Latest Reviews for Honolulu

See my review on Aqua Waikiki Wave hotel.

A very nice hotel indeed. We stayed on the top floor so had a sea view and no street noise, room very well decorated and modern and the beds were so comfy! I didnt want to go home and sleep on our crappy old matress. The hotel is very well located, right next door to the market and on one of Waikikis busiest avenues with the beach a 5 minute walk away. Being on Waikiki beach was a good feeling, well worth the 16 hour flight! As for the resort itself, well, theres not a great deal to do. We visited Pearl Harbour and went up Diamond Head, shopped at the Ala Moana mall, and walked from one end to the other and after a week we got pretty bored (had just spent a mad week in Vegas). The food seems to be either typical yank crap (Burger King, KFC etc) or Japanese - which we had a few times and is very nice. Nightlife is fairly low key, all the bars we went to were very quiet apart from 1 that still allows smoking, and that was heaving! Needless to say we went there most nights, plus the food was delicious. I'm glad we went, cos its just so famous, but would not return there.

We went to Oahu as part of our honeymoon trip. The hotel is fantastic. It has everything you want, every type of restaurant/cafe you could need and a variety of shops including a small supermarket where prices are reasonable.

We had a room in the Diamond head tower which when looked out of the balcony had a lovely view of the beach and sea. It was great! The beach was nice and not croweded but only really went on it in front of the hotel. The sand was a bit shelly near the beach and the sea wasn't quite as clear as I thought it might be, but still went for a dip a dew times.

Visited Pearl Harbour and the Polynesian Culteral Centre which is a must. This centre has 7 themed villages from different parts of Ploynesia. There are shows and demonstrations of their cultures.

I also sent to the Sea Life park to swim with a dolphin! I got a belly ride and enjoyed every minute!

Waikiki is nice, they seemed to have spent money making it nice. It has many designer stores and lots of restaurants to choose from. It was about a 15-20 min walk from the hotel.

After spending a fantastic week in Las Vegas at the Bellagio, we flew with Hawaiian Airlines to Oahu. The flight was fantastic and on arrival we knew we had come to a lovely island. I was disappointed not to be greeted at the airport with a lei as I dreamt of this happening, you always see it in the films don't you? However, on arrival at the Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki Beach, we were greeted with a lei and felt more at home.

I must admit, the hotel is very old and we were very disappointed with our room. We had a 'sunsational room' but this was very pokey, overlooked the area where plants are kept to be planted in the grounds with the car park entrance behind. Not what we expected at all. The room badly needed work on it, updating and redecorating.

The famous Mai Tai bar is fantastic and the staff cannot do enough for you. Our other complaint is the pool area. If you are rich and famous, your sunbed is made up for you at what must be before 5am in the morning as we ventured to the pool area at 6.30am to find many beds already made up by the pool attendants for these sort of people. What was really annoying was that most of them did not come down to the pool until at least 11.30am and then spent about 1/2 hour on their beds, left them reserved and spent the rest of the time on their other 'reserved' beds on the beach! There are even signs to say if a bed is not used for an hour, the towels will be removed! One rule for one and one for another.

Unfortunately, during our stay, we were called from the UK to say she had hours to live. As soon as my husband went to the Concierge, everything was done for us, they were brilliant. They phoned Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Airlines and got us on the next available plane home. At a time like that, they were remarkable.

I doubt if we will return to the Royal Hawaiian, but it is worth a visit but you would have to pay for a big upgrade to a luxury ocean room to get a decent room.

An excellent honeymoon destination and hotel. Definitely glad we chose the Hilton. Extremelly good customer care and service and we didn't want to leave the hotel grounds becuase we felt so relaxed there. We did go on the Pearl Harbour trip (11am trip - lovely.) and the island trip (longish day but good to see the rest of the island and driver/tour dude was funny) Make sure you have a lot of spending money if you intend to SHOP, or if you generally shop in Prada and Tiffany's then you're in heaven!!! Excellent part of the beach, only problem is the cost of the parasol and sunbeds and the hire of inflaable water beds and rings. Expensive, especially if you don't intend on being on the beach from 9am until 6pm (like some did)

Everything on this honeymoon was fantastic. From being upgraded to a room 'with a view' instead of the garden view we payed for to the night before we left was an absolute delight and we are definitely wanting to go back again when funds allow).

We would recommend splitting the two flights (from Heathrow) over a couple of days. we did it all in one go and was a killer!!!! More - so going out there than coming back. You're forever going back in time. Our travel day was Monday and never seemed to end. We saw 5pm at least twice (I'm sure it was actually three times)

This is a truly wonderful hotel set right on Waikiki Beach. The beach is smaller than we expected but it really never felt over crowded. There is also a large outdoor pool area inside the hotel with ample beds around it.

We had read other reviews about the hotel being in need of some modernisation and we think this must of happened. From our first walk into the massive open plan reception we felt that we had picked the right hotel.

On checking in, we were told we had been given a free upgrade. Our room was amazing. We had a corner room with 2 balconies (views over the city and a view of the sea), a sitting room part of the room with a sofa and a king size bed.

We are beach lovers but with so much to see and do we found we spent less time on the beach than on other holidays.

2 sunbeds, parasol and table are about $30 a day. We got them the days we were on the beach, others didn't but soon changed their minds. Occasionally through the day the tide comes right up the beach. Laying on a towel when the tide comes up and everything getting soaked didn't look much fun!

The walk to the main part of the town was just 5 minutes away. Here the other hotels all had there own restaurants that anyone could use as the choice of restaurants on the main road is quite limited. A must for a meal out is the Cheesecake Factory. Don't be put off by the waiting time(normally at least an hour). They give you a small box and just before your table is ready it buzzes, so you can wonder off and do some shopping and just wonder back when your table is ready for you.

There are 3 restaurants in the hotel. The best choice was the one where you cook your own food!! You order what you want and they bring it to you raw and you join all the other diners at a massive grill and cook away.

The open bar that overlooks the beach and ocean is wonderful. There is live music playing each night and this bar gets pretty busy later into the evening (as does the beach around it where you can take you drink outside, sit on the beach and listen to the music).

There are 2 other bars in the hotel, we didn't go into them but they both looked equally as much fun (one with live music and the other around the pool area).

Every member of staff we had any contact with were so friendly and they were honestly there to make sure you have a wonderful stay.

The hotel organises trips to Pearl Harbour. We booked the mid morning trip rather than the early morning one (which leaves about 6am) but would advise anyone to take the early one as we had to wait about 2 hours to go across to the memorial. The earier trip has no queues!

This was the 2nd location on a 3 stop holiday (we had been to San Francisco and were going onto Las Vegas)and were in Oahu for 1 week and didn't want to leave. When (I hope)we visit again it will be staying at this hotel and for 2 weeks!

This is the second time that we have stayed in this hotel it is idealy located right on Wakiki beach, The staff are so helpful there is nothing that is to much trouble for them, everyone is so freindly and the place is spotlessly clean you don't need any towels for the pool area or the beach they are all provided. there is a lovley snack bar round the pool with waiteress service so no need for you to even make the journey to the bar there are twelve lifts so you never need to be waiting to get one.

it's a must to eat at the cheesecake factory which is located just down the street also vist the international market shopping area you will find some good bargins and there is always live music and hula dancers.

Over all this is one of the best hotels that I have ever stayed in

We booked our own flights from Heathrow to San Fransisco on Virgin, stayed at the Commodore hotel for 3 nights, which was a basic hotel, clean, good service, and central for a easy walk into town. San Fransisco was excellent. From S/F we went to Maui in Hawaii, picked up a great car at the airport and drove to the Mahana. Maui is a paradise, very green with lots of fruit plantations, and waterfalls, perfect place for a honeymoon.

The hotel was brilliant the rooms were bigger than anything we get in europe, we had a one bedroom ocean front, two bathrooms, big lounge ,big kitchen, and every thing you need to cook any kind of meal. These condo`s were privately owned so they had their owners stamp on them. In a morning we had coffee on the balcony and watched the whales leaping out the water in the bay. The hotel was right on the beach, with small pool, but there is no facilitys for food or drink, but thats no problem because we could use the Embassy Hotel next door.

The Mahana is more for the quiter holiday maker, but there are plenty of hotels along the Kannapali shore which is the best place on the island. A mile up the road is a small seaside town called Lahaina, very old and plenty of restuarants, we had a excellant meal on a patio deck right on the beach, and the prices at the moment are very good because of the strength of the pound against the dollar, if you dont want to drive to town theres a free bus service from most of the hotels.

Just across the road from the Mahana is a couple of good eateries, where you can get a steak or a pizza, and theres a great supermarket with everything you need for cooking meals, which we did on odd nights, just to sit on the balcony with a bottle of wine and see some of the most brilliant sunsets you`ll see anywhere in the world was to die for. We did a whale watch one day cost about 70 dollars(recommended).

Its not a big island but to drive round it you`ll see some fantastic sights, and white beach`s on the side of the road. We spent seven nights on Maui then flew back to S/F for three nights staying at the Sheraton on Fishermans Wharfe, first class hotel. Go and see Alcatraz, you can book that on the net (16 dollars)well worth seeing. Eat clam chowder and fresh dungeness crab on the wharfe, walk across Golden gate bridge, and ride on the cable cars (3 dollars), first class shopping if you like that kind of thing, and have a meal in china town. Some good eateries in S/F which we went to were Lefty O`Douls near union square, and for a nice evening meal wearing best bib and tucker go to Ceasers at the back of the Sheraton hotel, four course meal with wine and coffee was $60. This was a fantastic holiday and all the prices can be found on the internet.

we went in late june, early july including independence day!
we stayed at pacific beach which already reviewed by one couple as excellent which i have to agree, it has a big fish tank in restaurant when i say big i mean two stories high with stingrays etc and you can have a diver write a romantic message while you eat at specific times going again to get married.

the surf is excellent you can sunbath on grass next to beach then run to the sea across the hot sands if like me dont like beaches though it is one of the best beaches i have seen.

went to waterpark which is full of kids was not that busy when we went but try the half pipe it is amazing.

yes nearly forgot with jetlife we got the hawaii necklace when arrived that many people told me i would not!
found nightlife quiet would welcome any feed back on this.

volcano tour go early in morning as too hot in afternoon to walk also do not bother with anything else than shorts and t-shirts surf ones as thats what everyone wears!

Pearl harbour have to do...very sad

weather hot but cloudy little rain for seconds they call it pineapple mist its very welcome wish would have rained longer

very sad to leave best holiday ever you have got to get a body board and flippers on first day and catch a wave its amazing..and i can not swim!!

Oahu's Hidden secret - CRIME

I am aware that crime is rife everywhere around the world but on Oahu I am not sure whether they are ignoring it hoping that it will go away or, as I suspect, burying it so that it won't affect tourism.

There are violent crimes but the main crime is theft - especially from cars, especially items left in the boot, the beach and bag snatching.

36 hours after arriving on Oahu I went to Hanauma Bay. Finding the car park full at 9 a.m. I parked my car with about 30 others in a layby on highway 72.

I decided that it would be safer to lock my valuables in the boot of my car instead of leaving them on the beach - but when I returned everything had been stolen, my cash, credit cards, cameras, phones, even my dry clothes. There wasn't a mark on my hire car.

When I went to the police station to report the theft I had to wait in line behind everyone else reporting similar thefts. When I mentioned to the police officer that there was no damage to the car he said ";this gang is really sophisticated!";

When I contacted the consulate to replace my documents the lady said ";let me guess you left your items in the trunk of your car, everyone I speak to says the same thing";

Getting replacement passports isn't easy as you need 2 documents proving your British Citizenship, two passport photos and $77.50 per passport - they said but we do take credit cards, to which I replied ";so do lots of others but they don't return them!";

We had 4 days on the island, enjoyed 2 and spent the remaining two trying to sort out replacement credit cards etc.

There was NO warning of the possibility of theft but all the Islanders we spoke to said ";Oh it's a major problem now";

Forewarned is forearmed - so if you are visiting Oahu DON'T LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES IN THE CAR - MOST BEACHES HAVE LOCKERS BUT IF THEY DON'T LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES IN THE HOTEL SAFE.

Stayed on three Islands for our once in a lifetime trip,each one very different from the other.

Honolulu-Moana Surfrider Hotel.

This is the oldest Hotel on the island,but very Superior,roomslovely,very clean.People very friendly and helpfull.The beach is fantastic.well worth staying there.

Big Island;Hilton Waikola Village.

This is fabulous,everything there you need for a fantastic time,You can get to your room by boat or train,rooms are very nice.Massive complex where you can go swimming with the dolphins at their special pool,there is also an adult only pool.

We were very lucky to be able to watch the whales in the ocean.(time of year).

kauai.Sheraton Kauai Resort.

This is big complex,with 2 sides to it,one on either side of the road.On the main side is the beach,with swimming pools,a snack and drink bar,happy hour each evening with dancing and singing and as many miti's you can drink.The other side as a small swimming pool as well.

A fabulous holiday for myself and hubby for Our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

How do we beat that next year???