Hau Tree Lanai Restaurant waikiki
 

We are staying near this restaurant at the Acqua Lotus in Waikiki. I know we will be tired after flying all day and with the time change, but we (me, my DH and my sweet mother) are only in Waikiki for two nights and then on to the BI and Kauai. We are renting homes on the other islands and plan to cook quite a bit, (why do I feel I have to "explain" myself)?? It must be southern guilt! Would you recommend this restaurant as a special occasion meal? We are eating at Mori Moto's the next night, so we don't want something exactly like that. We want it to be a special occasion for my sweet mother who is on the trip of a lifetime!:):) I would like her to have a great meal in a great setting that she won't forget! Thanks for any tips.

Have not been there in awhile so can not speak for the food- but it is a beautiful setting! One of my favorites

Several years ago, we had a sunset dinner here, and it was a highlight of our trip. Everything was great..... except when I bumped my head, getting up from the table, where we were right under a hau tree branch! It was only a minor bump.
We did this on our first full day in Hawaii, so started our trip off great!
The sunset was spectacular, and while further down Waikiki there was hundreds of people watching, there weren't that many down where we were, so that made it even better.

There was recently a blog that had a number of pluses for this restaurant it's great setting. Had breakfast there years ago and it was marvelous, and again, can't beat the setting.

I haven't been there in several years, but we thoroughly loved this restaurant. The setting is so beautiful, right on the beach, but away from the rest of the Waikiki crowds, and the food was wonderful. Service was top-notch, too. I checked out their current menu and it's definitely a bit pricey, but for a special occasion (and considering you're planning to economize by cooking later on), I'd say this place would be perfect for that unforgettable meal/experience.

Thank you all so much! I am making reservations tonight and I will report back.

I wish I could also give an up to date report, but it has been many years since we were there. We had dinner at sunset and the setting was wonderful. As I remember, our food was excellent.
Where in the south are you willowjane?

I feel the setting here is better than the food. Not that the food is bad. I think it's still very enjoyable. There are few great food/great setting combinations in Waikiki/Honolulu in my opinion if great setting equals oceanfront. Maybe Le Mer but I haven't been in many years and they just changed chefs.

Tennessee on the border with North Carolina - beautiful mountains, great lakes, and wonderful people!

I haven't tried this restaurant yet but I stayed at the Aqua Lotus in February and really liked it. I travel to Honolulu a couple times a year for business and dislike the traffic and crowds at Waikiki. Tried the Lotus the last trip because it was located in a quieter area. I got a great deal and loved the rooms and location. The only downside for me was lack of walkable restaurants near the hotel. If I had someone with me or it was daylight, I'd have no problem walking to the busier part of Waikiki but it gets dark early in February. So I just drove to restaurants that had more accessible parking. I wanted to try the Hau Tree Lanai but they were booked.

I hope you enjoy the Aqua Lotus. I just saw they have been renovating the rooms. I thought they were nice before renovation with the expection of the TV which was pretty bad. Enjoy your dinners and I hope your Mother loves Hawaii.

Paula1470, thanks for the encouragement with the Lotus! It is so nice to hear that someone on Fodor's has stayed there and enjoyed it! I think for the price it will be perfect for the type of room we were able to get. We were not particularly excited to be in "downtown" Waikiki. This seemed a great alternative for us.

wj, I'm a native Tennessean, but a flatlander from out near Memphis. Now I live in North Georgia and we are frequent visitors to The Land of the Great Smoke! DH is from NC. Where are you staying on the BI and Kauai? We will be on both in March, 2013, so please post your trip reports!

wj-I did pay a few dollars extra and had one of the top floor rooms so I had a good view of both Diamond Head and the ocean. I am sure you read reviews and it is true that buildings do block the views if you are on lower floors. I still liked the room and location. You do have to be prepared that the hotel doesn't have a lot of extra amentities. I liked it just because of that and the fact that it's small. The valets were great and had my car for me in about 2 minutes. Enjoy your trip.

http://www.vrbo.com/6024 This is the place in Hilo
http://www.vrbo.com/318748 This is the place in Kauai

Iceeu2 - we love coming to Memphis and visiting - we like to stay at the Talbot Heirs when we come.

Paula - We did pay extra for the top floor rooms, but the rates were so good that it seemed a good deal.

We are going with our best friends as well and we have all traveled together before. We are really looking forward to the trip! We will be gone through most of July. I have gotten so much information off of Fodor's and I will write a report when we return. I wish I were as eloquent as some of you - but I will at least give the facts!:)

had thanksgiving dinner at the Hua tree 2 years ago and loved it. while they did offer turkey, weopted for a great hawaiian fish as we can have turkey at home! Plan to eat there again when we go in January 2013

Dang - who is from Memphis? One of my old college dorm-mates - he lived across the hall - has been THE guy at Graceland for decades - and our class is having a mini-reunion there this fall, end of October.

I am also looking at a great fishing trip in Cabo that week.

So which would you do? :)

Tomsd, get real.....THE guy at Graceland actually died in 1977.

wow willow, those look like two extraordinary places you will call home for a few days!

I hope so! I will report back. I am always a little nervous when I am the one doing the planning and choosing of places to stay. I keep telling myself that attitude is everything and that we will have fun no matter what!:)

iceeu2. Wrong, but you are probably too young to remember.

The guy who built Graceland up from when poor widow Priscilla was almost destitute (Elvis' Trust was down to next to nothing) lived across the hall from me in our college dorm.

Priscilla was the public image during all that time - but he was the one really doing the heavy lifting, and he built Graceland up to what it is now (sold recently for what - half a Billion), from pretty humble beginnings, despite the King's fame/prominence.

We're having a mini-class reunion there this fall - but I might be fishing in Cabo at the time. Shame - as I would really like to visit it.