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hotels
Honolulu , Hawaii
96816
Tel: 800 367 2525 (toll-free)
Tel: 808 739 8888
Concierge.com's insider take:
Set on a sheltered beach just a ten-minute drive from Waikiki, this 338-room resort was a Mandarin Oriental until 2006. With the new ownership came a much-needed room renovation. Now, Art Deco–style furnishings and silky gold- and cream-colored fabrics have replaced the '60s decor. You really never need to leave the property: There are five on-site restaurants (though only one, Hoku's, which serves Hawaiian-Asian-European fusion cuisine, is truly noteworthy); the Chi fitness center, with a variety of classes and a phalanx of very eager personal trainers; plenty of pampering in the ten private Spa Suites; and every kind of water sport imaginable on the 800-foot beach. Kids are catered to with special Keiki Club activities, like reef walking, hula dancing, and, unfortunately, a "Dolphin Encounter," where they can swim in a pool with the live animals. The dolphins appear to be healthy, and the program promotes environmental awareness, but it's odd to have what feels like a circus attraction in the center of an otherwise glamorous resort.
From the readers of Condé Nast Traveler:
(343 rooms)
—2009 Gold List
Overall Score: 88.9
- Rooms: 87.9
- Service: 89.5
- Food: 89.4
- Location: 88.7
- Design: 89.4
- Activities: 88.6
View the entire 2009 Gold List of the world's best places to stay ›
Also appeared in the Gold List in 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Water sports
Subscribe now to Condé Nast Traveler ›User Reviews
write a review › | see all user reviews ›This is a great location and property. Out of the fray but close to what you want. more
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