My husband and I are going to Honolulu for 7 days in December. I have been shopping for hotels, but my problem is that I can't find what the rating of the hotels is(on the pictures all of them look nice). We are first time to Hawaii, so we probably will not spend all the time on the beach, but it would be nice if hotel is close enough and has good view. Could you please comment on the following hotels? Outregger Surf, Miramar, Park Shore, Outrigger Reef Towers and Outrigger Prince Kuhio.
Thank you very mach,
Ira

Can't comment on the hotels you mentioned but I just want to mention that The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel looks very special to me and at least one person on this forum, Ruth, who has been there was happy with it.

The url is:

http://www.kaimana.com/

Do a search here and you will likely find some discussion on at least some of the hotels you asked about.

I suggest you also post to the rec.travel.usa-canada and rec.travel.misc newsgroups.

You may also want to try the following url's

http://www.gohawaii.com (official)

http://planet-hawaii.com

http://www.theinsider.com/aloha/index.html

http://www.travel-hawaii.com/

http://www.sheraton-hawaii.com/sh-bin/live.asp

Keep us updated!

Some of the hotels you asked about may also be rated on Frommers.com

IRA: YOU HAVE CHOSEN SOME DIFFERENT CATEGORY OF HOTELS. THE OUTRIGGER SURF AND THE PARK SHORE ARE BOTH TWO STAR HOTELS, THE MIRAMAR A THREE STAR AND THE OUTRIGGER PRINCE KUHIO A 5 STAR. I HAVE SEEN THE MIRAMAR AND THE OUTRIGGER PRINCE KUHIO AND THEY ARE BOTH NICE HOTELS. THE MIRAMAR IS JUST BEHIND THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET, WHICH IS A BIG SHOPPING AREA IN WAIKIKI. TO GET TO THE BEACH YOU WANT THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND THEN CROSS KALAKAUA AVENUE TO GET TO THE BEACH. THE RATES ARE VERY REASONABLE IN DECEMBER. DEPENDING ON WHEN IN DECEMBER THE RATES START AT 146.00CANADIAN AND YOU WOULD GET ONE FREE NIGHT, WHICH MEANS YOU ONLY PAY FOR SIX. THEY WILL ALSO THROW IN A FREE DAILY BUFFET BREAKFAST.. GET IN TOUCH WITH ME AT [email protected] IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION ON THE MIRAMAR OR ANY OTHER HOTEL...TONI

Of the hotels you mentioned, the Outrigger Reef Towers is the closest one to the beach.

Most of the others are two or three blocks off the beach.

For whatever it's worth, I stayed at the Prince Kuhio back in 1990 and found it very pleasant. Not on the beach but location is good, close to lots of stuff and city bus lines are very close to get you around.

The Outrigger Prince Kuhio is beautiful, rooms recently remodeled, and good buffet restaurant in lovely setting (there is a coupon for it in the Hawaii ENtertainment book) IF you don't mind a 10 mnute walk to the beach, it's fine--get an ocean view room. The Otani Kaimana is too far from th central Waikiki for my taste. My suggestion esp'lly for first timers is to stay extremely close to Waikiki Beach. One long block away even, could put you in hooker haven, and you don't want that as your first impression of Hawaii. For inexpensive but lovely, I'd recommend the Outrigger Reef Lanai. Lovely if basic rooms, with small kitchenette area, very reasonable price (esp'lly if you use the Entertainment rate) and right across street from both Waikiki Beach(you walk thru the lobby of the OUtrigger Reef on the beach--and you can use their pool too) and Fort de Russy park. They even include a small continental breakfast in room price--most unusual for Waikiki. The lobby feels more like a little European bed and bkfst than a hotel, but that's the one i'd go for, if you can get an ocean view room. Aloha.

Aston Waikiki Shore is nice. Right next to Fort de Russy. Right on the beach. All rooms face the ocean. Admittedly I was there in 1992 ... prices will have gone up. They were all individually owned condos and thus all differently furnished and decorated. Anyway, it was very convenient and we enjoyed it.

I wouldn't descirbe the Outrigger Reef Lanaii rooms as "lovely" It is a
small hotel, very basic, needing
remodeling, but certain rooms do have superior views. The desk staff is very
friendly. It's location is convenient to
the beach, buses, shopping etc. The New
Otani seems nice but it's isolated from
most of the Waikiki activity. When we
ate there in August, the beach was crowded with locals as well as tourists.
It's close to the zoo and the aquarium.
The Reef Towers is close to the beach but I don't think they guarantee ocean
views. Park Shore is right on the beach but I don't know how nice the condos are. If they're individually owned, I guess they will vary as far as upkeep etc.

I wouldn't describe the Outrigger Reef Lanaii rooms as "lovely" It is a
small hotel, very basic, needing
remodeling, but certain rooms do have superior views. The desk staff is very
friendly. It's location is convenient to
the beach, buses, shopping etc. The New
Otani is nice but it's isolated from
most of the Waikiki activity. When we
ate there in August, the beach was crowded with locals as well as tourists.
It's close to the zoo and the aquarium.
The Reef Towers is close to the beach but I don't think they guarantee ocean
views. Aston Waikiki Shore is right on the beach but I don't know how nice the condos are. If they're individually owned, I guess they will vary as far as upkeep etc. Hope this helps!

correction.... Park Shore isn't on the beach, I meant the Aston Waikiki Shore fronts the beach.

BY NOW YOU HAVE FOUND A HOTEL, BUT HAVE BEEN GOING TO HAWAII EVERY YEAR FOR MANY YEARS, OUR FAVORITE , STILL THE OLD HAWAII FEEL, THE HAWAIANA ONE BLOCK FROM BEACH, NEAR FT.DERUSSEY, CHECK IT OUT AT 1-800-367-5122,ALL STUDIOS OR 1BEDROOM UNITS, MANY PEOPLE LIKE US GO THERE YEARLY.NO HIGH RISE,2OR3STORY UNITS, GARDEN AREA WITH 2 SWIM POOLS.