Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Welllll...they're okay. Been to Queen's Surf and well...eh! Those pictures sure can make even that hotel look pretty good though. But then for that price it is a bargain in Waikiki right across from the Waikiki Post Office. At least you're right on the bus line...ummm well that may be a problem too but at least it's convenient.

Let us know how it works out. If all you need is a roof, bed and bath then that's a good price.

[pzarquon]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Ah, the Waikiki Grand. That's a "condotel," kind of a mixed use building with primarily privately owned units -- owned by investors not on the premises or even in the state, with management and maintenance outsourced. (Reviews on TripAdvisor.) A decent location, and -- as is quite obvious -- successful due primarily to price, not amenities or comfort.

It ain't a youth hostel, but it ain't a Hilton, either. Probably somewhere between a Motel 6 and a camper van on the street. As long as your expectations are in line with your budget, you'll be fine.

Hula's is in the building, IIRC. There's some color for ya!

[tutusue]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Well, yah, what Craig and PZ wrote! Be aware that Lemon St. on the mauka side of the WG is a bit dicey, people-wise. I had an acquaintance stay in a studio unit on that short street (forget which building) and was concerned with the questionability of the characters he saw inhabiting the area! That was about 4 years ago so maybe that's changed.

[Barcelonaloha]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

...If all you need is a roof, bed and bath then that's a good price....

...somewhere between a Motel 6 and a camper van on the street. As long as your expectations are in line with your budget, you'll be fine....

...the questionability of the characters he saw inhabiting the area!...

Wow! I hope that I'm misinterpreting what seems to be a "whole lotta naysaying" here ... You all sound like the OIEF "Oahu Island Elitist Faction" (I added that because I had to look up what IIRC meant, ... pzarquon)

Aside from the "roof, bed and bath" we're hoping to enjoy the kitchenette with the microwave, stovetop and full size refrigerator ... along with the "lanai" (we call them balconies) that overlooks the park and is oriented toward Diamond Head ...

I'm sure I've just been reading in all of the "reserved pessimism" that the majority of you seem to be offering in this forum. However, when I began the thread, I thought that I'd be a more pleasant experience ... perhaps I was wrong.

I must acknowledge that I am truly grateful for tutusue's positive response when she very warmly said:
"...Regardless, I wish the best for your stay." Gracias, Tutusue! Thank you, really.

Other than that, I've definitely felt very little of that "Good 'ol Island Hospitality" that I was expecting ... maybe that's what happens to all us "haoles" when we try to turn to the insiders for help and advice.

Regardless, If any of you have/make plans to come to Barcelona in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me ... I'd love to help you all out in any way possible!

MAHALO!

[acousticlady]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Wow! I hope that I'm misinterpreting what seems to be a "whole lotta naysaying" here ... You all sound like the OIEF "Oahu Island Elitist Faction" (I added that because I had to look up what IIRC meant, ... pzarquon)

Aside from the "roof, bed and bath" we're hoping to enjoy the kitchenette with the microwave, stovetop and full size refrigerator ... along with the "lanai" (we call them balconies) that overlooks the park and is oriented toward Diamond Head ...

I'm sure I've just been reading in all of the "reserved pessimism" that the majority of you seem to be offering in this forum. However, when I began the thread, I thought that I'd be a more pleasant experience ... perhaps I was wrong.

I must acknowledge that I am truly grateful for tutusue's positive response when she very warmly said:
"...Regardless, I wish the best for your stay." Gracias, Tutusue! Thank you, really.

Other than that, I've definitely felt very little of that "Good 'ol Island Hospitality" that I was expecting ... maybe that's what happens to all us "haoles" when we try to turn to the insiders for help and advice.

Regardless, If any of you have/make plans to come to Barcelona in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me ... I'd love to help you all out in any way possible!

MAHALO!

Wow! I haven't chimed in here because I am not as familiar with Oahu as those that live there. Though I have been there enough to know the lay of the land, and my son went to UH. Elitist?! Excuse me? You asked for honest advice and that is what you received. Sorry, we are one big ohana here - so I take your comments personally . I don't know how pristine Barcelona is, but here we do have our share of "questionable" areas - on Oahu, on Maui, on the mainland...... And we are NOT talking working class vs the "elite", We are talking druggies and criminals vs honest hard working people. The folks who were giving the advice were trying to be nice when they were describing the area. But hey, if you want your kids to learn what ice is - go right ahead.......

[Nords]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

... maybe that's what happens to all us "haoles" when we try to turn to the insiders for help and advice.

Speaking as a haole who feels you're giving us all a bad name, I'd have to say that it only happens to people (of all races) who appreciate the assistance as much as you do.

For someone who seems to have no other research abilities or data on this scene, you sure have a strange way of saying "thanks"...

[sophielynette]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Other than that, I've definitely felt very little of that "Good 'ol Island Hospitality" that I was expecting ... maybe that's what happens to all us "haoles" when we try to turn to the insiders for help and advice.

You know, it's funny.. if this thread had been posted on, say, a Chicago message board.. all of the responses about unreasonable price, and warning you of bad parts of town.. would be appreciated, not only because the posters were being honest, but they were telling you what to expect.

But because this is a Hawaii message board, some people automatically expect everything to be perfect, like those Walgreens commercials.

Hawaii is not one big resort. It is not the residents' jobs to wine and dine you. They're not trying to make a sale. They're just telling you the facts. Take them whatever way you may choose.

[Barcelonaloha]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Speaking as a haole who feels you're giving us all a bad name, I'd have to say that it only happens to people (of all races) who appreciate the assistance as much as you do.

MEA CULPA.
Point of clarification: I may have misused "haole", and if so I apologize... I understood it as someone not from the islands, I meant no reference whatsoever to race.

[pzarquon]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Wow. You're welcome.

I don't think anyone here wanted anything more than for you, your wife, and kid to have a great time in Hawaii. I think everyone here was worried that, for the price you were willing to pay, that you would not get the experience you were expecting.

Maybe we misjudged your expectations. It certainly looks like we misjudged your attitude in seeking "help." And that worries me, because a big part of what determines whether you have a great vacation or not are expectations and attitude... not the destination.

Look. I love Waikiki. I lived one block Ewa of where you're staying. Right next to a bus stop where buses would idle for 40 minutes every morning, where our window was 10 yards from a parking garage with squealing concrete, where people would pass out in our bushes. Then again, we were close to beaches, parks, movies (not anymore), restaurants, nightlife...

It's an exciting, colorful tourist mecca. Wouldn't trade those memories for the world. But we left Waikiki after starting a family. I still love it, and still take my family there... but I'm just saying that what I see as "real Hawaii," warm friendly locals and rude drunkards and flower lei and warts and all, may not match the glossy ads the HVCB puts in Newsweek. Since you'll be traveling with a three-year-old, I figured it couldn't hurt to be honest. But I guess it did.

[Barcelonaloha]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

You're right pzarquon ... I lived in the "heart" (tourist mecca) of downtown Barcelona for the first 5 years of my stay here, and when my wife and I decided to expand our family, we moved to a more quiet area far from the "hustle-bustle" of downtown ... (including it's drunks, and passed out people etc ...) ... and from my first experience I understand that Hawaii, Oahu, Honolulu, and the whole experience is more - so much more - than just Waikiki.

I'm sure we'll spend some time on the beach of Waikiki, enjoying the convenience of our proximity to a quick dip, the ABC stores, the souveniers, etc ... but knowing a bit of the island from our last visit, and having the advantage of my brother (and his car) we'll surely be spending most of our time around other parts of the island. ... In fact I was just talking to my brother about some great beach we spend many afternoons at last time doing some great bodysurfing ... (Sandy Beach?)

I think that I was hoping to sleep comfortably and inexpensively without worrying about my safety ... I'm determined to have a great vacation and I can't wait to get back to the island.

Please don't misjudge my attitude in seeking help.

I appreciate it. Really.
(maybe I sounded a little crabby back there .... sorry)

MAHALO everyone.

[tutusue]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Wow! I hope that I'm misinterpreting what seems to be a "whole lotta naysaying" here ...[...]
Other than that, I've definitely felt very little of that "Good 'ol Island Hospitality" that I was expecting ... maybe that's what happens to all us "haoles" when we try to turn to the insiders for help and advice.[...]

Yep...what others have said!

You asked for help and advice and you received it. It looks to me like the problem was you didn't get the advice you were expecting or hoping for. Instead you got honesty doused with aloha. PZ even took the time to search on the WG and came up with a TripAdvisor link for you.

I can honestly say that I hope the experience for you and your family parallels the higher ratings on that site, rather than the lower ratings. My concern for you is the rate you're paying compared to the average rate shown on TripAdvisor. I noticed one of the reviewers mentioned no pool even tho' a pool is listed as an amenity. Dunno the answer to that conflict.

I, for one, am not going to sugar coat an answer to coincide with the desires of a poster. But, as you noticed, I'll always wish a sincere poster a wonderful trip. It doesn't get much better than Hawaii, imnsho, even with her underbelly and all her warts!

[LikaNui]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

I too will agree with what everyone else has said to you, Barcelonaloha. You asked a question and everyone answered it honestly. You may not be happy that the answer is less than your fantasy, but that is no reason to play victim and act as if you had been wronged and offended somehow.
The hotel you've chosen is an absolutely classic example of "you get what you pay for." It's up to you to decide how well you want to treat your family and how much their happiness and safety is worth to you.
Like everyone else, I do hope you enjoy your trip.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

And since I was singled out in your replies...

I've stayed in those mixed-use condo=hotels and the pictures presented are typically those of which are the best-kept TIME-SHARE units. And those pictures may or may not represent what you'll be staying in.

When I went to the Kona Islander Inn on the Big Island I too used the internet to see what I could get for a bargain price. When I saw the pictures I thought to myself, "not bad for that price" and booked a two nighter there.

When I got there I was in fact pleasantly surprized not because it looked like the photos...it looked better! So of course I recommended this place to all my local friends who want to stay in Kona overnight.

That is until I saw the pictures and the heard the comments from a fellow co-worker who took my advice. It was like night and day. His experience was one of a unit with a broken AC unit, somewhat working fridge and ants crawling everywhere inside.

As I found out later, the Kona Islander Inn is a condo/time-share place where all units vary in amenities.

You wanted advice, well I stayed at one of the two places you mentioned and well those pictures you saw definately didn't mimick the views or amenities I received.

You can consider that unfriendly, but if I didn't care what you were getting yourself into, I'd put on a bright photograph of myself too and say, "Aloha" check out my great digs. Then when you see exactly what you're getting yourself into, you'd ask yourself why we didn't tell you the truth instead.

Now what would you rather have? The bone honest truth? Or a message board of liars?

Welcome to Hawaii where we honestly do care about the places you mentioned because we surely don't want to come across the rest of the world as anything less.

If you want first class amenities, then we got it.

If you want decent amenities, then we got that.

If you want bargain basement below waterline amenities, then unfortunately we got that too at a great price to boot.

If you want honest advice and a pleasent time here, then please listen to our comments constructively, not critically. You asked for help, we gave it to you. And yes as I've learned on this board, we are all brutally honest and blunt to each other here...like family

So like a brooding parent...eat your carrots, it's good for ya

[pzarquon]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

Please don't misjudge my attitude in seeking help. I appreciate it. Really. (maybe I sounded a little crabby back there .... sorry) MAHALO everyone.

Just thought I'd carry this forward from Barcelonaloha's last post. I don't think we need to tsk tsk much more than we already have.

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Help with 2 weeks lodging near Diamond Head - April 2008

The Waikiki Grand just made me think of its other noteworthy neighbor, Teddy's Bigger Burgers. mMmm ...

I recommend the "Biggest Combo" w/bacon & avo and garlic fries subbed for the plain ones. Truly a feast large enough to feed a small family.