Oahu Revealed – Resort Reviews

Usually when we look at a renovated hotel, we can detect the bones of the previous property. In this case, the $60 million renovations to the old Aqua Waikiki Wave have made this property's lobby and pool area completely unrecognizable to us. In fact, the whole...

The hotel used to be part of the Ilikai Hotel next door. In 2010, after $240 million worth of renovations, it reopened as The Modern. They tout themselves as “luxurious, yet brilliantly laid-back,” and we agree. This is one of the few places where internet photos...

New management has taken over yet again at this hotel, and they have some solid plans to turn this into a more contemporary destination. We had a chance to view the new rooms—sort of mid-century, retro, beach house chic. (How's that for a category?) For now the...

Despite the name, it’s a long walk to the beach from this hotel. The common areas are chic and modern, room decor is in line with the current modern Waikiki style. This hotel started out life as an Ohana hotel, and they kept Ohana’s trademark tiny showers...

A skinny condominium building (only four units per floor) with giant rooms that are almost across the street from the beach. All rooms above the 18th floor have tasty ocean views. (Even those below 18 are fairly good.) Consistent and pleasing furnishings. Staff is...

This hotel has a long history from bad to better to finally arrived. The latest owners worked with designers to make good use of the original bones of the hotel. The result is a fun atmosphere, but it's ultimately overpriced. The rooms are situated around a small...

It's truly amazing what $55.4 million and a excellent sense of place have done for the former Hawai‘i Prince Hotel Waikiki. Everything from the lobby all the way up has been transformed. And great care has been taken to make this place really shine—so much so that...

This hotel's location on the beach is fantastic, though the building design means that only a small percentage of rooms are right over the beach. They’re near the center of action in Waikiki, and their restaurants—especially Duke’s Canoe Club—are winners. The last...

This building started life as a hotel, then became a college dorm, then apartments and reopened as a hotel once again in mid-2015. Like many buildings in Waikiki with multiple lives, this one has some benefits and some detriments. One benefit is that all rooms...

A chic, urban vibe hotel that opened in 2013. We love the huge lobby in this boutique hotel with its many comfy sofas and books and vintage board games like "Life." It’s also where they serve the free continental breakfast and coffee and tea all day. There are...