rmc

We stayed 4 nights on Oahu at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental in what was supposed to be a non-smoking partial ocean view room. Sadly we felt this hotel has really changed since we went 4 years ago. Even though they have lots of plaques in the lobby stating they are an AAA 5 Diamond Resort, I found it really depends on what room you get. From what I saw the rooms vary greatly! The original room we were assigned was on lobby level way down on one of the wings. First off the room smelled musty and it was dirty. Second, when the desk clerk opened our curtains to show us our view there was none! You couldn’t see a thing because of the overgrown trees and shrubs outside. He told us to wait for the trade winds to kick up because the trees will begin to sway and then we’ll see the ocean off in the distance! Finally I looked on the wall and there was a giant stain by the air conditioner. This was no 5 star room so I asked to be moved. The clerk knew we weren’t happy but he offered to do nothing so I asked to speak to a manager. After a few hours of explaining over and over to people that the room was dirty, musty, etc., the manager finally offered us a smoking room in the tower on the 7th floor with a mountain view. She thought we’d be excited because this room was $15.00 cheaper a night. Then she went on to say that this mountain view room was our only other choice but she never offered to change us back to a partial ocean view the following day when other rooms open up. I have to say that overall the tower rooms are much nicer than the rooms on the wings. The manager even admitted that to us! None of the rooms I saw appear to have been refurbished since we were there 4 years ago and I’d say they’re looking a little tired. On the good side, the bathrooms are huge and quite nice, the mattresses are very comfortable and I loved the canopy bed. My advice would be that if you plan to get an ocean view room then a balcony is well worth the extra cost. If you get the mountain view room, I don’t see a reason to get a balcony because the view isn’t great so we found no reason to sit outside.

I have to split this into two parts because it's too long to post........

To be continued:

rmc

Continued:

Dining and Entertainment

For meals we ate at the following:

We ate breakfast at the hotel (Plumera Beach Caf&eacute a few times and it was very good. The Portuguese French Toast and the Belgian waffles are both great!
Cheeseburger in Paradise: It is what it is…don’t expect gourmet but it’s fine if you have a craving for a burger.
Chart House: No longer part of the chain but they’ve maintained a lot of the original menu. It was good. A table by the window is great and worth waiting for. Request it when you make reservations.
Roy’s: My least favorite of the locations in Hawaii. It was so noisy that you couldn’t even hear yourself talk. We were literally screaming our meal selections to the waiter who told us that the owner wanted this type of atmosphere! The food is good but don’t go here if you’re looking for a quiet dinner.

Things to do:

Honauma Bay… Beautiful location and fabulous snorkeling!
Dolphin Quest: This was by far our most memorable activity and it’s located right at the Kahala. It’s a wonderful program and my only regret is not making reservations for this earlier. They offer 2 different programs, one that is an hour long ($150) and one that’s a half hour ($100). The hour long sessions are booked pretty far in advance so if this is something that interests you, make sure you book well in advance. I know it’s expensive but it’s worth every penny!
Arizona Memorial/Bowfin Submarine and The Missouri: Both the Arizona Memorial Tour & Bowfin are very good and worthwhile. Do not miss them. We chose to do the Captains Tour on the USS Missouri and that was a bit of a disappointment. It was our fault because we apparently took the wrong tour based on our interests but it was our assumption that this tour would likely be given by a veteran however ours was not. The kid who guided us was about 20 and seemed to have the information memorized. It was pointless to ask questions because he really didn't know the answers. It was pretty pricey so we expected someone who had a bit of knowledge on the subject. Our advice, read about the tours online or when you’re there before you sign up.


Any questions??

nyc

Thanks for the info rmc. Have you stayed at the Halekulani? Granted its in the middle of Waikiki, but I found it to be first rate in all respects. Given the very positive reviews of the Mandarin Oriental, I am considering a stay there the next time I'm in Honolulu. Do you have any thoughts on how the two hotels stack up against each other?

BTW, I completely agree with your earlier posts on the Four Seasons Resorts. I also prefer the one on the Big Island.

rmc

nyc,

No, I haven't stayed at the Halekulani so I can't personally comment on it. I do have a friend who has stayed there and she refuses to stay anywhere else.

The Kahala was one of my all time favorite hotels so I couldn't even imagine staying anywhere else. I was one of the people on this forum who absolutely gushed about the rooms at this establishment. I guess in some respects it is a 5 Star hotel if you get the right room. The thing is that's all up to chance. I fully admit that I'm picky but when you're paying these prices I feel you have a right to be picky.

When we checked out the Kahala gave us a comment card and one of the questions asked if we'd return to the hotel. To be honest, I'm not sure I would.

nyc,
If you decide to stay there put your request in now for a Tower Room.....it certainly can't hurt to ask.

Mike

And rmc, I told YOU and others on this board a long time ago that the Kahala rooms were way overrated, which you just confirmed for me! Of course, coming from both of the Four Seasons only made it worse and made you realize just how, as you said, DATED the hotel really is. However, I DO agree with you about the comfort of the mattress, though!

rmc

Topping for Cindy.......

John

Hi RMC sounds like a great trip and I am soooo jealous. I was just wondering what Hawaiian historical sights did you take in on your trip. I have heard a lot about the Palace, ancient sights around the island. Did you learn anything about the history of the people. Seems like many on this forum always have there eyes opened when they start to visit these sights and learn about Hawaiian history. What was your take?