Jul 25, 2010

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Ocean Resort Hotel

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Ocean Resort Hotel 

Ocean Resort Hotel General description:

• The Ocean Resort Hotel  has 2 separate and very different towers that are quite independent from each other, including different elevators, lobby areas and amenities.
• They were both erected in the 70′s, and the main one is called Pali Tower, and the secondary one is called Diamond Head Tower.

• It has an adequate lobby/front desk area with a restaurant and a bar. The pool areas are on the same level in each tower and are connected; each building has its own small pool.
• The Pali Tower has regular size rooms, most of them with small kitchenettes; the Diamond Head tower has smaller rooms without cooking facilities.
• The lobby is on an elevated floor and either a ramp or a flight of stairs has to be negotiated to reach the lobby.
• Parking is available but limited and like all hotels in Waikiki, quite expensive.
• The hotel has been properly maintained all these years but no major renovation was ever conducted.
   

What we like about the Ocean Resort Hotel:

• Most rooms in the Pali Tower have a small kitchenette. Cooking facilities are not very big but represent a good addition especially for families with small children.
• If you need to be on the far East side of Waikiki, this hotel is only a block from the Honolulu Zoo and a block from the beach.

What you may not like about the Ocean Resort Hotel:

• The Ocean Resort Hotel has 2 pools but they are very small, they should have a single bigger pool but in this case each of the smaller pools belongs to a different building.
• The Diamond Head Tower has rooms that are a lot smaller than the Pali Tower, if you are going to stay in this hotel, stay away from the Diamond Head Tower.
• If you are planning to go to the beach in front of the Ocean Resort Hotel, keep in mind that is not very wide. Nice wide beaches can be found at the Ala Moana beach park, Kailua and Waimanalo but no hotels are available near those beaches.
• Like all hotels in Waikiki, parking is extra and in the case of the Ocean Resort Hotel is also VERY limited. If you are planning to stay in this hotel you may want to rethink that car rental since parking is on a first come first serve basis (cannot be reserved).