Help! Cheap Waikiki hotel
 

I am looking for a cheap, clean hotel, BUG FREE walking distance to Waikiki Beach. Been afraid to book a room after reading message review posts on certain websites. Rumor has it that most cheap hotels have roaches. Do I have to pay a future to get a clean room?

HELP!

www.ilima.com

resort Quest Waikiki Joy

HawaiianaHotelatWaikiki.com

What are YOU figuring as "cheap"? I never can quite put Waikiki and cheap in the same sentence!!!!! LOL

The Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel had some good deals. It is across the street from the Royal Hawaiian (pink hotel) and any room over the 7th floor has partial ocean view or Deluxe views at the higher level. Check out their package plans.

$100 and under. The thing is there are many hotels under $100. But are they clean and bug free is the question. Anyone recently stay at one?

Any place in Waikiki is close to the beach.

Waikiki is a strip about 1 1/2 miles long & 3-4 blocks wide.

I don't think there is any truth that cheap hotels have roach problems. You may see one occasionally in some of the hotels. But nothing to worry about. Hotels would not stay open long if they had major roach problems.

Ohana Hotels are decent for the price.

Hawaiiana Hotel is decent.

Royal Grove is older & less expensive. For an inexpensive hotel they get a lot of repeat visitors.

Map of most Waikiki hotels & condos. The map is several years old & some of the hotels or condos have changed names.

http://www.waikiki.us/waikikimap.htm...260bb1d8c8b18a

I'll second the recommendation for the Hawaiiana - I love that place. It's right on Beachwalk, steps off of Kalakaua, the beach is at the end of the short block. Both the Halekulani and Outrigger Reef are at the end of the block and the public beach access is right between them.

The Hawaiiana is an older property - low rise - NO resort ammenities but beautiful flowers, grass, two pools. The post office and The Bus are right outside the back gate. They serve free coffee and juic poolside every morning. The staff are wonderful and helpful.

I've never seen any bugs in the rooms, but did have a "pet" gecko who was looking in the window at me every morning - but he never came in the room!

I also love The Hawaiiana Hotel and have stayed there twice (hi there BashfulLV & thanks for recommending it to me a few years ago!!)

Even cheaper but well recommneded is the Royal Grove but a bit further distance from the beach.

The Breakers, next to The Hawaiiana is another good option.

Oops, didn't read carefully only the Royal Grove is under $100. Hawaiiana is a little bit over, but all rooms have kitchenettes, there are two pools, pretty gardens, etc. etc.

Lots of those cheap rooms you mention are in ugly high-rises, with tiny square rooms, no balconies, no gardens, sometimes even no pools. So beware, be warned.

Queen Kapiolani is in that price range. A bit down-at-the-heels in decor but good location. Great pool overlooking the beach and down to Diamond Head. I would choose this one over the non-descript cheap high-rises, since at least it's got some character. It gets mixed reviews but I don't think I've heard bugs ever mentioned.

Try the Outrigger East or Outrigger West. I think one of them should fit the bill. Good location too....

Dawn17- Bugs in tropical places are not only about clean or dirty. It's about how much insecticide has been used to keep them away. Because believe me there are bugs and roaches around.

This is for Suze,

And that is what I want, a place where I will not see a single roach. I went to St. Thomas and stayed at studio condo that I found on the rental board by owners. It was as clean (no stains, etc.) as my home and I never ever saw a single bug. On the other hand, someone I met on the VI Board also stayed at a condo rented directly through the owner. She spoke to her on the phone several times, all she did was brag about her place, and it turned out to be a nightmare. This was a trip of a lifetime for Mary. Well she had roaches and ants. The worst of course the roaches. Every time she turned on the light in the kitchen they scattered. So that being said, my husband grew up in military housing and said they had to deal with that problem. The other problem is they get into your luggage and you bring them home with you besides the YUK factor.

Dusty56438

Thanks too. Great map.

I am also looking for a cheap/clean place to stay. Right now I am looking at the Miramar Waikiki. Any thoughts?

I was also looking for an inexpensive hotel in Waikiki. I couldn't make a decison so I decided to try Priceline. For 80 dollars a night I am staying at the Radisson Prince Kuhio. It gets pretty good reviews..I am only staying one night so I gave it a try.

Check out the Doubletree Waikiki and the Holiday Inn Waikiki. My husband and I stayed there on recent trips and were very pleased.

No one can guarantee that you wont encounter a roach in their rooms in Hawaii!! It is less likely in a good clean hotel, but certainly you should not let this be a defining requirement, or you are setting the stage to be very disappointed!

All of my hotel employee friends have the "tourist screaming about a roach in the closet" story. And these are some of Hawaii's (and one of San Diego's) best hotel rooms.

Roaches can fly, so they can land on your lanai and just mosey on in, or they can just walk in thru the front door. An egg can survive spraying, and if you happen to be there when baby emerges, well.........

Dawn, I understand your feelings about everything you posted. But there are bugs and roaches in the tropics. End of sentence. They can show up at the fanciest hotels. Lcuy knows Hawaii and describes the situation quite nicely. Certainly you don't want an infestation but I would hate to see your vacation ruined because a bug took a wrong turn and walked thru your hotel room.

Actually, I have been to Hawaii before. I went to Oahu a long ago and we rented a beach house on the north shore. Since then, I have been to the Big Island 3 times, Maui and Kauai and never encountered any roaches. I guess I can handle a stray but I think it will still give me the creeps.

I don't understand. I went on the Radisson website & it came back with no hotel in Waikiki. I also went on Priceline & the Radisson didn't come up. Is something wrong with my computer? I can't bring it up on other sites either.

Can someone tell me why when I click on someones name I don't get a screen so I can reply direclty to them.

The Radisson is in the process of changing to Hilton management I believe they say they'll be taking reservations in Dec. We have stayed at the Royal Grove twice yes it's older. You get a full fridge stove and oven plus cookware, m/w and coffeemaker, also haven't seen any roaches. If you can do w/o a/c the rate is around $45 or $65 for room with a/c. If you want a resort type atmosphere #1 don't go to Waikiki. The Waikiki Prince has also gotten good reviews and Ocean Resort these are all in same general area about two blocks from the beach. Something to keep in mind is some people can find something wrong whereever they are.

<<Can someone tell me why when I click on someones name I don't get a screen so I can reply direclty to them.>>

Because Fodor's forum is not set up to be able for us to email each other privately (like some other boards allow).

Dawn17
I just checked the Radisson website and the Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio is showing up. The lowest price they are offering is 219.00. I bid on Priceline a few weeks back for Sept. and as I said before I got the hotel for 80 dollars. Good Luck finding a clean bugfree room.

Dawn17- Maybe you know about this already(?) but if you go to www.tripadvisor.com you can read reviews of hotels posted by guests and also posts on a forum similar style to this one.

I will also chime in here re bugs. I have had roaches in the most expensive resort hotels in Hawaii. I think you should expect you may see one or two of any size. When I say that - there was one gigantic one in our room when we arrived. The hotel staff took care of it. That has happened a couple of times. I have heard from people staying in less expensive hotels having them in the bathroom constantly but I think most of the hotels keep them sprayed pretty well. Perhaps if you get a room that hasn't been occupied for a few days you may see some at first. Regarding Priceline - I always use it and have just talked some friends into trying it for Hawaii. They were nervous about what hotel they would get. I told them to start at $100 to be sure they got a better hotel. The did and got the SurfRider. Needless to say they were thrilled. Good luck.

You can get a bug or two in ANY hotel or condo in the tropics. I stayed at the Royal Hawaiin my first trip. My brother and I were sitting on the bed watching TV and crawling up the wall from behind the TV crawled the biggest, hairiest spider I have ever seen!!!!! The hair was so long I could have combed it!!!! LOL Well, we had left our window open, without closing the screen so there ya go. It was a Cane Spider (Banana Spider?), what ever. Anyway, hotel staff quickly dispatched the poor thing and we kept our screens closed. I did stay at one place on Maui several years ago..kind of a retreat...Mana Loa Gardens I think it was called...anyway, it was sort of "zen", and the place was FULL of HUGE roaches. My friend and I had single person tents that we set up on the beds so we could zip in at night..LOL. We actually were the ONLY people that had no roaches in our room. There was a kitchen down the hall, and that's where they hung out mostly, of course. I turned the light on one night and the walls were covered with the suckers. A couple of dozen. They don't hurt you but boy they are just disgusting looking and I can't stand to kill them...CRUNCH!!!! YUK!!!!