Review: Outrigger Reef on the Beach

I was excited to plan our recent Oahu stay at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach. Why was I excited? First, during my October visit to Oahu, I went to the Ocean House Restaurant in the Outrigger Reef for pupus (appetizers). I was really impressed with the look and feel of this resort. The large wood outrigger canoe at the entrance, the Hawaiian artifact displays in the lobby and the earth-tone decor was really inviting. Several Go Visit Hawaii readers have commented that they are fans of this resort, so I just had to go see for myself and I wasn’t disappointed.

The Location
There are only a hand full of ocean front resorts on Waikiki Beach, and the Outrigger Reef on the Beach is one of them. Besides the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean, also surrounding the resort are the fancy schmancy Halekulani, the Waikiki Beach Walk, the Trump Tower (opens 2009),  Embassy Suites, and Fort DeRussy. I especially liked this resort’s proximity to Fort DeRussy, because there we were always able to find a quieter stretch of sand for our Waikiki Beach time.

The Rooms
The newly refurbished rooms are excellent. (You can read all about the room amenities here.) We had an ocean view room in the Pacific Tower facing Fort DeRussy. We thought the rooms were nicely decorated with reminders that you were in Hawaii with the earth-toned color scheme, photos of sea life, and dark wood furniture. The tiled-bathrooms had ample space for the two of us to spread out all our stuff and not bump into each other. Here’s a list of the room amenities that we liked:

We also had a lanai (balcony) with two chairs and a table. With the construction going on next door at Trump Tower, it wasn’t as peaceful on the lanai as we would have liked. (The rooms were fairly well insulated from the noise, though.) I’d imagine that construction noise is not as much of a problem now or soon won’t be because the exterior structure was still under construction during our stay in February.

We could walk to the ocean front side of our tower to see the view and it was stunning. If you can afford the ocean front rooms, you should opt for one as the view and peacefulness is absolutely divine.

On-Site Services And Other Important Aspects Worth Mentioning

• The seated check-in process is very pleasant as they provide you with lovely cold towels scented with an exotic floral fragrance.
• The pool area is spacious, especially for Waikiki standards.
• Onsite parking is valet only and the cost is $25 per day.
• Starbucks, Shore Bird Restaurant and Beach Bar, and the lovely Ocean House Restaurant are on-site, plus there are plenty of other good dining options within a short walking distance. Since our stay there’s a new poolside restaurant, Kani Ka Pila Grille.
• See the complete list of guest services.
• Guests celebrating an anniversary are invited to participate in the complimentary Hawaiian wedding vow renewal ceremony. I will publish a separate article on this excellent service this week.

Final Thoughts
The Outrigger Reef on the Beach is an excellent four-star hotel that’s one of the few ocean front resorts on Waikiki Beach. With the resort being newly refurbished and rates starting as low as $159, you really can’t beat this luxury, location, and value. See our photo set from our stay at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach.