Hotels outside of Aulani

[ksromack]

We already have 5 nights reserved at Aulani using our DVC point in May 2020. Our very last night in Hawaii (Oahu) will be a saturday night. I think we want to stay in Waikiki because there is a tour we want to do that picks up in that area. Which hotel is your favorite in the Waikiki area? I think we would splurge for an ocean view since we won't have that at Aulani (we've booked an island view studio there).

 

[kyton]

There are only a handful of properties in Waikiki ON the beach. Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hale Koa (military personnel only), Outrigger Reef, Halekulani, Sheraton, Royal Hawaiian, Outrigger Waikiki then the Moana Surfrider. Further outside of Waikiki At Diamondhead you have New Otani and Kahala.

Personally I prefer the Halekulani end of Waikiki as it feels a little more quiet (we stay at Trump at least once a year however it’s across the road from the beach).

It will all come down to your nightly budget and what bedding configurations you need (ie how many people in your room, we are a family of 5 so always have a 2 bedroom suite).

 

[Mufasa2018]

The park shore at the end of Waikiki has very reasonable rates and good location for thier ocean views. I stayed there before and it's right across the street from the beach.

 

[ksromack]

Do most of the hotels have parking available onsite? It's only 2 of us and since it's one night I'd likely spend more than we normally would. Besides, it's my birthday week when we are there It will be our last night in Hawaii and we'll be flying out in the evening. Will probably have a rental car.

 

[dmar]

Hilton Hawaiian Village does have onsite parking, as we've stayed there before. Can't say for the others.

 

[Mufasa2018]

Yes most of the mid to high priced hotels have parking between $30 and $50 per night.

 

[dmar]

The Kahala (used to be called Kahala Mandarin) is a nice one, it does have a dolphin lagoon for the kids/adults to swim with at a fee. It is outside of Waikiki by Diamond Head so maybe a 7-10 minute drive. The restaurants at the hotel are good and the beach is less crowded.

 

[nkereina]

With only one night in Waikiki, and assuming you want to explore the strip, I would not stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Its at the far end of the strip making for a long walk. We stayed at the Waikiki Beach Marriott which was centrally located and good for our brief stay where we knew our focus would be on Waikiki rather than the resort. We also loved the Moana Surfrider - unique property with beautiful views, but I think the price point may be higher which might be hard to justify if your time at the resort is limited.

 

[ksromack]

Are sundays good days to explore the strip? We are really staying in Waikiki to take advantage of the pick up for our tour. They will pick up anywhere in Waikiki. The tour is either on saturday or sunday so I was leaning towards saturday.

 

[nkereina]

Are sundays good days to explore the strip? We are really staying in Waikiki to take advantage of the pick up for our tour. They will pick up anywhere in Waikiki. The tour is either on saturday or sunday so I was leaning towards saturday.

We were there on a Saturday and Sunday and there was a special event going on that shut down the main road. It did cause a delay in our bus tour due to traffic, but we did enjoy walking the strip and checking it out. There were crafts and food trucks, etc. The Leonard's malasada truck was parked right outside our hotel! So I think weekends has a higher chance of running into something like this, but its not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[kyton]

If it’s a special occasion and only the two of you, then I would stay at either Halekulani (consistently voted number 1 hotel on Oahu), Royal Hawaiian (which is the amazing pink hotel with gorgeous lush grounds - not many places in Waikiki have the same amount of land) or Moana Surfrider (such a stunning hotel reminiscent of Raffles in Singapore). All 3 have parking - not sure whether it’s valet or self parking but they definitely have parking.

 

[ksromack]

Thanks for your input. I booked Moana Surfrider for our one night (but probably 2 days) in Waikiki. So many great choices were offered here and this one just felt right!

 

[rocketriter]

I gotta say it: the Royal Hawaiian is still the queen of Waikiki (and expensive to match). It has a central location that's terrifyingly close to high-end shopping, superb restaurants, a great luau, and gracious service. It's unsurpassed for elegance, but the wrong place to book if you or your kids want to get rowdy without people staring at you. It's worth a visit and a grown-up meal if you don't stay there.