OK - after some of the reviews, I was prepared for a dump, but this was a perfectly acceptable hotel. It reminded me of a Doubletree or similar. Our room was good-sized, however, the balcony and bath were small. Great water pressure in the small shower. The room was slightly musty smelling when we arrived, but we opened the sliding door and aired it out and didn't have any problems after that. The only other drawback is that the a/c didn't seem to remove all of the moisture from the air, so that swimsuits and towels seemed to never dry and our other clothes often were slightly damp. However, I've often had this problem in tropical locations, so I'm not sure there is much that could be done about this.

The location of this hotel is excellent. There are numerous dining and shopping options in the immediate vicinity. We didn't spend much time on the beach, but it is only a 5-10 minute walk away.

We found the staff to be exceptionally friendly from the front desk, to housekeeping, to garage attendants. They were so uncommonly pleasant, that I began to wonder if they were somehow threatened into being so nice and helpful. However, I observed this so many times, by all levels of personnel, that I've concluded that they are just that friendly. How refreshing!

Lastly, the price of this hotel just seals the deal. We payed $99/night and it was well-worth it! We were told that Embassy Suites is buying the property when the rennovations are complete, so I'm sure these room rates won't last long!

The two of us checked in on Jan 30, 2008.
Upon check in, the front desk was friendly and very helpful. They informed us of the free beach towels that we can check out, free
long distance, free wi-fi, free newspaper, free trolley rides, use of the safe is free,in rooms, and how to get to the sister hotel to use their pool.

Room:
Very cute, all rooms have the joining option/door. Lanai was
very small, but enjoyed the view of the main street. We had the
king room #722. I recommend the even numbered rooms (722, 724, and 720)for a view. The odd room numbers were facing away from the main attractions.

Location:
Hotel is located next to Hard Rock Cafe, across the street from
Royal Shopping Center, and the hotel is located in the new Beachwalk shopping center. Great places to eat located near,
Senor Frogs across the street, Moose McGuilly Cuddy's also
located across the street. ABC Store downstairs from the entrance
of the hotel, Dennys one block away, and IHOP two blocks down the road.

Beach:
The beach is about 10 minute walk, and the beach property is
not as crowded as it is further down Waikiki beach.

Trolley:
Show your hotel OHANA room key and you will get free
trolley rides to and from Ala Moana Center.

Complimentary Rooms:
ASK the front desk about utilizing one of these if you have a late
flight out. They will store your luggage, and you spend you last day laying out, or shopping. Then upon your return to get ready
for your flight, they will give you your luggage, and let you shower
and change at NO EXTRA charge.

I didn't hear any construction early in the morning, or late at night.
Well worth the rate.

This was my upteenth visit to Hawaii, and my cousin's first, the last week of January 2008. We are both mid-40s women and flight attendants enjoying some off-duty time. We have both traveled widely, and we would both stay again at the Ohana Islander. The room was perfectly adequate, clean and quiet and comfortable for us. The "lanai" is really just a smoking balcony, and would not really hold more than one person, but this doesn't make much of a difference to us. We are in Hawaii, after all, and are in the room to shower and sleep. Wifi in the lobby was really handy and the 24-hour staff was happy to help. Computers are available there for a fee if you don't want to tote your laptop. The room had a small frig, coffee pot, hair dryer and safe and ice machine around the hall. A store downstairs at street level has all you need to stock the frig; Starbucks is across the street. We were both pleased by the closed-circuit TV channels that described dining and sightseeing options on Oahu; it was actually fun to watch and helpful. Water pressure in the shower and toilet was great, and we never lacked for hot water. I would not call the Ohana chain the "no frills" Outrigger; it's the "fewer frills" Outrigger, and that's OK with us. One of the Islander's strengths is its lovely location. No, not on the beach, but less than a 10-minute walk, for half of what you will pay "on" the beach, and part of the revitalized "Waikiki Beach Walk" area at Lewers and Kalakaua. The two or three dozen shops and restaurants in the area all seem to have a local flavor, although they are hardly rustic, and we enjoyed ice cream at Mondo Gelato and shopping at Overboard, among other shops. Roy's is right at the corner and House Without A Key, the wonderful beach bar at the Halekulani, is, again, just 10 minutes' walk. We spent a day on the sand further down the beach, nearer Duke Kahanamoku's statue, (try to go to Lulu's, just a few blocks past Duke, for breakfast) and two days on the Outrigger Hotel's beach nearest the Islander. For $30 we rented an umbrella, two comfy beach chairs and a table for a full day and just loved it. Have the ladies point you the way, and ask for Rich at the beach amenities stand. The staff and facilities at the Ohana Islander could not have been better and it will be the first place I look to when it comes to booking a stay for myself or my family.

Great value for $99, friendly service , free paper and long distance phone calls to US and Canada!!! first time I have seen that! They let us have a late check out at 2 pm and let us have a room to shower later for free. Great location. Weight and exercise room was pretty beat up ,some machines not working.Free internet access in lobby but would be better to access in your room.Pool was out but easy to go to other Ohanas to swim.