I am going to share a HUGE travel budget tip today that my family uses while traveling to Hawaii. To give you a little background, we love Hawaii so much that we travel there just about every year. We hit our 11th trip there this year. It’s our favorite destination! People always say Hawaii is so expensive! How do you travel there as a family? Well, I am going to show one of the ways we are able to travel to Hawaii on a budget.

Airbnbs versus Resorts

Are you the type of family that loves luxury resort life and resort amenities? However, because you need more space, you usually end up booking Airbnbs. Nowadays, most families prefer more space. Let’s be honest, it doesn’t always feel like a vacation when you spend a week cramped in a tiny hotel room with your family. But in Hawaii, the resorts are beautiful and that’s where you want to be.

What if you could have both space and resort amenities? The good news is you can! A vacation club has all the amenities of a resort plus extra space and full kitchens. Vacation club amenities include gourmet kitchens, washer/dryer, barbecue grills, daily activities, pools, hot tubs, water slides, a kids club, beautiful grounds, air conditioning, (yes! some Hawaiian hotels do not have A/C), and dining options. Vacation clubs are the best of both worlds!

The resorts listed below are all ocean-front vacation club properties on beautiful beaches. Some vacation clubs are located next to the same chain hotel resort and offer the use of both properties! I can’t think of anywhere better to stay. These are the best luxury resorts for families and all with ocean views.

Vacation Club Resorts

Did you know that you can stay at a vacation club without being an owner? Did you also know that vacation clubs offer discounted stays in return for listening to a 90-minute presentation?

This is one of our biggest secrets for affording Hawaiian vacations. We focus on the high-end well-known brands, like Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, & IHG. You might be thinking that’s not for me, I can’t say no to a time-share presentation. If you know you can’t afford a timeshare and you know you can’t say no, then this is not for you. But for those of us, that can say no to something we don’t need or want and want to pay a quarter of the retail value, then this is for you!

To be honest, the last few time-share presentations that we have sat through have not been high pressured sales. Although we’ve considered buying at times, we know it doesn’t make sense for us.

Where do I find these offers?

These offers are widely available and there are several ways to find them.

Last year, there was a Marriott offer advertising on Facebook. You can go directly to the hotel chain’s website and sign up there to get offers. We took advantage of this offer and paid $399 for four nights in a studio room at the Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club.

You can also google these offers. For instance, if you google, “Hyatt Vacation Club Offer”, there are currently four offers available on their page linked here. The website is even showing you available booking dates! You can also call to find out more information.

If you’re staying at one of these big branded hotels, there may be a vacation club desk in the lobby or they may contact your room and let you know of a special offer. The best offers are the offers that allow you to stay at the vacation club that they are trying to sell you.

We receive offers in the mail or email frequently. I currently have two offers in my email. The first offer is for the Hilton Vacation Club in Hawaii. The other offer is from IHG Vacation Club. The Hilton is offering five nights for $649 plus 15,000 Hilton points. You can choose between two Hilton properties in Hawaii. The IHG Vacation Club is offering three nights for $249 with $100 back after the presentation. This means three nights will cost you $150. You can choose from nine IHG Vacation Club properties.

I have not inquired into the specific details of these offers, but sometimes only the one-bedroom or studio unit is offered. You may be able to upgrade to a two or three-bedroom for an additional cost.

Techniques to Receive Specialized Offer

If you can receive a special offer just for you, most likely it will be greater than one you can find online. So here’s how to start getting these offers directly to your mail or email. Sometimes we get an offer for a brand new resort, which is always the best kind of offer. This happened to us for both the Hyatt and the Westin.

You can sign up for hotel-branded credit cards and the corresponding hotel program. If you are a member of the hotel program, you will be sent specific offers just for you. You will also want to sign up for these credit cards to earn the welcome bonuses so that you can extend your resort stays with hotel points. Read my blog post here on how to get a free vacation with miles and points.

Sign up for hotel-branded credit card offers

Hyatt Card- Apply Here

Marriott Bonvoy Card- Apply Here

IHG Card- Apply Here

Hilton Hhonors- Apply Here

Vacation Club Resorts in Maui

We have accepted offers from Hyatt, Westin, Marriott & IHG. Here are some of the best Maui resorts.

1) Hyatt Residence Club Maui

Expansive Lanai with Ocean-Front views at the Hyatt Residence Club, Maui

Staying at the Hyatt Residence Club in Maui was one of our favorite family vacation resort experiences. This luxurious resort offers one, two, and three bedrooms with expansive private lanais. From the Lanai, you have the most amazing views as the resort sits oceanfront on Ka’anapali Beach. You really could spend all day enjoying the views in the cozy furniture on the Lanai.

The accommodations include a gourmet chef’s kitchen and modern furnishings. Wall to floor windows giving you the perfect view of the ocean from your bedroom and living room. The two-bedroom is just under 1,200 square feet and the three-bedroom is 2,100 square feet which are perfect for large families.

The resort has a kid’s pool, waterslide, and fitness center. There is also an infinity pool and of course, you are just steps to the sand. You can enjoy water sports from the beach activity center. It really is the perfect resort for the whole family.

Water Slide at the Hyatt Residence Club Maui

This hotel has the perfect location! Adjacent to the Residence Club is the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. At the time of our stay, we had access to both facilities. The Hyatt Regency has a beautiful property that has great pools. In the pool area, there is a kid’s pool, a bridge, a family pool with waterfalls, hot tubs, and a swim-up bar.

We stayed five nights at the Hyatt Residence Club and then continued our stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui for two nights. The average rate per night at this hotel is about $1,200 a night. The total cost that we paid for five nights was around the price of one night at retail!

We used points from our Hyatt credit card welcome bonus to pay for these additional two nights. Two nights at the Regency would cost you over $1,000. To book with Hyatt points, the cost is 25,000 points per night. With the Chase Sapphire card’s current welcome bonus of 100,000 points, you could have up to four nights at the Hyatt Regency in Maui. That’s a $2,000 value.

Apply for the Hyatt card here.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire card here.

2) The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas

The Westin Nanea sits oceanfront on Ka’anapali Beach. If you’ve never stayed in this area before, there is a pathway parallel to the ocean for morning and sunset walks. It is a short walk to Whalers Village, which offers shops and restaurants. It is a great location for families.

This resort has one, two, and three bedrooms. There is a kid’s pool and water play area perfect for young children. This is a newer property and we received the offer a few times but didn’t take advantage of it until last spring.

The offer was for five nights and a rental car for $800 for a one-bedroom unit. They also gave us a $100 resort credit. When we arrived they ended up giving us a two-bedroom garden view. However, we were able to exchange it for a one-bedroom with an ocean view since it was just my husband and me. The cost of five nights in a two-bedroom here is just under $5,000! We paid the cost of one night but received a five-night stay plus a rental car just for listening to a timeshare presentation.

We really enjoyed the resort although we visited just as Covid-19 was forcing everything to shut down. You can use the amenities at the other two properties next door as they are also Westin Vacation Clubs. We combined this stay with one night at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka'anapali Beach, using our annual free night from our Marriott Bonvoy credit card.

We will actually be headed back to this resort next Spring with our family. When we declined the timeshare purchase after the presentation, they offered us an additional discounted offer to come back. The cost of the new offer was more than double the cost of the first offer, but we were offered five nights in a two-bedroom unit plus 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. My husband rolled his eyes as I signed up for yet another timeshare offer! I can’t turn down a good deal! And definitely cannot say no to free Marriott points!

These additional offers seem to be an ongoing theme. If you decline the offer, they try to get you back at the resort with another discounted stay. This has happened to us twice and we have heard of it happening to others. It’s such a great deal and that’s why we keep going back! This is the best place for families.

3) Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club

Photo Courtesy of Marriott ‘s Maui Ocean Club

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club is also located on Ka’anapali Beach which is a great beach for the entire family. The west coast location is a short drive from other popular beaches and activities and just under an hour from the Kahului Airport. The resort offers one, two, and three-bedroom villas as well as guest rooms. The outdoor pools here include a super pool with waterfalls, slides, a children’s pool, and a grotto.

Since the resort sits oceanfront, you have direct beach access. You can also enjoy the pathway along the ocean and walking distance to Whaler’s Village and Black Rock beach.

The Resort offers family activities, crafts, and games! They have fitness centers with complimentary classes or you can relax in the spa. They have both restaurants and bars on the property. This is one of the best hotels for families and will make for the perfect Hawaiian vacation!

Do and Don’ts with Time-Share Offers

1) Research the offer carefully before deciding on it and putting down a deposit.

2) Stick with the BIG branded hotel chains. That is where you are going to find VALUE.

3) Remember this is not a free hotel stay. Look up the price range of the hotels to ensure you are getting a great deal!

4) Know what you are getting, where you are staying, the type of room, what’s included, and any freebies.

5) If the offered nights are not long enough, ask if you are able to extend nights for the same average cost, or ask what the price is for additional nights.

6) If you are purchasing with a deposit, but reserving dates at a later time, make sure that there are no up-charges for holidays or high season dates (inform yourself of any extra costs).

7) When staying at the resort, do not miss the presentation! They could charge you full price!

8) If you attempt to book flights for your stay dates and the prices are not cheap consider adding additional hotel night stays to the end or beginning to save money on flights. Sometimes you can change your dates for no additional cost.

9) If you have a hard time saying no, then come to the presentation with an exit plan! We bring the whole family and that usually helps us to get out of the presentation sooner.

10) Lastly, do not forget you booked this offer! If your dates are not available to reserve, find out when they open those dates and add a reminder for yourself to call and reserve at that time. These offers are not usually cancelable or refundable. Book as early as you can.

Pro Tip: If you cannot add more nights to the offer, then plan to extend your vacation at another hotel with points. If the vacation club is available, you can book with points there if you have the same branded points!

How Often Can I listen to a timeshare presentation?

Every brand has its own rules and terms, but as a general rule, they allow one timeshare discounted offer every 12-18 months. When you read the terms of the offer, the rules will be listed there.

Do these look like budget hotels? Definitely not, but they will fit your budget.

This is one of the most common ways that we travel with our family on a budget. Vacation clubs are some of the best places for your Maui vacation while on a budget. They will give you great value for your money. Your family will have a great time! Have you traveled to the island of Maui?

Read about the other methods we use to save money while traveling here.

Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links at no cost to you. By signing up for credit cards through my links, I may earn a small commission. All of the content above is the opinion of my own and not of any airlines, hotel chains, or credit cards.

Where your family should stay in Maui on a budget