Post-holiday Hawaii deals: $385 for air + hotel on Oahu; $214 room + car on Maui

Hawaii could be the perfect place to unwind after all the holiday hoopla. How convenient then that two deals offer good savings for travelers during January. The Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on Maui gives guests a free rental car with a room. And Pleasant Holidays has airfare and hotel packages from Los Angeles to four of the islands, starting at $385 per person to Oahu.

Deal 1: The Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on Maui offers a Jump Into January package that starts at $214 plus tax for a room with partial ocean view, daily breakfast and a free compact rental car.

When: Book by Nov. 30 for stays from Jan. 4 to 31.

Tested: I checked the hotel’s website and found a room for five nights starting Jan. 8 at the $214 plus tax rate. The free rental car is good for the length of your stay. Here are a couple of other features that I like about this deal:

> The package is based on double occupancy but the room sleeps four. It costs just $44 plus tax to add each extra guest, breakfast included.

> The compact car that you pick up and return at Kahului Airport (OGG) can be upgraded to a larger vehicle for a minimal cost.

Contact: Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, (800) 262-8450

Deal 2: Pleasant Holidays’ Hawaii Winter Blowout sale offers amazing low prices for packages that include round-trip airfare from Los Angeles plus three nights in a hotel. Prices start at $385 plus tax per person, double occupancy, to Oahu; $545 to Maui; $579 to Kauai; and $605 to the Big Island. Each package offers a choice of hotels, at extra cost. Extend your visit to five nights and score a free rental car.

When: Good for travel from Jan. 8 to 29 to Oahu, Jan. 8 to March 3 to Maui, Jan 8. to 24 to Kauai and Jan 8 to Feb. 3 to the Big Island. The deal is based on availability, and packages at these prices are likely to sell out quickly.

Tested: I checked a variety of dates online for the three-night package from Los Angeles to Oahu. I found the cost fluctuating each time I changed my flight selections; day of the week and time of day can boost the price.

After trying various flight combinations, I finally settled on leaving Jan. 11 for a three-night stay at the Castle Ocean Resort Hotel in Waikiki. The price came out to $401 plus tax per person. If you don’t want to fiddle around with plugging in dates to see whether you get the best package price, it may be best to book by phone.

Contact: Pleasant Holidays, (800) 742-9244. Or contact a travel agent.