I’ve been to most of the HI islands several times, including Molakai and Lanai. I’ve been to Oahu once and I have no desire to go back. All the islands are beautiful, but personally, I think Maui is the best island if you’re looking for a vacation that’s somewhere between big city life and a deserted island.
I stayed both in the North Shore and Downtown Honolulu, but Honolulu was essentially Manhattan with crowded beaches. But it’s definitely worth a visit for sure.
Pure speculation, but I’d be a bit hesitant to go to the Big Island until they recover some from the volcano damage.