Vacation In Waikiki Honolulu

Deciding to take a vacation in Waikiki Honolulu, Hawaii can be complicated. There are many factors to consider and more often than not people come up with 10 questions on how to choose their right vacation accommodation. The key of finding the right accommodation is carefully researching and surveying all the possibilities out there. The aim of this article is to help you understand the best Waikiki vacation options from different types of accommodation that offer excellent value for money.

Settled at the foot of Diamond Head, a landmark and the last remnant of the volcanic crater, is Waikiki Honolulu. A cosmopolitan neighbourhood, it is made up largely of white sand beaches but also contains some of the greatest landmarks in Oahu such as the Hawaii Convention Center, one of the largest in North America.

There are many hotels in Waikiki with various rates and levels of service. From a total budget perspective, it is important to consider the underlying cost structure of Waikiki Honolulu hotels when comparing their rates.

Waikiki is world famous beach and tourist district of Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the most visited place in Hawaii. This site will look at the history, attractions places to stay and things to do with kids in this area, you can view our page on Hawaiin Hotels.

Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

After we decided to visit the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, the next decision was if we should stay at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Being one of the most iconic beaches in the world, it seemed like a logical place to stay.

However, when we posted the question on our social media channels, the feedback we received was mixed. Some people told us to avoid Waikiki Beach and head straight to Ko Olina or the North Shore. While others told us that Waikiki Beach was the highlight of their Hawaii vacation.

Vacation In Waikiki Honolulu

After some deliberation, we decided to spend a 3 nights at Waikiki Beach and 4 nights at Ko Olina Beach. This way we get to experience Waikiki and Honolulu, while also spending time away from the big city. Honolulu is actually much bigger than we expected – and we expected it to be big. 

Should you stay at Waikiki Beach?

If you travel to Oahu, we recommend you visit Waikiki Beach. Even if only as a day trip. It’s the most famous beach in Hawaii, so of course you have to check it out for yourself. 

However, the question, “should you stay at Waikiki Beach?” is what I’d like to explore further.

Now, it goes without saying that travel is personal. What works for us might not work for you, and vice versa. It’s near impossible for us to answer that question without understanding how you travel and what’s important to you. 

However, after spending a few nights at Waikiki Beach, we’re undecided we if would do it again. 

We stayed at the swanky Alohilani Resort, which is centrally located on Kalakaua Avenue and directly across the street from Waikiki Beach. We enjoyed our stay at this hotel. It’s a nice property and the rooftop pool bar and lounge is really cool. Our hotel room balcony has awesome oceanfront views of Waikiki beach (see below photo).  

We actually stayed at Waikiki Beach twice on this Oahu vacation because our return flight home was cancelled – more on that story here.  

Related – What it’s like to travel to Oahu right now (during pandemic)

The above photo is the view of the beach from our hotel room at Alohilani Resort. The weather did not cooperate during our first few days in Oahu. It rained heavily for 3 days straight, to the point where the streets were flooded. See photo below. 

Now, you might be thinking – I can see why you didn’t have the best experience staying on Waikiki Beach because it rained for most of you visit. This is true. And, truth be told, it might influence our opinion.

However, we did spend two more days at Waikiki Beach later in our trip and the weather was fantastic. 

That’s a lot of water! We’re told the streets in Honolulu often flood when big storms hit Oahu.

Of course, bad weather is no reason to avoid staying at Waikiki Beach. Most of Oahu was hammered with rain during our visit. Oahu is a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so tropical storms are to be expected. 

Related post – Photos of Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club, Oahu

What we like about Waikiki Beach

There’s a lot to like about Waikiki Beach (and Honolulu). It’s built for tourism, so visitors will find the amenities and comforts they expect from a popular travel destination.

Here’s a few of things we like about Waikiki Beach:

• Lots of hotels to choose from. We like having choice. Honolulu has a hotel or resort for every travel style, from budget to high end. We stayed at Alohilani Resort and Marriott Waikiki Resort and would recommend both.
• Roof top pools and lounges. Many Waikiki hotels have rooftop pools and lounges to soak up that Hawaiian sunshine.
• Plenty of dining options. Kalakaua Avenue has hundreds of restaurants and food options, from chain restaurants to local favourites and everything in between. 
• The beach. Duh! It’s nice having a beach within steps of your hotel or vacation apartment.
• Easy access to water sports. You can rent surfboards, jet skis, paddleboards, snorkeling equipment or join an evening sunset cruise. There’s always something to do here.
• Waikiki is buzzing with energy. Music blasts from restaurants, bars and retail shops. Motorcycles and high-end sports cars screech down Kalakaua Ave to get noticed. It’s loud and proud.
• Centrally located to activities. There are plenty of things to do in Waikiki Beach, including the Aquarium, Honolulu Zoo, Kapiolani Park, Pearl Harbour Tour, Helicopter tours, hike to Diamond Head Crater, whale watching tours, Waikiki Atlantis Submarine Adventure, and shopping at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and International Market Place.