We absolutely LOVE this resort! Stayed here at Thanksgiving '08 and prior in June '08....just now getting around to reviewing it. Obviously, we loved it so much in June that we decided to go back in November. I know that some reviews have complained about noise and views; however, we chose to book an oceanfront room b/c when you're in hawaii and staying right on waikiki beach, why not! We could have booked cheaper and hoped for an upgrade, but it's a vacation so I'm not going to go with "wishful thinking". If you want to be guaranteed oceanfront, then book it that way. Our room was spacious, clean, well-appointed and well located. We like being around the action, so we had a room on the fourth floor which is right above the outdoor patio and lounge (Duke's)....this way we could sit out on the balcony and enjoy the live entertainment. This might be somewhat loud for others, but we found it to be the best choice for us! We had a beautiful ocean view, with some palm trees thrown in at eye level, and all the free entertainment we could handle. If you want a little less action, request a room on a higher level.
The room itself was a double/double b/c we had our kids along. There was plenty of room with a pull-out couch for our daughter and the extra bed for our son. The room had a small refrigerator which we used for storing extra water (and some drinks that we purchased at the local ABC). One of the amenities that I really appreciated was that they offered free wireless internet (not so w/other more upscale hawaiian resorts we've stayed at). There was also complimentary water in the room on arrival, bathrobes, and some really nice lotions and bathroom amenities.
The Outrigger is located in the absolute best spot in waikiki IMO. This is the best part of the beach to hang out w/the kids....waves not too strong, lots of amenities such as surfboard rentals, and they even have shaved ice available at a little stand off the lobby. The resort itself is an older resort, being on waikiki beach, which all the oceanfront resorts are. You must realize that most of the hotels have been here for awhile, hence their prime locations. The rooms have been recently updated and are very comfortable and roomy. The staff is outstanding and overly friendly.....a plus when staying anywhere!
This resort is situated right across the street from the International Marketplace, which is an outdoor gem of waikiki. It has all sorts of "trinket" stands and a small food court w/lots of local flavor. Nightly there is live hawaiian entertainment, and it is just a fun place to hang out. The whole waikiki area changes face during the evening, when lots of street "performers" come out, and the marketplace is central for all the action. You must keep in mind that even though this is a tourist area, it is still a large city, w/a large city's "street" crowd. Just have fun and enjoy the diversity of everyone.
The resort itself is multi-story (obviously) w/the first two floors occupying shops and the lobby. The lobby is actually located on the second floor, which can be somewhat confusing, but you will be directed there upon check-in. They have valet parking for $25/day (which is quite cheap for the area), and if you are using a rental car I highly recommend the valet. Why not, again you're on vacation. Just leave you car, and when you're ready to go for a drive, have the valet bring it up to you......you're on vacaton after all!!!!! A rental car is not necessary on Oahu (the island you are staying on btw), but it is great to have for convenience. There are trolleys, taxis, and buses available, and if you don't plan on going anywhere other than the waikiki beach area you really don't need your own car, but once again, it's vacation so spring for the car.
The resort has three very nice dining options available onsite. Duke's Canoe Club is the best and actually one of the most famous places on the beach. Therefore, it gets busy! They offer a wide range of menu items, all in an oceanfront setting, and they have a great bar to just hang out in if you don't want to have an all out meal. It is adjacent to the beach, and you can walk right in w/your beach clothes and no one looks twice. Upstairs is the Hula Grill for a more refined dining experience, and they also have Chuck's Steakhouse for dinner. There is also a great place for quick sandwiches (and shave ice ((not "shaved" ice)) called Pai's (which I highly recommend) and a Seattle's Best coffee shop if that's your thing. Try to get the resort package w/the free breakfast included b/c it is a great value. You can use the vouchers at any restaurant onsite and even at the seattle coffee shop if you just want a bagal or cinnamon roll and coffee.
In my opinion, this is one of the best resorts to stay at on Waikiki Beach. The beach area out front of the property is one of the best places in waikiki to hang out, and they have chair/umbrella rentals onsite. They also have a small saltwater pool and hot tub, they are directly on the beach, they have rentals of surfboards and such, and their location is super. The Royal Hawaiian shopping plaza is right next door, offering upscale shopping and awesome dining options. There are so many choices w/i a small distance of the resort that you can't go wrong.
The only other place in waikiki that we have stayed is the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The reason that I don't prefer this resort is that it's location is too far removed from the main area of the waikiki strip. Just to talk up to the "main drag" of waikiki will take you about 20 mins. Being in Hawaii is an experience of itself, and staying in a centrally located resort is the best choice in my opinion. This is why my family chooses to stay at the Outrigger. They have an exceptional staff, an extraordinary resort, and it encompasses all that waikiki has to offer.
