LouNJ

Prior to our recent trip to Hawaii, I made it a point to check out comments about the Hawaiiana Hotel, where we planned to stay during a brief visit to Honolulu. As an acknowledgement of the insights I received, I thought to post this message about my recent Honolulu experience. My wife and I were taking our two teenage children to Hawaii primarily to visit Punchbowl Cemetery, the final resting place of their maternal grandmother and grandfather. Coming from the East Coast as we were, we built a vacation around this visit. About a year prior to our trip, comments in a thread or two suggested that the Hawaiiana was a convenient, charming, and affordable choice in Waikiki, so we made an online reservation for two "standard" rooms, the least expensive. As the months passed, I was alarmed by the news of the Lewers Street construction project. I checked out the site www.waikikibeachwalk.com for info, and took up their offer to touch base for information. I also corresponded with the folks at the Hawaiiana. We were scheduled for a three-night stay, from July 2nd to July 5th. We were assured that while there would be much evidence of construction, there would be no work done on the holiday weekend. Thus assured, we set off to the Hawaiiana. Our experience was very positive. The hotel itself possesses much charm and offers excellent value: the staff was friendly and helpful, the public spaces (two pools) are attractive, clean, and relaxing, the rooms, while not fancy, were clean, comfortable, and well equipped with kitchenettes. The offer of complimentary coffee and juice (as well as danish if you get to the station close to 7:30 AM) is generous and only adds to the value offered. We also enjoyed a pleasant lunch at their cafe one day. I will admit we experienced a bit of street noise at night, which was the only real negative I can report. Our goal was to keep our costs modest during the Honolulu leg of our trip, as we were headed to a night at Kilauea Lodge near Volcanoes National Park on the big island (also nicely priced, for a very charming cottage for four-- their restaurant was lovely, too), before we headed off to relax at rather greater expense at the Four Seasons Hualalai (two golf-ocean rooms, for the record). I know there are a great many reports about the Four Seasons, and my intent here is primarily to talk up the Hawaiiana-- suffice it to say that the Four Seasons Hualalai is a very beautiful resort with pretty much all the amenities one would like, and its costs are fully equal to its great appeal. We did enjoy our stay very much.
The Hawaiiana is well-located for the beach, for shopping, and for dining. We ate at each of the three restaurants across the street: the noodle shop Yabusoba, the sushi restaurant Sushikoh, and Arancino, the Italian restaurant. All were tasty, friendly, and offered good value. Through the restaurants' websites I found two coupons for free dessert, and one for a 10% discount. With these coupons, dinner for four (appetizers, main course, dessert, no alcohol one night, a large beer-for-two with our sushi, and a medium carafe of wine with our Italian food), ranged from $65 to $132, with an average just under $100 for dinner, which struck us as good value for well-prepared, good quality meals. They were convenient, and took reservations (we ate early-- around 6 PM-- a consequence of jetlag).
I would be happy to answer any questions one might have about this experience. I mostly discussed the Hawaiiana, due to the concerns expressed in previous threads. We had a wonderful time, albeit different in nature, at both Kilauea Lodge and at Hualalai. I certainly can offer observations about those, as well.

bonniebroad

LouNJ, what did you pay for your rooms at the Hawaiiana? It's great that you've posted about a place in Hawaii that you can stay without selling your first-born! I think more people would visit there if they knew there are good, reasonable places to stay without breaking their banks. I admit that I usually go into splurge-mode when I go to Hawaii, but I'm considering some less expensive places, now that we're retired, and can stay for longer periods when we go. I would love to hear what you thought of Kilauea Lodge ... we love that place! Thank you for an excellent informative report!

cmcfong

Mahalo, for the excellent report. Glad to see an old favorite survives.

starrsville

Thanks for such a detailed positive report. I considered staying there my last trip. We stayed in other moderate lodging in Waikiki, but I'm glad the Hawaiiana met your expectations. I stayed at the 4S BI on the same trip as well. Glad you enjoyed it - I loved it. It's fun mixing moderate properties with splurge experiences. Thanks again.

joesorce

Have been reluctant to recommend the Hawaiiana lately because of the construction. Glad you enjoyed it. It's great to stay at a place that's off-the-beaten-path yet still close to everything. So many cookie-cutter-accomodations in Waikiki are just like staying in any Comfort Inn on the mainland, but with the beach down the road. Hawaiiana has always had a real Hawaiian ambiance.

LouNJ

We booked the Hawaiiana online in September '04 for our July stay (I plan way ahead, come what may). We received a discounted rate of $81 per night, per Standard room, plus taxes. I did say to my wife as we were in the pool one day that the rooms with lanais that overlooked the inner courtyard looked nice, as they seemed to offer a pleasant vista. Our rooms had louvers that opened onto the pool area, so we could take in this view if we wished.
I take Joesorce's point regarding the construction around the Hawaiiana-- it does seem a shame to travel all that distance, only to vacation amidst construction. We were fortunate that there was no demolition during our July 4th weekend stay, but I imagine that this might affect one's enjoyment, especially for those who would prefer to sleep in. With assurances that there would be no work going on, my wife and I decided to go ahead, and indeed, the Hawaiiana did offer a pleasant ambience that appeared to contrast with the many high-rise choices in the Waikiki area.
With regard to Kilauea Lodge, my wife was eager to visit the National Park, as on a previous visit we merely helicoptered over the volcano. A bit of web-searching (including the Fodor's site) led us to Kilauea Lodge. The people at Kilauea Lodge kindly suggested their cottage "Tutu's Place," which is a block away from the main lodge. The price was right-- $165 per night, plus $30 for our kids. This price included a full breakfast. The cottage was very charming, very modern, and very well-appointed-- it was reminiscent of the kind of B&Bs we have visited on the Jersey Shore, in such towns as Cape May or Spring Lake. We had two bedrooms, a nice living room, and one bath. Our location at a slight remove from the lodge meant we drove to and from our breakfast and dinner, and we chose not to use the hot tub, but this was no big deal. After landing at Hilo at midday, we dropped our luggage off at our cottage, and visited the park for the remainder of the afternoon. I wish we had taken a second day, since the park is fascinating. The dining room at Kilauea Lodge is very atmospheric, with a rustic fireplace that evokes the YMCA roots of the place. Friendly service and interesting menu-- both of our kids had the ostrich! Overall, Kilauea Lodge met all of our needs and exceeded our expectations, which is the best you can ask for.