Where to stay before the Aulani portion of your trip?

[SL6827]

If you do a four or five stay on the island before you check into Aulani, where do you stay? Great places to book for exploring and venturing out before settling in at Aulani?

 

[pinkxray]

We stayed at the Outrigger on the beach in Waikiki for 3 nights before Aulani. I know some people dislike Waikiki and I thought we’d be in that crowd too, but our family really enjoyed the stay. Loved being right on the beach with beautiful oceanfront views. We also like having Duke’s right in the hotel and ate lunch there everyday along with one breakfast and dinner.

Waikiki was a good spot to head to Diamond head and Kuoloa Ranch. Also enjoyed a little shopping and a few restaurants on the main road.

I would also love to do a few days at Turtle Bay but the prices are always a little too high for me.

 

[kboo]

If you haven't been to Hawaii (ever, or in a while), I agree Waikiki is a great place to start. Last year we used hotel points to stay at the Royal Hawaiian (the pink hotel in the picture above) and loved it! We did a sunrise walk/hike up Le'ahi (Diamond Head) and had our "city" vacation before going to Aulani. (Also snorkeling at Haunama Bay, going to Kualoa Ranch, are all MUCH more convenient from Waikiki).

We also looked at going to a different island - Maui, Kauai or the Big Island. We've been to all of them, but not with kids old enough to remember. But given that this was our first trip back in a while, we decided not to island hop for a trip where we were on the ground for 10 days only. Next time ...

Edit: Also, I'd always do the more active part before Aulani. Aulani the resort is restful and fun and I'd be spending my time making good use of my points/$ by using the resort more!

 

[planningjollyholiday]

We have always done a pre stay in Waikiki. I like Queens beach as it's not as busy and I like the waves, so we like the hotels on that side. The best value is Twin Finn- not fancy but priced well. I also like the Aston beach tower for its suites. Ocean front rooms are a way better view in Waikiki than Aulani so this is where I would splurge for that type of room. I could happily sit on my balcony and watch the surfers and boats for awhile which you just do not get at Aulani. I agree with the pp that this portion of the trip is when you should be busy exploring around the island.

 

[supercarrie]

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village before our Aulani nights and enjoyed being on the edge of Waikiki. We used it as a home base and ventured out on excursions most days, but enjoyed the pools, restaurants and shopping on property.

 

[OKW Lover]

We occasionally do a couple of nights in Waikiki before our extended Aulani stay. In the past we've stayed at the Marriott Waikiki, the Sheraton, and Hilton hawaiian Village. All were good choices, with the first two being right in the middle of all the shopping and on the beach.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

The Hilton Hawaiian Village has one of the best beaches, which aLos isn’t usually as crowded.

We like the Waikiki Beachcomber for a lower price point. The Surfrider has a great atmosphere, and is right on the beach. Avoid the Queen Kapiolani. We stay at the Hyatt Regency often (family discount) - it’s a good location, nice facilities, and great views. The higher floor suites are pretty awesome.

 

[Silvermist999]

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the first half of our trip last summer, we would definitely stay there again. We stayed in a 1BR suite with a full kitchen and used this portion of our trip to see the rest of the island, before we moved to Aulani just for relaxing!

 

[ABDUL-RAFIU]

Some folks love staying in the Ko Olina area itself to soak up the vibes before diving into the Aulani magic. Others swear by places like the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club or the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina for a bit of luxury and pampering.

 

[Iceman93]

For four or five nights, do a different island. Hands down.