Let's Eat!

I just got back from Maui and I kept track of what we ate and how much it costs. I have to preface this post by saying I didn't really go crazy with cocktail/wine ordering and we are really not big desert people, it was a quick trip, so it's kind of a guideline.

I have been staying a lot in luxury all-inclusives a lot lately, so I needed a bit of reality check what happens when you have to pay for all your drinks and meals. We all know Hawaii is expensive - but are we talking what I call "Tahiti Money" (I call Tahiti money anything that is hitting a $1000/day mark), or is it still more affordable than French Polynesia?

So here we go: 1st when we got to the hotel we had a fridge but nothing in it so we had to run over and buy some waters/sodas:

FRIDGE $33.14

Then after a long day of travel - we needed some cocktails and juice

COCKTAILS $44.27

Then my daughter and I went to dinner, my husband stayed in - had my daugters leftovers, one of the cocktails and chips from the airplane. 

DINNER $66.25

My dinner was an appretizer, I enclosed a menu - great food Mala Wailea - where investors are Alice Cooper and Steven Tyler with lots of celebrity guests. 

In the morning we got a breakfast buffet - $28.95 per adult $13.95 kids - we just got charged Marriot Rewards price 2 adults no kid charge.

BREAKFAST $61.98

My husband gets annoyed sometimes when I take food photos, so not everything is pictured. 

Then lunch - sandwiches and a couple of cocktails.

LUNCH $95.00

And after an afternoon full of activities we decided to have sme cocktails and chips.

COCKTAILS $36.16

And then we went out to dinner. My husband and I shared an appetizer and we didn't order desert, my daughter's meal came with ice cream.

DINNER $200.00

 I have to note this dish was excellent - well worth the $42.00 price tag. Seared sashimi in sauce of shitake mushrooms ginger black and white sesame, chives and yukon gold mash. Yum!

And then there was breakfast he next morning - I stayed at the hotel and my husband and daughter went to the Haleakala volcano for the sunrise - they had snacks I packed for the drive there and then breakfast buffet later then me, altogether 3 buffets and a $6 chmapagne.

BREAKFAST $92.93

And then there was cocktails and lunch. As we were both doing other things - I was working by the pool, my husband and daughter were sleeping I had a pool lunch and they had room service. Altogether 

LUNCH $112.63

After our respective lunches, we went from the south of Maui (Wailea) to the west side Kaanapali, and had a beach day and dinner at Royal Lahaina. Sorry for the pizza and steak 1/2 eaten - they were hungry. No appetizers no deserts my dish was a 1/2 portion.

DINNER $100.00

with tip

And the next morning 3 buffets (my husband didn't let me take his food photos)

BREAKFAST $87.83

Lunch was great - poolside at the cabana. There is a $25 charge for a private cabana,but I left a $25 cash tip on it - so it evens out.

LUNCH $117.13

And then the mandatory Luau. Kids eat free, and we had an internet reservation $30 discount. I personally wasn't crazy about the food, we went there for the show. But my husband and daughter gorged themselves on brownies and cakes. We left $20 in tips so I'm counting $234.57 instead of $214.57 that says on the ticket.

DINNER $234.57

And the following was our last breakfast - I had a breakfast with our daughter and my husband had room service eggs benedict. There was a $5 cash tip for the room service.

BREAKFAST $85.61

We were supposed to arrive lunchtime the 1st day because I wanted complete meal days, but our flight was cancelled, so 1 lunch less.  But I ended up doing the average cost anyway

I averaged breakfast at $82.08.

I averaged our lunches to $108.43. 

I averaged dinner at $147.70 

Fridge and cocktails  $48.17

$7.96 I averaged daily cost of water/soda for a fride and $40.21 for cocktails

Even though the 1st dinner was just appetizer and kids' dinner - we never ordered desert or appetizers so I figured the kid's cost would about even out for 2 adults ordering for a daily average.

So the average estimated daily food cost in Hawaii for 2 people is $386.36. 

That's my math, it may not apply to everyone, but its a good ballpark.

Oh, let's not forget a mandatory resort fee of $35/day and a self parking fee of $20/day, so let's add $55 to the $386.36 to make the FINAL DAILY FIGURE $441.36

I'm not saying it's not worth it - I believe in letting yourself go and enjoying your free time to the fullest, the fact that some things cost more than at home is just the nature of Hawaii, but I certainly know some people that are on a budget and will order a drink less or no appetizer and no desert to save a few bucks. 

My whole point of writing this article is for those people who want to enjoy themselves on vacation to be aware what things cost and to be prepared and not have their hard earned vacation ruined.

Happy Travels!