Kaimana Beach Hotel

Our room was small but clean and comfortable, with very nice towels, sheets, and amenities. The views were mostly pleasant and tropical, though neighboring buildings partly blocked them. We found plenty of families with kids, but it never felt overrun by chaos. The lobby, bar, and main restaurant are open to the outside and cooled by gentle Trade Winds. Service was friendly, quick, and competent. There's a little coffee bar on site with good-quality coffee, though it's expensive. The location is on the quieter side of Waikiki, right by one of Oahu's nicest beaches. We saw whales breaching while having breakfast, a rare Monk seal visited several times, and we spotted sea turtles in the water off the jetty at the end of the beach.

The only decent parts of our three-day business stay at the Kaimana were the Hau Tree on-site restaurant and how close it was to the beach. The hotel is very old and the rooms badly need a major renovation. We were reminded of one of those old, unkempt South Beach, Miami hotels. Our tiny room and bathroom had no view, and the TV was about the size of a desktop monitor, with limited cable and no premium channels, Smart TV, or streaming. There was a strong mildew smell as soon as we stepped off the elevator on our floor, and it was in our room too. There was no bellhop service, so you're on your own if you have a lot of luggage. No vending machines or shop on site either, though a nearby convenience store has water, soda, snacks, and toiletries. After three days, we switched to a Waikiki Beach resort for some extra vacation time. We had a much better stay in a much larger room for less than we paid at Kaimana, even with the special discounted rate.

We had a pleasant stay, and the staff were very nice. The restaurant is popular, so make reservations if you plan to eat there. We picked Kaimana Beach Hotel on a local friend's recommendation because we wanted to avoid staying right in Waikiki while still being close enough to Honolulu and the beach for dinners and ocean views. It did suit that purpose. Still, the hotel is older. The rooms have been updated, but they're small and still feel like they're from the 60s. We upgraded to an "Ocean View" room, though it was really a "City View" room where you could see some water. We had hoped to watch the sunset from our balcony and wake up to the sound of the ocean. We couldn't see the sunset without leaning over the railing, and roosters in the park below woke us up. There was also a party in the park below on our first night, which was a bit of a bummer.

We went for a wedding rehearsal dinner, and the staff made us feel so welcome. The views were breathtaking, and I wish we'd stayed here instead of where we did. The prices were better and the beach more peaceful. Waikiki's touristy part is within a 20-minute walk, and what a walk it was, with so many trees, birds, and chill people.