Has anyone ever stayed at either Pacific Beach or Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel (both on Kalakaua Ave) in Honolulu? Looking for a hotel close to the beach (no car) and would appreciate any comments on either of these places. Thanks!

Both are right across the street from the beach, both mid-range nice, not cheap, not expensive. Get an ocean view room! Worth the upgrade cost. This stretch of beach is pretty "happening", and a breakwall makes the water less clean. If you want a wider beach with more wave action and a less young crowd hanging about, go down near Fort DeBussy Park area (west end Waikiki). No less busy, but more space and the park is wonderful and shady. Next to Hilton Hawaiian Village.
There IS a nice park at the east end, too, which contains the zoo and gardens.
Be sure to check out the huge aquarium restaurant in Pacific Beach Hotel, watch the fish while you eat, it's quite neat.

Ilikai is where I always stay and had family stayed when they visited me on Oahu.

Thanks for the info!

I think the Pacific Beach is better maintained than the Beachcomber, but that's just one opinion.....

My daughter and I stayed at the Pacific Beach and found it to be a lovely hotel. Room was bigger than average and had a wonderful view. Be sure to ask for ocean view. Location is very convenient - beach in front, International Marketplace and Diamond Head close by. Don't need a car unless you are planning to go to the north side.

As someone already mentioned, that part of Waikiki Beach is narrow and on a seawall, so the water is much less clean than the Army's (open to the public) Ft. DeRussy beach at the western end of Waikiki. One place near there that's very reasonable is the Waikiki Shores Condo, where units are rented out by owners and real estate agencies. It's a much nicer part of town. Buy a Hawaii Magazine and look at the rental ads in back and chances are they will have several Waikiki Shores rentals with kitchens.

Has anyone ever stayed at either Sheraton Moana Surfrider or Royal Hawaiian Hotel (both on Kalakaua Ave) in Honolulu? Looking for a hotel close to the beach (no car) and would appreciate any comments on either of these places. Thanks!

I did the Moana Surfrider last October. It is a great hotel if you get a Oceanside room. City side room get the noise from the street. The windows are old and thin. Almost ssounds like the window is open. 1st night we had a room facing the city. The next morning I requested an upgrade to Ocean side room. Cost me about 50 a night. We heard the music and ocean the next 5 nights. It was great.
The Royal Hawain is not on the street like other hotels which is a big plus. We went to the luau there and it was ok.

I have stayed at both. Highly recommend the Moana, very welcoming environment. You can't beat the veranda (facing ocean) for the quintessential Hawaiian sunset moment. Royal Hawaiian is nice to walk around but a lot more institutional. Round about access to the beach, a sprinkle of furniture in lobby and surrounding rooms, and too vastly empty for my liking. Moana lines a porch with rockers that people actually use. I have already mentioned the veranda this encircles a large banyan tree not to be missed. In general it just looks like the Moana attracts people, it is not overcrowded it just looks like people are comfortable there. And of course I preferred the time I spent at the Moana.

Hi karen, we just returned from Hawaii and stayed for 9 days at the pacific Beach Hotel. We loved the location, right across from the beach, and the sidewalks and plantings along this stretch were wonderful. Its 2 blocks from the zoo-very nice, and about 3 blocks from the aquarium, which is small but also done very nice. We had a partial ocean view room on the 16th floor. I thought it was wonderful, even tho my husband didn't care for the "height". Food in the hotel was excellant, the oceanarium is fabulous to sit and watch. 3 restaurants, all facing the oceanarium..Lots of shops in the hotel, even the ABC store..we thought it was a great place. If you need more info, just e-mail me. We had a super time! and didn't rent a car-walkied everywhere and took a few tours around the island..Dona