Oahu hotel opinions please
 

We leave in 4 weeks and I am still undecided about our 4 nights on Oahu. I have reservations at The New Otani (Diamond Head view)but may cancel. As I have thought about it, I think we want to be closer to the action for these 4 days. We then head to the BI for 3 days in a B & B and a week in a condo which will be the quieter part of vacation. I am looking at an Ocean Front with breakfast at the Pacific Beach for 179.00 or a POV at the Outrigger Reef for 175.00(entertainment rate)-no breakfast.
This is the top of my price range-really wanted Outrigger Waikiki but least expensive room is 220.00 and I just can't do it. Would appreciate any thoughts on which hotel would be best. Thanks, Laurie

Have you checked pleasantholidays.com? The newly rennovated Waikiki Marriott may also fit into your budget.

I might pick Pacific Beach just because I like that end of Waikiki better. Great ocean view from there. It's not a new hotel though. Probably standard, nice rooms. Plus breakfast!

A partial view at the reef may mean that you actually are facing the next hotel or alley and have to stand outside and look around to see the ocean.

I stayed at the pacific beach hotel, and it is nice not a luxury hotel , but nice clean good view of beach and diamond head. Very good breakfast buffet , close to beach, actually across the street from beach and close to all the action. Have fun and ask if there is a nightly( free ) hula show on the beach, close to the duke surfer statue , it was a great show ,get some drinks and watch the show from the beach. nick

2sweets,

If it was me, I'd cancel your reservations and bid on a hotel using priceline.com. Specifically, I'd bid on a Resort class hotel in the Waikiki South Zone, which would virtually guarantee you would stay at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel. It's the oldest hotel on Waikiki, has a fabulous pool area and I believe you could get it by bidding $120-$130/nite.

If for more information on how to bid on priceline, I use www.biddingfortravel.com.

Did you check for an Entertainment rate at the Outrigger Waikiki? It's not always listed in the book. However, when I called for a reservation and asked for the Entertainment rate, it was available at this property. Each room type was 1/2 price of the listed rate, and all of them were open. Not sure if your dates will still be available, but it's worth a try.

I also agree with the above poster concerning Priceline. I have a room reservation with the Sheraton Waikiki for $100 a night for 3 nights in July. I normally wouldn't have taken a chance with Priceline; however, once you do some research it is relatively simple to determine which hotel you will get based upon your bidding zone.

Check biddingfortravel.com this will help use priceline and let you know what the going bids are and what hotels are coming up on priceline

Thanks to all who replied. When I first posted, there were no entertainment rates available at the Outrigger Waikiki so I was trying to decide between the other 2. Tonight when I called, there were no entertainment rates available at the Reef but some were now open at the Waikiki..got an ocean view for 190.00/night(other options were POV=170.00 and city=140.00). I am very satisfied with this deal. I guess it pays off to keep checking. I know I could have gotten a better rate at priceline but have never bid before and didn't want to take any chances on this vacation. Aloha! Laurie

We spent three nights at the Sheraton Waikiki from Priceline. I overpaid, based on later research: we paid $149 per night. The hotel must be owned by a Japanese investor. It was nice. BUT,
every evening we walked down the beach to the Outrigger, and hung out a Duke's restaurant/bar. This was the 'hot' spot. Our hotel had old entertainers singing Hawaiian songs and asking people in the audience where they were from...it was like a bad movie. I really liked Waikiki, it reminded me of Chicago Michigan Ave., but with nice surfers walking by with surf boards and a fantastic beach.
Our next visit, we are staying at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider? Very elegant. You will like the activity at the Outrigger! Chuck's Steak House was nice too.
By the way, we struggled getting around, got lost, I would suggest getting really good directions. They aren't into signage like we are on the Mainland.

The Pacific Beach Hotel is really nice. We had an ocean front room for $100 a night. We booked through the 3AAAs. That was last year but with the economy like it is this year--Hawaii is supposed to be hurting. You should check.