summerdae

my hubby and i are going to oahu in august and can't decide what will work best for us. we'll definitely spend our days at beaches all over the island- for this, we'd prefer to stay in kailua or north shore, BUT we want to make sure that we can stay busy at night also.
would it be a bad idea to stay in kailua and plan on driving into waikiki most nights?? is parking impossible??
can anyone recommend a place that is quiet, condo-like, on a beach, close enough that we could get into the city without driving, yet not be directly in the crowds??
thanks for your help,
summer

MerryTravel

Try looking for condos for rent on the "Gold Coast" of Waikiki. Kailua isn't hours away, but if it's late and you're tired it's a dark drive on windy roads, and parking in Waikiki can be a huge pain. The Gold Coast a small strip of condo buildings/hotels (the New Otani and W are in the area), but the beach isn't crowded and it's across the street from Kapiolani Park, so it's much quieter than the rest of Waikiki and you can get gorgeous views of Diamond Head. It's a 10 to 15 minute walk to the "action," and there is also a club at the W a few nights a week. Here's one I found pretty quickly on Google.

http://www.vrbo.com/42277

bonniebroad

Totally second a lot of what MerryTraveler has to say! I love staying at The New Otani; you can get some fabulous views for the money, and it is definitely quieter in that section of Waikiki. But I wouldn't describe the area as "quiet, condo-like, on a beach" .... it's still Waikiki, which is not like sleeping in Kailua, for example. I wouldn't stay outside Waikiki, planning to drive in each night. If nightlife is really important to you, then I'd sleep in Waikiki the entire time, venturing out to other parts of the island in the daytime......... Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

suze

I checked out this part of Waikiki last month and agree with the above. It seems like a great part of town to stay. Convenient but less hectic. And you can easily catch The Bus from there, just to get around Waikiki or out to other spots.

To me part of finding relaxation in Waikiki is watch sunset, wander around in the evenings, stroll the sidewalks, doing everything on foot. The thought of getting in a car and dealing with the traffic and parking (both bad) would kind of ruin the island mood!

bonniebroad

Wanted to add... technically, that "Gold Coast" area is not Waikiki, but most people think of it as such!

summerdae

thanks for your help everyone. i think we'll go with that idea.. i found a great studio in the waikiki grand that will hopefully work out.