Why Book Direct?

3 Reasons Why Booking Direct at Hale i Lani Saves You Money and Improves Your Kaua'i Travel Experience

Planning a dream vacation to Kaua‘i should be simple, transparent, and rewarding.  We want you to spend less time worrying about fees and taxes, and more time making memories on the beautiful North Shore.  That’s why booking directly with us isn’t just a better price—it’s a better value and experience from start to finish.

Reason #1: HUGE Savings on Service Fees & Taxes

We recently compared the exact same 7-night stay in December, including all fees and taxes, across three platforms: Airbnb, VRBO, and our direct site.

Here’s what we found:


That’s a difference of over $1,000 in savings

Why the difference?
It’s not because we charge more on Airbnb or VRBO.  In fact, our base nightly rate after host fees is similar.  The extra cost comes from eliminating platform service fees—charged to both guests and hosts that go directly to the platform, not toward your stay. 

BONUS: Avoiding service fees also reduces the taxes you pay! 

By booking direct, you simply avoid those fees and taxes, keeping more money in your pocket to upgrade your travel experience, enjoy an unforgettable excursion, or simply make your Kaua'i vacation more affordable.

Reason #2: Safe and Secure Booking & Payment Processing

Trust and security matter!  We may be a passion-driven, family-run vacation rental business but all of our direct bookings are powered by OwnerRez, a professional property management system, and processed through Stripe, one of the world’s most secure payment platforms.  This ensures your transactions are encrypted, safe, and every bit as protected as if you were booking through Airbnb or VRBO.

When you book directly with us, you get the same level of financial security you expect from the big platforms—without the extra fees.  Plus, you can rest assured that your information is being handled professionally from start to finish, backed by booking technology trusted by property managers worldwide.

Reason #3: Protection With Leading Travel Insurance Options

Life happens.  Plans change.  When you book direct, we offer the option of adding leading travel insurance through RentalGuardian (coverage overview here), giving you peace of mind against unexpected disruptions such as flight cancellations, illness, or weather events. 

We don't make a profit when you choose to add travel insurance.  We simply offer this to our guests as an option to provide you with added peace of mind.  

Instead of paying platform fees and added taxes, your savings could go toward protecting your trip.  You could potentially choose to add Cancel For Any Reason Travel Protection for 10.8% of your trip cost and STILL PAY LESS!  That's real value for your money...

The Bottom Line

Booking direct at Hale i Lani means you can: