Family vacation to Maui

[UPDATE 02/09/2015: DON'T BOOK LODGING THROUGH TONYA WILLIAMS (DREAM TRAVEL INC.). SHE RECENTLY DECLARED BANKRUPTCY AND MAY HAVE FLED WITH OTHER TRAVELERS' MONEY (INCLUDING MINE). We booked our annual Maui trip through Tonya as usual in November 2014 for a April 2015 trip. Others who had booked through her VRBO Kaanapali Beach Club listing later received an email notice stating that the listing may no longer be valid. After searching further, we found evidence that Dream Travel was in bankruptcy and Tonya may have fled with recent booker's money. There is a Facebook page called "Have you been a victim of fraud by Tonya Williams of Dream Travel LLC?" that I encourage you to visit if you were a victim of Tonya's fraud.]


My family and two other families from the Wedge recently spent nine rejuvenating days in the mid-Pacific paradise of Maui. It had been 13 years since my last visit to Hawaii. How I managed to let this much time escape without a return is beyond me. I won't let that happen again.

Here is a snapshot of the current weather forecast for Ka'anapali, Maui where we stayed:

My next profession: Weatherman in Ka'anapali. I think I can handle it.

So, yes, the weather was perfect and we had a relaxing and fulfilling vacation, but I do have one rant regarding this vacation which I will get off of my chest up front. Our lodging reservation, although it eventually panned out, was a nail-biter from the beginning.

Along with being a slacker, I am notoriously cheap so I spend unreasonable amounts of time seeking out the "best deals" online especially when it comes to travel. This habit has me perusing sites on the fringes of the inter-webs, far from the tried-and-true Expedia's and Orbitz's (who usually end up having the best deals anyway). Eventually, I happened across an amazing deal on vrbo.com, a site that I have used exactly once in the past, albeit successfully. The offer was through a firm dubiously named Dream Travel, Inc. run by a woman named Tonya Williams. Cost was $1249 for 8 nights. This price was amazing for two reasons:

1. It was literally half the cost of booking directly with the resort
2. It went outside of the standard 7-night blocks required when booking Timeshares which ideally suited our 9-day travel plan.

I did some quick research on Dream Travel and Tonya Williams and found scant reviews, all either positive or neutral. So, I booked it. Payment went through PayPal immediately and I confirmed it with Tonya via email. "Lodging" was now checked off of my vacation to-do list.

Weeks later after a few email prods, Tonya sent me the reservation confirmation. It was noticeably sparse; no confirmation number or lengthy disclaimers, but I thought this apropos for a vrbo.com transaction. Two days prior to takeoff I decided to call the Beach Club to confirm our reservation directly.

"Sorry, sir, but we see no such reservation. What is your confirmation number?"
"I don't have one..."

Damn. Emailed Tanya and, luckily, got an immediate response: She had just been in touch with the front desk and confirmed the reservation. It would be "loaded into their systems" that evening.

"OK, fine, but at least give me a confirmation number."

She replied with one that I used in a successful confirmation during a second call to the resort the next day.

Check-in was guaranteed for 4p. We arrived at 3:50p and I approached the front desk and gave my name.

"Sorry sir, I see no reservation under that name."

So, I gave her the confirmation number. She found it under the worst mangling of my name I have experienced to date: Mark Gordano. I somehow convinced her that Mark Gordano was Mike Garofano and, finally, all was well in paradise. Except...

The front desk attendant said that our room was not yet ready but that it was guaranteed to be ready by 4p.

"But it's 3:57."
"Yes sir. We guarantee that it will be ready by 4p. Please check back then."

I sheepishly scanned her face for a hint of kidding. Nothing. So, I stifled an "Are you serious?!" and an "Am I being Punk'd or something??" and found a soft seat in the spacious, open-air lobby.

<In thick French accent>: ...Three...Minutes...Later...

"Yes sir. Your room is now ready."

Now, all was truly well in paradise. Plus, as a sign that Murphy had indeed given up on enforcing his law, the owner of the sub-let was some kind of a VIP in their timeshare club and their privileges were passed on to us. A ocean-view room (well, partial ocean view...more on that later) and no-fee pool towels were ours. Not much, but something.

The moral of this story: I would use Dream Travel, Inc again as they do seem to have screaming deals, but next time will demand more information sooner and be sure I have a better handle on the booking process. I will also enter a Dream Travel, Inc. review of my own on vrbo.com to give others a heads up.

Stay tuned for installment two of my Maui vacation trip report where I will give a review of Ka'anapali Beach Club (post-check-in) and NW Maui restaurants and beaches. The slant will be much more positive than this blog post, I promise.

[UPDATE 5/14/2013] We returned to Maui last month and booked our stay at the Ka'anapali Beach Club through Tonya Williams' Dream Travel Inc once again. No problems at all to report. Another family we travelled with also booked through Dream Travel with no issues (in fact, they ended up with an awesome two-bedroom unit with a huge deck and paid the same low price.) I can now confidently recommend Dream Travel for booking lodging (at least at Ka'anapali Beach Club on Maui).