The Real Beauty of These Hawaiian Condos Is That They're for Rent

By TRACY CABOT and MARSHALL WHITFIELD

Feb. 10, 1991 12 AM PT

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If you’ve ever walked past the 25-foot lanai of a beachfront Hawaiian condominium and wondered who can afford to live there, be advised: You can. They’re usually for rent, some for less--or not much more than--a hotel room.

Hawaii’s condos are often next door to the fanciest hotels. Others hide away on cliffs overlooking crashing surf, on deserted beach-fronts, along manicured green fairways or in private-entrance Waikiki high-rises. Some come with concierges, daily maid service, pools, restaurants, tennis courts, even room service.

Choosing a perfect Hawaiian condo vacation means first picking your island, then the condo. Each island, like the various condos, has its own personality.

OAHU

Waikiki bustles with busy boulevards, yuppies on car phones, tourists and all-night action. Condos offer a respite from the hustle-bustle, a small oasis of calm to call your own. Here, the higher the better, since street noise in Waikiki echoes through the night as in any big city.

Aston Waikiki Beach Towers are the most sophisticated, upscale condominiums in Waikiki. From these elegant ocean-view high-rise units you can see forever. Way, way down below, watch the boogie-boarders ride the waves. If you don’t feel like cooking, order room service from nearby Hyatt Regency’s fine restaurants.

Colony Surf is on the quiet end of Waikiki, next to the Outrigger Canoe Club, where actor Tom Selleck hangs out and where the locals prefer to spend their time. Your 25-foot-wide front window is right over the water, where the old masters paddle their canoes out into the breakers. Room service is available from Michel’s, downstairs, one of the best French restaurants in the islands.

Fairway Villas, overlooking the Ala Wai Canal just three blocks from the beach, is the best bargain in Waikiki at $900 per month ($34O a week) for a studio with kitchenette, including free parking. Not decorator-gorgeous, but equipped with a large refrigerator, coffeepot and washer-dryer in each unit. Many high units have views of Diamond Head, the ocean and the mountains.

Turtle Bay Condo’s North Shore location gives it an entirely different feel than any of the other condos on Oahu. Not luxurious but nice, with golf and garden views, the condos are only a short walk from a protected swimming cove and the Turtle Bay Hilton, the only place on Oahu where you can ride horses on the beach.

MAUI

Maui is hip, fast and fun--Hawaii’s “cool” island where the “in” people congregate. If you want to avoid teeming Waikiki, while still enjoying lots of glittery shops, gourmet restaurants, night life and action, Maui’s the place to be. Maui’s condos run from budget to super deluxe.

Kaanapali Alii, on Kaanapali Beach between the Hyatt and Westin, is action central. Inside, you bask in subdued luxury, with decorator elegance, gorgeous fixtures and even bidets. Here, as in most condos, corners are primo , and even the back corners have great mountain/ocean views. Room service, of course.

Aston Kaanapali Shores is on the quiet end of Kaanapali, in a tropical setting, with a small restaurant and gift shop. The best units here are two-bedroom, ocean-front, with extra-large balconies right over the water. They’re especially quiet, with great views of sunsets across the Molokai channel.

Colony’s Sands of Kahana sits so close to the ocean that you seem to be floating on the water as you look out toward Lanai to the southwest and Molokai to the northwest, with some local fisherman setting their nets in between. At night, from your bed, you can see the Lahaina moon reflecting on the water. The units are huge and the setting is quiet, and only 10 minutes by car from Kaanapali Beach’s action.

Kahana Villas (Condo Free Resorts), just across the street from Colony’s Sands of Kahana, is a “budget alternative.” Top units feature ocean views from both the upstairs bedrooms and the downstairs living rooms. Units are attractively decorated, well kept and a two-minute walk to the beach.

Wailea Ekahi Village condos have some ocean views framed by pink and purple bougainvillea climbing up the outside patio. It’s an older condo development, but nicely decorated and maintained, with lots of green grass, beautiful gardens and one of the nicest, most “private” beaches on Maui.

BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII

From the sprawling Parker ranchlands to snowcapped Mauna Kea to the orchid gardens of Hilo, the still-being-born Big Island excites your senses with black-and-green sand beaches, vast lava fields and a live volcano.

Like the island itself, condos here tend to be spread out and secluded, set like lime-green oases in an other-worldly black lava desert, bordered by an azure sea.

Mauna Lani Point is simply drop-dead gorgeous, set on an ocean-front bluff about 28 miles north of Kailua Kona, surrounded by the Mauna Lani golf course and the ocean. In front, one of the most beautiful snorkeling coves in all Hawaii sparkles with jewel-like clarity. Be sure to do your grocery shopping on the way in, because once you get here, you’ll never want to leave. Aston Shores at Waikoloa is encircled by a jade-green golf course and a rough of black lava. These new condos are spacious, elegant and private, yet within walking distance of Hyatt Regency Waikoloa’s restaurants, disco, tram and dolphins.

Sea Mountain at Punalu’u, on the undeveloped south end of the Big Island, is where the locals come to drop out for a couple days, visit the volcano and just unwind. The only sounds are the ocean crashing against the lava rocks in the distance across the golf course, birds singing and the low hum of your ceiling fan. The Big Island’s best bargain--only $100 a night for a simple-but-clean one-bedroom with king bed, and $30 for a round of ocean-front golf.

KAUAI

Kauai, the sweetest, most Hawaiian and least developed of the four major islands, offers serenity in a setting of stunning natural beauty.

The sunny South Shore (Poipu) contrasts with the lush North Shore (Hanalei and Princeville), where sunshine is interspersed with tropical showers and rainbows. A narrow bridge keeps tour buses out of laid-back, sleepy Hanalei, allowing a rare glimpse of unspoiled Hawaii. In winter, the surfing is great; in summer, Hanalei Bay is calm.

Hale Makai Cottages feature charming country decor and beach-front seclusion near Bali Hai on Kauai’s North Shore. Four cottages share a green lawn, banana trees and a sandy beach; the front two offer the best views. From the cottages, you can walk to Charos restaurant or drive to Hanalei.

Pali Ke Kua’s condos perch on a bluff overlooking fabled Hanalei Bay. Below, a winding path leads to a tiny, sandy beach. In the distance, waterfalls glint against the dense green mountains, and sunsets are framed against the jagged cliffs of Bali Hai.

Colony’s Cliff’s at Princeville are decorator-perfect, featuring entertainment centers with high-tech sound systems and floral arrangements that match the pictures on the wall. Set on the bluffs at Princeville, with golf course and ocean views and the best manager’s cocktail party on the island.

Hilton Villas are large, well-equipped and make lots of sense if you want a Kauai condo with room service, plus hotel restaurants and a disco. The second-floor ocean-front units are quiet, with ocean and sunset views. Located midway between the North Shore and Poipu.

Kiahuna Plantation, right on sunny Poipu Beach, with surfing and snorkeling out front, is between the Sheraton Hotel and the Poipu Beach Hotel, with lots of restaurants, shopping and a disco close by. Plantation-style units surround a huge expanse of green lawn. Great for families with children.

Colony’s Lawai Beach Resort looks out onto one of Poipu’s best beaches. Nicely decorated and fully equipped, with snorkeling and surfing right out front, and a five-minute drive from the big hotels down the beach or the quaint shops in old Koloa.

GUIDEBOOK

Hawaii’s Condos for a Price

How to get there: American, Continental, United and other major airlines fly to Hawaii from Los Angeles, from about $248 round trip. Aloha Air and Hawaiian Airlines both offer inter-island flights.

Car rentals: A car is needed everywhere but in Waikiki. Before calling other firms, check with Tropical at (800) 367-5140. It’s locally run and often has the best deals.

Condo rates: Prices below are per day, except Fairway Villas.

OAHU:

Aston Waikiki Beach Tower--(800) 922-7866; $285-$650.

Colony Surf--(800) 252-7873; $125-$315.

Fairway Villas--(808) 923-1364; $900-$1,300/month, or $340-$475/week.

Turtle Bay Condos--(808) 293-2800; $85-$175.

MAUI:

Kaanapali Alii--(800) 642-6284; $144-$425.

Aston Kaanapali Shores--(800) 922-7866; $129-$310.

Colony’s Sands of Kahana--(800) 777-1700; $159-$350, includes car.

Kahana Villas--(800) 535-0085 or (808) 669-5613; $110-$205, includes continental breakfast and car.

Wailea Ekahi Village--(800) 367-5246; $110-$260, three-night minimum.