My friend (and Hawaiirama blogger) Bruce does a nifty podcast on how to get cheap Hawaii hotels. Surprisingly, there are a decent number of totally decent cheap hotels for this price. And if you want to dip into condos, then $140 per night actually can get you quite a deal in some places such as Napili on Maui (one of the nicest, least known beaches in the state). I love the Napili Kai (which is not that cheap) but there are others that are below the $140 mark which are perfectly serviceable. On Kauai there are a good number of hotels and resorts below that price point in the Kapaa area on the so-called Coconut Coast (which lacks good swimming beaches). On Maui the Old Wailuku Inn often has rates that start just above the mark and are wonderful, particularly if you want to experience old style charm. So there are definitely plenty of options in that range.

—Alex, 03/23/08