VRBO.com - Hawaii

We did - in Arch Cape OR though. It was the best experience. Super easy and the photos of the beach house we rented did not do it justice. Just read the reviews of past guest to get an idea. I even google earthed the house to make sure it's all it said it was.

I've used HomeAway for a girl's weekend (I think VRBO and HomeAway are the same company/owner) and it worked great. We had a great spot, the owners were lovely, and everything went smoothly.

Haven't used it in Hawaii or for HMs, but I did use it to travel around Europe. I 100% recommend it! Wonderful locations, great owners and easy transactions!

I used HomeAway (same as VRBO like Stephanie said) in Puerto Rico and it was great. Just be smart with it - don't wire any money period, don't send any money until you have a contract, etc. We had a great experience though.

We've used VRBO all over US and Caribbean, NEVER disappointed.

I used VRBO to book a condo on Maui. It was great! We paid way less than we would have for a hotel and had a kitchen and washer and dryer too. We stayed in the Wailea area and there are several beautiful smaller beaches there.

My dad used VRBO for a house in maui. we are going in May so I can't tell you how it is yet. He has also done it for a house in Ft. Myers, and we go to that same house 2x a year.

We always try to use VRBO when we travel. We're going to Oahu for our honeymoon and have already booked our house through VRBO.

I have used VRBO and Airbnb successfully. Personally for my honeymoon I preferred to have a hotel make me breakfast etc as opposed to the full kitchen approach but that's just me.

As others have said, if you read the reviews etc you can get some assurance about the property being as expected.

That said, the one thing that REALLY rubs me the wrong way about VRBO and HomeAway is that they make you pay extra for the "Carefree Rental Guarantee" which "guarantees your payment against double-booking, wrongfully withheld damage deposit, or if the property is materially misrepresented."

So basically if you reserve a 3 bedroom luxury home and you show up and its a shack the company doesn't have to refund your money unless you paid extra for the insurance? I think that is ridiculous.

I've used VRBO for a friend's trip and it was the best condo ever for a great price. Highly recommend.

I used it for a family vacation. Turned out great and was way better than advertised online!!