A few years back the Westin Maui underwent some renovations and added their stone’s-throw-from-the-water Beach Tower.  The premium deluxe oceanview rooms here offer amazing Kaanapali sunsets behind the island of Lana’I or the Au’au Channel horizon. And if oceanfront dining is your thing, reserve a table at the Westin’s great restaurant by the Kaanapali boardwalk, or stroll over to one of the beachfront restaurants at nearby Whalers Shopping Village for a special treat.

Fantastic oceanviews don’t have to be expensive.  The modestly priced one-bedroom condos at the Sugar Beach Resort offer some of the most expansive, panoramic views you’ll find in all of Hawaii.  Enjoy a bottle of wine on your lanai while you listen to the waves lap against the shore.  This is the Hawaii of your dreams.

Just imagine it: You step out onto the balcony of your 30th floor room and drink in the warm, tropical air.  You look straight ahead and see the blue Pacific Ocean stretching into the horizon.  You look left: ocean.  You look right: ocean. This is your realty if you’re staying in one of the oceanfront condos at the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower. Truly unimpeded 180-degree views of the ocean.  Another nice perk with being up so high? Street noise from the bustling Kalakaua Ave below is non-existent.

If “a good view of the ocean” is our most common request, then for people staying in Waikiki “a view of Diamond Head” is probably the second most popular request.  Enter the oceanfront rooms in the Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  From these rooms you can see the length of Waikiki Beach, all the way to Diamond Head. There are only 14 rooms like this in the tower, stretching from the 16th to the 29th floor, so make sure you ask your Great Hawaii Vacations travel consultant for the “Diamond Head view” when making your reservation.

No where is there a fuller, more expansive view of the ocean than at Poipu Shores on the south side of Kauai.  While staying here I could have literally dropped a rock off my balcony into the ocean.  If you’ve ever wanted to fall asleep to the sound of the waves hitting the shore, see turtles feeding by the cliffs, watch whales swim up the coast, and watch dolphins jump and play along the shore, this is the place to do it.

You’ve probably heard the term “Bali Hai view”.  Here at the St. Regis Princeville Resort this view, where the mountains slope gently down into the bay, is standard in their full oceanview category.  They also have one of the most picturesque spots for breakfast, too.  Head down in the morning for the grand buffet and, if you sit outside on the patio, you’ll be treated to a view of waterfalls cascading through the distant mountains.

Want to also be able to drop a rock off your balcony, while staying on the Big Island?  Fear not, if you stay in one of the oceanfront rooms at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa you’re in luck. You’ll enjoy 180-degree ocean views which include the Big Island’s southern coastline of black lava cliffs and a glimpse of Kona Country Club’s Ocean Golf Course as well.

The west tower rooms in the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (or the King Kam, as it’s known locally) offer panoramic views of Kailua-Kona’s coast and the Pacific Ocean. In the summer, watch the fishing boats depart from Kailua Pier for the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament. A special bonus is that the King Kam is the only hotel in Kailua-Kona located on a white sand beach.