40-LOVE Posted July 11 #1 Share Posted July 11 We are planning a trip to Waikiki in March. After researching lots of places, our current favorites are Ritz Carleton residences and Halepuna. Any suggestions or thoughts? We don’t have to be in the beach but do want an ocean view with a balcony. We don’t want a loud hotel and want a nice pool. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 11 #2 Share Posted July 11 1 hour ago, 40-LOVE said: After researching lots of places, our current favorites are Ritz Carleton residences and Halepuna. I think I responded to this question when you posted on another thread but The Ritz Carlton Residences are nice but you are about a 10 minute walk from the beach and even if you do have an ocean view you are set back quite a ways from it. Halepuna is newer and is the slightly less luxurious version of it's sister hotel across the street, Halekulani. Halekulani, from a service and quality standpoint is probably the nicest hotel on Waikiki. Halepuna is aimed a those looking for a lower price point with a few less creature comforts than the main hotel. It's still very nice and you have access to Halekulani's facilities like restaurants (except their pool). When looking at the price point of these hotels I think the Goldilocks option is the Royal Hawaiian (which after trying many of the hotels on Waikiki-- we go several times a year-- has become our favorite and go to). Its right on the beach, is a beautiful 1920's grand hotel, lots of oceanfront balconies, and its usually a couple hundred dollars less a night than Halekulani. It's also in the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection so opportunity to earn or burn points much like the Ritz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40-LOVE Posted July 11 Author #3 Share Posted July 11 26 minutes ago, princeton123211 said: I think I responded to this question when you posted on another thread but The Ritz Carlton Residences are nice but you are about a 10 minute walk from the beach and even if you do have an ocean view you are set back quite a ways from it. Halepuna is newer and is the slightly less luxurious version of it's sister hotel across the street, Halekulani. Halekulani, from a service and quality standpoint is probably the nicest hotel on Waikiki. Halepuna is aimed a those looking for a lower price point with a few less creature comforts than the main hotel. It's still very nice and you have access to Halekulani's facilities like restaurants (except their pool). When looking at the price point of these hotels I think the Goldilocks option is the Royal Hawaiian (which after trying many of the hotels on Waikiki-- we go several times a year-- has become our favorite and go to). Its right on the beach, is a beautiful 1920's grand hotel, lots of oceanfront balconies, and its usually a couple hundred dollars less a night than Halekulani. It's also in the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection so opportunity to earn or burn points much like the Ritz. Thanks so much for the info. I am glad you replied here as I was having trouble seeing your other reply from the older thread. Are there any specific rooms you would recommend at the Royal Hawaiian. There are 3 of us so we do need a double and not a king. I was looking at the rooms and it seems the newer towers with balconies get me over my price point. Was hoping to spend $5-600/night. It didn’t look like the historic tower had balconies but maybe the pictures are misleading. Thanks again for all your input. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 11 #4 Share Posted July 11 Hi 40-Love, Personally I would not want to be in the Ritz residences or Halepuna just because of location. You want a nice pool and for me that eliminates the Royal Hawaiian. It is not large and very busy. The newer wing with the pool have balconies but not many rooms in the historic part have balconies. Have you thought of the Kahala Hotel and Resort, not too far out of Waikiki? It is in a beautiful spot. Except for the hotel and grounds most everything else is a drive. But if you want a beautiful quiet spot I think the Kahala would be great. I have not stayed there in years but it still gets good reviews and has had a couple of renovations. If you want to get out of the Waikiki/Honolulu area the Turtle Bay Resort on North Shore is also nice, but a drive. I'm a huge fan of the North Shore and have stayed here several times. The Kaimana Beach Hotel by Otani is also in a spot out of all the Waikiki/Honolulu traffic. It has one of my favorite restaurants, Hau Tree. Only problem is it does not have a pool. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Cherie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 11 #5 Share Posted July 11 (edited) @40-LOVEHave you looked at the Hyatt Regency? It has amazing views from it's rooms. We liked the Regency Club rooms for the access to the club. It also has a huge pool deck looking out to the ocean. Cherie Edited July 11 by cccole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40-LOVE Posted July 11 Author #6 Share Posted July 11 20 minutes ago, cccole said: @40-LOVEHave you looked at the Hyatt Regency? It has amazing views from it's rooms. We liked the Regency Club rooms for the access to the club. It also has a huge pool deck looking out to the ocean. Cherie Thanks for all of the wonderful information. We stayed at Kahala years ago and also Aulani. We loved both places but would like to stay on/next to Waikiki for this trip. The Hyatt with 38 floors seems like a larger feel than what I am looking for but will look more into it. We are in Waikiki for 5 days and then heading to Kauai. We think 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 11 #7 Share Posted July 11 26 minutes ago, 40-LOVE said: Are there any specific rooms you would recommend at the Royal Hawaiian. There are 3 of us so we do need a double and not a king. I was looking at the rooms and it seems the newer towers with balconies get me over my price point. Was hoping to spend $5-600/night. We actually prefer the historic wing over the Mailani Tower-- rooms are larger, higher ceilings, etc. But you do trade off the ocean facing lanais of the tower. Frankly with the hotel being right on the beach, and most of the beautiful lobby being open air, the lanai is less important than it would be elsewhere. You spend a lot of time outside. You do actually get the best of both worlds when it comes to the pool-- you can use the large resort pool at the adjacent Sheraton as a Royal Hawaiian guest but you also have a smaller, private pool near the Mailani Tower that is reserved only for guests of the RH. We've stayed in a lot of the major hotels on Waikiki and surrounding. If money were no object we would most likely just stay at Halekulani, but the Royal Hawaiian for $100-200 less per night than Halekulani really hits the sweet spot for us most of the time. 31 minutes ago, cccole said: You want a nice pool and for me that eliminates the Royal Hawaiian. It is not large and very busy. The smaller pool and hot tub near the Mailani Tower is a gem-- it's typically much less crowded than other nearby resort's pools and you can literally walk out of the pool and onto the beach. As I said above, you can use the Sheratons large pool as a RH guest if you want to. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 11 #8 Share Posted July 11 @princeton123211 I love the Bonvoy hotels on Waikiki and benefits that come with staying at them. We booked the Royal Hawaiian once because of access to other properties pools, and the ability ton choose and reserve ahead one of their beach umbrellas. We have enjoyed eating at the RH and walking thru the hotel/grounds, but I enjoy a private balcony. It is a beautiful property but not our go to. So happy that you enjoy it. March is spring break so 40-LOVE may encounter more families at the pools. Since we are fortunate, like you, to visit Hawaii several times a year we all have things that we look for in our favorite spots. There are so many fabulous places to stay. JMO. Cherie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCwom Posted July 12 #9 Share Posted July 12 (edited) 6 hours ago, 40-LOVE said: We don’t have to be in the beach but do want an ocean view with a balcony. We don’t want a loud hotel and want a nice pool. Any insight is appreciated. We recently stayed at the Beachcomber by Outrigger and were very pleased, although it may not meet your pool requirements. As for loud, we found the main drag at night to be loud in general, so keep that in mind for most of the hotels. Our room was a partial ocean view on the 25th floor (room 2500) booked through a warehouse club as a travel package at a fairly reasonable price. Being on the 25th floor and the AC running, we didn't hear anything at bedtime. I've attached a pic from our balcony of the view, I think the hotels on the beach in the photo are the Mona Surf rider and another Outrigger property. The hotel on the left edge is the Sheraton Princess. Edited July 12 by DCwom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 12 #10 Share Posted July 12 21 hours ago, princeton123211 said: I think I responded to this question when you posted on another thread but The Ritz Carlton Residences are nice but you are about a 10 minute walk from the beach and even if you do have an ocean view you are set back quite a ways from it. Halepuna is newer and is the slightly less luxurious version of it's sister hotel across the street, Halekulani. Halekulani, from a service and quality standpoint is probably the nicest hotel on Waikiki. Halepuna is aimed a those looking for a lower price point with a few less creature comforts than the main hotel. It's still very nice and you have access to Halekulani's facilities like restaurants (except their pool). When looking at the price point of these hotels I think the Goldilocks option is the Royal Hawaiian (which after trying many of the hotels on Waikiki-- we go several times a year-- has become our favorite and go to). Its right on the beach, is a beautiful 1920's grand hotel, lots of oceanfront balconies, and its usually a couple hundred dollars less a night than Halekulani. It's also in the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection so opportunity to earn or burn points much like the Ritz. Halekulani/Royal Hawaiian ... What do these come with as far as beach access ? Looks like Halekulani only has a small strip of beach in front ..? Do any include access with chairs , or would this be extra fee. What about drink/food service on the beach ? Thx Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 12 #11 Share Posted July 12 1 minute ago, LobsterStalker said: Halekulani/Royal Hawaiian ... What do these come with as far as beach access ? Looks like Halekulani only has a small strip of beach in front ..? Do any include access with chairs , or would this be extra fee. What about drink/food service on the beach ? The Royal Hawaiian has a nice beach in front of it and also private beach services for reserved chairs and umbrellas that are only available to registered guests. You do have to pay for and reserve the beach chairs and umbrellas in advance like you do at any Waikiki hotel that offers them. The Halekulani doesn't have much beach in front of it at all-- it's a postage stamp. But it's a true 5 star hotel where the Royal Hawaiian is really a solid 4 star hotel. Alcohol is not allowed on any Hawaiian beach so there are no beach services for drinks or food. The Royal Hawaiian has the Mai Tai bar which is literally just off the beach-- you are practically still on the beach. Halekulani you have Earls at House Without a Key which is their pool bar. Overall if you want to sit on the beach and have that experience I would go for Royal Hawaiian out of these two-- it's much more beach centric. The RH does offer full bar and food service at the pool-- it's just not allowed on the beach. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterStalker Posted July 12 #12 Share Posted July 12 3 minutes ago, princeton123211 said: The Royal Hawaiian has a nice beach in front of it and also private beach services for reserved chairs and umbrellas that are only available to registered guests. You do have to pay for and reserve the beach chairs and umbrellas in advance like you do at any Waikiki hotel that offers them. The Halekulani doesn't have much beach in front of it at all-- it's a postage stamp. But it's a true 5 star hotel where the Royal Hawaiian is really a solid 4 star hotel. Alcohol is not allowed on any Hawaiian beach so there are no beach services for drinks or food. The Royal Hawaiian has the Mai Tai bar which is literally just off the beach-- you are practically still on the beach. Halekulani you have Earls at House Without a Key which is their pool bar. Overall if you want to sit on the beach and have that experience I would go for Royal Hawaiian out of these two-- it's much more beach centric. The RH does offer full bar and food service at the pool-- it's just not allowed on the beach. Thx for that . Also I can't remember who , but someone stated that you hav access to th Sheraton pool next door . Can you confirm this , and is there a charge ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 12 #13 Share Posted July 12 Just now, LobsterStalker said: Thx for that . Also I can't remember who , but someone stated that you hav access to th Sheraton pool next door . Can you confirm this , and is there a charge ? Correct. At RH you have access to the RH's smaller pool, which is only for RH guests, and you also have access to the Sheraton's resort pool which is large. There is no charge for this. The RH's pool is usually much quieter and enjoyable but you can bounce between the two. You also have reciprocal charging privileges at both the Sheraton and Westin Moana Surfrider as as guest at the RH so makes it easy to not have to carry a credit card around at the pool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 12 #14 Share Posted July 12 (edited) Also, if you are staying at the RH you can reserve cabanas and chairs at the Sheraton resort pool. This is really nice because you can choose a location that suits you. I can't remember what the cost is but it is worth it to me, just like reserving a beach set up at the RH is worth it to me. And remember, all beaches in Hawaii are public so the beaches in front of hotels and condos are not private. Since the Sheraton also does not have a beach I think there is a beach services co at that end of the beach that services the beach adjacent to the Halekulani, Sheraton, and in front of the RH. Cherie Edited July 12 by cccole 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 12 #15 Share Posted July 12 1 hour ago, cccole said: I can't remember what the cost is but it is worth it to me, just like reserving a beach set up at the RH is worth it to me. $95 for the day plus a decent tip to the guy that sets you up. 1 hour ago, cccole said: Since the Sheraton also does not have a beach I think there is a beach services co at that end of the beach that services the beach adjacent to the Halekulani, Sheraton, and in front of the RH. No beach in front of the Sheraton-- the beach services are shared with the Royal Hawaiian-- its the same group of chairs and umbrellas. Halekulani just has a little postage stamp of beach access with no beach chairs on it, but its literally feet from the pool chairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 12 #16 Share Posted July 12 (edited) If you choose not to use beach services that offer beach set ups on the beach that is used by the Halekulani, Sheraton, and Royal Hawaiian, and you have a car...you can stop at Costco on your way from the airport and pick up an umbrella and chairs and set up anywhere you would like, and you don't have to vacate them @6pm. Also, there are a couple of really great thrift stores and a K-Mart off the Nimitz that have great deals on umbrellas and chairs. You can find some amazing Aloha shirts in the thrift stores...there are racks and racks. Since the beaches are public there are great aerial photos of private umbrellas and chairs set up in front of the RH and other hotel set ups behind ropes. JMO Cherie Edited July 12 by cccole 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 13 #17 Share Posted July 13 Also, you can take a couple chairs, umbrella, and collapsible cooler in one bag on your airline for @$75 and have everything you need. How do I know? Because we have done this. There is a charge for your oversized bag but less than a one day rate for a beach set up. And you can drop the items off at a thrift store or give to other guests or beach staff. JMO. Cherie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40-LOVE Posted July 13 Author #18 Share Posted July 13 9 hours ago, princeton123211 said: Correct. At RH you have access to the RH's smaller pool, which is only for RH guests, and you also have access to the Sheraton's resort pool which is large. There is no charge for this. The RH's pool is usually much quieter and enjoyable but you can bounce between the two. You also have reciprocal charging privileges at both the Sheraton and Westin Moana Surfrider as as guest at the RH so makes it easy to not have to carry a credit card around at the pool. You have me sold on the RH, however, when I went to book, for an ocean view room it is over budget due to the $775 extra person fee for 3 people. What would be your next best choices? Thanks so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40-LOVE Posted July 13 Author #19 Share Posted July 13 @cccole what other hotels would you recommend outside of Hyatt Regency? Any thoughts on Moana Surfrider? Thanks so much for all your insight. So very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted July 13 #20 Share Posted July 13 15 hours ago, 40-LOVE said: You have me sold on the RH, however, when I went to book, for an ocean view room it is over budget due to the $775 extra person fee for 3 people. What would be your next best choices? Thanks so much Do you have status in Marriott Bonvoy? We've been Platinum and Titanium over the years and have always booked a standard room and recieved a complimentary upgrade to at least an ocean view and even a few suites. Also I would just book it with two guests. No one is going to ask about the third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 13 #21 Share Posted July 13 (edited) Hi @40-LOVE - I think you know the Moana Surfrider is my absolute favorite hotel on Waikiki Beach. When I'm in Hawaii or just about anywhere, I like to sit on the balcony in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee or tea in my p.j.s, and then repeat at night. I think the Hawaiian night skies are magical. So, as I have said before, the RH is not my choice because I don't spend a lot of time sitting in the lobby and public areas. Are you willing to consider a 3-4 star hotel? The Queen Kapiolani has renovated suites that have gorgeous views of Diamond Head and the Ocean. It is across the street from the zoo. And, Trip Advisor gives it 4.5 stars because of reviews. We have stayed there once, pre-renovation, and usually make a reservation at their restaurant, The Deck, when we are in Waikiki. Their pool area has beautiful views but is fairly small. The staff is awesome. It is 2 blocks from the beach. I agree with post #20 and if I were you, I would book a suite with 2 beds for 2 people. However when you check in the 3rd person in your party should not be standing with you. They do notice. And, I would not request cleaning everyday. Since the housekeeping staff will be cleaning for 3 people it's nice to give them a break. I do it when I am only one person in a room. I do not change my towels twice a day at home and it's not necessary when I travel. You will be traveling during Spring Break so expecting an upgrade as a Bonvoy member at a Marriott property will be more difficult. Also, I'm sure you are using AAA and/or senior rates if they apply to you. Cherie Edited July 13 by cccole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 13 #22 Share Posted July 13 Also, is anyone in your party a member of the Elks club? They have a fabulous location on Waikiki Beach with a pool. Cherie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCwom Posted July 13 #23 Share Posted July 13 (edited) 31 minutes ago, cccole said: Hi @40-LOVE - Are you willing to consider a 3-4 star hotel? The Queen Kapiolani has renovated suites that have gorgeous views of Diamond Head and the Ocean. It is across the street from the zoo. And, Trip Advisor gives it 4.5 stars because of reviews. We have stayed there once, pre-renovation, and usually make a reservation at their restaurant, The Deck, when we are in Waikiki. Their pool area has beautiful views but is fairly small. The staff is awesome. It is 2 blocks from the beach. I didn't mention it before because you said you settled on the RH, but directly behind the RH is the Beachcomber, a 3 - 3.5 star hotel, you walk across the street and along side the RH to get to the beach. We paid $350/night over Memorial Day weekend (2 people) last May, we didn't how close the RH was until we sat at the Beachcomber pool on departure day and could see the pink hotel right there! This is a shot from the Beachcomber pool (not a big pool). Edited July 13 by DCwom 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted July 13 #24 Share Posted July 13 (edited) @DCwom - Is this the hotel that has the beautiful aquarium in the lobby? An Outrigger property? Cherie Edited July 13 by cccole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40-LOVE Posted July 13 Author #25 Share Posted July 13 @cccole 50 minutes ago, cccole said: Hi @40-LOVE - I think you know the Moana Surfrider is my absolute favorite hotel on Waikiki Beach. When I'm in Hawaii or just about anywhere, I like to sit on the balcony in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee or tea in my p.j.s, and then repeat at night. I think the Hawaiian night skies are magical. So, as I have said before, the RH is not my choice because I don't spend a lot of time sitting in the lobby and public areas. Are you willing to consider a 3-4 star hotel? The Queen Kapiolani has renovated suites that have gorgeous views of Diamond Head and the Ocean. It is across the street from the zoo. And, Trip Advisor gives it 4.5 stars because of reviews. We have stayed there once, pre-renovation, and usually make a reservation at their restaurant, The Deck, when we are in Waikiki. Their pool area has beautiful views but is fairly small. The staff is awesome. It is 2 blocks from the beach. I agree with post #20 and if I were you, I would book a suite with 2 beds for 2 people. However when you check in the 3rd person in your party should not be standing with you. They do notice. And, I would not request cleaning everyday. Since the housekeeping staff will be cleaning for 3 people it's nice to give them a break. I do it when I am only one person in a room. I do not change my towels twice a day at home and it's not necessary when I travel. You will be traveling during Spring Break so expecting an upgrade as a Bonvoy member at a Marriott property will be more difficult. Also, I'm sure you are using AAA and/or senior rates if they apply to you. Cherie Thank you. I know you had preferred Moana in a previous post but it was a few years ago and I didn’t see it mentioned this time (maybe I missed it) so I just wanted to see if you still really liked it or if anything had changed. I am glad to hear that you still enjoy it. I have not checked out Kapiolani yet but will now. Thanks again for all the insights 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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