Luxury Hotels - Halenkulani, HNL Honeymoon

I am planning a honeymoon for my future wife and I in September. I want it to be very special but have a somewhat limited budget. Neither of us is experienced in luxery resorts so I would like to splurge on some (Will be staying at the Hyatt Kauia for 5 days). Is staying at the Halekulani at $450+/night worth the money or should I just priceline atabout $150 for whatever resort I get in HNL? We are definitely doing HNl for a few days before heading to the more romantic islands of Maui and Kauia. Thanks :)

The Halekulani is well worth it. It's the only place I stay at on Oahu. You should be able to do better than $450; they also have specials to check out. Enjoy your honeymoon.

In my view, one -- maybe two -- nights is all you'll want to spend in Honolulu.

The Halekulani is by far the best hotel in Waikiki. IMHO it is the best hotel in all of Hawaii. It is worth every penny service wise. We always say that if only they would move it over to Maui we would be all set. Keep in mind that they are doing MAJOR construction in the area that this hotel is located.

I would never take the chance with priceline for Waikiki. There are some pretty awful hotels you could wind up at. They have a sunrise package where breakfast is included. The breakfast there is the best.

Even though Waikiki can get very busy, while we are at the Halekulani we feel very at peace. They do everything in their power to make you happy. We have stayed at the Royal Hawaiian, the Halekulani and the Mandarin Oriental and the Halekulani is our favorite.

as for hr kauai, it is an old and semi well worn hotel. rooms have recently been upgraded. rest of hotel is somewhat shabby in my opinion. location is ok. poipu is good, but their beach isn't swimmable for most folks. nearby marriott waiohai is better and new. even nearby sheraton, while not as nice room wise, has a happier staff and better location.

We just returned from the Halekulani in February. Our first stay was for three nights last year, and this time it was for seven nights. My wife loves everything about the Hotel, hence the longer stay this time. If you can swing it, go for it. It will be a very special stay.

A lot of rates include breakfast and some even provide an upgrade from partial ocean view to full ocean view or even oceanfront. Honeymoon is hopefully a once in a lifetime trip, make the best of it!

We just returned from the Halekulani in February. Our first stay was for three nights last year, and this time it was for seven nights. My wife loves everything about the Hotel, hence the longer stay this time. If you can swing it, go for it. It will be a very special stay.

We have a reservation to stay here the second week of May, but I've been reading about the nearby construction as well as work the hotel may be doing in their pool area. Was any of this under way when you were there last month, and if so, how disruptive did you find it?

Dukenilnil,

Please PM me. I tried to PM you, but it wasn't an option. I would like to share something about the Halekulani with you and a possibly alternative to the property.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

FlyboyHNL

Didn't the Hyatt Kauai just do a refurb? I was there a few years ago and the rooms were worn, but the hotel was beautiful. The grounds were expansive and lush. Stephenson's Library where they have live jazz and was very memorable. I would stay there again on my next trip to Kauai.

I am so curious about what's up at the Halekulani and why it's not for everyone's eyes. I want to stay there on my next trip back, but if there is something earthshattering about it I would love to know what it is. Please, please tell us?

We have a reservation to stay here the second week of May, but I've been reading about the nearby construction as well as work the hotel may be doing in their pool area. Was any of this under way when you were there last month, and if so, how disruptive did you find it?

There wasn't really any construction going on when I was there. Up Lewers(?) street, they will be tearing down some old hotels to build one large one. There was a large wooden fence around this one hotel, but didn't see any outside demolition. I think it is on hold for the time being.

Someone on a different thread mentioned what they were doing out by the pool. I don't know if it was mentioned, but I heard they were also building a pool cabana to go along with this new suite they were remodeling/building. It should be completed by the end of April.

Didn't the Hyatt Kauai just do a refurb? I was there a few years ago and the rooms were worn, but the hotel was beautiful. The grounds were expansive and lush. Stephenson's Library where they have live jazz and was very memorable. I would stay there again on my next trip to Kauai.

I am so curious about what's up at the Halekulani and why it's not for everyone's eyes. I want to stay there on my next trip back, but if there is something earthshattering about it I would love to know what it is. Please, please tell us?

as i said the "refurb" was a makeover of the rooms with lcd tv's and new furnishings. they also got a new roof if you care (the old one was defective). otherwise, lots of dry rot and some mold. japanese owners apparently not keen to invest much money. still prefer waiohai.

The Hyatt Kauai is in no way a luxury property. While the grounds are well kept, the rooms and service are well below a luxury standard. They are above normal Hyatt standards if that is pleasing enough for you. The prices are high based upon the low supply of rooms on the island rather than the hotel quality.

Visit Kauai if you're interested in the insanely gorgeous island. If you're looking for a luxurious hotel and spa, consider one of the properties in Wailea, Maui.

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because I fell that the Hyatt Kauai property is much more beautiful than any of the Wailea properties. The 4S is not as pretty. As a matter of fact is is really kind of plain compaired to the Hyatt. Kea Lani has a blah property too. It's mostly pool area and a bit of grass. I would not call it lush by any means. The GW might give the Hyatt a run for its money except that its like a zoo there and can get quite dirty with trash and debris left everywhere.

The Wailea properties are meant to be like the Hollywood of the pacific, whereas, the Hyatt Kauai blends much more with it's surroundings.

Now if we are talking service to the guests, then we have another whole animal here. I really didn't care for the service at the Hyatt Kauai for the $$$ we spent there.

We are considering the Halekulani for our honeymoon during the Christmas season 2005. We love the looks of the place, but we are concerned that the beach/pool area is so small. With a full hotel around Christmas, do you think the small beach will be so crowded that there will be no space? What about the pool - do you think there will be a line early in the morning to get the few chairs at the pool? Do you think that the Manderin Oriental would be a better option at the really busy Christmas time due to the fact that there is more space at the pool and the beach?

Thanks everyone for your comments.

The Halekulani really has no beach to speak of. It has a small crescent of beach that really is tiny. The pool area is not as small as one might think. It has plenty of space and many chairs. The service at the pool area is outstanding. The pool is actually the second biggest in Waikiki. The Hilton has the biggest, but there are hundreds of children there too. The pool is bigger than it looks in pictures. We hated the Mandarin Oriental. The front desk staff was curt and surley. The Dolphin Lagoon room that we paid over $500.00 a night for was a disgrace with very large stains in the rug and dents and nicks in the furniture everywhere. The lagoon view rooms felt very motelish to us. We moved to the Halekulani after one night. The umbrellas at the restaurant were covered in bird droppings. We did not feel the Aloha at that hotel at all. We have stayed at the Halekulani twice and hated to leave. It really is a quiet oasis in the midst of hustle and bustle.

How would people compare the JW with the Halekulani and the Mand. Oriental? Is the JW with an oceanview room better than the other two with garden view rooms?

We visited Hawai'i for the 5th time last month. This was the first occasion on which we stayed on Oahu for any length of time (3 days)

We chose the Mandarin Oriental, and I was very pleased that we had. The location is very peaceful, the service and food were superlative - among the best I've experienced anywhere.

We visited Halukelani when we ventured into Waikiki. It seemed like a very gracious, peaceful hotel and I would definitely consider staying there - IF it were located anywhere else.

I realise that one's preferences are very much a personal matter, but Waikiki was my idea of hell. Crowded, commercial and very un-Hawaii'an!

we've stayed at kahala mandarin oriental for years. definitely old and dated, and also quite wonderful. huge rooms, great bathrooms, and a uniquely fantastic location. close to everthing, but away from it all in a serene tranquil world. the service i've had there has always been good. aloha is as aloha does. most people from the mainland just don't begin to try to understand the issues of hawaii, including cultural, employment, $, etc.

My wife and I honeymooned in Hawaii in September, 2003. Spent 5 nights on Kauai at the Sheraton, 3 nights on the big island at the FS Hualalai, and the last night at the Halekulani on Oahu. The Halekulani was the worst experience (and also most expensive) of the three hotels. Next time we go to hawaii, we will probably skip Oahu/Waikiki alltogether. But if we do stop on Oahu, we would stay at the MO.

Alii Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village 02,03,04,05 rooms have the ebst view of Waikiki. Its a hotel within a hotel. I left the Halekulani for Alli tower. Better service, better view, beter rates, very nice rooms. Its not as upscale but the service and view make up for a few shortcomings. Alli has better pool, better beach, better spa, and options. Have dinner at Le Mer but stay at HHV Alli tower....

The Halekulani is amazing. :-: :-: :-: :-: :-:

My recent 3-day stay there was nothing short of superlative. Great rooms (I especially liked the bedside controls for everything form temperature to having room service come to clean up), great views (mine was of the pool, beach, and Diamond Head), and awesome food from room service to the dining facilities). Oh, and did I mention the great service, like in-room check-in from their friendly staff or the awesome turndown service with a cute little gift each night instead of a chocolate!?! If only this were a chain... I'd be a regular!

Yes, it's true, the area is not the greatest but it's not THAT bad either. So, is it worth an extra $150 a night... you bet it is, don't miss out on a great opportunity to stay at a hotel where they truly know how to do everything right!

The only bad thing I can say is that I just wish it wasn't a 10-hour flight away from me!!

I'm a little surprised (and happy) that you had a such a wonderful experience. I've been there twice (2002, 2003) and didn't have such an entirely great experience, especially the second time. During my first stay, service was really good, but not truly tremendous (e.g., late room service order). And the rooms are just a little too understated. While the service was great during the second stay, the first night had fire alarm problems, the air conditioning rattled throughout the stay and the doors to other rooms slammed so loudly that you were startled awake. But, the pool and food service were tremendous and now I'm debating whether to return this summer when weighing these factors against their $5-600 per night charge. Though it can be, at times, a true oasis in Waikiki, I think the oasis is probably better valued at $300-450. (Unfortunately, I don't anywhere else to stay on Waikiki that can provide such daytime serenity.)

I was just at a party tonight with some travel idndustry colleuges. Everyone agreed that this property is not worth staying at anymore. It has been 10 plus years since anyone would recomend this property. "Go straight to Maui" is what one agent said that knows Hawai'i inside and out. On the luxury side the Fairmont Kea Lani was recomended and on the lower side the private residenses at Poua Mona was recomended.

I'm a little surprised (and happy) that you had a such a wonderful experience. I've been there twice (2002, 2003) and didn't have such an entirely great experience, especially the second time... (Unfortunately, I don't anywhere else to stay on Waikiki that can provide such daytime serenity.)

I completely understand your point, 1K wannabe. I've had uneven stays at hotels where I am a regular. As my comments are based on one experience at the Halekulani, yes, YMMV. But I must say, I think anyone would be hard pressed to do better on Oahu. I visited colleagues during my say that were at other properties (the Mandarin, Hilton, Hyatt, and Sheraton Surfrider). I also took a ride out to the JW. Visiting their hotels made me feel so pleased and fortunate to come home each evening to the island elegance and cozy comfort of the Halekulani.

Oahu would certainly not be my first choice of islands to visit but if I'm there I will certainly look forward to returning to the Halekulani.

We're planning to go 3 nites in Oahu, then 5 nites in Maui. We'll be staying in Westin Maui (already bought the package). Still deciding on where to go in Oahu. Will starting off at Halenkunai first ruin our time in Maui? Knowing Halenkunai is 1st rated, I am hoping that Westin Maui is not that much worse.

First I would say that nothing should ruin your trip, since you are in Hawaii after all. But to your question, I don't think the Halekulani will spoil you for the rest of your trip. As I stated in an earlier post, I think the Halekulani is highly overrated. We stayed there after the Four Seasons on the big island, and after all the hype about the Halekulani, we didn't expect a letdown in service or accomidations, but there clearly was one. That's why I don't think you'll see a letdown going from the Halekulani to the Maui Westin (although I have never been there).

We have reservations for our first visit to the Halenkulani and just phoned last night to have the concierge make reservations for us. We were incredibly impressed with the suggestions she made and the almost immediate confirmations received by email. If this is an indication of the service, you will have a lovely stay.

Any discount at Halekulani? I'd think not, but had to ask.

We have reservations for our first visit to the Halenkulani and just phoned last night to have the concierge make reservations for us. We were incredibly impressed with the suggestions she made and the almost immediate confirmations received by email. If this is an indication of the service, you will have a lovely stay.

Where are you dining? I highly suggest Alan Wong's (ask for the Chef's Counter), Chef Mavro's tasting menu is wonderful & the Diamond Head Grill for a more happening scene.

We're planning to go 3 nites in Oahu, then 5 nites in Maui. We'll be staying in Westin Maui (already bought the package). Still deciding on where to go in Oahu. Will starting off at Halenkunai first ruin our time in Maui? Knowing Halenkunai is 1st rated, I am hoping that Westin Maui is not that much worse.

Make sure you bang out a TimeShare presentation or two while at the Westin in return for *points. I know its your honeymoon, but points are points ;)

Any discount at Halekulani? I'd think not, but had to ask.

Be advised - the area immediately around the Halekulani will be a massive construction site for the next 2 years. There is a huge rehab of an entire city block surrounding the hotel. Go with the KMO, no comparison to Halekulani.

Halekulani

It is not awesome when not limiting your analysis to Honolulu.
But, it is a very nice place and imo the best in Waikiki.

Full details on the Lewers Street project in Waikiki (including Web Cams):

http://waikikibeachwalk.com/
and
http://waikikibeachwalk.com/details_updates.aspx

They are doing an excellent job of keeping traffic moving and noise to a minimum.