Hawaii = Oahu and Maui

On Oahu, I have twice stayed at the Breakers, an old-style ( two-story, not high-rise) hotel just half a block off Waikiki Beach (near the end away from Diamond Head). Best described as "old Hawaii" with some Japanese influence. Very relaxed and unpretentious, friendly and welcoming. If you go to the beach you may want to walk up,to where there is more sand---or maybe they have brought in some sine I was first there.

https://www.breakers-hawaii.com

The first visit was in 1975 (!) and the most recent was in 2005. Reading current reviews, it appears it is still the same. I would go back were we to return to Hawaii.

It's been a while since I've been on Maui but my Honolulu experience is recent. Maui condos in the Kihei use to be reasonably priced in comparison to Waikiki hotels. I've heard that Kihei has since been "discovered".

Honolulu's The Bus is a developed transit system with frequent service in tourist and urban areas: http://www.thebus.org/

Maui's transit system is relatively new and basic (hourly runs): http://www.co.maui.hi.us/1310/Route-Maps-Trip-Planner-and-Bus-Tracker

I should add that geology (volcanoes) affects the quality of beaches and beach sand. The beaches improves the farther you get from the Big Island. Oahu beaches are better than Maui beaches, Kauai beaches better than Oahu. And the beach sand is not necessarily "natural".

I don't know what reasonably priced means to you. We very much liked the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel on Maui, enough to go back a second time. Right on one of the best beaches, with snorkeling at Black Rock, and a cluster of restaurants and shops a short walk down the beach. They put on a free evening cultural show at the hotel that was worth going to every night we were there.

"Reasonably priced"-- You need to specify what is reasonable to you in $$

"near the beach" 1 block?, 5 blocks? what is 'near' ?

Public transit on Maui does exist, but probably not in the sense a New Yorker thinks of 'public transit'
http://www.co.maui.hi.us/605/Bus-Service-Information

As a Canadian "snowbird", I have visited Honolulu 30+ times and stayed in a variety of reasonably priced Waikiki hotels. My location preference is the quieter green Fort DeRussy Park end of Waikiki (20 minutes drive from the Airport).

The Breakers (as mentioned by a previous poster) is a friendly "traditional Hawaiian" low-rise experience and The Luana (request a room overlooking Fort DeRussy Park, not the noisy street) are both short walks to the beach and restaurants on BeachWalk and the busy Kalakaua Avenue. If you want a real budget hotel, Kai Aloha Hotel on Saratoga is in the same general area (I only stayed there once and it was many years ago). The Bus stops a short walk from any of these hotels.

Maui hotel stays tend to be more expensive on average than Honolulu/Waikiki, so I don't have any reasonably priced suggestions.

If you are a Costco member sometimes they have great Hawaii deals.

I agree the "fort" side is really nice. I've stayed at the Waikiki circle twice and love the location. Walk across the street to a nice strip of beach with breakwater to swim albeit busy.