A lot of people ask us about the different kinds of hotel rooms available in Hawaii. At the various properties here on the islands, you’ll find a wide variety of categories - from parking lot views to ocean views. And some rooms will have private lanais (balconies) for you to sit on, while others won’t.

You may be wondering how important it is to your vacation experience to have an ocean view. You might already know you want to save money by not having a view. Or, depending on your expectations for your vacation, it might already be an absolute must.

For some folks, this is an easy decision because they're not planning on spending a whole lot of time in their room. If you are planning to get up in the morning and head straight for the outdoors, you probably don’t need an ocean view. You can save that money for other things that are more important to you, like excursions.

On the other hand, if you want to go to sleep with the sounds of the ocean, or if your idea of a perfect Hawaiian vacation includes leisurely mornings as you look out at the ocean with a cup of java on your lanai, then having a room with a view might be “a must” for you.

It all depends on what you want out of your vacation and where you want to spend your money.

Of course, having a spectacular view comes at a higher price tag, and in some case a LOT higher. The more ocean you want, the deeper you'll have to reach into your vacation pocket. The good news is that sometimes we can provide upgrades. And, in some cases, Honeymooners and seniors get bumped up automatically.

On today's podcast, we will discuss the various room categories to help you with your decision making on your next Hawaii vacation.