We have looked at waikikibeachwalk.com but it doesn't tell too much. We are going to the Halekulani next March and are wondering how much noise we may encounter.

Hello fivestar, I cannot answer your question but I did noticed that you posted twice regarding the same subject so I assume you couldn't find your first thread. In the upper left hand corner you will see the Welcome sign. Your nick (fivestar) will be to the right of the Welcome sign. If you click on your nick your threads/post should all show up (if Fodor's is working properly). Best wishes to you.

Hello fivestar,

Sorry, but I don't have an answer to your question re the noise.

But thanks for posting the website link. My parents are headed that way in May, and this may impact them some.

Sounds like quite a few of the hotels in that area are now becoming vacation ownership type properties. Interesting change for Waikiki.

Happy travels!

from 7:30-4:30 expect construction noise, other than that the traffic noise should be about the same

The area where you'll first see/drive up to Halekulani is not considered one of the best in Waikiki. Personally, I LOVE it, but that's 'cause it holds lots of wonderful trip memories . I love the hustle and bustle of the Lewers Street / Beachwalk/ Kalia Rd area, the busy bazaar fun atmosphere of hotel lobbies like the Outrigger Reef... but not everyone does, This was the first area developed by Richard Kelley when he started Outrigger for the average folks (like me) in the 1950s i think. Til then, Waikiki was a playground of the wealthy, and he wanted to make it accessible to everyone--which he did, God bless him!!
OK, 'nuff with the history lesson. This area, as you know, is now being redeveloped. Even were it NOT being changed, you'd drive up to Halekulani amidst the (IMHO ) fun busy-ness commercial touristy feeling area, enter the hotel, and within a minute, be in another world--an oasis. I suspect this "oasis" feeling will happen whether or not there is construction.
As for specifics--which way does your room face? Are there rooms at Halekulani that look out onto the Kalia Road side? I 'd guess that from open window, or lanai, you'd hear construction noise from that side, present during the day, as matnikstym wrote.
Why not call the hotel directly and ask what noise/disruption, if any, they anticipate for guests during construction periods??

We have stayed there a few times before and it IS a quiet sanctuary, however, we were wondering how much quiet can there be with new skyscrapers going up next door?

We usually stay in the Diamond Head wing which faces the inner courtyard near the pool. We adore the Halekulani. The service is the best of all the hotels in all of Hawaii. There is an old 30's style elegance to it which we love. We hate Lewers Street. It was kind of creepy when we were there last March. Some of the buildings around it were almost falling apart. The best thing they could have done is to tear them down.

Thanks to the original poster for the question. We stayed in a hotel on Lewers St. in April. There were just the beginnings of major construction going on, but during the day we were out and about anyway. We love that area and the availability of upscale and down-to-earth spots. A little seedy is OK with us. It reminds us of the way New Orleans used to be. The Halekulani was always far too pricey for us, but we loved dining at The House Without a Key there. Watching the sunset from there is gorgeous. I agree that the website for the BeachWalk renovation is not particularly helpful. So the comments from the locals are extra valuable. We are already trying to figure out how we can get back to Honolulu next year and experience the Brunch on the Beach again!

Everyone views the same thing differently. Those few remaining shanty type shops on Beach Walk and Lewers St were my favorite part of Waikiki, sad to see 'em go.

Just a small update -

We just came back from spending Veterans's weekend at the Halekulani. The street leading to the hotel (I believe it's Lewers Street) was almost completely under construction. There appeared to be a mix of hotels undergoing renovation (the structure is still standing but looks like it is gutted) and and empty lot that could be brand new construction. I don't imagine they could finish any time in the near future.

Also, it looked like they are renovating the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center as well. The construction appeared to be starting on the "Ewa" end of the shopping center.

The Halekulani was still very peaceful and I did not notice the construction noise while at the hotel itself. Even though it was a holiday weekend, the hotel never felt crowded - even the pool area was pretty empty for the most part. I don't know how they do it.

As a small note, we tried to eat at the Cheesecake Factory (I know it's a chain, but there isn't any in my home town) but we got there at 7:00 p.m. and was told the wait would be about 70 minutes (I was too hungry to wait and ended up at Keo's instead). If anyone plans to eat here, I would recommend going off-hours.