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Military Families
Hale Koa (sp?) military hotel ?
I'm not sure if I'm spelling it right but has anyone stayed at the Hale Koa military hotel in Hawaii? If you have can you share what you liked/disliked about it and how recent your trip was? We are looking at it as a possibility for a trip soon. Thanks so much! 
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Re: Hale Koa (sp?) military hotel ?
It's pretty nice .. they do luaus and the whole bit there .. they even have a mini exchange .. you'll enjoy it for sure ..
(Last time I was there was October '11 .. DH is currently stationed in Hawaii)
CJ 05/29/2013
Ditto PPs about the Hale Koa being nice. Its a nice hotel on its own, but when you compare it to the $400/night hotels its surrounded by its an even better deal. There's tons to do in Hawaii. There was a shuttle (or there was when we went 4/10) that takes you to the Exchange for free. We bought all of our show, tour, & travel tickets there. There's also a travel office across the lobby from the front desk where they'll help you plan your stay.
Definitely eat some authentic Hawaiian food while you're there! Waikiki beach doesn't have much local food, but the closest place is Ono's. We walked back to the hotel from the restaurant & it was kind of far, but totally worth it. Also, the Hilton next door does fireworks & has a bird exhibit with penguins if you have kids that might like that.
Polynesian cultural center for sure. Don't book a tour guide ahead of time, if you wait until you get there to get one its cheaper. It was one of my favorite parts of going to hawaii. SO cool. also Ditto PP about finding authentic hawaiian food.
DH and I didn't stay at Hale Koa but we took Space A to Hawaii a few years back and it was a blast. North shore is beautiful too! We didn't make it to the Dole plantation but I hear its cool. Diamond Head is a serious hike uphill and STEEP and uneven. Be prepared for that, but totally worth it when you get to the top.
Also make your reservations ASAP bc with summer coming they will be booked. Another thing to keep in mind is they charge by rank and what level you want to stay on.
BFP #1 11/07/2012 EDD 07/09/2013 M/C 11/22/2012
BFP #2 02/05/2013 EDD 09/19/2013 Arrived via c-section 09/27/2013
Haunama Bay is great for snorkeling, the Ko Olina Lagoons on the west shore are great if you have small kids! Nice and calm and very family friendly. If you like chicken make sure to hit up Maui Mikes! They have the best roasted chicken on the island! Skip the aquarium, its really not worth it. If you stop by Hickam, they have a great travel office that can set you up for tours and trips.
I was just there last month so if you have any more questions feel free to PM me!
We visited Hawaii three times when we lived in Alaska, about 2 years ago. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (right next store) two of those times and once at the Hale Koa.
The price difference was not much different between the two but we thought we would give it a try (2nd time) and decided against it the 3rd.
Location is great but it feels like a retirement home. Very dated, old school pool, lounge chairs, etc. The luau is a great deal, half of what you would pay elsewhere. Also, good happy hour at the bar out by the pool.
We prefer the Hilton though. The pool is a lot more fun for kids (0 degree entry) and generally more things going on.