Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 77

Very Expensive
Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki This ultra-modern structure (twin 33-
story high-tech towers), with a grand piano in the midst of a pink Italian mar-
ble lobby, may look intimidating, but it actually is very family friendly. During
the peak family vacation period (May-Sept), the hotel offers a “Kids Eat Free
and Golf Free” program, which can save you a bundle. Kid-savvy concierges are
armed and ready with everything from advice on where to take your tots to help-
ing your youngsters send a coconut to a friend. They will even provide free
strollers for use around town.
A glass-encased elevator with views of all of Honolulu whisks you up to your
room. All guest rooms face the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, with floor-to-ceiling slid-
ing-glass windows that let you enjoy the view (sorry, no lanais). All of the com-
fortably appointed rooms are basically the same, but the higher the floor, the
higher the price. Although the rooms can accommodate a rollaway or a crib, if
the kids are older I'd recommend a connecting room (50% off rack rates during
the summer) or a junior suite with a large separate bedroom and a living room
with a daybed.
Following Japanese standards, the level of service is impeccable; no detail is
ignored, and no request is too small. The location is perfect for shopping—Ala
Moana Center is a 10-minute walk away—and Waikiki's beaches are just a 5-
minute walk away. (Both are also accessible via the hotel's own shuttle bus.)
100 Holomoana St. (just across Ala Wai Canal Bridge, on the ocean side of Ala Moana Blvd.), Honolulu, HI
96815. & 800/321-OAHU or 808/965-1111. Fax [phone]. www.princeresortshawaii.com. 521 units.
$310-$450 double; from $550 suite. Extra person $40. Children 17 and under stay free in parent's room. Cribs
free, rollaway beds $35 per day. Online packages include room and a car from $199. AE, DC, MC, V. Valet park-
ing $14, self-parking $10. Bus: 19 or 20. Amenities: 2 excellent restaurants; outdoor bar; outdoor pool; 27-
hole golf club a 30-min. drive away in Ewa Beach (reached by hotel shuttle); small but newly renovated
fitness room; Jacuzzi; concierge; car rental desk; business center; room service (6am-midnight); babysitting;
laundry service; dry cleaning; executive-level rooms. In room:A/C, TV, dataport, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer,
iron, safe.
Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa Sprawling over 22
acres, this is Waikiki's biggest resort—a minicity unto itself, so big it even has its
own post office. This is a great place to stay with the kids. You'll find tropical
gardens dotted with exotic wildlife (pink flamingos, painted ducks, and even
South African penguins), award-winning restaurants (kids eat free with a paying
adult at the Tapa Café and The Rainbow Lani restaurants, which are set up to
handle families), 100 different shops, a secluded lagoon, two minigolf courses,
and a gorgeous stretch of Waikiki Beach.
There's a wide choice of accommodations. Rooms, which range from simply
lovely to ultra-deluxe, are housed in five towers. Despite the hotel's mega-Vegas
size, this division into towers, each with its own restaurants and shopping, cuts
down on the chaotic, impersonal feeling that might have resulted. Still, this is
the place for a lively, activity-packed vacation; those seeking a more intimate
experience might want to look elsewhere.
Cribs and rollaway beds can fit into any room, and a family with primary-
school children will be comfortable with a single room. One room is fine if your
kids are small, but if you have teenagers the price of an extra room (and extra
bathroom) is worth getting two rooms.
As with most Hiltons, the programs for kids ages 5 to 12 (the Vacation Sta-
tion and the Rainbow Express Keiki Club) are open 7 days a week and offer a
range of excursions and activities. Plus there are plenty of family activities like