Honolulu prices WOW
Discussion
We finished our cruise and have four nights on Waikiki beach, god knows how people afford to spend two weeks here. Two sun loungers and a parasol on the beach $98 a day. A decent pint of IPA $16. A standard meal for two on the strip with a bottle of wine $200. It’s packed to the rafters all day and you struggle to find a table, but come 10 pm everywhere is closed. Don’t think, well I know we will not come back, but it was great to see.
Yep - hawaii is nuts and waikiki is insane .... It's an odd place really as waikiki is really popular but by no means the best place to spend time on Oahu. You're right, slammed all the time, prices through the roof, no where to park, and ... the surf's awful - still people flock to it.
I've spent a pretty good amount of time on oahu - I love it, but not the prices for groceries etc. Another awfully busy part is Haleiwa, the traffic can be a nightmare and there's not a lot to do.... but other parts of Oahu are awesome
I've spent a pretty good amount of time on oahu - I love it, but not the prices for groceries etc. Another awfully busy part is Haleiwa, the traffic can be a nightmare and there's not a lot to do.... but other parts of Oahu are awesome
hilly10 said:
We finished our cruise and have four nights on Waikiki beach, god knows how people afford to spend two weeks here. Two sun loungers and a parasol on the beach $98 a day. A decent pint of IPA $16. A standard meal for two on the strip with a bottle of wine $200. It’s packed to the rafters all day and you struggle to find a table, but come 10 pm everywhere is closed. Don’t think, well I know we will not come back, but it was great to see.
Call into NYC at some point to make Honolulu look like good value.HotJambalaya said:
honestly I hate hawaii with a passion.
5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
Isn't that like most of the holiday destinations, Jamaica, etc5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
hilly10 said:
We finished our cruise and have four nights on Waikiki beach, god knows how people afford to spend two weeks here. Two sun loungers and a parasol on the beach $98 a day. A decent pint of IPA $16. A standard meal for two on the strip with a bottle of wine $200. It’s packed to the rafters all day and you struggle to find a table, but come 10 pm everywhere is closed. Don’t think, well I know we will not come back, but it was great to see.
Do people stay for two weeks? If it’s mainly Americans they usually go to places for a few days, so the cost is just a short hit, plus the local tourist industry is geared up to extracting as much out them as it can.It sure ain’t cheap. Last summer we had 4 nights in the Royal Hawaiian (pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot); cost not far short if $3000. What’s annoying is on top of the room rate they add a daily room charge, daily excise tax, occupancy tax, resort charge and of course valet parking (I checked). They’re not alone in adding additional charges, but adding around another 30% on top of the room rate is a pain. And they used to do free breakfast stuff, and more importantly free drinkies and snacks on the evening…but not this time 
Didn’t restart after covid apparently (or just an excuse not to do free drinks).
We didn’t do beach chairs or parasols, but I think they’re actually included? I can see why some folks would hate Waikiki, it we rather like it as a destination for ‘significant’ birthdays…which thankfully aren’t that frequent. But yea, real expensive, but if the Mrs and I are still above ground in another 2 years we’ll probably go back. Plus the surfing just off the hotel is fine for an old bloke. …and we do Maui for some proper windsurfing - that I can do; I first sailed there in 1985.
Didn’t restart after covid apparently (or just an excuse not to do free drinks). We didn’t do beach chairs or parasols, but I think they’re actually included? I can see why some folks would hate Waikiki, it we rather like it as a destination for ‘significant’ birthdays…which thankfully aren’t that frequent. But yea, real expensive, but if the Mrs and I are still above ground in another 2 years we’ll probably go back. Plus the surfing just off the hotel is fine for an old bloke. …and we do Maui for some proper windsurfing - that I can do; I first sailed there in 1985.
Sheepshanks said:
Do people stay for two weeks? If it’s mainly Americans they usually go to places for a few days, so the cost is just a short hit, plus the local tourist industry is geared up to extracting as much out them as it can.
Most Americans we talked to on the are 5 to 7 days, and you are dead right the extract as much money out of them as possible. When in line to check in to the hotel we were asked if we would like express check in to our rooms, we declined when she told us it was $175 each
Thankyou4calling said:
Couldn’t you buy one for less and just leave it there ?
It’s like renting a focus at £90 a day and keeping it for a year!
It’s our last day today, my friend and his wife are in the queue for beach towels and a sunbed (yes one sunbed) it’s been 45mins and still another half hour they think. This place is madIt’s like renting a focus at £90 a day and keeping it for a year!
No offence but that’s what you get with a) “island prices” and b) staying at the most expensive tourist trap in the US. Any of the other islands are much nicer to stay at - Kauai would be my preference- where you don’t get the tacky, US-mainland feeling that you do with Honolulu.
Edited by parabolica on Monday 15th May 09:22
HotJambalaya said:
honestly I hate hawaii with a passion.
5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
Went there in 2006 and know what you mean. If you go back two or three blocks from the beach, everything is really dire, I would thake Cannes or Nice over Waikiki anytime.5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
However, as for the prices for eating out, I thought they were very reasonable, We went to this place one evening, had the best ever fillet steak and thought it good VFM.
https://www.kayak.com/Honolulu-Restaurants-Top-of-...
HotJambalaya said:
honestly I hate hawaii with a passion.
5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
Really?5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
Which island / islands is that?
I’ve been to a few and never seen that.
We have a house on Oahu, in Kailu, which is about 30 minutes outside of Honolulu. You don't have to travel far from the tourist destinations to find some more relaxed places, and certainly better than in the middle of the main tourist and transit city on the island. Waikiki beach is one of those destination you should go to once to say you've been, but there are really much nicer places. But that's why you're probably in Hawaii, right? If you want better beaches, I'd recommend the Seychelles or south China seas. As someone else said, most things in Hawaii are imported so it's not that suprising that prices are high.
Here's a view from our balcony. That's a public beach there behind the bushes so you can find quiet locations away from the crowds.
Here's a view from our balcony. That's a public beach there behind the bushes so you can find quiet locations away from the crowds.
HotJambalaya said:
honestly I hate hawaii with a passion.
5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
Thats also the Maldives..5 star prices in the middle of a third world dump. Venture out of the resorts and you have people passed out in the streets, chickens running around, shacks, the works. Really horrific. Asia is 10x nicer for 10% of the price.
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