Military on Vacation?

[Wings5]

Do any military mustachians take advantage of on-base quarters, rental cabins, or other military lodging for vacations? Where specifically have you stayed that was a pretty good deal?

Just curious what's out there.

[Socmonkey]

I haven't used military lodging for personal use very much. However, I did use them when I was stationed in Hawai'i and had guests come visit.

Bellows beach on Oahu - rented a 1BR Cabin directly on the beach for $88 per night. (unbeatable!)
Kilauea Military Camp in Volcano National Park on the Big Island - 1BR Cabin for $65 per night.

Both were great cabins, I had no issues.

This was about 6 years ago, so prices probably have risen slightly.

[TornWonder]

We used to use the cabins on the beach in Camp Pendleton all the time.  Very good deal, especially for that area and being beachfront.

[FI-in-no-time]

We've stayed at Mid-Bay Shores near Destin, Florida and at the Hale Koa in Oahu.

Our Mid-Bay Shores stay was a long time ago and it was called Lake Pippen at the time.  Location wise, it's tough to beat if you're looking for a Gulf Coast vacation.  When we stayed there it was trailers, but looking at the web-site it appears they're cabins now.

While expensive by Mustachian terms, the Hale Koa was an excellent deal for Hawaii.  It's right on the beach and the grounds are gorgeous.  They have a shopette on-site so you don't have to pay inflated prices if you want a snack, drink, or souvenirs.  I think it was ~$140/night but the rates are rank dependent so yours may be more or less depending on your grade.  Parking was $5 a night compared to $20-$25 for most hotels in the area.  If you don't have a Military Star Card, sign up for one when you get there and charge everything to your room.  Don't use the card until you checkout and then you'll get 10% off on your first days purchase which for us was our hotel bill and meals - saved us quite a bit.

[Wings5]

Camp Pendleton looks awesome. We will have to check that out. I never knew there was anything around Destin.

We've been to PMRF Kauai a while back. That was heaven on earth.

[DumpTruck]

Do they have anything near Gitmo?

[Spicolli]

We've stayed at numerous Navy Lodges In Coronado, Monterey, Bay Area, and Everett (WA). Not super fancy but clean and decent for less than $100/night and usually includes a kitchen for money saving meals. Also have stayed at the Shades of Green resort at Disneyworld in 2015 ($119/night)...will be staying at the Hale Koa resort($192/night) in Hawaii next summer and dream about staying at the Edelweiss resort in Germany one day. Those 3 resorts are really nice!

[Acorns]

I have stayed at the Hale Koa and the Shades of Green at Disney World, both quite a few years ago. Both were very nice and a good deal compared with comparable local lodgings.

[HawkeyeNFO]

Key West.  Most of the places run by the Navy are an easy walk to Duval Street.

[HawkeyeNFO]

...dream about staying at the Edelweiss resort in Germany one day....

Edelweiss is expensive compared to some of the other locations right up the street.  Might be a good deal for junior enlisted, though.
 People love it, but you can stay at a nicer place for less money in the same town.

[Michael in ABQ]

My in-laws (Father-in-law is retired Air Force) spend several weeks a year at Bellows in Hawaii in a rented cabin. He was stationed in Hawaii at one point in the 90s and they probably visit at least 1-2 times a year.

[Roothy]

My husband and I are just now exploring military vacation spots.  We recently stayed at Shades of Green, and next week, we're going to Hale Koa.  There's also this website, Armed Services Vacation Club, that is worth exploring.  https://www.afvclub.com/

The one thing we're noticing is that you need to be careful about assuming that these are the best deals.  As someone pointed out above about Edelweiss, Hale Koa is actually not as cheap as doing an air bnb, and with air bnb you'd save further money by not having to go out to eat as much because you'd have a kitchen.  That being said, they're very easy options, and they aren't a BAD deal.  If you want to satisfice rather than optimize (because time spent researching these options is maddening), you can't really go wrong with them.

[COEE]

I got scabies once staying at a dorm for one night in Fort Riley, KS.  I won't be back!

[Nords]

Do any military mustachians take advantage of on-base quarters, rental cabins, or other military lodging for vacations? Where specifically have you stayed that was a pretty good deal?

Just curious what's out there.

It's just like any other lodging-- if you know you're near a military base (or recreation facility) then you add it to your lodging list and shop your priorities. 

In general the prices of military lodging are competitive with the lodging in the surrounding area (minimal taxes too), but it might also be full for Reserve/Guard drill weekends or major conferences... just like other lodging.