My girlfriend and I just took a vacation to Oahu, Hawaii where we enjoyed our stay at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki. My girlfriend had never been to Waikiki, so it was very important to me that we stay centrally located so we would be within walking distance to everything. Another top priority for me was that it was a beachfront hotel with direct beach access. I like to spoil my girl so I also insisted on a room with a balcony and an ocean view. In the mornings, I wanted to be able to see the beauty of the crystal blue and green ocean while laying next to my lover in bed sipping on a cup of coffee. In the afternoons, I wanted to drink a Long Board Lager on the balcony while enjoying views of the infamous Waikiki beach and magnificent Diamond Head. And that we certainly did!
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Outrigger Reef is about a 20 minute taxi ride from the Honolulu airport which runs about $30 for two people. The hotel does offer a cheaper shuttle service as well. We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon and were greeted by a very welcoming staff who immediately checked our bags, walked us to the front desk and got us through the check in process in about 10 minutes. Everyone was full of smiles, super friendly, helpful and efficient. The lady at the front desk made our vacation when she told us we were given a free room upgrade to the top floor ocean front room. We were ecstatic and couldn't get up to our room fast enough! We grabbed a six pack at the hotel convenience store which had a great selection of beer, snacks, souvenirs, toiletries, liquor and a lot more. With beer and room key in hand we followed the signs that led us to the private penthouse elevators that only go to the 9th and 10th floors. This was a fabulous bonus as it allowed us to get to our room in seconds instead of having to stop on every floor to let other guests in and out. We felt like rock stars as we giggled our way up to our penthouse room. When we walked in we were amazed by the sheer size of it. Waikiki is not necessary known for having large rooms, but this one was huge. The bathroom was spacious too and had an outside sink and vanity area, which made two women getting ready at the same time a lot easier.
There was a super soft and comfy queen bed, a small sofa, a desk and a TV atop a large dresser. We took advantage of all the roominess;)
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The hotel also offered free wi-fi which we utilized to plan our day trip excursions and night time adventures. We also loved the convenience of the complimentary in room Kona coffee and the tropical scented toiletries, but my favorite part was the 2 balconies! Yes TWO! I was beside myself with excitement trying to decide which balcony I wanted to crack my first beer on. Silly, I know.
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The ocean views in Waikiki are like nothing I have ever seen before. The rolling waves breaking miles offshore and the white sand bars surrounded by majestic coral created vast contrasts in the color of the water from the sand to stone. We often just sat and wondered at the beauty of it all. We were in heaven.
 
The Outrigger Reef of the Beach is in a great location. There is a bus stop and trolley pickup next door at the front of the Army Museum which is very convenient. It is a block away from the Waikiki Beach Walk that features amazing shopping, restaurants and of course a couple ABC stores where you can find anything from beverages to souvenirs. There is also an awesome beach walkway that starts at the Outrigger Reef and winds all the way down the beach past the Outrigger Waikiki and beyond towards Diamond Head. We enjoyed the daily walk as it was a gorgeous setting and literally took us along the beachfront in front of all the other ocean front hotels on the strip. We stopped in wherever we pleased, taking advantage of the numerous bars and happy hour specials along the path.
  
We decided on the beachfront dining at the Shore Bird Restaurant & Beach Bar in the Outrigger one night for dinner. We were intrigued by the idea of barbequing our on food. I ordered the top sirloin with lobster tail and she had the teriyaki chicken breast. The steak and lobster were super fresh and the chicken was meticulously cleaned and butterflied. We headed over to the outside grill to test our skills. Lucky for Anna, there was a bbq chef available to help. She said her chicken came out perfectly and was seasoned just right.I must admit, I cooked myself one of the best steaks I have ever had! The dinners also came with an all you can eat salad bar and we each ordered a giant baked potato too. They were delicious and smothered in butter, sour cream and chives. Just the way we like it. You have to try this airy, cozy and casual spot on your next visit to Waikiki.
We were in a hurry the next morning so ran down to the Kani Ka Pila Grille poolside at the hotel for breakfast. We were seated immediately and the waitress came over to take our order within a few minutes. I had the standard eggs and bacon while Anna opted for the banana macadamia nut pancakes. She was like hey, this is Hawaii after all;) She was so glad she ordered them. They came out big, hot and delicious. The nuts were ground into little pieces that gave the pancake great texture and the banana was grilled giving them a roasted and nutty flavor. The maple syrup made it all the more delightful. I enjoyed my breakfast as well but really appreciated the rich coffee blend they served. I like it black so I really appreciate a good cup of joe.
Afterwards, we rented some paddle boards from right out in front of the hotel. We had never done it before and wanted to try our luck at it. The staff was helpful in giving us a few pointers and dragging the heavy boards down to the water. He advised us to avoid the coral and paddle in the lighter colored areas in the water. We paddled out on our knees at first so we could pass over the coral safely. Once we got into deeper water, Anna stood up and carefully began to paddle. I did the same. We proceeded to paddle around and I spotted a few turtles swimming under me. After about an hour we were surprised by how tired we were. This was hard work! We paddled in and bragged about the fact that neither one of us fell while we tossed back a couple of fruity cocktails back on the patio at the Shore Bird.
All things must come to end and so it was time to go home. Looking back, we thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our stay at the Outrigger Reef. This place is truly a full-service deluxe hotel with a prime location on Waikiki Beach. Check out more about the hotel at http://www.outriggerreef-onthebeach.com/. We will definitely be back for another visit next time we are on Oahu. Aloha!
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