On 26 Apr 2007 06:22:37 -0700, JamesStep@gmail.com wrote:
>A couple years ago, Hawaii was ranked as the most expensive state in
>the U.S. for food & lodging for tourists. A family of 2 adults + 2
>kids averaged $518 per day for food and lodging, compared to a
>national average of $247.
>
>
>Apr05_LodgingCostsUp.html>
>
>I have sometimes taken food on trips due to a medical condition, and
>while it can save some money frankly it's also a hassle. And I'd be
>wary of taking frozen meats, as they might thaw out during the long
>flight. Food poisoning would ruin your trip real quick.
>
>James
>
It's turning into an interesting thread, despite starting as
a troll:-)
Those surveys are ridiculous. They probably just averaged
the rack rates for the top ten motels/hotels in each place
and the same for the top ten restaurants. I note that it was
done by the AAA; one thing we never used was the AAA
discount rate at motels - it was higher for Super 8's and
similar than we paid via priceline for Marriott's and
Hilton's.
Do you know anyone who pays rack rate? I don't. I'm a
self-funded retiree, not a travelling businessman - who gets
corporate rate anyway. So who does pay rack rate?
They also never mention the on-line bookers like hotmail,
priceline or expedia. A search on Hotwire for 2 adults and 2
kids next Monday in Waikiki shows rates upwards from $59,
including a 3.5* at $123 and a 4* at $179
http://tinyurl.com/yv6t63
Maybe the others here are connoisseurs who eat only at the
top restaurants - but I'm not, nor are most families when
they travel.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in a cheaper hotel in Hawaii,
cooked my own breakfasts in the hotel (medical reasons) and
ate well at modest establishments - from take-away at
lunches to restaurants in the evenings.
Hotel: $64 per day for two of us (extra people would have
been $10 each) http://www.royalgrovehotel.com/
Not 4* - but quite OK and a magic location.
Meals <$50 per day.
Hawaii for us was a darn sight cheaper than NYC and about
the same as the other 18 states we visited. In the USA and
canada we used the internet for most bookings, or
occasionally those free "vouchers", and we ate at modest,
but usually excellent, restaurants. Even in NYC over six
nights on two separate trips our average hotel bill was only
$120 pn (Millennium on Broadway, Paramount [never again
there]).
The only food we took to America was as gifts - honey,
macadamias and, of course, vegemite.
Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
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