers under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Rates, tee times and more details are available here.

The second is more wide-ranging.

ResortQuest Hawaii’s family-friendly “Kids Stay, Play & Eat FREE” program offers just that.

Children under age 12 staying at ResortQuest properties statewide—accompanied by a paying adult, naturally—get free admission to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park on Oahu, the Sugar Cane Train on Maui or Atlantis Submarines on the Big Island. They’ll also get free meals at various restaurants and complimentary swag from participating retailers.

You’ll find a full listing of statewide ResortQuest Kids offers here.