Where to stay in Ohau (1 Viewer)

[Michael Mathius]

I heading to hawaii in three weeks but I'm still undecided on where to stay. My options are:
1.Holiday Inn near Waikiki(I got an employee rate)
2.Aston Waikiki Sunset(I got a very good rate)
3.Outrigger on the Beach (I like the idea of being right on the beach)
4.The Hilton Hawaiian Village (the Rainbow tower)
5.Aston tower on the Beach (a little on the expensive side but comes highly recommended)
I'm just wondering where to stay since this will be my first trip. Maybe I should just sta ant the holiday inn and have more money to spend on my hometheater

I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks
------------------
Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.

3EMS Hometheater

 

[MichaelPe]

You mean "Oahu"...
Definitely check out the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I haven't been in 10 years, but I have very fond memories of that place.
For shopping, the "Ala Moana" mall has everything you need.
------------------
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/uub/Forum9/HTML/005780-2.html
MY TOP 20 OF 2001

 

[PatrickM]

Michael,
Is the Aston on the Beach you refer to the Aston at the Waikiki shore? IF it is, I stayed there last year. Excellent condo. Big too. The one we had, had two bedrooms and a huge living area. Beautiful view too since its right next to the war museum there is no building to the west of it or north of it because of Fort Derussy so its unobstructed views. It is a condo though so no room service and it is right on the beach.
The Hilton Hawaiian village is very nice as well. My sister had her wedding there and it is top notch.
Patrick
------------------
My DVD Collection
Patrick The 69th most popular name for boys according to the Social Security Administration.

 

[MikeF]

I heading to hawaii in three weeks but I'm still undecided on where to stay. My options are:
1.Holiday Inn near Waikiki(I got an employee rate)
2.Aston Waikiki Sunset(I got a very good rate)
3.Outrigger on the Beach (I like the idea of being right on the beach)
4.The Hilton Hawaiian Village (the Rainbow tower)
5.Aston tower on the Beach (a little on the expensive side but comes highly recommended)

Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach is smack in the middle of Waikiki and is excellent if you want to be in the midst of the action. Being right on the beach is not so useful, however, particularly in Waikiki, since the beach is public, very narrow, and inevitably packed with people (i.e. if you're looking for beach, stay away from Waikiki generally).
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is first-class, and still quite central. Rates tend to be rather high for what you get, however. I would sooner recommend the Sheraton Moana Surfrider or the Halekulani for the dough, assuming you're not travelling with children (in which case the Hilton is probably preferable).
The Aston Waikiki Beach Tower is probably overkill unless you require the amenities of a condominium (i.e. are staying for 3 weeks).
All this is from my limited hotel-residing experience in Honolulu -- your mileage may vary.
Incidentally, unless you have an affinity for shopping (or crowds of other people shopping), is there any particular reason why you're going to Waikiki, instead of say, somewhere on Maui?
------------------
My oh so exciting DVD collection.

 

[Jay H]

This is humor, but it's actually a great little place, if you ever need a place to literally crash or even just to take a shower before flying on the interisland flights or an outgoing flight to the mainland and you don't want to spend a fortune, the airport itself has a "sleep and shower" that is cheap and real cozy. It's near the airport museum and inside the boarding gate area so you have to go through security but it's a great cheap place to crash. My sister and I spend a night there because we basically had a day to kill on Oahu before flying to Kauai and also we had an early morning flight on the way out and the earliest flight to Oahu from Kauai was after our departure time so we flew to Oahu the night before and crashed at the SnS. It's basically a room with a private bathroom. There is only one twinsized bed but they typically let you use a sleeping bag or an extra blanket so you can sleep on the floor. I know you are looking for resortish hotels but if you ever do any interisland travelling and the schedule is tight, the airport hotel is convienient..
Jay
------------------
HUGBEES!
Certified HTF bike nut and mayor of
Obscuria.

 

[Michael Mathius]

Well I've decided on the Outrigger on the Beach. It seems to be just what I was looking for.
Thanks for all the info and help.
What a great forum.
------------------
Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.

3EMS Hometheater

 

[PhilipW]

If this is the Outrigger I stayed at (they have about 30) it's right next to the large pink hotel and directly across the street from the Internation market place. Great hotel, better location. They also have a restaurant down on the beach level called "Dukes"

. Absolutely a great lunch buffet. The restaurant at the hotel, I believe second floor, was also nice for dinner. Sit out on the balcony and watch the sun go down was great. My wife and I had our honeymoon there and Australia.

Definitely take in Pearl Harbor tour if you can. And if you want to catch a movie, very large cineplex down the street.
------------------

 

[Scott-C]

They also have a restaurant down on the beach level called "Dukes" . Absolutely a great lunch buffet.

I second that. My wife and I went to Hawaii in May on our honeymoon and ate at Duke's while we were in O'ahu. Great food and great location! We stayed at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider (just down the beach from Duke's) and really enjoyed our hotel).
There is also a Duke's in Kauai at the Kauai Marriott, and it's equally enjoyable with it's awesome combination of location (on beach) and food quality.
Enjoy!
------------------
Scott

 

[Michael Mathius]

Outrigger Waikiki on the beach is where we are staying. Since we are going to be in Hawaii for seven nights, we are thinking of going to Kauai for two days. Are we better off just staying in Oahu instead of spliting our time between two islands.
------------------
Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.

3EMS Hometheater

 

[Scott-C]

Each island is different and tastes will vary, so it's difficult to estimate what is best for you. For me and my wife, if we had to do it all over again, we'd stay in Kauai the entire time in Hawaii. We just loved how naturally beautiful it was. It's definitely more of a laid-back type of island, where the enjoyment comes from exploring all the island has to offer in terms of beaches, trails, waterfalls, canyons, golf courses, etc. O'aho, to us, was too commercialized. Now, bear in mind we were only there one night to see Pearl Harbor, so we didn't get out of Honolulu, and I hear the rest of the island is simply gorgeous. That being said, Honolulu was a lot like any other large city to us.
So...now that you understand my personal bias...I would highly recommend Kauai. To me, it has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I've never seen a place with more natural, beautiful diversity (nature-wise). And as if all of this isn't enough, the island is home of the best sushi restaurant I've ever been to! (in Kapa'a).
------------------
Scott
[Edited last by Scott-C on October 16, 2001 at 11:51 AM]

 

[Jay H]

Kauai would be my recommendation also, I spent a week there coming back from Hong Kong earlier this year and absolutely enjoyed it immensely. There are actually direct flights to Kauai from L.A. I think from United but interisland transportation is quick anyway, (30 minute flight from Oahu to Lihue, Kauai). Granted, I'm an avid backpacker and we spent 3.5 days hiking out to the Na Pali coast on the Kalalau Trail and another 2 days car camping in Koke'e State Park. But on Kauai there are a bunch of resortish places in Princeville and they've got great beachs on any side. I'd like to go and see Polihale beach on the far west side, must be an awesome sunset and I'd recommend Koke'e state Park and Waimei Canyon for those people who aren't as outdoorsy as I am. There are tons of places around Kokee that you can do dayhikes and car camp and have great views of the Canyon. I'd only recommend hiking into Waimei Canyon if you have backpacking equipment and a few days to kill, especially in the summer time. Treat it like the Grand Canyon, it's best to hike down a day and spend some time hiking in the canyon and then ascending early morning on the last day to avoid the midday sun.
I'd like to go to the Big Island and bike up Mauna Loa (13680) or go to Molokai which I hear also has some great beaches and stuff.
The few things I did in Oahu (I couldn't get out of Honolulu/Waikeke fast enough) was take "The Bus" (cheap!) to Diamond Head and spend 1/2 a day there. Good views, can be crowded though. It's only a few miles north of Waikeke. If you want a cheap tour of the island, you can actually ride "The Bus" on one of the longer routes that goes around the whole island... all for $2 or something ridiculously cheap.
I'm not one for touristy things so I didn't find Oahu that big a deal, I like less crowds and more nature. Going in early March was GREAT as it is real easy to blend in. In fact, most of the rangers I spoke to in Kauai thought my sister and I were native to Hawaii cause it is basically off-season there and we weren't real touristy looking, and being asian makes it easyier to pass as local.
Jay
------------------
HUGBEES!
Certified HTF bike nut and mayor of
Obscuria.