Having never been to Honolulu before what is the ideal location for staying in Honolulu with regards to being nice and peaceful at night ?

In looking at a few brochures, is the Renaissance a good bet or any other hotels in the Ala Moana area ?.

Another suggestion could be The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel at teh other end of Waikiki Beach - what does anyone think ?

Les -

We stayed there three years ago and were very pleased. We have kids, so the location could not be beat - next to Kapiolani Park, the aquarium, the zoo and Diamond Head. Very nice, quiet beach and a terrific outdoor restaurant. The area was very quiet at night.

The area is primarily residential, so most shopping and nightclubs were a short drive away. Easy access to the highway - better than from the heart of Waikiki, I thought. The tower rooms we saw were small but efficient. We stayed in a "garden" suite w/ kitchen that was very comfortable for 5.

Aloha Les,
Just a question - any particular reason you want to stay in Honolulu as opposed to Waikiki? Also, as mentioned above, The Otani, or anything down at that end of the beach which is more residential would be quieter, if that is what you want.

Aloha Cheryl Z.

There's no particular reason for wanting to stay in Honolulu....we just want a change from the chaos of work and thought that somewhere relaxing and peaceful would be ideal. So anywhere in Honolulu or Waikiki that fit's the bill would be nice.

Hi again,
ok, had just wanted to check because often people think they're "one and the same". Actually, any of the nicer hotels facing the beach would be "fairly" quiet, but as mentioned before the south end towards the park might be quieter. (and easier to head out from to go around the island.) The north end of Waikiki by Ft. DeRussey, can be little noisier. Honolulu is more of a big city.
If you have a car, be sure to drive around to the North Shore, Turtle Bay. Very scenic and relaxing, different from Waikiki area.

I agree, staying at the W or the New Otani, or even the Kahala Mandarin, would be good choices. Staying in the middle of Waikiki can get hectic and noisy at times.

At the other end, the Prince Hotel or the Ala Moana Hotel are not bad choices. The Renaissance Ilikai is kind of too noisy for me right now with all the construction.

Aloha Melissa,
Just to tell you that the construction work in The Renaissance is due to be finished in February 2002...
Sorry for being a bit naive Melissa but what hotel is The 'W' - Westin Hotel ??

I think the site for W hotels is www.whotels.com. The W is a chain of business class hotels and are fairly chic & fashionable, supposedly.

Melissa..
Had a look at whotels.com and it's part of the Starwood Group which also includes Sheraton,Westin,Regis Hotels..

Correct.....but instead of referring you to starwood.com I thought it would be best to send you straight to the W chain. Anyway, if you decide to stay in a quiet area, that's not bad.

Aloha Les,
Generally speaking, Waikiki is not a real quiet area. The Ilikai is located on Ala Moana Blvd, which is very busy, and therefore can be noisy. I agree with the others that the hotels toward the end of Kalakaua Ave, and especially the Kahala Mandarin (which is out of Waikiki) would be your best bet for peace and quiet. BUT, these hotels are a bit out of the "heart" of the area. For ultimate peace and quiet, consider a trip to one of the neighbor islands. Aloha!

I disagree w/above poster: for ultimate peace and quiet stay on the north shore of Oahu. No big hotels (maybe that's the type of experience you're looking for) but you can't beat relaxing on the lanai of a nice oceanfront cottage (less expensive too).....

Hi! We stayed at the Outrigger West on Kuhio Ave- Waikiki in 1998. It is now called the Ohana Waikiki West. Across from the international market place, on a bus route and approx 2 blocks from the beach. We found the staff to be very friendly. Rooms are clean. Not too expensive. I would stay there again.

Live on Oahu three years go every summer. Honolulu is great if you want to take in china town, culutral and historical stuff. If you do have in mind quiet I would head for the north shore turtle bay and day trip it to Honolulu. I took friends that were very overwhelmed by noise and did not appreciate things like the Japanese Cultural Center, CHINA TOWN"s TOP NOTCH CHINESE Cooking not to mention great market during the day. Pulling my hair out we also skipped Iolani Palace and the missionary house.

OK BACK TO YOUR QUESTION. I would stay and the Mandarin Oriental if I had a large budget in Kahala or Diamond Head.

On the Cheap I like Ilikai and find the rooms do shied you from noise as well as most give an ocean view if you ask. Don't want the pay the tiny mark up for Ocean Front take city veiw for 20+floor lookouts into the city. If you are staying for a week call front desk and get condo rates, very reasonable considering you are just behind a marina and have full ocean veiws in many rooms.

Ala Moana is cheap and I suspect it would be fun to be close to that mall as long as you are not counting a lot of swimming. Walks along the beach (Alamoana beachpark)will require at least 15 minutes over to the beach park and involve walking across and extreemly busy BLVD.

Les,

I vote for the New Otani - perfect location, fabulous beach with water like a warm, sloshy bathtub; you can easily walk to the busier section of Waikiki if you're healthy/ in minimally decent shape (10 min or less). Get a "Waikiki View Jr. Suite" as high up as possible. You will get the most magnificent view of the ocean, the city and Diamond Head, with balconies all around. You can lay in your bed and have the most wonderful view of the city lights at night! The "suites" have a living room - but they're not really "suites" in the traditional sense. Last I heard, the WV suites were about $220, but we always get a AAA or over 5-night discount. With the current travel climate, you may do even better. You have the Hau Tree Lanai restaurant right there which is outdoors and so romantic, right on the ocean. You won't be disappointed!

We had considered the Ilikai but I checked and found out they are still undergoing renovations and won't be finished until February 2002. Am not sure how well insulated from noise the rooms are,but we didn't want to chance it, although the rates are good compared to other ocean front hotels (Ilikai fronts the yacht harbor and the
ocean)

I totally agree--the New Otani is wonderful and would definitely get my vote! The restaurant is perfect for breakfast right on the beach. Also, one of my most favorite restaurants in the world--Michele's--is located right next door in the Colony Surf Hotel. Can't go wrong with the New Otani.
Kathy

I agree with the above posters that the area where the New Otani and the W hotels are located is the best in Waikiki. If you want a really great deal for a hotel in the same area, but for 1/3 the price, try the Diamond Head Beach Hotel. They are currently doing exterior improvements, and practically giving the rooms away! We stayed there and you can't beat it for the price. It is run by Marc Resorts. Try the website at www.marcresorts.com and click on Resorts and then Super Specials and scroll down.

The New Otani is ideal but there's one problem. They don't designate between smoking and non-smoking rooms and I don't fancy getting stuck in a smoke filled bedroom.
I'll try the 'W' Hotel or even the Westin Hawaii Prince ?