Christmas in Hawaii
 

Taking my daughters to Waikiki for Christmas 2011. Booked at Hilton Hawaiian Village but am worried and looking at Royal Hawaiian. Any advice? Need advice on activities and suggestions on dining and fun. Daughters want to horseback ride but not "follow a horse behind"...LOL! Would appreciate any and all advice and suggestions. This is first trip to Waikiki and first Christmas away from home. Heard Navatek? has a lovely Christmas cruise

How old are your daughters? the Royal seems to me to be a rather stately place, so i think the Hilton may be a better choice if they are teens or younger.

you can see aerial photos of hotels on the Wizard publications site, i find these to be quite helpful in choosing hotels http://www.wizardpub.com/oahu/oahaerials.html

Hilton. Great pool. Good location. If your daughters are teens, surf/paddleboard lesson, hike Diamond Head Crater, good horseback riding in country areas.

Polynesian Cultural Ctr. dinner luau (pricey but good show and good luau food), Sea Life Park, Pali Lookout.

The Hilton is a resort unto itself, but on one end of Waikiki. Whereas the Royal Hawaiian is right smack dab in the middle of Waikiki. Because the Hilton is larger, it offers more activities right on site. It is also closer to the Ala Moana Shopping Center, which the daughters might like if they are teens or older. Both have great swimming beaches. It's a toss up that may be decided by price.

Love the Royal Hawaiian but the beach at the Hilton Hawaiian is much better. Where ever you stay, Hawaii will be a great travel adventure for you. Don't know how old the daughters are but they will enjoy their time with you.

Thank you so much. I feel a bit better about the HHV now. My daughters are 25 and 20. I feel so overwhelmed trying to plan activities..so many choices...so many vendors. Who do y'all recommend for Dinner cruises? Also, I have been looking at Royal Hawaiian Tours for a custom trip to the North Shore...any recommendations on them? I have also heard Paradise Cruises is good. Hoping for something special for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Any suggestions?

I might suggest with a 25 and 20 year old the Royal Hawaiian as a better option. It's got a very cool, 1950's retro vibe. What it doesn't have it a giant pool with lots of water slides, etc. With a 25 and 20 year old, you're more likely to encounter a lot of kids at the HHV.

From your daughter's perspective, the HHV is an easy walk to The Edition Hotel which has a lot more for women that age in terms of nightlife.

The HHV is really kid friendly. The RH less so. The one caveat is that the pool at the RH is relatively small. So, just a few kids can change the vibe you're looking for.

If you want to stay in a old style classic hotel (the main building anyway) then the RH is a better option. If you don't care then nothing wrong with the HHV. But, it is a very large, impersonal complex.

I have stayed at both. With my 9 and 8 year old I would pick the HHV. With just my wife or if my kids were older I might consider the RH.

I would go Kawaiaha'o Church Christmas Eve - they have a love service, partly done in Hawaiian and part English. I love to hear the Christmas songs in Hawaiian. Get there early- it gets crowded
This is the church where the kings and queens of Hawaii used to go -

http://www.kawaiahao.org/publication..._1030pm_~1.pdf

My best advice for Hawaii is not to over plan or try to fill every minute. There's plenty to see and do just hanging out on the beach, walking thru the two beautiful parks at either end, shopping around Waikiki, activities like boogie boarding, surf lessons, paddle boats, watching sunset, seeing free hula and music shows, things like that.