honolulu hotel advice
 

Our family of five (2 adults, 3 children) arrive in Honolulu at 10:45 pm from the East Coast. The next day we have reservations on Kauai for 5 nights and then plan on moving on to Maui for 7 nights. Our check-in is probably 3 pm on Kauai. We need a safe, inexpensive, clean place for the 5 of us to stay on Oahu before traveling to Kauai. Would the Best Western be the best bet? Are there any all suite type hotels that the five of us could stay in one room in that you know of? Any info or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!!

I had posted this where you had made the same inquiry on the Marriott forum:

Honolulu Airport Hotel - 3401 N. Nimitz, Honolulu, Oahu HI “Conveniently located at the entrance to the Honolulu International Airport with 308 comfortable rooms and amenities that include free airport shuttle”

Best Western the Plaza Hotel - 3253 North Nimitz Highway, Honolulu HI “The Best Western The Plaza Hotel is located on the Island of Oahu, near the entrance to Honolulu International Airport” I don’t know, but I think that the Best Western has a free shuttle as well.

Both the Honolulu Airport Hotel (a former Holiday Inn) and the Best Western are 1-1/2 star type hotels. Have not stayed at either hotel except to attend meetings in their conference room. Would recommend the Best Western versus the Honolulu Airport since it is a mid-rise building type hotel versus the 2 story walkup Honolulu Airport. Believe that both are safe enough and they do have shuttles to and from the airport. Both are at the entrance to the airport so a five minute or less drive.

If "clean and safe" is all you care about, stay by the airport. With the exception of a very few hotels, most "upscale" places in Honolulu just aren't - plus you will save about $50 to $60 in roundtrip taxi/shuttles. Although I haven't stayed at these places (I've only been to Honolulu 40 to 50 times, but somehow have missed out on airport lodging...) in the unlikely event that there is a 'suite', you're probably better off in adjoining rooms.

According to AAA, the Best Western does offer airport transportation. It also advises to request a "tower" room to avoid noise from the highway.

BTW travelovingnurse, my wife (also a travel loving nurse) thinks your FT handle is great.

Thanks for the information everyone! I think we will probably stay at the Best Western Plaza at the airport. I found out we can have 5 in a room there. We only need somewhere to rest our travel weary bodies for the night. I really did not want to spend a lot of $$$ since we will get up early the next morning and fly to Kauai for 5 nights and then off to Maui for 7 nights before returning to Honolulu for our return flight home. We have not traveled to Hawaii since 9/11 and are really finding things to be much more expensive with fewer options than on previous trips. Normally we can get reward tickets directly in and out of Maui on Delta, but none have ever been made available this trip. We also could only get this late flight into Honolulu even though I called 1 minute after midnight 330 days out.

~~~~~Thanks everyone!!~~

travelovingnurse: We stay at the B/W Plaza several times each year as we travel to/from the Mainland. Rooms are fairly basic but always clean, safe, quiet. Shuttle runs every 30 minutes on the half-hour to/from the airport. Always ask for a "tower" room (they just seem safer) but be aware that you can also get highway noise from there, too. Crank up the a/c and you'll probably not be bothered by it. They also have an in-room coffeemaker, so you can have-a-cup when you wake up in the morning.

[This message has been edited by Kwaj girl (edited 02-03-2003).]

Thank you! We will definitely request a tower room. Is this hotel in a not very safe area? The in-room coffeemaker definitely sounds like a winner! That jet lag is always a challenge the first couple of days!! Thanks again!