• Waikiki has hotel bargains hidden behind the towering ocean front resorts.??o?'? ?'¡¥??¡è??-??-?'"?'??'? image by ??a????????' from Fotolia.com
  
  Hawaii is a dream vacation for many of us. Aside from the plane fare, one of the biggest expenses is the hotel bill. In the Waikiki Beach area, thanks to heavy competition for the tourist dollar, it is possible to get an inexpensive room and still be within a few blocks of one of the world's premier beaches. There are plenty of restaurants, shops and pubs in Waikiki as well as easy access to The Bus, Oahu's efficient, low-cost transit line. Waikiki is 9 miles east of Honolulu International Airport via Interstate 1 and Ala Moana Boulevard.
  
  

The Breakers

• Built in the 1950s, the Breakers hotel offers a bit of Hawaiian nostalgia as well as reasonable rates. The property, renovated in 1986, has six two-story buildings offering an assortment of studio mini apartments, each with full kitchens, air-conditioning and cable TV. The studios have a maximum occupancy of three but there are larger Garden Suites that can accommodate up to five.
  Property amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with poolside café, complimentary morning coffee and wireless Internet access around the pool and deck area. The grounds are filled with tropical flowers laid out in a Japanese garden style. There is parking on property but it is limited.
  The Breakers is a two-minute walk from Waikiki Beach and scores of restaurants, pubs and shops. The hotel is on Beach Walk between Kalakaua Avenue and Kalia Road in the middle section of Waikiki.
  
  The Breakers
  250 Beach Walk
  Honolulu, HI 96815
  808-923-3181
  breakers-hawaii.com
  
  

Kai Aloha Apartment Hotel

• At the western edge of Waikiki, across from Fort DeRussy and the U.S. Post Office, sits the Kai Aloha Apartment Hotel. It is small, low-key and looks much like hotels looked in the Waikiki of 40 years ago. Rattan and bright, bold island prints make up the décor in the lobby as well as in the studio and one-bedroom apartments. Also reminiscent of old Hawaii, the one bedrooms have extra guest beds, called "punee" in Hawaiian, in the living room area.
  Each unit has a full kitchen, which can also help you stretch your tourist dollar. Studios can accommodate up to two people, and the one-bedrooms can hold five. The apartments are air-conditioned, with cable TV, phone and have daily maid service. A coin-operated laundry is on-site and irons and ironing boards are available upon request. Parking is available across the street at a pay parking facility.
  Kai Aloha is one block from the beach on the Fort DeRussy Beach Park between the Hale Koa Hotel and the new Trump Tower Waikiki Beach.
  
  Kai Aloha Apartment Hotel
  235 Saratoga Road
  Honolulu, Hi 96815
  808-923-6723
  kaialohahotel.com
  
  

Royal Grove Hotel

• Contrary to popular belief, the Royal Hawaiian is not the only bright pink hotel in Waikiki. The Royal Grove Hotel on the Diamond Head end, or eastern part of Waikiki, is a family owned low rise that sports almost the same eye catching color. This hotel is 200 yards from Waikiki Beach.
  The property offers studio and one-bedroom units, most with kitchens and all with color TV, bath/shower combinations and phones. All but the economy units have air-conditioning and private lanais.
  The lobby is as much a gathering place as a check-in point. There is a reading corner set aside with card tables set up ready for games of chess, checkers, cards or other board games. There is a small heated pool on the property.
  Restaurants include Me's Korean Barbeque and a Japanese sushi bar. Ruffage Natural Foods, a health food/grocery/sundry store, is also on property. The Royal Grove is on Uluniu Avenue between Kuhio and Prince Edward Avenues.
  
  Royal Grove Hotel
  151 Uluniu Ave.
  Honolulu, Hi. 96815
  808-923-7691
  royalgrovehotel.com