Living It Up in Hawaii Via Airbnb

Oahu Paul Mitchell estate:

The late celebrity hair guru built this seven-bedroom estate in Lanikai, on the windward side of the island, to resemble a modern Polynesian village.

Separate structures ensure privacy, but there are plenty of shared spaces for socializing around the outdoor fire pit, swimming pool grotto and on the beach. It has a barefoot-chic style, with a mix of Balinese and Hawaiian décor, hand-carved woodwork and soaring ceilings.

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$6,000 a night, www.lat.ms/paulmitchell Obama getaway:

Yes, it's called that for a reason. The Obama family has spent several Christmases in this glorious Kailua abode built around a pool that resembles a natural lagoon complete with waterfall.

The house has five bedrooms and a huge lawn stretching down to Kailua Beach. It is, of course, extremely private, with a separate wing for guests or children. The house has everything you need for an extended stay, including a fully equipped office used by the president.

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$5,580 a night, www.lat.ms/obamagetaway Banyan Hale This Honolulu house on a private beachfront has seven bedrooms and can sleep 16 guests. If you share with one or two other families, it might make the price tag more palatable.

The airy wood and stone interior has vaulted ceilings and walls that open to the outdoors. A central pool and lush garden lead to a white sand beach. Of course, it has an outdoor kitchen as well as an indoor one.

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$8,819 a night, www.lat.ms/banyanhale Royal Kailua Estate:

The pièce de résistance of splurges. This 11,000-square-foot beachfront house, in a quiet and gated area of Kailua, can sleep 14 in eight bedrooms.

It has a waterfall, bar, gourmet kitchen with two fridges and another outdoors, a screening room and a Jacuzzi. If you're trying to impress, this is the place.

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$14,250 a night, www.lat.ms/royalkailua Maui Hale Makena This beachfront property, just south of Wailea in Makena, has four bedrooms and can sleep eight. The front of the house opens to the Pacific, but if the ocean is not your thing, there's an infinity pool and hot tub.

This place is great for golfers because there's a course five minutes away. The interior is open and modern, with a contemporary nod to Hawaiian style. Arm wrestle over who gets the master suite with the huge wood-paneled closet.

You'll have to pack at least one pair of Jimmy Choo shoes to do it justice.

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$2,836 a night, www.lat.ms/halemakena Penthouse at Hale Pau Hana This five-bedroom place, on untrammeled South Kihei Beach at Maui's southwest end, is for those who don't care about being in the middle of the fray.

You can sit on the 60-foot lanai and watch the whales go by while your freshly caught fish sizzles on the outdoor barbecue. The tab includes snorkel gear, two kayaks, a stand-up paddle-board, and two sets of golf clubs (the Maui Nui Golf Club is nearby).

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$1,920 a night, www.lat.ms/halepauhana Kauai Hanalei house Perhaps because Kauai is more down-to-earth, there aren't many truly upscale places for rent. You can't beat the location of this three-bedroom cedar house on a private stretch of beach in Hanalei.

The décor is simple with Hawaiian-print fabrics and tile floors.

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$1,250 a night, www.lat.ms/hanaleihouse Hawaii Island Hale Pau Hana This five-bedroom estate, on the grounds of the Mauna Kea Resort in Waimea, can sleep 10 in luxury. It has a resort-worthy pool with a 15-foot waterfall and its own swim-up bar. If you feel inclined, all the resort amenities are available to you, including the Robert Trent Jones golf course.

Info: $4,537 a night, www.lat.ms/hawaiiislandhale Hale Okalani:

The house feels like an old-style Hawaiian home, with a shady veranda, rolling lawn and established trees on Puako Beach not far from Mauna Kea. It has three bedrooms and sleeps six.

The sand isn't great at Puako Beach, but Hapuna, voted one of the best beaches in the world by Travel & Leisure and U.S. News & World Report, is a short walk. If you don't feel like cooking in the well-appointed kitchen, there's fine dining in Kawaihae Harbor Shopping Center a short drive away.

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$935 a night, www.lat.ms/haleokalani