Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping
On Waikiki's beachfront strip, mostly along Kalakaua Ave, you'll find a few historic ho-
tels and luxury resorts, as well as chains catering to the package-tour crowd. If stepping
out of your room and digging your toes in the sand isn't a must, smaller hotels inside
1960s and '70s high-rises and apartment buildings off Kuhio Ave and near Ala Wai
Canal may have rooms at half the price.
Be aware that the term 'ocean view' and its cousins 'ocean front' and 'partial ocean
view' are all liberally used and may require a periscope to spot the waves. 'City',
'garden' or 'mountain' views may be euphemisms for overlooking the parking lot. When
making reservations, peruse detailed property maps online or call a reservations agent to
ask which tower or building has optimal views.
Overnight parking averages $15 to $30, whether for valet or self-parking. Increasingly,
hotels are also charging mandatory 'resort fees,' which tack another $10 to $25 per day
onto your final bill. Resort fees may cover internet connections, local and toll-free phone
calls and fitness room access, or no extra perks at all, but regardless, you'll have to pay.
Designed for both business and leisure travelers, island-owned
Aqua Hospitality
(
www.aquahospitality.com
)
boutique hotels sometimes offer free high-speed internet and
complimentary continental breakfast.
Hostelling International (HI) Waikiki
HOSTEL $
(
926-8313;
www.hostelsaloha.com
;
2417 Prince Edward St; dm $25-28, d $58-64; reception
7am-3am;
) Inside a converted low-rise, aqua-painted apartment building, this
tidy hostel has fan-cooled private rooms and single-sex dormitories, a common kitchen,
coin-op laundry, lockers and boogie boards to borrow. No smoking, alcohol, curfew or
daytime lockout. Reservations strongly recommended; a plane ticket proving arrival or
departure within three weeks and an out-of-state or Neighbor Island ID are required at
check-in. Limited self-parking ($5).
Waikiki Prince
HOTEL $
views? Never mind the cramped check-in office either. A standout budget option, this
1970s apartment complex on an anonymous side street holds two dozen compact, cheery
rooms with kitchenettes. Free lobby wi-fi during office hours only. Weekly discounts
available. Limited self-parking ($15) by reservation.
