Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa

Pros: Great location, great beach, great verandas/beach house. Food was very good in the restaurant but a little pricey. We had the buffet breakfast at $30 ea because omelettes alone were already $21! Beach was great considering that beach hotels west of us don't even have a beach! (washed away or something). Wonderful hotel, save for 3 items (cons): First, buying a package deal offers little to no options on room location. Luckily, we spent very little time in our room but our view was pretty bad. Second, it was difficult to get in and out of the room because the door barely clears the bed. Third, the shower leaked all over the bathroom floor because the glass wall or door was not properly caulked.

Fifth time in Waikiki but first time at The Moana Surfrider. It was fantastic, love the history and the location on Kalakaua. Beach is shallow but rocky however almost worth the toe stubbing are the turtles coming up for air almost right beside you, feeding on the rocks below. Fantastic. Friendly and helpful staff though out the hotel. Would definitely choose Moana Surfrider again. As there are always the pool chair hoggers that just throw their towel down at 7am to "reserve" the chair, the pool staff actually check and enforce the unattended one hour rule! I love it.

I have spent a whole week at this hotel. I stayed in a room that was advertised as partial ocean view. I know what that means and I did not have any illusions. But this was a stretch even for me. The room was on the 18-th floor on the street facing end of the tower. Very noisy, there is a loading dock below, there was some construction on the roof of the next hotel and the street performers down below added to the commotion. Other than that the hotel is great. The staff is very helpful and friendly. When I arrived, I was dropped off in front of the hotel. As soon as I took 3 steps crossed the side walk and stepped on hotel property I had 3 people there to greet and assist me. One of them asked if I needed my luggage to be sent to my room,( I only had 1 small luggage) the other one greated me with a traditional hawaiian necklace, the third one... well he was just there. I was 3 hours before my checkin time, but my room was ready. I really enjoyed having breakfast in the morning on the veranda and looking out to the ocean. The hotel is right on the beach. This is very convenient and definetely a great aspect of the stay at this hotel. After breakfast I would walk to 24hr fitness, just 2 blocks away, for a quick morning workout. After that back to the hotel and hit the beach. The hotel offers beach umbrella rentals with up to 4 chairs. I took advantage of this since the lounge chairs filled up early. The beach towels that came with the umbrellas were soft, clean and looked practically new unlike the overwashed beach towels at some of the other hotels. With the umbrella rentals you also get drink and food service from the beach bar right on the beach. The surf and paddle board rentals just steps away. The prices are very reasonable. The pool looked small, but it did not really matter since I never had to use it. The ocean, steps away, was warm and clear great for many activities. Conveniently there were 1 hr sail boat tours available right from the beach. They would take you out to the edge of the reef and bring you back right to the sandy beach. The hotel is equally convenient if you want to get off the beach. The ABC store is just across the street. There are restaurants up and down the street. At night, after a day on the beach, I would walk to different restaurants for dinner. They also offer dinner at the hotel on the veranda. I ate dinner there once, but I found that the prices weren't worth the food. The ambience is great, but I had breakfast there every morning so I did not feel the need to have dinner there. If you want to do some shopping there are many high end retail stores within walking distance. For a more scaled back shopping you can hop on the Pink Trolley which will take you to the mall for $2. I have been to a number of comparable hotels on Waikiki. The list includes: Hilton Hawaiian Village, Sheraton, Outrigger On The Beach. Out of all, I like the Surfrider the most. Although my room was noisy that is something I can change next time. The rest was great. I think, I will definetely come back to the Surfrider, but I will get the room that is facing the ocean.

Excellent service, location, food! And right on the beach! My mother loved sitting on the over-sized porch in the rocking chairs. It is a very tranquil hotel. Breakfast buffet is amazing! Plenty of space to lay by the pool.

The Moana Surfrider is a beautiful hotel and a good value for the money. The staff was friendly and the food very good. Our overall experience was very positive.

The Westin Moana Surfrider fulfilled numerous expectations and provided incentive to return for a longer stay. She has a foot in the past and a foot in the now that will continue into the future for there is nothing like her on Waikiki. While the nightlife on Kalakaua has become more intense from what I recall 30 years past, the Surfrider maintains its charm and on the Beach comfort for relaxation. The staff is courteous, helpful and provides top-notch service. Arrival Manager Casey King was attentive to our needs and went over the top to assure our stay would be in his words “relaxing, refreshing and memorable.” Roxanne at the excursions desk, and Colin and Gloria at the pool and beach side service were fantastic. The Westin Moana Surfrider has a fabulous breakfast buffet, afternoon tea, and a classic veranda for dining. Fitness and Spa are conveniently accessible as with Yoga and Hula lessons for those wishing to experience diverse activities. Nightly entertainment in the Banyan Tree Beach Bar courtyard who's setting can't be compared to any other resort on Waikiki. The Moana Surfrider is a thriving resort whose energy flows like the breeze that carries the spirit of the Islands. We were loyal vacationers to Cancun but I think we've found a new home. Well done Moana Surfrider!

Very Very Very noisey next to the main street!!!! The weekend we stayed had a Pride Parade and graduation parties. Horribly noisey place to stay!

We really enjoyed the location of the hotel and the staff was extremely friendly. The room with the ocean view is great and the beds were comfortable. I recommend the buffet breakfast in the morning. Everything went was great and I would recommend the place to anyone!

This hotel is such a valuable hotel with antique atmosphere. It is quite expensive to stay but it is worth to spend extra money. I will definitely visit surfrider in the future.

Back in the day, the Moana Surfrider used to be a premier destination hotel. While it still retains some of its charm, it is now underwhelming in most ways. Our "city view" room (room 450) looked out at the wall of the adjoining tower, and appears to be above an alleyway in which service trucks back up (*beep* *beep* *beep*) and the tourist bus stops and rings its bell for riders (*ding* *ding*) from early morning to late evening. Room 450 is also directly across from the staff elevator and service room which usually had used room service items, etc. sitting on the floor, with the door propped open with trashcans. Very unprofessional. The room was among the smallest I have stayed at in a western-style hotel (not surprising given the age of the hotel, but still disappointing given the cost), with the door almost hitting the bed, and had mildew growing around the air-conditioning duct. My wife and I had the breakfast buffet and the food was not worth the charge of $30 per head. The hotel also charges a $25/night resort fee that seems to basically boil down to 2 bottles of water, a picture, and access to some hotel events (none of which my wife and I had interest/time in taking advantage of). On the positive side, the bed was comfortable and the location is very good for those interested in the attractions of Waikiki. Most of the staff were friendly (although the host for the hotel restaurant seemed to be having an off day when we went there for breakfast). And the rocking chairs on the lanai are a nice touch while you're waiting for your car to be brought around by the ($15/night) valet. Given its location, I would imagine an upgraded room would have a great view and likely wouldn't have the noise and other downsides of room 450. However, as someone who has stayed at the hotel over the years (starting almost 40 years ago), the room quality, service level, and cost are such that I doubt I'll stay there again. Disappointing.