I heard about this new hotel, not far from Waikiki. However, has anyone stayed there? What did you think?

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Curly, Larry, or Moe:

I cut and pasted from a prior post I made. Hope you don't mind.
We haven't stayed there, but we've had dinner at their restaurant! It's urbane, expensive, with a live jazz pianist, and the food is quite good, too. Their Sunday brunch menu looks fabulous...we'll have to give it a try one of these days

Have you seen the W's web site? You can see views of their rooms, which seem to pick up on the Indonesian feel of the lobby.

One thing though, W doesn't have a pool, and it's not exactly beach-front, but it's a stone's throw away from Sans Souci Beach, a favorite spot of ours. The rooms close to the Kaimana Beach Hotel, which has a nice little restaurant right on the beach. If you stay there, do post your comments!
Aloha!
-k

That was an incomplete cut and paste...got disrupted mid way. The partial sentence should read "The rooms should have ocean view and very prominent Diamond Head views, and the hotel is close..."
Alohe!

Curly,

Are you talking about the W Hotel at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, that used to be the Colony Surf (not a new hotel!)? Or are you talking about the Ihilani Resort (isn't that a W Hotel now?) that is about 20 minutes from Waikiki?

The Ihilani is now under Marriot management. The W Honolulu is on the Diamond Head side of Waikiki, and was formerly the Colony Surf. Ciao, k

The W hotel is the revamped Colony Surf and is really nice! Their restaurant is great (although a little pricey). If you are the active type, this is a good place to stay because it's right near the beach.....or you can play tennis or go jogging around Kapiolani Park.

Thanks to the replies. I knew it was down the way from most of the Waikiki hotels, but didn't realize that it was the old Colony Surf. Looking forward to staying there.

Curly, et al.,
I look forward to your comments... Please post after your stay.
Aloha,
k

Just got back and had a great time at the W. It's a beautiful place. Very relaxed atmosphere. All of the rooms face Diamond Head. It's a very small hotel (only 48 rooms), but the staff is very friendly. The staff regularly greeted me by name, which was amazing! There's a lanai for every room, which is great when you just want to relax. The W also offers a CD/stereo, which is an added treat. They offer Aveda products, which come in these wonderful travel-size bottles (that you will definitely reuse on future trips!).

It's very close to the San Souci beach, as K mentioned. The only downside is that there isn't a pool at the hotel. Otherwise, I really enjoyed my stay there and would recommend it.

Curly,

Thanks for your trip report! So glad you had a great time. What did you think of Sans Souci Beach? It's my very favorite in the islands - like a big warm sloshy bathtub! Did you hike to the top of Diamond Head?

Aloha,

Lani

What about the cordless phone in the room?

Hi Curly!
Thanks for getting back to us. It's always good to have first-hand info. (Nice little amenities at the W

We are looking forward to own W weekend escape one of these days...Glad you enjoyed yourself. I would think that for a visitor, though, the lack of pool would be a drawback, unless they are planning a major resort experience on an outer island and reserve their pool time for then.

But, for a relaxed and personal stay in Honolulu, with lounging at the beach, the W might just be the place.

Hey, how about those martinis at the Diamond Head Grill...And did you happen to scope the incredible shower trees in bloom at Kapi`olani Park?
Aloha, and thanks again for getting back to us.
k