Jul 25, 2010

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Moana Surfrider Hotel

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Moana Surfrider Hotel  

Moana Surfrider Hotel General description:

• The Sheraton Moana Surfrider is one of the two most recognizable hotels in the Hawaiian Islands. The records from City and County of Honolulu register the original building as erected in 1913. The hotel opened its doors to the first guests in 1901 but that was in a earlier structure. In 1952 another part of the present hotel was constructed and in 1969 a tower was built to accommodate the hotel growth but in a more contemporary style.
• Today the hotel has almost 800 rooms, several restaurants, bars and shops.
• The property belongs to a Japanese company and is managed by Sheraton Hotels. 

What we like about the Moana Surfrider Hotel:

• The Moana Surfrider Hotel has a very good location, it can not be more central than this area.
• The Moana Surfrider Hotel is on the water and has the service that you have come to expect from a Sheraton Hotel.
• You can feel the elegance of a bygone era in every corner of the old section of the Moana Surfrider Hotel.
• Even if you decide not to stay at the Moana Surfrider Hotel, its restaurants and bars will welcome you for drinks or meals and you can still enjoy some of the atmosphere of this Hawaiian legend.

What you may not like about the Moana Surfrider Hotel:

• One the main reasons to stay on an oceanfront hotel is to be able to enjoy the beach in front of it; unfortunately the beach on that area is very narrow (especially during high tide). The only 4 star hotel with a somewhat better beach in front of it is the Hilton Hawaiian Village, number 12 in our map. The big problem with the Hilton Hawaiian Village is that is not central, If you want to be in the center of Waikiki (and there are very good reasons for that since most people like to stay in the center of Waikiki) you may very well look for a hotel on the other side of Kalakaua and save the money.
• If you are searching for a modern looking hotel, make sure that you request to stay in the tower, If you like antiques the old wings will suit you just fine.
• Most people that choose the Moana Surfrider Hotel want to be in the “old” section, the main problem with that section is that there are no 2 rooms alike, some are very good and some are not, if you are already here and is for that same day, then ask to see the room, if on the other hand it is a future reservation then is better to call, they can check what rooms they have available and choose among the better ones. You will not pay a penny more for the room and at least you will have a better chance to end up in a room that you will like.
• Another problem with the old section of the hotel is that most of the balconies are not operational, so rooms in this section have no balconies, only windows.
• Staying in the “new” section, also called the Tower, kind of defeats the purpose of staying in a classic hotel since it looks and feels like a modern building.