Where to Stay - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 138

Three types of units are available: standard/budget rooms, one-bedroom suites, and
ground-floor junior business suites. All have sofa beds, separate bedrooms, lanais with break-
fast tables and chairs, ceiling fans, full kitchens, and showers in the bathrooms; most have
washers and dryers. All are individually decorated. Eight units are “standard budget,” which
means the carpet has not been replaced or the walls need repainting, but they're otherwise a
terrific deal. Waikiki Beach is just a 10- to 15-minute walk away, shopping is a half-block away,
and restaurants are within a 5- to 10-minute walk. Note: This area of Waikiki is a little scary at
night—it's not totally safe for a single woman to be wandering about here by herself. Also be
aware there is no maid service (you are the maid) and that a one-time cleaning fee increases
your total bill by $100.
Hawaiian King Building, 417 Nohonani St., Ste. 409 (btw. Kuhio Ave. and Ala Wai Blvd.), Honolulu, HI 96815.
www.winstonswaikikicondos.com . & 800/545-1948 or 808/924-3332. Fax [phone] units (all with shower only).
$125-$145 1-bedroom; $145-$165 business suite; $165-$185 1-bedroom with den. Cleaning fee $75-$100. Extra per-
son $10. 7-night minimum. Ask for the Frommer's readers' discount. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Limited parking $14. Bus: 19
or 20. Amenities: Bar; babysitting; small outdoor pool surrounded by a tropical courtyard. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, hair
dryer, kitchen, washer/dryer (in most units).
SheratonPrincessKaiulaniHotel ★ This hotel is prized for its moderate rates (for a Sheraton).
Portraits of the hotel's eponym, Princess Kaiulani, heir to the throne, who died in 1899 at the
age of 24, fill the large open-air lobby. The regal, youthful face looks out on the site that was
once her royal estate. A huge swimming pool sits behind a row of restaurants and shops fa-
cing Kalakaua Avenue. The lobby connects the three buildings of the Princess Kaiulani: the
11-story original hotel that opened in 1955, the 11-story Kaiulani Wing, and the 29-story Ai-
nahau Tower—the latter two opened in 1960. The rooms, which are perfectly fine if unremark-
able, have double-insulated doors with added soundproofing. (We wish every hotel in noisy
Waikiki had this feature. You can't hear the blaring sirens or the sound of garbage cans being
emptied at 3am.) The hotel's dinner and cocktail show, “Creation—A Polynesian Odyssey,” is
a fun, but touristy, musical-theater excursion through the South Pacific.
120 Kaiulani Ave. (at Kalakaua Ave., across the street from the Sheraton Moana Surfrider), Honolulu, HI 96815.
www.sheraton.com . & 800/325-3535 or 808/922-5811. Fax [phone],150 units. $99-$155 double; from $850
studio suite. Plus resort fee $21/day (covers Internet access and self-parking). Extra person $60; children 17 and under
stay free in parent's room. Inquire about package deals and Starwood Preferred Guest deals. AE, DC, MC, V. Bus: 19
or 20. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; concierge; fitness room and good children's program across the street at Sheraton
Waikiki; outdoor pool; room service; spa at Royal Hawaiian. In room: A/C, TV, fridge, hair dryer, high-speed Internet ac-
cess.
INEXPENSIVE
AquaIslandColonyHotel This off-the-beaten-track property combines the advantages of a con-
dominium with the amenities of a hotel. All of the units have private lanais and daily maid
service and can sleep up to four. Studios have kitchenettes, and the one-bedrooms—which can
sleep up to four—have full kitchens. The views are spectacular: jagged mountains and lush
valleys, Diamond Head, or the sparkling Pacific Ocean. The only drawback is the minuscule
bathrooms: Ours was so small that the door didn't clear the toilet. The tub/shower combo was
also cramped—you might need to shower with your elbows close to your side to avoid hitting