We thought Turtle Bay was FABULOUS! Post-renovation it is just stunning! It is so so beautiful, located on a picture perfect property. The rooms are a very nice size and the food was excellent. The pools were family friendly as was the beach. It is "in the country" as we heard many locals refer to it, but if you want to spend time at the North Shore, it is a perfect location with short drives. It is indeed super expensive. A truly laid back experience. I would return in a heartbeat.
We loved The Royal Hawaiian! We loved the blend of old and new, and thought it was nothing but class without being uppity. Perfectly located on Waikiki Beach, you are in the perfect area for exploring Waikiki and a short drive away to many of the island sight seeing locations. The food was good, and of course, expensive as well, but there is a PLETHORA of dining options literally steps away. Tons of restaurants, counter service, coffee, etc. Everything we tried was great. The Royal Hawaiian was not as expensive as many other hotels we looked at. We used Bonvoy points.
It seems like everyone loves the Sheraton next door. It is happening (lol) and has a lot of family friendly ammenities. Maybe our experience was different, but when we walked over there, it was CRAZY crowded with kids and families everywhere. It was a weekend so very busy. There is nothing wrong with kids and families, lol. They are just concentrated into a smaller area (not as spread out as Aulani). There were a lot of unsupervised kids and it didn't make for a pleasant experience. Also, (again, just our experience) by early evening, the pools were slick with sunscreen, lots of gross stuff floating in the pool (hair, band-aids, food) and garbage and LOTS of towels left all around the pool deck. I personally would not choose to stay there in the future, but there must be a reason why it's loved so much.
We ended our trip at Aulani and thought it was the perfect resort location and blend of fun and relaxation. We loved all locations (Waikiki, Turtle Bay and Ko 'Olina) equally for different reasons.
If you are not looking at a beach resort in Waikiki but want a clean, good location, check out Coconut Waikiki Hotel. We considered this option when we first planned our trip. We would consider staying there in the future.
