The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel

I must have looked at every region of the island for hotels before choosing the New Otani Kaimana. We really didn't want to be on the noisy Waikiki strip but we wanted easy beach access. And most of the resorts on the Northshore or Leeward side were far more pricey. The beach right outside the hotel turned out to be perfect. Very calm and clear with sparkling shallows that seemed to go on forever. While it was small, I even liked it better than the famed Lanikai Beach, which had bigger waves (maybe it just seemed better because the weather was sunnier). You can check out beach towels & mats from the hotel desk, which is great for saving the space in your luggage. The only thing that wasn't ideal was there was nothing to see snorkeling, despite what the lifeguard told us. Other than that, very quiet & picturesque. The room itself was small and average but just fine for a place to sleep. Parking = $24/day valet. We would definitely stay here again!

the room was reaaaaally small. it was hard to have 2 pieces of luggage and make it look tidy. the overall is ok, and you have access to a very nice place to breakfast (near to the hotel). there is vallet parking but really, you have to pay for it and the car is really close to you. most of the times you would do faster if you just go and get the car for you own. I'm not sure if we understood the "codes" for changing our towells, but we requested room service but the towells weren't changed. the location was very good and has a very nice and quiet beach in front of it.

I enjoyed that this hotel was a little ways away from the popular Waikiki Beach area because I was looking for a more secluded spot. It is also right next to a beautiful park area where a lot of people were running, biking, and walking. The beach is small, but you can always walk to Waikiki if you want a bigger beach experience. The view of Diamondhead from our window on the 6th floor was fantastic. The Hau Lanai restaurant was absolutely expensive, but the portion sizes were hearty, everything tasted delicious, and it's location right on the beach with the waves crashing in the background was very romantic.

This was not as advertised. Hotel is clean but rooms outdated and dingy. Would not stay here again

The hotel was super clean, the staff was very friendly and helpul and the location was very quiet. All in all a very pleasant experience that was priced right.

The only negative of this hotel is that it's a little bit dated and not quite as slick as the nicer hotels on the Waikiki strip. The plumbing fixtures are old; popcorn ceiling;carpeting and curtains could us updating. But a LOT of pluses. First of all they make up for the age of the hotel by filling it with very nice furnishings, flat panel TV, iPod dock, mini fridge, nice chairs, bed, lamps...so it actually looks pretty nice when you're in the room. We got a free upgrade to a junior suite with a wraparound terrace facing Diamond Head. Incredible view! Again, nothing fancy, but the lobby has everything you need, a nice bar, a decent restaurant, free beach towels and mats, a very nice clean lobby bathroom, very nice staff. It was great staying on the quiet end of Waikiki. This seems to be where the locals hang out. There's a public park and Aquarium, etc...the street parking is super cheap and convenient. There are free, 2-hour spots in front of the hotel. But we used the metered parking in front of the park. It's just another 20 yards away, and costs 50 cents an hour and is enforced only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when we tended to be gone so it was in essence free parking for us (compared to $20, $30 for typical hotel parking). Best thing is how uncrowded the beach is on this end. By the way, so there's no confusion: the hotel is RIGHT ON the beach. I guess my only complaint is there is no coffee maker in the room. Closest coffee is at the general store in front of the hotel. Not great, but not terrible. The closest 'gourmet' coffee is about a half mile toward the strip. Overall, a great, great value. I would totally stay there again.

Walking into the large open-air lobby, feeling the trade winds blowing through, hearing the surf right out back, seeing the excellent Hau Tree Lanai/Restaurant by the ocean, and the adjacent open air bar made the selection well-worthwhile. You were immediately part of the local atmosphere by seeing it unfold right beyond the lobby, with local surfers, sunbathers, boaters, coming and going beginning right at dawn.( No noise. No homeless. No problems. Hawaii is filled with fascinating people who show abundant mutual respect, is very clean, and culturally broadening to us mainlanders.) The hustle and bustle of big city Honolulu/Waikiki were a few short blocks away, but we were in our own world at the New Otani Kaimana. Staff were always polite and very helpful. The Hau Tree became our daily place for breakfast : a (shared) tropical fresh fruit platter with excellent pineapple, mango, melon, strawberries) for $15 and an old fashioned bacon and egg platter for another $25 got the day off to a great start. Not only was the food great, but you sat under a Hau tree a few feet from a quiet but active beach scene that I loved. Nothing like the sound of surf, smell of fresh ocean breezes, passing boats of all kinds, and a clientele that was dominated by very polite, pleasant and dynamic Japanese clientele to give you the feeling of being in an exotic paradise. During one breakfast we were treated to a Japanese wedding ceremony just a few feet away, on the beach, under the Hau tree. This is apparently a very common event: coming to Honolulu from Japan to be married. In summary, we were so happy NOT to be in the middle of Waikiki's bustle and heavy traffic, but instead right at the foot of the lovely Diamond Head volcano crater ( extinct), on a sandy beach, with an excellent view of the curving Waikiki shoreline from our quieter mostly residential location. One morning we walked along the beach front down into the middle of Waikiki, with its wall to wall hotels, tour guides, and shopping, and really sensed the heavy tourist atmosphere, which is what many seek, but I like to keep at arms length. Plenty fo activities can be arranged by the hotel, depending on your time and inclination. Tours are the best way to see what Oahu has to offer since traffic is truly heavy, there are many one way streets, and getting to know the lay of the land takes the better part of one week. We later drove then hiked to the summit of Diamond Head, through Diamond Head Park. An awesome experience! Warning: the 7 am park opening is charged with tour busses all fighting to unload and get going. It's chaos. But by 8 am all that has died down and you can come and go more leisurely. The temperatures are perfect for an early morning hike that while challenging for the elderly was very doable if you pace yourself. The only downside at The New Oani was the "Japanese sized budget rooms" which were large enough for two but thats about it. Their smallest sized budget room was a minor inconvenience for two considering the awesome atmosphere of the hotel and its great location near the zoo and aquarium, downtown, and Daimond Head. You are out and about so much ( get an early start- 73F lows and 85F highs in early June make morning and evening the best time for walking. I asked a couple of guests about their impressions. Both were return visitors who decided to pay more for the larger room. We would do the same. I love this hotel, and its ambiance. Nothing stuffy or negative at all. Very welcoming and self contained. And I loved the international atmosphere. Good job New Otani.

After two nights in a huge hotel complex at the other end of Waikiki, the Otani was a quiet relief for two old child-free WWII babies. No line at the desk and exceptional service from all the staff. Decor, linens in bedroom not as updated as, for instance, the Hilton Hawaiian Village. But comfortable. No coffee pot in room! Free coffee downstairs at 6:30 a.m. The 3rd floor ocean front room aok , apart from loud banging from construction until 5 p.m. the day we moved in, Friday, May 4, 2012. No banging on Saturday, thank goodness. The Hau Tree patio restaurant was very good, as was the bar. LOVE that you can walk from here to Kapiolani (sp?) Park, and wonderful restaurants and shopping.

Helpful staff, beautiful location. Room size good, although not much storage area.

I was basically disappointed by the lack of amenities like some lounge chairs. There is not pool but there is a very nice, somewhat private beach. It was a long walk to the main part of Waikiki civilization.