Oahu Hotels

Hilton Hawaiian Village: Excellent stay

by Gypsystravels

Sheraton Waikiki: Nice Beachfront Hotel

by cjg1

The Royal Hawaiian: Fantastic Stay at the Pink Palace

by cjg1

Moana Surfrider: A Historic Beachfront Hotel

by cjg1

When I was perusing hotles for our first Hawaiian trip togetehr so many options were available. I had always wanted to stay at the Moana Surfrider and I knew it's historical significance would appeal to my wife's love of historic hotels and buildings. I also wanted her to have a beachfront hotel with a balcony overlooking the water; which the Moana has in abundance.

The Moana Surfider Hotel is also called, "The First Lady of Waikiki." The hotel is a landmark being the oldest hotel having been built in 1901. The hotel has undergone many renovations and additions since it first opened yet it still maintains it's historic flavor. The building itself is grand with its' large white main house with large porches, verandas and detailing.

When we first pulled up in front of hotel the sight is breathtaking. We hopped out of the cab and our bags were handled by the doorman. We entered the beautiful foyer and lobby; what a sight. The front desk was to the right down a corridor. Check in was a snap and we were handed our room cards. Our room was an Oceanfront Deluxe (Room 3720) in the Diamond Wing. The room was the basic deluxe room with King sized Westin Heavenly Bed, bathroom, Flatscreen TV, dresser, desk, chair, otoman and a beautiful balcony overlooking the water.

The hotel has a gym, pool, spa, two restaurants and the Beach Bar with Veranda Courtyard. The Beach Bar is a great place to grab some cocktails and snacks. The Veranda hosts the Afternoon Tea and Breakfast Buffet. The Beach House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Banyan Courtyard seved appetizers and cocktails.

Our stay here at the Moana was wonderful with few complaints. The towels were okay at best and the room a bit blah but we wanted the location and the view which was incredible. The staff here was very friendly and helpful; truly unbelievable service. We had excellent stay and the hotel was stunning. I think when it comes to service, location and ammeneties, the Moana is an excellent choice when visiting the area.

My absolute favorite thing about staying here was our balcony. The beach views were incredible. We loved sleeping with the balcony doors open and eharing the crashing waves below; it made for excellent sleeping.

The buffet breakfast at the Veranda was unvbelievably good and I would reccomend it to anyone.

The Beach Bar was a fun way to hand out and enjoy some coctails in a beautiful setting.

I liked that the hotel has it's own roped off section of beach along with chairs and umbrellas. Yes, you need to reserve them in advance but it was a nice alternative to fighting the masees on the rest of the beach for a spot in the sand.

Liz and I enjoyed the front Vernada and the rocking chairs. We spent some early morning and late night time rocking away on the Veranda having some good conversation.

JW Marriott Ihilani: Best View of the Lagoon from this hotel.

by coa333

The Marriott Ihilani had one of the best views I have ever seen. It rivals the view from our hotel room when we visited Bermuda. The Lagoon is right below the hotel and allows the kids to swim and also has an opportunity for you to snorkel in the same lagoon.

The water is turquoise and very calm.

Continental Surf Hotel: simple but cheap

by mindcrime

The majority of tourists choose a hotel at Waikiki. There is a long avenue, Kalakaua Av. That has most of the hotels, one next to the other. Some rooms are nice because you have an ocean view but double check before book anything because you will pay for the view even if the ocean view means a small spot of the water if you hang your head 1 meters out of the balcony! Kuhio avenue has some cheaper options while Lemon Road focuses on the real budget side.

We preferred a hotel at the Kuhio Av (parallel to Kalakaua Av, which means three blocks away from Waikiki beach only) which also houses two rows of high-rise ugly hotels. You can see Continental Surf Hotel at pic 1. The prices are cheaper here and if you are lucky you may have a good city view.

Our room was at 22nd floor and although it was very simple we loved the city view (pic 2) with the non stop traffic day and night (there was no noise up there). The room (pic 3) was very simple but very clean so we didn’t complain, the price was ideal anyway ($65 per night with taxes). The double bed was comfortable as the room it self (160 sq feet). The table with a chair in front of the window was also nice and helpful to put the laptop and check VT :)
There is free wi-fi connection, a microwave, a refrigerator, a coffeemaker, a TV, a safe box (with key) and above all Air Conditioning of course :)

The bathroom was small but clean also and the wife liked the hair dryer, there was also a iron/ironing board in the closet. They provided us with coffee and new towels every day.

Aqua Bamboo & Spa: Aqua Hotels & Resorts

by Phalaenopsis03

Part of the Aqua Hotels & Resorts, I found the Aqua Bamboo & Spa quite charming, especially with its tropical Zen theme. Hal booked us the Studio Kitchenette with Partial City View, which had all the comforts of home, including a cutting board, which we actually took advantage of when slicing up star fruit, yum! However, most attractive about this hotel is its location, only a block or two away from all the sights and attractions of Waikiki Beach. Perhaps the only drawback to this property is its tiny underground parking lot. It held approximately 10 cars, and with the Dodge Charger we rented (we were upgraded for free), Hal found it challenging maneuvering the big car around in the tiny garage.

Description is of the room we stayed in, which was the Studio Kitchenette with Partial City View. The room features a balcony with partial view of Waikiki and the surrounding areas.

Studio kitchenette includes:

* Stove, microwave, mini-fridge, coffee maker, toaster, dinnerware for 2
* Free in-room high-speed internet access
* Free in-room safe (laptop compatible)
* Free local & toll-free calls
* 32" LCD TV
* Air-conditioner (perfect for tropical weather)

Hotel services and amenities include (this isn't a comprehensive list):

* Free continental breakfast (fruit, pastry, beverages) daily, served poolside
* Free WiFi internet access in the lobby and poolside
* Coin-operated laundry, washer ($1.25) and dryer ($1.50)
* Garage parking ($20/daily)

Note: Tip originally written on Oct. 20 for Oct. 2009 visit to Oahu.

A nice one night stay: Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio

by Gypsystravels

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa: An Excellent Oceanview Hotel in Waikiki

by Gypsystravels

Wakiki Prince Kuhio Hilton: Like Royalty!

by CatInEurope

We wanted to stay in bed all the time and we weren't even on our honeymoon! The rooms were gorgeous. The bed plush and comfy - the bathroom was stunning. One block from a fantastic beach.

All in all a great hotel!