Planning a family vacation to Hawaii starts with where you’ll rest your head. No matter how many activities you have planned, a comfortable and enjoyable home base is necessary to regroup after a busy day. Even if you’re whole trip is to unwind and just sit by the pool, where you stay is key! Having been to six Hawaiian islands (some twice) and stayed in so many different style accommodations, you just can’t go wrong whether you choose a resort, a condo, or even share a home with friends or family. On our recent trip to Oahu, we chose the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk for 4 main reasons: spacious suites, daily breakfast, nightly poolside receptions, and location.
Spacious Suites
It helps when you’ve stayed in a hotel chain in the past and loved it. Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk is just like it’s counterparts and is consistently ranked in top 10 of 84 Honolulu hotels by Trip Advisor. We have stayed as a family of 5 in these hotels in the past, and since we traveled as a threesome this time we knew we’d have plenty of extra space. Arriving we were greeted with a friendly and knowledgeable staff that really had to decipher our unique reservation (part compensated stay/part media rate) all while we sipped on these delicious non-alcoholic welcome drinks.
Up to the 11th floor we went. Though we had a partial ocean view suite, but just one room away, a public balcony and this view greeted us. The colors of the sky and ocean were incredible, plus the view of the hotel pool below was inviting!
Entering our one bedroom suite, we were pleased by the openness expected. In the bedroom you find two queen sized beds small desk with lamp and mirror, a large HD flatscreen television and closet. I love that it has it’s own doors to the balcony as well. Staying for 8 days, I wanted to immediately feel at home, so I unpacked my clothes into the drawers and the closet and tucked my suitcase out of sight. 
The living room area is open to the adjacent wet bar (refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot & hot pot) and held a table and chairs, sofa sleeper and chair, with another HD flatscreen. The living room also has access to the long balcony. Wifi is included, works very well in all areas of the room, and a daily newspaper greets you each morning at your front door!
The view from the balcony was epic!
Because we only brought one of our three children, my son had the choice of a bed in our room or the sofa sleeper. He chose the latter and it worked out that we both had much more privacy. The large bathroom also has a door from each room for added privacy and convenience. 
The only thing we needed to do was remember to leave the doors unlocked because locking both can easily become an issue. Luckily we figured out an easy system. Our towels were replenished each day and we always had fresh pool/beach towels as well, remember to bring the striped towels back to the room to make sure you get them replaced! Each room had individually operated air conditioning units which was also really helpful since I tend to sleep under warmer temperatures.
Full Cooked-To-Order Breakfast
Complimentary with your stay, guests of Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk enjoy a full cooked-to-order breakfast each morning! This is a rarity in Hawaii hotels, so really consider how much money you can save on your family vacation! If you enjoy eggs, they are prepared to order with choose-your-own-ingredients and there is a huge breakfast bar featuring a variety of foods, including local favorites, some you’ll find on rotation through the week. Half of our vacation had my son playing in a baseball tournament and a hearty breakfast was necessary to get his day started right. Just look at what was available to us.
A full beverage station with teas, coffee, juices (POG!), sodas, and water were also available. Among the meats, much to my husband’s happiness, Portuguese sausage was alternated two times in the 8 days we dined. He’d prefer daily… Also a few other items not pictured was more fruit (apples, cantelope, pineapple, honeydew, strawberries) and breads and English muffins near the toaster. With tons of seating and a large window for breakfast, this really makes the hotel a unique one in the Waikiki area!
Poolside Reception
Vacation is about getting away and relaxing and we absolutely loved the idea of the evening poolside reception complete with complimentary beverages and snacks. This is definitely something we’ve enjoyed at other Embassy Suites properties and it’s really a winner. You can’t beat the back drop of the lovely pool, grand lanai, and a few days a week you’ll find free entertainment including dancing! 
What you’re really getting is a free two hour party each night. The whole family can partake, but my son took this time to take a break from the parents and we got a little date each night. We’d take some snacks back to the room for him. Veggies and crackers and dip and nachos were offered. Carrots, celery, and broccoli/cauliflower were alternated throughout the week. 
Cocktails, tropical drinks, wine, beer, well drinks, and of course non-alcoholic options are available. Again, getting free evening cocktails is a great way to start any night. Pricing them out at restaurants and bars down in Waikiki will easily cost you $10-15 each so it’s really saving money on your vacation!
Location
I’d mentioned earlier we were on this trip mainly for my son’s baseball tournament. A percentage of the team pooled their money together and rented a home in North Shore. During our stay we’d visited that spot and the families a few times. Their home overlooked the ocean, was beautiful, and was a great space for them, we preferred our spot. It was great to be in the excitement of downtown in Honolulu. There were a few times we needed to run to a drugstore for some forgotten items and that was just a few shops down from the hotel. There were countless restaurants within walking distance, although we ended up dining at the Yard House just outside the lobby about 4 times! Shopping on Waikiki Beach Walk is incredible on nearby Kalakaua Avenue. Just down on the lawn you’ll find musicians and often just a place to sit and people watch. A food truck area is just across from the valet area with great food at great prices!
Of course the ultimate reason for this location, is the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk is just steps from the beach! Evening strolls, morning walks, and afternoon fun was absorbed with every spare minute we had away from the baseball field. One day we spent the afternoon renting stand up paddle boards and tried something new.
Our trip was fabulous, our stay was lovely, it was hard to leave. Icing on the cake was that our 15 and under level travel baseball players won the tournament! I almost forgot to add that the hotel has a 24-hour laundry room that was a lifesaver. When that red dirt gets on uniforms it’s tough to get out and I used the facility a handful of times throughout our stay. You’ll be happy to know that the washers and dryers take CREDIT CARDS! Yes!
Book your next stay in Oahu at the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk, you will not be disappointed! Visit, http://www.embassysuiteswaikiki.com/ to make your reservations!
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