3 Big Benefits to Booking a Condo with a Travel Agent

Recently we've all been hearing a lot of our clients telling us that they are booking a condo directly with an owner, rather than with a travel agent, because it costs less.

Before you make that decision, let us explain the benefits of booking through a travel agent and a reputable management company, like Outrigger Hospitality. Here are three great reasons to book with a travel agent.

1. You will be able to check-in and check-out at the front desk of the property vs. having to go to another off-property location, like a realty office, to pick up the key.
2. You will enjoy regularly scheduled housekeeping services.
With owner-direct bookings, the unit may only be cleaned only after the guest leaves.
If you need or want certain types of housekeeping or maintenance services during their stay, and if they booked direct with the owner, they may have to arrange for these services themselves, via the owner or the owner's representative. If you book through the agent, we'll take care of this for you.
3. You will have overall peace of mind knowing that you have an experienced travel agent behind you if you need assistance to make your vacation experience match your expectations.

It's your vacation and your time to relax. Let us book your condo for you. Give McCoy Travel a call to book your next Outrigger getaway to any of the Hawaiian Islands.

Fiji Family Vacations Video - Travel with kids and have fun!

Fiji Family Vacations Video - Enjoy the islands with the kids - Enjoy amazing kids clubs and amazing activities. Lots to do for kids of all ages - Fiji Escapes Travel is here to help with your reservations! 800-LUV-FIJI http://www.fiji-islands.com/ Call today and enjoy places such as Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji or Castaway Island Resort with a fantastic kids club and the friendliest people on earth!

My Heavenly Fiji - JM Cousteau Fiji Resort - Melissa McCoy's review and Video

Bula!
Staying at the JM Cousteau Fiji Resort in May of 2010 was one of the most relaxing experiences I had enjoyed in a couple years. I stayed in both the Villa and their Honeymoon Bure with jacuzzi on the deck. The service and food were both spectacular. In Melissa fashion, I packed up my kayak with a bottle of french champagne and paddled out to MY private island for a perfect late morning/early afternoon awaited me. The resort boat came out and brought my massage therapist so I could receive a pampering massage under sway palms. My picnic lunch was gourmet to say the least. I am looking forward to my return visit to this most enchanting Fiji resort. Please don't be shy now, give us a ring at 1-800-588-3454 (in Hawaii) to find out about current and last minutes specials.Or email us at vacations@mccoytravel.com. Make sure you include your name and phone # if you are looking for specific dates/offers.
Also visit our Fiji Escapes Blog
Sota Tale (see you later)
Melissa

Kona Village - So Amazing Hawaii's only Thatched Hut Experience!

Aloha!

What an incredibly serene place to relax! Kona Village, on the Big Island of Hawaii, oozes relaxation with the sounds of the ocean all around and sassy palm fronds dancing in the breeze. Take a nap in your hammock, snorkel in their pristine cove, enjoy a massage in the oceanfront massage "hale". Whether a Family Vacation, much needed relaxing get away, a honeymoon or wedding, Kona Village brings the South Pacific to you without having to fly there!

The McCoy Travel gang had a really wonderful time together. Sue and Mark both flew out from the east coast. Everyone had their family or good friends with them. The Resort extended such amazing hospitality to us which is exactly what the staff extend to all guests. I felt like I had stepped back in time, enjoying a small thatched hut resort warm and welcoming staff.

We have exclusive offers and values at Kona Village. All meals and many activities are included. And we have even more in store for you. Call us in Hawaii at 1-800-256-4280.
For many last minute specials on resorts in Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Mexico, Thailand and beyond.
Fondest regards
Melissa

Visit my other BETA blog too
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Fiji Islands BLOG

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel - Hiapo Cockett Reviews

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Amazing Big Island beach is almost an oxymoron. While you can find stunning ocean views, swimming beaches are rare. Then, if you are looking for a 5 star resort in addition to a great beach, your list gets very short. Fortunately, compromise is not necessary if you choose the Mauna Kea. The most northern resort on the Kona side, it is a good hour or so from the airport. Situated on an amazing cove with the type of white sand that dreams are made of, the Mauna Kea was always a nice resort with the perfect location. A couple of years ago a sizable earthquake caused some minor damage. This gave the owners a perfect excuse to close the entire resort and spend $150 million to not only make the needed repairs, but to completely redesign the rooms.

Now, with only 258 rooms total, you have a state of the art resort with everything one could ask for in a Hawaii resort. Brand new rooms feature great beds, big screen HDTVs hidden in a wall cabinet, iPod docks, dimmable lights that have master controls at the door as well as your nightstand, and the bathrooms: THE BATHROOMS! Twin sinks that are WELL LIT (and dimmable) L’Occitane bath products (including their fizzy bath cubes!), and in the bathroom area is a tub big enough for a 6’3” me to float! It has a design that lets you fill the tub to the brim (neck high for me) and if you splash a bit too much, IT DOESN’T MATTER as the whole bathtub area is tile and drains into the shower area. This shower area has a huge rain-shower-head in addition to a hand held shower. Many of the rooms offer a view outside to either the mountains/golf courses or the ocean. These rooms feature a second balcony off of the tub area (with a privacy curtain, of course).

Dining options abound with 5 different restaurants, plus room service, a weekly luau, a special Sunday brunch (this whole chain is famous for their gigantic brunches), as well as their famous Saturday Clambake. If you are a drinker, make sure you check out Monettes steak and seafood restaurant, where you will find one of the most exotic liquor selections anywhere, and the Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar (named after the spot where they attract manta rays at night) where they offer 48 different wines “on tap” letting you sample many different wines without necessarily buying an entire glass.

Mauna Kea, I think I’m in love.
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-4910
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com

Kona Village Resort - Reviews by Hiapo Cockett

Kona Village

There are very few places in Hawaii that feature the same kinds of individual bungalows as found in other parts of the Pacific. Add to that a dearth of resorts that include meals other than breakfast. Finally, there are no other places in Hawaii that allow you to disconnect from the outside world the way that Kona Village allows.

Built on 80 acres on an oasis surrounded by old lava flows, 120 individual thatched roof huts line the shores of the ocean, beach and brackish pond. Run more like a family operation, you will feel your many stresses melting away because of the many little touches: no televisions, radios, internet access or clocks are in the rooms, thus eliminating the constant droning white noise of the outside world. Cell phone use is highly discouraged outside of your room. Even the path lighting is subdued. Just as a blind person has other senses enhanced, you will find more stars in the sky, more rhythm in the waves crashing to shore, and notable by its absence: a complete lack of busy sounding noise common in most resorts.

Quiet does not mean boring. Kona Village features a full activities desk with sailboats, kayaks, snorkeling gear (AMAZING snorkeling conditions and turtles abound), cultural activities, hieroglyphics tours and a full gym are offered complimentary. Massages, golf, and helicopter tours from their own helipad are some of the options available for an extra charge. Weekly paniolo (cowboy) BBQ’s and twice weekly Luaus are included in the meal inclusive rate. You can call our very own activity hot-line for pricing and reservations: 877-256-4248

Nowhere else in the US will you find a more genuine and relaxing stay than at Kona Village, as evidenced by their HUGE repeat clientele list. Check out of the world, and into Kona Village.

Aloha,
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-6143
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com

Honua Kai - Hiapo's Hawaii Reviews

Aloha,
As we start the Holiday Season, Thanksgiving reminds us to count our blessings. I am thankful that I have been able to visit several new resorts this Fall (some new, some new to me!)

Honua Kai
First was the new Honua Kai. Finished about a year ago on the North side of Kaanapali Beach, Honua Kai raises the bar on fine Hawaii condominiums. Fine touches abound inside and out of the studio, one, two and three bedroom units. Starting with the common areas, 3 pools form the focus points. One of the pools has a nice waterslide for little and big kids, a sandy-bottomed area, a couple of grotto caves with waterfalls, and water fountains for the delight of your little ones. Signature red umbrellas highlight the beautiful grounds surrounding the pools, where you will also find cabanas (for a Hawaii bargain price of $25/day!) and covered couples lounges. Next to the pool, you will find creative dining served up by Dukes Beach House, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which also handles poolside service. In the main lobby, you will find Aina Market, featuring an amazing selection of local gourmet favorites, a gelato bar, a fresh and creative sandwich menu, and some of the better beer and wine selections available on Maui.

Inside each of the suites, you will find some of the nicest amenities available in a Maui condo. Kitchens replete with marble counters, stainless steel Bosch appliances, plenty of nice dishes suitable for entertaining (including my personal requirements: a martini set!). Each bedroom has its own big screen LCD TV (with all digital cable), some of the most comfortable beds on Maui (let alone in a condo), and a separate bathroom with DEEP tubs, and separate glass-enclosed showers. Even the living rooms have queen-sized sofa beds featuring the same fine linens found in the bedrooms, and another big screen LCD TV. The in-room Bosch washer and dryer made it convenient to unpack clean laundry when we got home! Complimentary wireless/wired Internet further add to the long list of amenities.

Other services include 2 gyms with state-of-the-art equipment, available underground valet parking (think hot car relief), and a kids club that takes 3 years and up (the only one I know of that takes under 5 years in Maui). Daily maid service and room service make this condo feel more like a full service hotel. Do yourself a favor; the next time you are thinking about a condo in Hawaii, there are few nicer places than Honua Kai. My wife is already bugging me to plan our next stay.

A Hui Ho, (Until next time)
Hiapo Cockett
213-784-4910
Hiapo@McCoyTravel.com