I have narrowed it down to these two resorts for our final 3 nights in Hawaii. Both have received rave reviews on this board and e-pinions. Which has better swimming, both in the ocean and the pools? Which has easier access to the airport? Nicer rooms? The prices seem comparable. I'm leaning toward the Kahala Mandarin because of it's closer proximity to Waikiki (for meals), Diamond Head (we want to do the hike), and Dolphin Quest, which I believe you can only do if you are a guest. Any thoughts?

If you're looking for convenience, Kahala Mandarin would be a much better choice. The Ihilani is far away from the town, although the Ihilani & Kahala Mandarin are probably equidistant from the airport. Both hotels have beautiful rooms, wonderful service, and nice beaches. The main pro for Kahala would be its better location. The main pro for Ihilanai would be its spa. Also, the Ihilani is more of a resort than the Kahala Mandarin.

Except for the restaurants at the Ihilani, there is no fine dining in the area.

Ihilani is a great place to stay if you aren't going to be heading into town (Honolulu/Waikiki) frequently. Traffic can be brutal if you come or go at the wrong hours. Excellent home base location for leeward, central, and north shore though (as there's little traffic). From what you're trying to tell us here, I would recommend you stay at the Kahala Mandarin.

Stayed at both, neither were anything to write home about. If you are staying at the Ihilani during a convention forget about relaxing by the pool or in the grass. Both resorts have really tiny pools. The spa at the Ihilani is great. If Diamond Head is a priority you should stay at the Mandarin or the Halekulani as it will probably take 45mins or more to get to diamond head with traffic.

As far as I am concerned this is not a choice. The only way to go is to stay at the Kahala. You will not find a better room in the US than at the Kahala. I have stayed there over 10 times so I am biased. But the service is the best as are the rooms. You will not be disappointed. The area is the Beverly Hills of Hawaii, unlike the deserted area around the Marriott. If money is no option you have no choice but to stay at the Kahala.

Stayed at the Kahala July 2000 and loved it and wouldnt change a thing. The rooms on the ocean are amazing-but very pricey. They have canopy beds and luxurious bathrooms. The swimming in the ocean is great but the strip of beach is small. The hotel does not have so much dining selection but it is still good and there are many great restaurants 5 minutes away.

Jon stated, "You will not find a better room in the US than at the Kahala." Jon, surely you JEST, don't you?!?!!!

Don,
If you find a standard (non-suite) that is better let me know. I am still looking.

Thanks, so far. Based on these responses, I am leaning toward the Kahala Mandarin due to proximity to Diamond Head and restaurant selection. Anything else? How does the beach swimming compare (doesn't the Ihilani have three lagoons?) Also, if we don't stay at the Kahala, can we still book the Dolphin Quest?

Jon, I know many will disagree, perhaps including yourself, but I think ANY standard room at MOST Four Seasons or Ritz-Carltons is much nicer than the Kahala!

Maggi, FORGET the Ihilani--the atmosphere over there is LOW CLASS compared to the Kahala and the location is dreadful (wrong side of the tracks)!! The beach at the Kahala is CALM and CLEAR and much nicer than the lagoons at the Ihilani!!!

Steve, you have no idea what you're talking about. The Ihilani is in an area of Oahu that has far less development than Honolulu. If you consider that alone to be "dreadful" then so be it. Some of us here actually prefer to be in an area where there are less buildings and people!

I am not steve but can testify that the place is not so hot. I like the location far away from the city but the hotel is not the 5 star property it used to be before Marriott took over. If you want tranquility you will not find it at this resort. Also the Kahala is on a very crowded beach too, if the poster is a person that likes peace & quiet it won't be found at either of those resorts unfortunately.

Hi Maggi,

We stayed at the Kahala May 9th to the 13th. The room, especially the bathroom, was quite nice, but not as spectacular as some say on this forum. We like the Mandarin Oriental and have stayed at a few of their hotels. Almost all had nicer rooms. The pool is small, and was filled with children. The beach area is pretty, and was fairly empty when we were there. The water is shallow, and is calm like a pool (it is sheltered like a bay). We did the hike up Diamond Head (about a 10 minute drive from the hotel). It is definitely overrated in the guide book we were using ... nothing spectacular. Maybe I've gotten spoiled hiking around the Bay Area; if you're coming from Kansas you might enjoy it more. We rented a car and the drive from the airport to the hotel is an easy 30 minutes. We ate two meals in Waikiki: the Pineapple Room & Chef Mavro. At both places we ordered the four (or five ? can't remember) course meal with wine pairings. Both were delicious, but to our suprise, the Pineapple Room was better. The best meal I have had in a long time.

Have fun!

Maggi:
Stay at the Kahala!! just got back on Saturday and it was wonderful! The service was the best I have ever received from any hotel or resort! The rooms are beautiful, but the bathrooms are simply plush! The beach was not crowded...it was very secluded and a nice swimming beach. We were given bikes(as a courtesy...no charge) and we rode all the was around Diamond Head to Waikiki...it was beautiful! The Dolphin lagoon was impressive. This hotel is also vey convenient to most places yet far enough away from all the folks in Waikiki. I am from LA and can't wait to find a good deal going back to Oahu...just for the Kahala. We also went to Kauai and stayed at the Hyatt which was also nice. But, other than the grounds the kahala even has the Hyatt beat. Go and you will not regret it!!!

Jean and Mass, can you comment on the restaurants at the Kahala? We are staying there in two weeks and I'd like to hear about the food at the different restaurants, particularly Hoku and the Plumeria Cafe. Also, which class of room did you have? Thanks!

Hi Susan,

We stayed in a Dolphin Lagoon View room.
We didn't eat at Hoku's; we went to Waikiki for dinner. We ate breakfast at the Plumeria Cafe, and had sandwiches from their pool side grill. Both were very good, the quality you would expect from a 5 star hotel. The breakfast buffet is the standard fare: fresh fruits, pancakes, breads, omelettes made to order, etc. The service was excellent.

Thanks, Jean! I'm really looking forward to it. Did you reserve a cabana on the beach? Rent kayaks, or other equipment? I'm under the impression there are two pools, one is a kiddie pool? We'll be with our kids and I'm hoping to rent floaties, etc. for the beach and pool. I like the bike riding idea as well. Thanks for any more info you can provide!

Susan:
Hokus was really good and we had food at the pool area which I think came from Honus...it was a Kahala burger and it was excellent! Those were the only times we ate at the hotel. We went to Roys...and it was delicious. It is only 4 or 5 miles from the hotel. We also ate at Dukes...food was okay, but really just went for the atmosphere.
There is a kiddie pool at the kahala, but it is very small. It is just a little bigger than the jacuzzi. We spent most of our time at the beach. It is very shallow, no rocks so swimming is easy. I was able to walk out about 50 feet. Small kids were in the water so I do not think your children will have any problems. You will love it!