Jul 25, 2010

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Diamond Head Beach Hotel

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Diamond Head Beach Hotel  

Diamond Head Beach Hotel General description:

• The Diamond Head Beach hotel was originally built in 1961, has 14 floors and about 55 units, some are part of the Diamond Head Beach Hotel and others are rented out as vacation rentals.
  The Diamond Head Beach Hotel has a small lobby, no pool or other amenities, and even though it is fronting the ocean, it has no beach in front of the hotel.
• The lower floor units of the Diamond Head Beach Hotel have a larger floor plan than the upper floor ones due to the “pyramid” shape of the building.
• Parking at the Diamond Head Beach Hotel is extra like in Waikiki and there is no free street parking close by unless you are willing to cross to the other side of the park about 3 blocks away. 

What we like about the Diamond Head Beach Hotel:

• If you like small hotels it does not get any smaller than the Diamond Head Beach Hotel for the Honolulu area.
• At the Diamond Head Beach Hotel most units have kitchens.
• The Diamond Head Beach Hotel is situated far from the Waikiki area and with the back against Kapiolani Park and the front facing the ocean, is a quieter hotel than most Waikiki properties.
• The Diamond Head Beach Hotel has studios, one bedrooms and 2 bedroom units.

What you may not like about the Diamond Head Beach Hotel:

• Based on the Diamond Head Beach Hotel name and the location, most people expect a sandy beach in front of the hotel, be forewarned that this is not the case, to go to the beach you need to walk a couple of blocks to Queens beach next to the Waikiki Natatorium or go all the way to “Kuhio beach” in front of Waikiki (Kuhio beach is the real name of the so called Waikiki beach, in fact there is no such a thing as a beach called Waikiki anywhere on the Hawaiian islands)
• The Diamond Head Beach Hotel location is oceanfront but quite far from the center of Waikiki (about 35 minutes walk form the International Market Place, no restaurants or shops are in the vicinity.
• Even though crime in the area of the Diamond Head Beach Hotel is not particularly a problem, and because of the proximity of Kapiolani Park, the population density in the area is quite low and you will not find many people walking in the area, especially after dark.
• If you plan to go to Waikiki from the Diamond Head Beach Hotel to enjoy all that it has to offer, it is far enough so most people do not want to do the walk more than once, a taxi will cost you less than $10 and there is no public transportation close by since buses either turn in Monsarrat or Kapahulu Ave. If you are driving, if you are going to Waikiki it will be cheaper to take a cab since parking in the area is extremely expensive and very scarce.