For packages...
If you are sending packages to arrive with stuff you need for your time here:
The best way would be to put into the flat rate boxes the post office have — you can get a lot in them (they are acceptable as long as you can close them and seal them) and they don’t go by weight, they go by box size.
There are two versions of their “medium flat rate boxes” with which we can ship 5 bags of coffee in that is $10.95 and there is a “large flat rate box” that is $14.95.
These go Priority, there is no such thing as Express Mail to here it will arrive at the same time as Priority and would be a waste of your money.
If you are looking at the USPS rate chart -- everything to here is zone 8, so anything over two pounds (including the total weight of the box) will be cheaper in the flat rate box as 2 pounds priority to zone 8 is well over the cost of the flat rate box cost.
I would recommend you contact Jim by email and ask to send to his residence -- which is just down the street from the Kona Comfort Rental. Or even better just give him a call -- land lines call toll free 1-877-526-8352, cell phones dial 808-885-6651
If you do not use the postal service Flat Rate Boxes and elect to use regular Priority Mail and those rates, try to use their boxes as they are already well marked with the Priority Mail emblems all over them.
If you use your own boxes MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE that each side of the box has the PRIORITY MAIL stickers or their branded emblem tape visible. When the packages get sorted they WILL NOT take the time to look at the postage or look at the address side — they will pick the box up and if they don’t see the PRIORITY icons might very well toss it into the parcel post bin. If it gets into parcel post it can take three weeks as at the point it comes to Hawaii all mail arrive in Honolulu and if a package is identified as parcel post they do not rush anything for that class of mail and it comes over on a barge rather than a plane, then at this end (on our Island) again it is not handled until other more important mail has been processed. Our post office over here is very good but like other companies they only have so many people to process the massive volumes of mail and parcel post can just be left sitting for a while at several points in the chain.
We use USPS for practically everything and it works like a fine clock as long as you remember to put those stickers on every side or otherwise use the Flat Rate Boxes that are very visible and well recognized by the USPS staff.
Very typically, priority mail will get here in two days — even big packages. Sometimes three. The only incidents where it takes longer has been mailed on a weekend, holidays occurred between time it was mailed and time it was in the process cycle, peak busy periods like tax time and Christmas, and when we noticed the boxes were not well marked as Priority with the post office emblems.
Send it with a couple of days cushion (I say mail on a Monday and we should have by Wednesday or Thursday, do this AHEAD of your arrival week -- and they should get here and catch a ride with us to the rentals during our normal routines. We will bring them in and set them in the garage and they will be waiting for you. The garage many people have used it to store luggage, cycling bikes, for parts shipped in and it has worked well for everyone in the past.
For regular envelop mail...
For mail while you are at the rental (or get pressed to the final minute before your arrival and you think the packages will arrive the same day you do or a day later and you will be around to watch (mail can come several times but usually in early afternoon)). And you want to take the risk of them being out in the rain (we do have a mail box but packages not likely will fit). You can send them to the rental address...They are used to all types of names as many people stay several weeks or longer and sometimes they are workers and need parts, computer disks, etc., so you can actually use your name, or a combo like this:
(Your Name)
c/o Kona Comfort Rental
74-1496 Hao Kuni
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740