Outrigger Reef on the Beach - Honolulu, Hawaii - Waikiki Beach Walk's Flagship Hotel

Recently renovated at a cost of over $100 million, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach is now the flagship hotel of the most massive renewal project in Waikiki's long history: The Waikiki Beach Walk. The Outrigger Reef anchors this eight-acre undertaking as the only piece of property fronting the ocean.

In the hotel's Ocean Tower and Pacific Tower, every single guestroom and suite has been re-outfitted. With 14 different room types to choose from, guests are certain to find exactly the unit they are looking for. They range from moderately priced, viewless 340-square-foot rooms for one or two persons all the way up to the four-bedroom Oceanfront Suite with its capacity for twelve persons in 2,151 square feet holding two king beds, one queen sofa bed, two double beds, and three double sofa beds.

Demonstrating the hotel's emphasis on ease of communications, all guest rooms now feature wired Internet access; there is complimentary Wi-Fi in meeting rooms and the lobby, around the swimming pool and in public areas; and direct-dial local and long-distance phone calls to neighboring islands, the U.S. mainland and Canada are now free of charge.

But the gratis services don't stop there. The Outrigger Reef offers lei-making, hula lessons, and ukulele lessons to guests; coffee and tea are replenished daily for the in-room an automatic coffeemakers; free local newspapers are delivered each morning; and married couples can even renew their wedding vows free of charge in a morning ceremony conducted right on Waikiki Beach.

The extensive renovations also meant adding new specialty stores and a Hawaiian heritage reading room, with a library of local literary works and curator-managed artifacts on loan from the Bishop Museum. Among the new shops are several Hawaiian specialty stores, including Ku'ai Market, Kuloko Arts of Hawaii, Island Jewelry, Makana Trading Co., and Moonbow Tropics. There is also a new fitness center, open 24/7 with complimentary admission for hotel guests.

The Outrigger Reef on the Beach is a mere sixteen steps from the white sands of Waikiki. Here, guests can enjoy all of the water sports this area is famous for, from wind-surfing and playing in the waves to sun bathing and people watching. The famous Outrigger Catamaran also launches from the beach beside the hotel, taking passengers out for dolphin sightings, snorkeling expeditions and cocktail cruises at sunset.

Guests will appreciate the opportunity to unwind at the hotel's Serenity Spa Hawaii. It offers Chakra Balancing massage, Tourmaline Skin Renewal facials, and Island Body Therapy wraps, as part of its full-service day spa facilities overlooking Waikiki Beach. Also on the premises are a Hertz car rental desk, a Starbucks coffee franchise, and a coin-operated laundry. The entire resort is a smoke-free environment, too.

For dining, the Outrigger Reef has plenty of options, including the Shore Bird Restaurant & Beach Bar, where patrons can grill their own seafood and steaks or sing karaoke; the open-air Ocean House Restaurant for casually elegant dinners; and the Kani Ka Pila Grille, open from breakfast and lunch to dinner and nightcaps, featuring Hawaiian cuisine and live Hawaiian music nightly.