Posts Tagged ‘Kolea’

Recently Waikoloa Vacation Rentals had the honor of hosting a family reunion at Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort. They occupied a large number of villas and used Waikoloa Vacation Rentals private concierge service to the fullest.

Prior to the arrival, the concierge staff worked with professional photographers, area entertainment and local restaurants to ensure they had everything they needed before, during and after their stay. These events include a private banquet reception, family photographs and a luau all organized by Waikoloa Vacation Rentals.

On a daily basis, Waikoloa Vacation Rentals was available to offer suggestions, inform, and assist the family, as they spent much needed time together ensuring four generations were able to create life long memories. Offering their services, they worked with the entire group along with smaller portions of the family to help create those memories.

The week culminated when the entire group enjoyed a luau at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott. In appreciation for their business Waikoloa Vacation Rentals gave each member a handmade lei for their family picture prior to the luau.

Waikoloa Vacation Rentals has worked with this family on a number of occasions and always appreciates their business and enjoys seeing the growth of their family.

Waikoloa Vacation Rentals would like to be a part of any family looking to have the same experiences. Please contact them if you are looking to enjoy enjoy the same experience.

Quote From the Guests
“This was our second time to Kolea and one of many times to Waikoloa Beach Resort. When we were here years back and staying at the Hilton we were introduced to Rob with Waikoloa Vacation Rentals and he introduced us to Kolea. We brought the family a few years later and decided it was the perfect place for us. On our most recent stay not only were we extremely pleased with the villas, but also with the service. They helped us plan family functions as well as went the extra step and offered up leis prior to our family picture. When we called to ask if we could rent some snorkel gear they brought over an entire tub of nice gear for us to use during our stay. I would highly recommend Waikoloa Vacation Rentals and Kolea is the best spot we have found.”

Kolea is one of the most dynamic locations in all of the Hawaiian Islands. The beachfront property has an array of options including luxury beachfront homes all the way to reasonably priced two bedroom garden view villas. Another unique aspect of Kolea is how the rental of these properties are handled. Kolea is one of the only luxury properties in Hawaii where there are almost as many VRBOs (Vacation Rentals by Owner) as there are vacation rentals offered by management companies. Here are some of the many things to consider when deciding whom to rent from.

First, many owners do not have a licensed property manager available to help you in the event something goes wrong. For example, being locked out when you arrive or a plumbing issue occurring.

Second, given that most owners only own one property, in the event something happens and you are unable to stay in their villa you are left without a place to stay. There are many reasons this could happen (double booking, foreclosure, maintenance issue, etc). Since property managers have numerous properties, they can typically move you to a comparable or better one without too many issues.

Third, the property management companies are on island so they are constantly checking the villas to ensure the cleanliness of the villa and that all the amenities are there. Many owners just have a housekeeper, whom does not have anyone checking their work to ensure that it has been done properly.

Last, licensed property managers have standards and codes to follow in order to help assure that vacationers are getting a good experience. In the event that a vacationer does have a bad experience, they are typically responsive in trying to remedy the issue to save their brand. Since owners do not have a brand, many are not eager to go to any extreme to ensure that the problem is remedied. Not to mention that it is very hard to remedy an issue from the mainland where many owners live.

Sometimes getting Kolea vacation rentals from owners can lead to savings and a positive experience at Kolea, but there are risks involved. If you do rent direct from an owner we would recommend doing further research on the specific villa prior to settling on one.

Click here to view the largest selection of professionally managed villas at Kolea.

Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort has many different floor plans for everyone depending on their needs. The villas range in size from two bedrooms, two bathrooms to three bedrooms, three and a half baths with much larger floor plans. All villas have full Kolea Beach Club access as well as the same level of on site personal, service and quality.

3 bedroom/3.5 bathroom Kolea Villa

This particular gem is the largest and most opulent floor plan that Kolea and Waikoloa Vacation Rentals have to offer at Waikoloa Beach Resort. It has 2,147 square feet of living space. The enormous lanai, with an ocean view allows for great family BBQs. This would be perfect for those looking for the ultimate luxury vacation rental.

3 bedroom/3 Bathroom Ground Floor Kolea Villa

These villas are 1,716 square feet, offering plenty of personal space and a lawn area directly off the lanai. This location is perfect for parties with small children. This will give everyone more space to run off their Big Island excitement with safety in mind.  Several “front row” villas off easy access to the Kolea Beach Club from the lanais.

3 Bedroom/2 Bathroom Kolea Villa

These particular villas offer space, functionality and cost consideration for those looking for Kolea luxury on more of a budget. These 1,554 square feet villas are perfect for the family looking to stay together and play together.

2 Bedroom/2 Bathroom Kolea Villa

These villas offer more of a cost consideration with a bit less space. Either a small group or family can enjoy the 1,270 square feet and amenities offered on the resort. The quality is not diminished in anyway, only the size and price.

2010 was one of the best years the Hawaii tourism industry has recorded in years. With the current economic state, along with the increase in tourism, many vacationers are choosing vacation rentals for their accommodations versus other alternatives, which fares well for Kolea.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported an increase in visitors to Hawaii in all four quarters of 2010 versus 2009. The percentage increase grew as the year progressed, leading speculation that there will be continued growth in Hawaii for 2011.

Hawaii Visitors 2009 vs 2010

Looking at the vacation rental industry in Hawaii it appears the industry enjoyed the growth of Hawaii tourism plus more. Instant Software, the most widely used vacation rental reservation software nationally, reported a substantial increase in vacation rental reservations in 2010 versus 2009 in Hawaii. While Hawaii tourism grew close to 10% in 2010, the vacation rental occupancy grew 20% in 2010. This growth could be attributed to the economy, enhanced marketing efforts by vacation rental companies nationally, or Gulf of Mexico issues as well as many other factors. Along with the increased occupancy there was an increase in average daily rate by 5%, which confirms that the increase was not due to “deep discounting” by vacation rental homeowners and agencies.

Kolea achieved better growth than the vacation rental trends depict for Hawaii. Occupancy, average nightly rate, and average length of stay all increased in 2010. Waikoloa Vacation Rental Management, the largest vacation rental management company within Kolea, reported a conversion rate of 88% in 2010. This was a significant increase from 2009. Conversion rate is defined as the percentage of renters who paid the advertised rate. They attribute this to having less dependency on “vacation rental by owner” related marketing sites, which are highly competitive and have very low conversions. Also having a substantial increase in repeat visitors attributed to the higher conversion rate.

Many speculate the growth will continue well into 2011. Group travel to the Big Island of Hawaii is significantly up in the first quarter, which historically has led to higher single or family traveler airline rates during that timeframe. This displacement in the first quarter will lead people to put off their travel until later dates in the year, which would give the Big Island nice growth in the following quarters of 2011. Although the closing of Kona Village due to damage from the tsunami was an unfortunate event, it has affected Kolea in a positive way. With Kona Village being the only all-inclusive resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, the majority of the guests that were scheduled to stay there are choosing vacation rentals as their alternative. Waikoloa Vacation Rental Management was able to arrange for Kona Village to recommend Kolea to their guests as a viable alternative, which not only favored well for them, but also for the Kolea community as a whole. Within a few weeks of the tsunami, Waikoloa Vacation Rental Management was fully reserved at Kolea many weeks leading to substantial overflow for other management companies and homeowners.

Waikoloa Vacation Rental Management reported substantial growth within Kolea for the first quarter of 2011 and currently has more than 500 nights reserved in 2012, which is depicting more great growth for Kolea as a vacation rental community.

Due to extensive damage from the Japanese tsunami, Kona Village decided to close for an extended period of time.  This has left many of their customers looking for a place to stay elsewhere on the Big Island of Hawaii.

“We are very sad to close Kona Village Resort for an extended period of time, but the damage to the property from this natural disaster is severe enough to render it inoperable,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, CEO of Hualalai Resort/Kona Village Resort. “We are fortunate that our guests and employees were evacuated safely. Our hearts are heavy with this decision’s impact on employees and loyal guests who have visited us over the years. Our thoughts also are with the people of Japan during this difficult time.”

Kona Village has offered full refunds to all of their guests that were planning to stay in 2011.  Due to the unique nature of Kona Village, many of their guests are repeat visitors every year.  For the first time many of the guests have had to find a new place to stay.  Many of them are looking to Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort and Mauna Lani Terrace, which are both beachfront vacation rental communities.  Rob Dalton of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals stated, “Within the last week we received five reservations from guests that were scheduled to stay at Kona Village.  All of them were bummed to not get to stay at Kona Village, but excited to try something new.”

It appears that a fair amount of guests that typically stay at Kona Village prefer vacation rentals to hotels.  Given that most guests of Kona Village come to the Big Island annually, not only will the closure have a positive impact on vacation rentals short term, but also long term as the guests look to return to Hawaii for their annual vacation.

We wish for a speedy recovery for Kona Village and will keep you informed as the repairs begin.

The Kolea Beach Club offers Kolea guests and owners a private club on a beachfront setting at Kolea at Waikoloa.  Check out our new video of the Kolea Beach Club.

This month Waikoloa Vacation Rentals was honored to have the opportunity to open a concierge and beach rentals desk at Kolea at Waikoloa.  The goal is to make Kolea a 5 star community by adding great services to go with the already beautiful villas it has to offer.

Waikoloa Vacation Rentals will be operating out of the Kolea Beach Club pavilion daily and offering a wide range of services along with beach equipment rentals.  Along with the basic concierge services such as booking activities, they will be offering a broader level of concierge service to encompass almost anything one could desire while on vacation.

Their knowledgeable concierges will be able to do things such as set up dining reservations, tee times, boating excursions, along with any other activity you can think of on the Big Island of Hawaii.  How about a private helicopter tour that touches down in a secluded valley for a picnic lunch?  They can do that.

Waikoloa Vacation Rentals is also offering a variety of beach equipment rentals at reduced rated for Kolea guests.  They offer some of the basic items such as quality snorkel gear, beach chairs, and boogie boards.  They are also proud to offer Kolea guests the opportunity to rent our snorkel scooters.  Besides Four Seasons Hualalai they are the only operation on the coast to rent these popular items out.  To Kolea guests they are offered at over 1/2 the rate of what Four Seasons charges their guests.

** If you are staying at Kolea, the concierge can be reached at (808) 333-1910.

While the real estate market across the United States has continued to struggle, Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort has seen a steady increase in sales over the course of the last two years.  Along with Kolea being the premiere vacation rental complex at Waikoloa Beach Resort, attractive pricing has made these beautiful villas a “must buy” during this struggling economy.

In 2009 there were six sales.  Most of the sales were either foreclosures, short sales, or villas priced low.  In 2010 there were eleven sales with multiple contracts in escrow at the end of the year.  Although most of them were still short sales and foreclosures, there was a slight increase in the sales price. 

Looking forward, Kolea should contiune to see an increase in interest in sales.  Being the only beachfront vacation rental community at Waikoloa Beach Resort helps make it the most desireable place to own investment property on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The first quarter of 2010 looks very promising for Kolea at Waikoloa Beach Resort. With vacation rental occupancies up and sales increasing, many believe that the effects of the economy on Kolea are coming to an end.

With twelve vacation rentals in our program, we have one of the largest selections of vacation rentals at Kolea. They have enjoyed an average occupancy of 75% this first quarter. The “front row” of Kolea has really become the most desirable location on the entire coast. Our front row villas had an average occupancy of 90%. Along with these great numbers, we were able to book multiple reservations into other villas at Kolea due to all of ours being occupied. In early April we helped host a wedding party staying at Kolea. Not only did they book all of our villas, but also six others at Kolea.

Going forward, there are almost ten times as many future reservations confirmed this year in comparison to last year. A lot of this is in part to a large convention at the Hilton this summer, which has booked several of our villas, and a family reunion this Christmas, which booked all of our available villas. We also have several repeat guests that have rebooked for next year.

Kolea has led the Waikoloa Beach Resort in sales over the course of the last six months. There have been a total of eight sales and four are currently in escrow. Most of the sales have been on the smaller villas at prices much lower than the purchase price. Currently there are not any villas on the market that are foreclosures and there do not appear to be any short sales at very low prices. The recent sale of 7F for $2.55 million has brought hope that better days are to come for the real estate market at Kolea. If you are interested in discussing real estate at Kolea, contact your real estate agent or one of our recommended agents, Johnny McElree and Beth Robinson. Johnny McElree can be reached at (808) 443-6288 and Beth Robinson can be reached at (808) 443-4588.

We are looking to add more three bedroom/three bath villas to our vacation rental program and would like to discuss our services with you at your convenience. You can reach us at (808) 987-4519 or waikoloavrm@aol.com.

Over the years of running a vacation rental business in the Waikoloa Beach Resort I have come across numerous web sites that rank the vacation rental complexes at Waikoloa Beach Resort.  The thing that seems to amaze me is that most of the companies aren’t even located in Hawaii so I have a hard time understanding why they feel they would be able to correctly rate the properties.

Here are my rankings taking into account what I think along with what guests have mentioned to me over the years.

Kolea
Kolea is by far the most luxurious complex at Waikoloa Beach Resort.  The average selling price of a villa there is almost double that of any other complex at Waikoloa Beach Resort, which supports the fact that they are very nice and in an excellent location.

Pros- Only beachfront vacation rental complex; Spacious lanais with grills; Luxurious interior finishes; Solid construction; Easy access to all the Waikoloa Beach Resort amenities
Cons- Small pool

Halii Kai
Halii Kai is in a middle class of its own.  It is nicer than the other complexes at Waikoloa Beach Resort, but falls short of Kolea. The Halii Kai Ocean Club is the most attractive feature of Halii Kai.  The Ocean Club is on a bluff overlooking the ocean and features a multi-layer heated resort style pool, restaurant, and fitness hale.

Pros- Halii Kai Ocean Club; Spectacular views from the buildings towards the front of the property; Tennis court
Cons- Small Interiors; average construction; distant from the amenities at Waikoloa Beach Resort.

The rest of the vacation rentals all fall within the same class of properties.  Although they they are close in value, there are some that are a little more desireable than others.

Vista Waikoloa
Pros- Centrally located within Waikoloa Beach Resort; Good construction; Large lanais; Heated swimming pool
Cons- Road noise for many of the buildings; Many of the interiors are outdated

The Shores at Waikoloa Beach Resort
Pros- Good construction; Resort style pool; Tennis Court
Cons- Many interiors are outdates

Colony Villas at Waikoloa Beach Resort
Pros- Townhome style so there is no other properties above you; Nice pools; Quiet location
Cons- Distant from the amenities of Waikoloa Beach Resort

Beach Villas at Waikoloa Beach Resort
Pros- Nice interiors; Convenient location to the amenities of Waikoloa Beach Resort
Cons- Poor construction

Waikoloa Beach Resort Fairway Villas
Pros- Nice interiors; Convenient location to the amenities of Waikoloa Beach Resort
Cons- Poor construction; Small pool area