I‘ve been to all the islands, and I like Oahu best as well. But one thing about the hotels in Hawaii. My experience is that most of the nice ones are pretty much the same. Nice pool, nice beach, a few nice restaurants. And because there hasn’t been a whole lot of new hotel construction over the years, most have been around for a long, long time.
What I love about Aulani is that for us it’s truly different. First, it’s relatively new. Second, the architecture and lobby are stunning. And truly unique. Third, with the slides, the lazy river, the multiple pools, and the beach, it just seems like there’s more to do on property. And, a fun plus, it’s super easy to stand up paddle board in the lagoons!
Re the nightlife, unless you’re in Waikiki and want to head out to some sort of nightclub, there’s really not a whole lot to do after dinner no matter where you are in Hawaii. We live in Los Angeles, and actually love staying on LA time, where we’re tired enough to go to bed early and wake up around 6. It really expands the day and it’s such a change of pace to wake up so early and actually feel rested! After dinner, we really enjoyed taking a walk on the beach pathway down past the other lagoons and checking out the stars.