Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach

After spending a few days at another Waikiki hotel at which I never totally felt totally comfortable, I felt confident that my stay at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach would be a much better fit for my personal taste. I was not disappointed.

Having stayed previously at the resort's sister property, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, which has recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation with new rooms, a new pool, new lobby and restaurant, I realized that the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach would be a different experience.

Tucked in between the Royal Hawaiian Center and Royal Hawaiian Hotel on one side and the Moana Surfrider on the other, the Outrigger Waikiki has no real room to expand outwards. It has to do the best with the space allotted to it, and in that regard it does well. It underwent a major renovation in 2003/2004 and the property still looks very fresh.

The resort benefits from its prime location right on Waikiki Beach with fantastic views of the beach, Diamond Head and the ocean. It is located directly across from The International Marketplace and the prime shopping and dining district of Waikiki.

The street level of the resort or lower lobby contains the porte-cochère (with some of the most efficient and friendly valet parking attendants I've encountered in Hawaii), a number of shops and the world famous ocean-front restaurant, Duke's Canoe Club. Duke's features some of the best evening entertainment in Waikiki. The resort's rather small pool and pool deck sit next to Duke's, just a few feet above Waikiki Beach.

The main lobby is located one level up (by escalator or elevator). The lobby is just just what you would expect from Outrigger, warm, inviting and comfortable with a large outrigger canoe, plenty of comfortable seating and island art. The resort offers sit-down guest registration which I really like.

Also oceanfront on the lobby level are two additional restaurants - Chuck's Steak House and Hula Grill Waikiki - as well as the entrance to the hotel's showroom which features nightly performances by The Society of Seven.

Between the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach and its sister property, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, you have six of my favorite restaurants in Waikiki and I encourage all guests to try them all.

The elevators in the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach work on your room card-key. This is a much desired security feature that ensures that only hotel guests have access to guest room floors.

The 525 guestrooms at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach are some of my favorite aspects of the resort. They are warmly decorated in contemporary island style. If you can get an oceanfront room you'll have some of the best views in Waikiki from your guestroom lanai.

The taro leaf was adopted by the hotel as a common design theme to retain the historical tie to the hotel’s location, which for years produced large quantities of taro, a major dietary staple of the early Hawaiians. Pairs of hand-carved taro leaves adorn the guestroom entry doors.

The furniture has a warm cherry and alder finish and includes a comfortable bed with side tables, a television armoire, bureau with plenty of storage space and desk with comfortable chair. The bathrooms are modern and spacious with standard amenities.

In my opinion too many Hawaii hotels and resorts have forgotten their island roots when decorating their rooms. When I'm in Hawaii, I like to feel like I'm in Hawaii. With simple choices in bedspread, furniture texture, lamps and artwork, a resort can bring the feel of Hawaii into a guestroom while not sacrificing comfort and convenience. The Outrigger Waikiki has accomplished this superbly.

Starting October through December of 2010, the property will be installing new flat screen televisions and armoires in all guestrooms and suites.

If you're sick of resort fees, you'll love Outrigger's Fee Free Escape which provides the following complimentary services:

• Direct dial calls to the U.S. mainland and Canada, local and inter-island calls.
• High-speed Internet access
• Wireless Internet access in lobby, meeting rooms and pool area
• In-room safe use
• In-room coffee and tea

Amenities

Guest amenities include:

• 24-hour business center
• 24-hour complimentary fitness center
• activities desk
• beach services - surfboard rentals and lessons, outrigger canoe rides
• coin operated laundry
• complimentary daily newspaper
• guest parking, $25 per day, valet only
• Hawaiian cultural programs and activities
• Hawaiian wedding vow renewal ceremony
• laundry/dry cleaning service
• room service
• swimming pool, sundeck and Whirlpool spa
• Waikiki Plantation Spa

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts strives to provide a consistent level of quality and friendly service at all of the properties throughout Hawaii, Fiji, Australia, Thailand, Bali and Guam. From my experience they do this many more times than not. It's surely a major reason for the companies success. Being locally owned and managed they have that special local pride which, sadly, too many hotels lack.

I thoroughly enjoyed my much too brief stay at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. It's not big and flashy like a lot of the more in-your-face hotels and resorts. There are bigger resorts with larger and fancier pools, more modern decor, flashy nightclubs, and many more people. But, for many, like me, I'll take comfort, friendly and efficient staff, good dining, quality rooms and a sense that the owners really know their sense of place anytime.

You can view a gallery of 12 photos of the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.