On the one hand, Hawaii residents generally enjoy their lifestyles and the neighborhoods where they rest their heads, open their mail and barbeque their hot dogs on game day.

But on the other hand, there is widespread acknowledgement that living on Oahu isn’t exactly utopia. Houses are small, many are on lots so tiny you can hear the neighbors’ snores at night, and people aren’t always fastidious about their kuleana, like picking up dog poop, looking after trash cans that have spilled onto the street, or letting collections of rusty, leaky junk pile up on the side of the garage. It’s not a manicured paradise and there’s lots of grumbling.

So why would a tourist want to stay where we live anyway? Many local residents think of a hotel stay as a wonderful luxury. Vacation rentals that are fancy beach houses with jets in every bath tub and room enough to sleep 15 without moving the billiard table are one thing, but a room in a regular neighborhood? Really?

Of course, money is a big factor. Rooms in Waikiki run around $135 a night for a two-star hotel, while vacation rentals start much lower than that.

But the comments vacation rental guests leave on booking sites often turn to the same theme, and they tell a sad truth, at least for some: Waikiki got too crowded for them.

For example, a comment left by a recent guest in an East Honolulu one-bedroom that goes for $80 a night:

“The residential location is great … sufficiently removed from the tourist traps, yet an easy drive to Honolulu and attractions.”

A guest at another vacation rental in the same area listed at $120 a night wrote:

“This accommodation is absolutely perfect for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle and traffic of downtown Waikiki. It’s super close to Hanauma Bay for snorkeling, and is a great launching point for a trip to Lanikai Beach or a drive around the North Shore. And if you want to go into the downtown area, it’s a short 20 minute drive.”

A comment from a recent guest in Kailua read:

“Location is a short drive from downtown, away from all the resorts and tourists, and is very quiet neighborhood with ample parking.”

A guest who stayed in a house in Kaimuki wrote:

“I really like the quiet of this place, not like Waikiki which always has engine noise just like the big city.”

And a room in Honolulu that rents for $69 a night drew this description from a guest:

“Tucked away in the ‘land of the locals’ this comfy space suited us perfectly.”

So here we have another classic Hawaii problem: The thing we thought tourists wanted they don’t want anymore. Why? Because tourism ruined it for the tourists.

What does that leave for the people who live here?

Well, at least we can look for kamaaina deals on Waikiki staycation packages so we can get away from all the tourists in our neighborhoods for a while.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.