|
People who move to Hawaii usually find that their list of faraway friends grows fairly long in a short time and long-lost relatives suddenly find them -- not quite the case if these same people had moved to say, Dubuque, Iowa. There’s room at the inn
thanks to array of porta-bedsBy Ruby Mata-Viti
rmataviti@starbulletin.comWhen you live here, friends all want to come and visit ... someday. That someday usually falls around, but is not exclusive to, the holidays, when fall and winter weather prompts the search for the warmth of old friends' company. Particularly when those friends live in tropical climes some 2,500-plus miles away.
"Oh, and by the way," they'll say, "would you mind putting us up while we're there?"
Lucky we live Hawaii.
|
Those aware of how fortunate they are to be able to take the richness of the islands for granted won't wait to be asked. These are the ones who open their arms, their homes and their sofa beds to envious visitors -- for at least a week, two weeks tops, anyway.Sofa beds aren't what they used to be, and options for guest beds abound.
If the idea of sleeping in a sofa bed triggers nausea from a childhood memory of spending time at grandmother's, the new generation is a more comfortable lot. They're sleeker too, making storage easier.
Another consideration: If your sofa is at least 90 inches long and quite deep, with removable back cushions, taking the back cushions off would give you a seat portion that might be wide enough to be a roomy twin bed. The seat portion with cushions removed would need to be at least 33 to 38 inches deep to accommodate one person.
Of course there is always your basic floor futon. Here are some options all the way around:
>> Aerobed at Sharper Image, from about $129 for a twin size; $169, full; $199 for a queen size. Laureen Kodama, an executive assistant at the Star-Bulletin, has a couple of twin sizes she pulls out of the closet whenever her parents come to visit from Lanai. "They love it," says Kodama, whose parents fly in frequently for special occasions and doctor appointments. They don't take up much storage space and come with their own motor so you won't get dizzy trying to inflate them with your own lung power.
>> Fold-out mattress at City Mill, about $50 for a twin (3 feet by 3 feet by 74 inches), $70 for a full-size (53-1/2 inches by 6 feet by 3 feet). It's bulky and requires ample storage space, and could turn into a dust collector if not sealed with a plastic garbage bag between uses, but this is one of the less expensive options.
>> The Elaina loveseat sofa from Pier 1 Imports retails for about $390 and becomes part of your living room or den, so there's no storage problem. Amanda Smith at Pier 1 sampled one firsthand when she opted not to risk making the drive home after a bachelorette party and spent the night at a friend's. "It's really comfortable," she said, because it has no springs or metal bars and a foam mattress. The bed portion folds out flat onto the floor.
>> Rental bed from Hawaiian Rent-All. Gordon Loui, owner and general manager of Hawaiian Rent-All, says the company's rental beds are popular year-round, with rentals peaking during spring breaks and holidays when kids return from college, often bringing friends with them. Double rollaways go for $24 per week, $72 per month; singles for $16 per week, $48 per month. The rollaways fold in half for storage during the day. But the storage problem, hopefully, is temporary.
Click for online
calendars and events.
