Hawaiian Interlude in Honolulu

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Overview

Sailboat in Waikiki Photo - Honolulu, Oahu

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Quite unfortunately for us, Hawaii was more of a stopover for us than a true destination (we were on our way to Australia), but we packed in as much in our 2 full days in Honolulu/Waikiki as we could!*** Slightly off-topic side note: Should you ever find yourself flying to the other side of the world, Hawaii is an excellent stopover point, and it often won't even cost you extra (as far as your flight is concerned, anyway) to spend a few days. It's a great way to break up a long flight, and an excellent way to justify a Hawaiian vacation! ***We spent a full afternoon/evening at the Polynesian Cultural Centre (North Shore, Oahu) and the rest of our time in and around Waikiki and ...Read More

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Radisson Hotel Waikiki

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Hotel | "Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio"

Prince Kuhio Fish Pond Photo - Radisson Hotel Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu

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We stayed at the Radisson Prince Kuhio for 2 nights, and although the hotel itself is of average/good quality, the location is excellent, and we found that it was a good value.The Radisson Prince Kuhio is located in the heart of Waikiki, close to all the area attractions and just a couple of blocks from the beach. At first glance, it's just another giant, unattractive, boxy concrete hotel, typical of the Waikiki strip; inside, though, it's quite elegant, with a lovely lobby and public areas (which have been newly renovated since our stay!). The gardens on the hotel grounds are also quite nice, and provide a little haven from the "concrete jungle" feeling of the area.The hotel was q...Read More

We stayed at the Radisson Prince Kuhio for 2 nights, and although the hotel itself is of average/good quality, the location is excellent, and we found that it was a good value.

The Radisson Prince Kuhio is located in the heart of Waikiki, close to all the area attractions and just a couple of blocks from the beach. At first glance, it's just another giant, unattractive, boxy concrete hotel, typical of the Waikiki strip; inside, though, it's quite elegant, with a lovely lobby and public areas (which have been newly renovated since our stay!). The gardens on the hotel grounds are also quite nice, and provide a little haven from the "concrete jungle" feeling of the area.

The hotel was quite busy during our stay, and we actually received a room outfitted for disabled guests (which we had not requested). Not sure how this may have affected the layout of the room itself, but the bathroom was much larger than I would imagine it is in other rooms with a roll-in shower (so no bathtub). The room itself was the typical chain-hotel layout, with a king-size bed, entertainment center, and small table with two chairs.

We did have a small balcony/lanai with a mountain view - we just couldn't justify the added expense of an ocean view, and seeing all the little houses and buildings up the side of the lush green mountains was just as interesting! We found the room to be very clean and tidy when we arrived, and housekeeping did a good job of keeping it that way throughout our stay.

As far as the room decor, the only thing particularly Hawaiian about it was the pineapple-patterned bedspread, but it was quite neutral and comfortable. Renovations are currently underway to all of the 600+ rooms in the hotel and are expected to be completed by the fall. The proposed new decor is certainly an improvement on the rather bland appearance of the current rooms.

Rooms include most of the amenities you would expect from Radisson: coffeemakers with complimentary coffee/tea, mini-fridge, two phones, an iron and full-size ironing board (very handy), high-speed Internet access, an in-room safe, and bottled water are all available for a fee.

We found the service of the hotel staff to be top-notch, always smiling and helpful. There is also a tour desk on-site where you can book tours, attraction tickets, and excursions. The best feature of the hotel, for us, was the availability of a hospitality room. We checked out in the morning and the hotel stored our luggage (at no charge), and we spent the day sightseeing, then returned to the hotel after dinner. We were given the keys to a room and allowed use of it for an hour, which gave us time to shower, get changed, and re-pack our carry-on items for our 11:30pm flight. Definitely worth it!
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 21, 2006

Radisson Hotel Waikiki
2500 Kuhio Ave.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
+808-922-0811

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Cheeseburger In Paradise

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Restaurant

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Cheeseburger in Paradise definitely has one thing going for it - awesome location! Located across the street from Waikiki Beach, it has great laid-back rock n' roll atmosphere, but that's probably the last time you'll see the word great in this particular review. First, the particulars. Cheeseburger in Paradise (no longer owned by Jimmy Buffet, as the mainland versions of this restaurant are) is located on Kalakaua Avenue, between the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and Outrigger Waikiki.Cheeseburger In Paradise is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers a full-service bar serving tropical drinks and ice-cold beer. Can't vouch for the bar, as we didn't have alcohol ...Read More

Cheeseburger in Paradise definitely has one thing going for it - awesome location! Located across the street from Waikiki Beach, it has great laid-back rock n' roll atmosphere, but that's probably the last time you'll see the word great in this particular review.

First, the particulars. Cheeseburger in Paradise (no longer owned by Jimmy Buffet, as the mainland versions of this restaurant are) is located on Kalakaua Avenue, between the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and Outrigger Waikiki.

Cheeseburger In Paradise is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers a full-service bar serving tropical drinks and ice-cold beer. Can't vouch for the bar, as we didn't have alcohol that night, but it looked like it was hopping.

Entrees are the standard American fare, including burgers, salads, fries, onion rings, and sandwiches. The house special, Cheeseburger in Paradise, includes a "half pound Natural Angus Beef Patty topped with a special blend of Jack and Cheddar cheeses." Hubby and I both had it (when in Rome, right?) - he had fries, onion rings for me. We both fairly unimpressed - for a joint with "Cheeseburger" in its name, there really was nothing special about our meal. Considering the higher-than-normal prices for this kind of fare ($10 to $12 for a hamburger), it was pretty disappointing.

Great service might have made up for the food: sadly, that was also lacking. Everyone we encountered, from the hostess to the two different waitresses we had, looked like they would just rather be elsewhere and like it was their inconvenience (rather than their pleasure) to serve you. I will admit that it was very busy; however, I'm certain it's very busy there all the time, and I would expect the staff would know how to deal with the situation. It actually took us longer to get our bill than it took for us to order and eat, not really acceptable in my books.

My final analysis is that Cheeseburger in Paradise is exactly what it seems to be, a chain restaurant in an excellent location with overpriced, mediocre food and lacklustre service. Check out the bar if you must, but skip the rest of the "experience." Read Less

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on August 21, 2006

Cheeseburger In Paradise
2500 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
(808) 923-3731

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Hilo Hattie Nimitz Flagship Store

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Attraction | "Hilo Hattie's"

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I can honestly say that Hilo Hatties was like no other store I've ever shopped in - truly, a one-of-a-kind experience. Their website (at www.hilohatties.com) touts it as "the largest retail source for Hawaiian and Island Lifestyle products." They aren't kidding.There are a number of locations on the various islands - two are located in Honolulu. There is a smaller "boutique" store in the Ala Moana Shopping Centre, and then the flagship store and manufacturing facility, which we spent a goodly portion of time exploring.If you're looking for Hawaiian...well, anything...this is the place to be. Souvenir shopping? Hilo Hatties can be your on...Read More

I can honestly say that Hilo Hatties was like no other store I've ever shopped in - truly, a one-of-a-kind experience. Their website (at www.hilohatties.com) touts it as "the largest retail source for Hawaiian and Island Lifestyle products." They aren't kidding.

There are a number of locations on the various islands - two are located in Honolulu. There is a smaller "boutique" store in the Ala Moana Shopping Centre, and then the flagship store and manufacturing facility, which we spent a goodly portion of time exploring.

If you're looking for Hawaiian...well, anything...this is the place to be. Souvenir shopping? Hilo Hatties can be your one-stop shop. There are aisles and aisles (or maybe that's acres and acres) of Hawaiian printed/themed fashions for men, women, and children: shirts, shorts, pareos, dresses...you can buy matching outfits for the whole family (if that's your thing)! Hawaiian beauty products, check...in lots of luscious fragrances. Hawaiian home decor, check...with beautiful handcrafted items made from local materials. Hawaiian treats, check...tons of scrumptious goodies to choose from (make sure to pick up some of my personal favourites - chocolate toffee macadamia nuts, mmmm!). Guaranteed you'll leave with your head spinning from the sheer "Hawaiian-ness" of it all.

Getting there is easy, with free "Hilo Hatties" trolley shuttles available throughout the tourist areas Honolulu and Waikiki. We spotted ours at Waikiki Beach and figured it would be a good way to kill a bit of time and do some souvenir shopping. Now, I can only speak from our experience with our particular driver - he was amazing! As we drove around Waikiki and Honolulu on our way to Hilo Hatties, he gave us a bit of a guided tour of all the sites. When we left the store, we were told that we could be dropped off at any of their stops (we chose to do some more shopping at the Ala Moana Shopping Centre!). It was a great (free!) tour, and we ended up talking the same driver into taking us back into Waikiki when he did his last pick up at the Ala Moana Centre.

While it may not be the most authentic Hawaiian experience out there, it is certainly one that I'll never forget (nor will our friends and relatives who received that little bit of Hilo Hatties). Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 21, 2006

Hilo Hattie Nimitz Flagship Store
700 Nimitz Highway
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
(615) 514-4456

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Polynesian Cultural Center

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Attraction

Polynesian Cultural Center River Photo - Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, Oahu

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The Polynesian Cultural Centre is a strange but intriguing concept and is touted as Hawaii's most popular paid attraction.It was founded in the '60s by the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who also found a nearby university, Bringham Young Hawaii. The Centre is almost like a theme park, with seven mock ‘villages’ set on 42 acres of lush landscaped parkland. About 80% of the employees of the Centre are from one of the seven Polynesian cultures represented (Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Tahitian, Marquesan, and Maori) and are working at the park to subsidize their schooling at the university.We took a bus tour from Waikiki to the PCC (on the ...Read More

The Polynesian Cultural Centre is a strange but intriguing concept and is touted as Hawaii's most popular paid attraction.

It was founded in the '60s by the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who also found a nearby university, Bringham Young Hawaii. The Centre is almost like a theme park, with seven mock ‘villages’ set on 42 acres of lush landscaped parkland. About 80% of the employees of the Centre are from one of the seven Polynesian cultures represented (Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Tahitian, Marquesan, and Maori) and are working at the park to subsidize their schooling at the university.

We took a bus tour from Waikiki to the PCC (on the North Shore), which took about an hour and passed through the mountains and past some beautiful ocean views. Our ticket package included a Luau dinner and the Horizons evening show. There are many ticket options and packages available - the best bet is to check out the PCC's very informative website at http://www.polynesia.com.

Due to the late departure of our tour, we were only able to spend about 3 hours visiting all the villages and attending some of the cultural presentations that go on every hour. We saw the New Zealand presentation (which was about the Maori way of life and included song and dance, even the well-known haka performed by the All Black Rugby team), the Fiji presentation (about tribal Fijian village life, which included song and dance as well), and the Marquesas presentation (including a mock pig hunt and song and dance about the creation of the Marquesan Islands). To truly enjoy all of the villages and presentations, you'll require 5 to 6 hours, but it is definitely worth it.

At 5pm, it was time for the Luau – yes, the typical Hawaiian feast. We arrived and immediate got leid - with orchids, natch. Then it was on to the food and entertainment. Of course, because the PCC is run by Mormons, no alcohol (or even caffeinated beverages) is allowed, so it was decaf pop and Gatorade for everyone. The meal itself was fairly traditional and featured roasted pig and some small samples of some more ‘interesting’ Hawaiian dishes. During dinner, there was traditional Hawaiian songs and hula dancing. Overall, the Luau was good, but not excellent - not a "don't miss" experience.

After the Luau, we made our way over to the amphitheatre for the "Horizons" evening show – a 90-minute tribute to the Polynesian cultures represented at the PCC. Horizons showcases the music and dance of the various Polynesian cultures (including a spectacular finale featuring Hawaiian fire dancers!), and we thought it was excellent and thoroughly entertaining. Definitely worth the additional cost!

Overall, the Polynesian Cultural Center was an excellent way to spend the day, great for couples or families, and a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the warm, friendly, and beautiful Polynesian people.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 21, 2006

Polynesian Cultural Center
55-370 Kamehameha Highway
Laie, Hawaii 96762
(808) 293-3333

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Waikiki Beach/Sunset

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Story/Tip

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Waikiki Beach is truly beautiful...and truly overrun with tourists; however, it is still worth spending some time enjoying the fantastic ocean view and taking it one of the spectacular sunsets.We spent a few hours on the beach during the afternoons: getting a little bit of sun, enjoying the view of Diamond Head, and watching the surfers catch waves. While it can feel cramped and crowded on the beach at times, there are many amenities available and lots of opportunities for eating and shopping close by. A stroll down Kalakaua Avenue (which runs parallel to the beach) will turn up many surf shops, restaurants, boutiques, and interesting places to take a break from the heat of a sunny afternoon...Read More

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