02/03/2025
Recently, a company called, “Travel Awaits”, appeared in my news feed listing the “7 Most Important Features in a Vacation Rental”. I thought it would be fun to see if I agreed and how our condo stacked up against their list. More importantly, I was wondering how people who use vacation rentals regularly agreed and what other features they might consider important.
#1 – Reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi – I have to say with this as the number one most important feature I had to go check out the writer and yes, she is much younger than I am. LOL – while important, it would not be my most important feature. I’m happy to say that Royal Mauian has high-speed internet as part of our HOA dues, so all the units have this feature.
#2 – Fully Equipped Kitchen – Another surprise for me. I think it matters how long you are staying. We will often eat breakfast and sometimes lunch in the condo but often go out for dinner. But sometimes when we are stay two to four weeks, we make a big Costco trip and do a lot of grilling on the rooftop deck. We also cook at home more when our son’s and their friends visit – we save dollars on food so we can do other attractions.
#3 – Washer & Dryer – this one should not have surprised me. I know many of our Guests do all their laundry before they pack to go home, so they can hit the ground running when they arrive. I was never a fan of this – I do laundry at home – not on vacation. But I always like the ability to throw a load of towels through so they are fresh or if we are there for a couple of weeks, nice to wash the linens.
#4 - Outdoor Space – I agree with this one. Why go to Hawaii if you can’t enjoy being outside. Royal Mauian offers lots of options – nestled between two of the nicest beaches on Maui – Kamaole I & II as well as a terrific grassy lawn and the fabulous rooftop deck. We will also use our lanai for a quick breakfast or lunch.
#5 – Parking – Check – we do have free parking. Visiting our son on Oahu I was shocked that the hotel we stayed in charged $54/night for Guests to park their car. That was more than our car rental cost per day! Guests do have to remember to sign in and getting a parking stick or hanging tag and only one car per unit.
#6 – The Basics for Kids – Hmmm the example that was given was a fenced yard – not really an option where we are, but we have a box on the deck that is loaded with sand and beach toys. We also have an entertainment closet n the home that has all types of games and puzzles from age 3 to adult. This could also refer to the fact we offer a Pack n Play.
#7 – Self-Check-in – I agree this is nice – not sure how important in the scheme of things. It does offer lots of flexibility and if you are running late you don’t need to worry about alerting anyone. Also, in our case, if you have given your flight details, we always try to give a complimentary early check-in or late check-out when possible.
A couple of items that did not make the list, which was really surprising to me. Number one for me is Cleanliness. I always read through reviews to be sure anywhere we are staying has not had complaints about how clean it is or that linens or kitchen items are worn and need replacing.
I would have also prioritized a Convenient Location. It’s nice when you can walk to several beaches or just cross the street for a grocery store, boutique or restaurant.
Air conditioning as another item that I find is getting more important on Maui. We installed air conditioning when we did our first remodel when we purchased, but never really used it much. Over the years, Maui seems to be warmer or at least maybe a little ore humid and I find I often use the air conditioning at night to make sleeping for comfortable.
Are there other “Must Have” items that I am missing? What does a fabulous Vacation Rental need?
