Ohana Beach Rentals Hawaii was the first property manager out of the box to offer luxury rentals in the much-touted Trump International Hotel at Waikiki Beach Walk.

Ohana, a small, high-end property management and real estate firm founded by Warren Daniel, began marketing more than a dozen rental suites at the Trump a few weeks ago, with results.

“;We're already taking bookings,”; said Daniel.

Ohana is offering studios at the Trump Waikiki for introductory rates of $250 to $350 per night and two-bedroom units for $450 to $700 per night.

Daniel says he started marketing the units as rentals, even though the tower is not done yet, because long-term vacationers typically book six months in advance. To be safe, no guests have signed up prior to Dec. 1, he said, and they are required to book a minimum five-night stay.

Trump Hotel Management of New York also recently began taking online reservations for the 38-story Waikiki tower, also starting in December, at rates ranging from $255 a night for studios to $885 a night for a three-bedroom oceanfront suite.

Buyers are scheduled to close on their units in September. The tower's construction is scheduled for completion this fall, with an opening by year's end.

Ohana Beach manages about 85 rental properties on Oahu—from Waikiki to the North Shore—that its clients can choose from, including condos at the Hokua, Waterfront Waikiki and Ilikai, as well as private estates and oceanfront homes.

It is the exclusive rental agent for the Alii Estate on behalf of the Outrigger Canoe Club, which bought the 2.6-acre beachfront property in East Honolulu last year. Rent at the estate starts at $750 per night, with a minimum 30-night stay.

It also manages the 65-unit Diamond Head Beach Hotel on Waikiki's Gold Coast.

Though visitor numbers are down, Daniel says his units are about 90 percent occupied this summer because of his focus on a niche market.

Ohana Beach targets what Daniel calls moderate-term vacation rentals—anywhere between three weeks and three months. For these lengths of stay, he said, a short-term rental at a beachfront estate typically amounts to less than the daily rate at a luxury hotel.

Many of the tenants include business executives, high-ranking military personnel, foreign dignitaries, visiting professors and A-list entertainment celebrities whom he declined to disclose.

During the run here of “;Lion King,”; for instance, he helped many of the cast members find rentals.

Daniel sees his jump on Trump Waikiki rentals as a win-win, not so much as competition for the Trump Hotel Collection, which will run the tower's front desk. Daniel, who bought a unit at Trump himself, said he expects to refer shorter-term clients to the Trump management and hopes it will refer longer-term clients to him.

On the company Web site at www.obrhi.com, every property comes with a complete floor plan and virtual tour. Clients can book rooms online, but Ohana Beach requires a phone call to finalize a reservation. Rents also are paid in advance.

Ohana Beach's commission on bookings is 25 percent.

If a client is interested in buying property in Hawaii, Daniel and his staff, who are also licensed real estate agents, can step right in and help.