I booked this hotel after reading very positive reviews on this site. For the first two days of our vacation, we stayed at a sister property - The Outrigger on the Beach and were very satisfied. I arrived at the Luana with high expectations. I knew that the rate was $70 less per night than I had paid at the Outrigger on the Beach but felt that I had previously paid a premium for staying at an oceanfront hotel. When I arrived at the Luana, I was a bit taken aback by the unimpressive lobby. It is very, very small. The staff was very friendly. I arrived very early as we had just disembarked from a cruise and I was immediately given a room. I went upstairs to my room and noticed that the halls were very warm. I entered my room and it was OK - on par with a Quality Inn or Best Western. The walls had no wallpaper but were covered in a textured paint as was the ceiling.I had tons of kitchen cabinets - most of them empty and a fridge. No microwave or stove so I have no idea why anyone would need so many cabinets. Didn't really matter as I hadn't planned on eating in anyway. The bedcovers were clean as was the room but looked like they had been washed more than a few times. The remote for the television was actually cracked and the lid to the battery compartment kept falling off. The bathroom was very small and when I looked in the tub there was some sort of small spider. Later, when I went to shower, the water was rust colored and I had to let it run a while. My air conditioner was very noisy. Turned on and off constantly and loudly. The location was nice during the day - a 10 -15 minute to the beach. I went to the beach near the Hilton Hawaiin Village. Since chairs by the Hilton were expensive to rent, I walked a few blocks down the beach and was able to rent beach chairs for considerably less. There is a nice coffee shop on Ala Moana Blvd across from the Hilton. Very crowded for breakfast. At night, I felt the area was less crowded than by the International Market Place and I was nervous about walking about. I am not saying that the area was unsafe but I just didn't feel comfortable walking around the immediate vicinity of the hotel at night.

For our first stop on our Honeymoon we stayed at this centrally located modern hotel. Most of the rooms in the hotel overlook the Fort DeRussy park offering a good view of the water. If you don't have to be right on the beach, but still in the thick of the shopping district, this is a perfect place. The amenities were modern, the room spacious. The tile floors offered a clean feel. We didn't spend a lot of time in the hotel room, but its central location made it great if you don't plan on renting a car. We found that for a short stay (3 nights) a car isn't necessary - especially if you plan on doing tours that will pick you up at your hotel. Only complaint, they did not replace the little coffee packet on the second day, apparently there is a charge for more coffee. We bought some coffee ourselves, but found this a little tacky after we already paid a good bit for a room.

We stayed at the Luana for a week this past May. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised. We had a one bedroom condo for 3 adults and 2 small children. They were very accommodating and did not require us to book a 2 bedroom due to the fact that we had 5 people total. They took the fact that we had a 2 and 5 year old into consideration and said it was no problem. This was a problem with other condos. Check in was quick and pleasant. Bell man was very friendly and gave us directions to the nearest grocery store. The condo was very clean and modern. Kitchen was wonderful with granite countertops, fairly new appliances, plenty of dishes, pots and pans, glass ware, etc. The bedroom was large enough to fit a rollaway without being too constricting. There was a large walk-in closet with a safe. The bathroom was big enough and clean. The couch bed was fine, my father had no complaints. We did use the laundry facility with was sufficient. Overall we were very pleased. We had been to Waikiki in 07 and stayed at another hotel where the room was tiny, the bathroom floor was old and stunk, and the staff could care less. At the Outrigger Luana it couldn’t be better. The price is great, staff is very friendly, and the condo was fantastic. As for the location we didn’t have a problem at all. We were able to walk all the way to the Ala Moana Mall and in the opposite direction to the International Market Place with no problem. It took us a day to figure out a good beach for the kids that was within walking distance. We found if you walk out of the hotel and head towards the gas station, turn left at the park (immediately after you pass the gas station), head towards the ocean, cross the street at the light and turn right. The first side street you come to turn left. Walk all the way down and you will be in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village which has a really nice beach and the waves are fairly calm for little kids. It sounds far but my 5 year old walked it twice everyday with no problem. There is also a nice patio restaurant there that serves burgers and sandwiches. We really enjoyed our vacation much more this time around because we had a pleasant place to stay. We would definitely stay there again.

I don't usually "gush" about hotels but this one is "gushable". Luana means "live in comfort" and we sure did. Great room with full kitchen, fridge, Flat screen TV (even tho we were out most days) since this location is at the start of Waikiki. From our balcony we could see Diamond head and the Atlantis subs out at sea. And it overlooks a 66 acre park. The Beach walk is 2 blocks and you can't believe the list of big name stores that line the street just outside. It looks like Rodeo drive, too rich for me but fun to stroll and window peek. I would move to Hawaii if I could live at the Luana.