A couple weeks ago, we traveled to the beautiful island of Oahu for a little summer vacation. We decided that we would visit four different hotels while we had the opportunity. Two resorts we have stayed at previously and the other two were completely new to us.

We stayed at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa during our first night. We then returned to the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach for a couple nights. The next two nights we stayed at the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort. Lastly, we went back to Waikiki and stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel.

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa

We tried to make the most of our second visit to Aulani. We visited the resort five years ago after a 7 night cruise around the Hawaiian Islands and we were both excited to be able to finally return, even if it was for only one night. Since Amy’s nephew and his family lives on Oahu, we added two of his children to our room reservation so that we could invite the family over to use the pool and lazy river. While the kids were swimming and going down the waterslide, Amy and I decided to sit in the tiki lit outdoor lounge and listen to live Hawaiian music, while eating Loaded Nachos made with Kālua pork, taro chips, fire-roasted pineapple, salsa, and the poi sour cream on the side.

When the kids were done swimming, they shared the Garlic Fries and Hawai’i Ranchers Teriyaki Beef Sliders made with applewood smoked bacon, aged cheddar, avocado on a house-made Hawaiian sweet roll which came with three sliders- perfect for each child. They sipped on Shirley Temples and then they each had a big bowl of ice cream with Mickey sprinkles. It was a relaxing first night in Hawaii with the Low Family. The service was fantastic and the waitress went out of her way to make the experience so enjoyable.

The next morning, we wanted to be sure to enjoy our day at Aulani. We went in the lazy river, swam in the lagoon, explored the shops, had lunch and ended our day there with a pineapple whip.
Pros of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa:
* It’s absolutely gorgeous. The architectural detail is spectacular. They truly kept true to their mission of sharing the Hawaiian culture with a hint of the Disney atmosphere. The view from our lanai was beautiful.
* It’s owned by Disney. The attention to detail and the customer service is what you would expect from a Disney resort. You are welcomed with a lei greeting and fruit water. From there, you are personally walked over to the lobby’s registration desk. Once you enter the elevator to go to your room, you will be pleasantly surprised to hear Hawaiian versions of classic Disney songs.
* Disney Character Meet and Greets. During our short stay, we saw Mickey Mouse in his Hawaiian wear and I was told that Moana was on the property but I did not personally seek her out.
* The room had a large bathtub, bathrobes and a variety of toiletries. This was a huge plus. After spending the day in the sand and on the beach, it is nice to be able to enjoy a nice bath and then wrap yourself in a very soft bathrobe to dry off.
Cons of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa:
* It is very expensive but worth every penny for the memories made with friends and family. My recommendation is to stay only part of your trip at the Aulani. One night is really too short of a stay. I recommend at least two nights preferably three. If you are paying $400-$900+ a night, you may feel as if you need to stay and enjoy the property but remember you are in Hawaii. You will want to make sure to leave the property and explore the island.
* Be sure to make your reservation early. Due to limited availability, we were only able to stay one night.
Visitor Tips
* Don’t worry about grabbing the limited lounge chairs around the pool.  Enjoy the lazy river and the pools but then go relax on the beach, you are in Hawaii.
* Pick up an insulated cup at Kalepas for free beverage/coffee refills throughout your stay.
* Get a photopass for some great photos throughout the resort which are available to view and order on your in-room television!
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Location
92-1185 Ali’inui Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707
(866) 443-4763

Mahalo to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa for sharing our photo on Instagram!

Waking up in paradise! View of the #DisneyAulani Resort captured by @californiatravelgirls #Aulani #Hawaii (📸 by @californiatravelgirls )

A post shared by Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa (@disneyaulani) on Aug 8, 2017 at 9:34am PDT

Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort

After leaving Aulani and before checking into the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, we stopped by Barbers Point to visit the church that Amy’s parents were married in back in 1955, while her father was serving in the Korean War. We have stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort several times, so it felt like going back home to Hawaii.

Amy’s nephew, Nathan, and his wife, Stephanie came by with their kids and enjoyed the Waikiki Beach with us. Amy lost her raft to the baby, as he stole it with the cutest smile. She couldn’t say no. They were excited to see that the hotel had a pool right on the beach.

After a nice day swimming with the Lows, Nathan took all of us out to dinner at Dukes for Amy’s birthday.
Pros of Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort:
* The views from the beach are postcard perfect. You have a great view of Diamond Head and sunsets are gorgeous.
* You also have Dukes and the Hula Grill Restaurant on the property.
Cons of Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort:
* The beach is a little crowded but the view and people watching makes up for it.
* We understand that this is for the hotel guests’ safety and protection; however, the new elevator system in Waikiki made things a little frustrating as it made the elevators come down slowly and some people were very confused once they stepped into the elevator and realized that there were no buttons to push to go to their floor. How it works, you must scan your room key and enter the floor number you are on, then the digital screen will tell you which elevator to use. If you just follow people into the elevator without scanning your card, you might not ever reach your floor.
Visitor Tips
A trip to Hawaii is not complete without splurging on Dukes Hula Pie or the Hula Grills Pineapple Brulee.
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Location
2335 Kalakaua Avenue
Waikiki, HI 96815
(808) 923-0711

Turtle Bay Resort

Turtle Bay Resort was by far one of my most favorite hotels on this trip. The views and decor of the room were stunning. After checking in and getting settled in the room, we couldn’t wait to go down by the beach and explore the property. We watched the surfers as the sun set and then decided to head back to Haleiwa and had dinner at the Beach House.

The next morning, Stephanie and the kids came by and enjoyed Kuilima Cove. They were able to snorkel and build sand castles. Amy even created a sand turtle with Anson. Even though this was a public beach, Turtle Bay Resort maintains it and has chairs and umbrellas available for free to hotel guests. Part of our stay also included free snorkel equipment for two. After spending the day at the beach, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool and ordered buffalo wings, chips and guacamole, and fruit which the kids all enjoyed.
Pros of Turtle Bay Resort:
*The views throughout the room and hotel were breathtaking. You can see the ocean right from the lobby once you walk in. You knew you were truly in paradise the moment you stepped on to the property.
* There were several different pools on the property right in the same area. There was a children’s pool. Another pool with a waterslide and waterfall. Then an olympic-sized pool that had a 12-foot deep end.
* There were padded arm chairs with padded ottomans in your balcony which made it very comfortable to sit and enjoy the view and watch the surf.
* We were close by North Shore and Laniakea Beach, I call it the turtle beach, and the infamous shrimp trucks are nearby.
Cons of Turtle Bay Resort:
* The food was expensive on the property.
* We didn’t particularly care for the style of the shower because it had only half of a glass door and there was no bathtub. As mentioned above, it is always nice to soak in the tub after a day in the sun.
Visitor Tips
* If you plan on enjoying the beach, be sure to get down early so that you can get a lounge chair. We went to the pool later in the afternoon. The lounge chairs were all being used so we waited at the table and it wasn’t too long for people to get up and chairs to become available.
* If you are looking for an inexpensive breakfast, lunch or dinner close by, we recommend Ted’s Bakery right down the street.
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Location
57-091 Kamehameha Highway
Kahuku, HI 96731
(808) 293-6000

Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel

Lastly, we stayed at Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel. The balcony was perfect for relaxing and enjoying the ocean view. We spent an entire day just enjoying the beach right in front of our hotel.
Pros of  Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel:
Location, Location, Location! For the price and the location, this hotel is fantastic for travelers who just want to visit Hawaii. The views of Waikiki from the balcony is stunning both day and night. Aston has multiple restaurant choices on the property and is walking distance to the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, and many shops along Waikiki Beach. It is a short drive to DiamondHead and Huanama Bay.
Cons of Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel:
* We found the hotel to be clean and well maintained; however, I think it would benefit from some decor updates in our particular room.
* We understand that this is for the hotel guests’ safety and protection; however, the new elevator system in Waikiki made things a little frustrating as it made the elevators come down slowly and some people were very confused once they stepped into the elevator and realized that there were no buttons to push to go to their floor. How it works, you must scan your room key and enter the floor number you are on, then the digital screen will tell you which elevator to use. If you just follow people into the elevator without scanning your card, you might not ever reach your floor.
Visitor Tips
* Be sure to take the time to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the ocean view. This is great for people watching also. You will be able to see the beach along with the sunset.
* If you rented a car, be sure to call down to valet to have your car ready when you want to leave the property.
* If you are a gamer, they have video games in the room and dvd player with free dvd rentals in the lobby. Alternatively, you might want to hide the video game player so you can get out of the room and enjoy the island.
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Location
2570 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 922-2511

We had a fabulous time and we have already made plans to return to Hawaii at the end of January. We would love to hear your thoughts on where we should stay then!

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Disclosure: We traveled to Hawaii on our own dime and time. All opinions are 100% our own.