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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Beach Bum Hideaway
 | Oahu | House | Remarkably, this 3br house and separate 1br suite combined will sleep up to 13, making this ideal for the extended family wishing a beach experience at WAY less cost than renting a few hotel rooms 20 minutes away in Waikiki. Lanikai/Kailua has a perfect beach, and has all mod cons within easy reach. Exposed to the trades. Don't confuse "hideaway" with "beach house"- this is the latter, but just 2 minutes away. And don't confuse "house" with "luxury home"- this is a decent but modest abode. Set in paradise!... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Manoa Valley Inn
 | Oahu | Inn | Manoa Valley is located just behind Waikiki, past the university. You can stay at the inn, be a few minutes to everywhere, yet be in a different world. Locals come here for the weekend. A little creaky, and from when I last saw it, a little overgrown, but for lovers of old architecture and those who want ot be 'so close but so far', this may be it!... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Park Shore Waikiki
 | Oahu | Hotel | Steps from the beach. Value priced. Clean, and redecorated in 2002. Located at the east end of the strip, beside the park and zoo, so a bit quieter than the main drag places. Run by Wyndham- so pretty decent quality. All for under a hundred bucks! Gets an easy vote from me.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Queen's Surf (Waikiki Grand Hotel)
 | Oahu | Hotel | There are LOTS of declasse flophouses in Honolulu. And many pricier hotels which just don't deserve to keep their clientele. But occasionally someone comes along and remakes an older unremarkable place into a desirable, even chic, shelter- which is what has happened here.
Located a block back from the beach, near the zoo, near Kalakaua, near everything, without being, well, submerged by all these things, has long made the Grand a good address. With this boutique hotel within the hotel, you get upscale quality at down home prices.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
The Breakers
 | Oahu | Hotel | Kitsch. Retro- I mean real retro, like dial telephones and tv's without remotes. But adored by all who stay there. Read Hotel Honolulu by Paul Theroux- he MUST have based part of it on this place. The bar tender cooks burgers-excellent. The staff are super friendly- see the reviews. Located right across from Fort Derussy, and down near the high rent district. Low rise, built like a courtyard around a pool. Lots of space in the units- can sleep up to 5 in the garden suites.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
The Imperial
 | Oahu | Hotel | This is a timeshare all-suite condo/hotel. I recommend it for two reasons. first is location- 200 block Lewers puts it just back from the ocean, kitty corner to th eSheraton and across from the Halekulana. Nice address for a low $100's place with a kitchenette. Second is value for price- $105 gets you in the door, off-season. Top price for a 2br suite is low $200's. What I don't like is that it is a little cheesy- it attracts party types, and there is road noise. The interior designer went to the K-Mart school; it makes Ikea furnishings look like Roche- Bobois.... Still, for a few nights, you can put up a family of four a block from the beach in a place with a kitchen for less than a three star further away.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel
 | Oahu | Hotel | This retro-themed newly done up hotel really is a fun place to stay. WAY less expensive than the beachfront monsters.Surfboard and half-cane bamboo faux- finish motifs, a three story mock volcano, piped slack guitar music, and they give you a packed breakfast to eat on the beach if you don't want to sit around their pool. Not a small intimate place, nor is it upscale, but perfectly adequate if you are out and about , not trying to make a fashion impression in the lobby... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Kailua Ocean House
 | Oahu | House | I like alternatives, and on Oahu there aren't many choices beyond Waikiki. Yes there is the north shore (Turtle Bay area), and the odd Makaha, Waimea B&B. But the best, often overlooked place is Kailua Beach/Lanikai area on the east coast, about 30 minutes out of HNL. There, the fabulous beach runs for miles, is alternately dead calm or in an uproar. There is a tamed wildness about the place. The so-called beachfront villas are actually just back from the beach (a good idea on the windward side), and are both excellent quality and value. You can rent from one to four br units here, so there is versatility. The appeal is- close to action yet away from the world in a real house not a room! Check out the pictures.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Royal Garden Hotel
 | Oahu | Hotel | Priced like a two star, rated as four, but with too many deficiencies for that category. I'd call it a 3. Fancy lobby and pool areas. Pricey restaurants- sevruga caviar and a shot of Stolichnaya for $35. used to cater to Japanese a lot, and they have discounted to try to attract a broader base. in doing so, the standards have dropped, and they have gotten a bit petty, like charging for coffeee sachets in the room. also- be very picky about the room they give you. There is a HUGE difference in quality. Certainly good value, but keep your eyes open. Also, located well back from the beach, near the canal.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Waikiki Parc
 | Oahu | Hotel | This is where I stay in Honolulu. Of course I'd prefer the Halekulani next door, or the Pink Palace, or even the Kahala Manadarin- all 5 stars. But the Parc puts me in the right neighbourhood, costs a third, is genuine 4 star quality (a bit austere- catering to Japanese sensibilities somewhat). Speaking of which, always get the Sunshine package which includes breakfast at Kancho- for authetic Japanese breakfasts, or the regular Parc cafe.
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Hotel New Otani
 | Oahu | Hotel | At the 'other end' of Waikiki, adjacent to Kapiolani Park, the zoo, and nestled under Diamond Head, is Sans Souci beach, W Hotel (gorgeous), and for those wanting Honolulu without the bustle, there is the Kaimana New Otani. Kaimana means 'local resident' in Hawaiian- and that's how you will feel here, as if you belong. Robert Louis Stevenson hung in a hammock at this location well over a hundred years ago, and wrote that Hawaii was the fairest chain of islands anchored in the Pacific... He was captivated, and you will be too. Book an ocean view room or a suite. The so-called 'moderate' rooms are small and plain.Good restaurants on site- a bit expensive, but a delight to sit right by the sea in a quiet place eating Asian delicacies.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Turtle Bay Resort
 | Oahu | Resort | Despite claims, this is not full on five star quality, but it is close. All rooms have great oceanviews, and they are large- huge actually. The property stretches for miles, has long beaches, 36 holes of PGA championship golf, creditable restaurants, but priced below the outer island equivalents. $12 daily resort fee- which I hate, but still, the total doesn't make you wince... Go for a couple of days, take in the Polynesian Cultural Center without the drive each way, sample shave ice in Waimea and watch the surfers at Banzai if there in the winter. Just remember, north shore equals exposed to wind and wether.... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Halekulani
 | Oahu | Hotel | Consistently rated the top property in all of Hawaii, and with good reason. It got there first, so has pride of place on the best part of Waikiki Beach. Add to that, a glorious history of serving up luxury to leaders of the world, it is now a member of World's Leading Hotels. To keep that membership, EVERYTHING has to be just about perfect. This year, they are introducing the Vera Wang suites, as if ordinary suites don't quite make the grade. The trick in a resort of this calibre is to take advantage of what is offered. After all, you can stay in a nice room down the street for half the price. It is the pool, the spa, the wedding packages, the divine cuisine, that set it apart. The staffing is of a high calibre- and they are inobtrusively everywhere. Sorry, I just can't find anything wrong....... more |
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| Property | Island | Type | The Doctor's Advice |
Royal Hawaiian Resort
 | Oahu | Resort | The Pink Palace of the Pacific. The Grande Dame. The names conjure another time, one of ease and elegance, and most of all, a slower pace.
Today ITT Sheraton runs this first of the Waikiki hotels, and cling to the old ways. There is a new tower, with the now obligatory amenities, but most people elect to stay in the classic wings- even though some rooms don't have lanais. As with all famous older facilities (think Raffles in Singapore), the lore outpaces the realty, and the price/value isn't all that great. Still, for nostalgia and gentility, you can't beat the Pink Palace.
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