Very often when I go to look up a property on Trip Advisor I scratch my head at its ranking. Why? I have lived in Hawaii for over a decade. I know virtually all the hotels in Waikiki. And while Trip Advisor reviews may be candid, they are quite often misinformed at best and zany at worst. Which, of course leads to very wacky ratings. Take a look at Honolulu rankings. The top one is the Hale Koa Hotel. It's a nice place. Unfortunately, its a military R&R hotel so the general public can't stay there. Doh!

The second ranking went to the Hawaii Prince Hotel. This is a perfectly nice property. It's somewhat sterile but very clean with nice rooms. Alas, it has a TERRIBLE location. You are a long walk to a decent beach. The hotel is close to Ala Moana Shopping Center, which has great shopping for Japanese travelers (Gucci, Dior, etc) and mediocre, at best, local shopping. The hotel is so far off the main beaches that walking would take quite a while.

The third ranking went to the Halekulani, which is probably one of the nicest hotels in the world. The service is off the charts. Rooms are stunning, The restaurants are some of the best in the state. The location is central. In Waikiki, it is probably THE standout hotel. It's priced accordingly but still, its clearly the best. Yet the Trip Advisor crowd gives it only a third ranking, behind a military hotel and nice but somewhat boring hotel far from the beach and located off an incredibly busy, pedestrian-unfriendly street. Go figure.

—Alex, 10/17/06