Of the many resorts and hotels we have been able to stay at in Hawaii, Halekulani has left the deepest impression on our minds and hearts. It was the first time we were able to stay somewhere beachfront in Hawaii, as a family, at a luxurious facility. We were initially blown away by the Aloha spirit in their hospitality and top-class amenities, including services and classes, but nothing could beat the access to the surf and sand that Halekulani offers.
Within a .5 mile walk from The Fort DeRussy US Army Museum, less than two minutes to get to the beach form your hotel room, and three high-end restaurants within the vicinity (not to mention more shops and countless eateries within walking distance); The Halekulani is located on the just the edge of Waikiki making it a perfect stay where the bustle of the main city is of no concern.
HALEKULANI PROPERTY
The Halekulani translates to “House Befitting Heaven” and not to hit the hammer on the head but if you could imagine paradise as Hawaii then the Halekulani is the perfect embodiment of an otherworldly tranquility.
Paying homage to old Hawaii in both style and preservation of culture, the Halekulani helps share the Hawaiian culture in their ambrosial meals at 5-star restaurants such as House Without a Key and others, spa treatments, and various amenities found throughout. The Aloha spirit lives on in their staff and facility!
As a photographer, there are ample locations to take wedding photos, family photos, or simple Instagram selfies! Whether you’re staying for a day or the whole week, you’ll end up with a ton of beautiful shots from this property alone.
THE FACILITIES + ACTIVITIES
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After filling your hungry appetites, it’s always a good thing to hit the gym! The on-premise, (level 2) gym offers the standard (clean and updated) equipment along with free weights (my personal favorite). Although being outdoors is preferable (especially in Hawaii), on those rainy days the gym is a great alternative to burn those extra vacay calories. If pumping weights isn’t your style, The Halekulani offers many COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES!
A set-up like many local gyms, The Halekulani brings that type of training you love, to you, again, for free! Anything from advanced workouts like HIIT (High interval intensity training) to peaceful, but challenging styles such as Yoga or Tai Chi are offered. For more details regarding classes and other activities click here.
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Along the lines of working-out, the Orchid pool is another great spot for either relaxation, tanning, swimming or other classes held in front of the Spa Terrace (just behind the row of lounge chairs in the above pictures). Our visit occurred at the start of summer so it wasn’t too busy, although there were a plethora of seats available regardless of how much human traffic may occur.
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If you decide to learn how to surf or lounge on the beach, their beautifully designed key card allows access to and from the beach through the pool area. Showers are also available to wash off sand and salt. Which is recommended before stepping back into the beautiful property of the hotel.
Not only does this (almost) magical key card grant access to your room, pool, to and from the beach, it also grants access to many other things outside of the hotel. Halekulani has created at “For You, Everything” program for guests which essentially means complimentary admission to other attractions such as the historical Iolani Palace and Bishop Museum to name a couple. For more info regarding where this card can take you click here.
If you’d rather stay and enjoy all the amenities on the property, here is a list of events hosted at the Halekulani.
SPA HALEKULANI
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We absolutely love our spa days, especially at luxury hotels we visit. Being at a 5-star hotel, it’s a guarantee that the service will be fantastic. It started off with a foot salutation at their beautiful courtyard! The salutation gives the guest and masseuse to engage instead of going straight into the massage. It was basically a consultation of which areas to focus on during the treatment. The hot stone massage is highly recommended, it was so calming and the whole experience was fantastic. Halekulani offers multiple treatments from massages, body treatments, hair care, nail care, and others. For the full list, check out their spa menu.
DINING AT HALEKULANI
One of our favorite things about this hotel is their dining options. We’ve stayed at hotels in Waikiki with one restaurant on property but nothing beats Halekulani. Each restaurant is different and has their own distinct style of cuisine. Which makes it quite an experience to dine at these places: La Mer (French fine dining), Orchids (casual elegance), House Without a Key (relaxed ambiance), L’aperitif Cocktail Bar, and Lewer’s Lounge). We’ve had the please of dining at House Without a Key, during one of our stays in Waikiki. This time, we tried out Orchids (be on the lookout for a separate post soon!), our dining experience was spectacular!
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For lunch, we visited House Without a Key and tasted their glorious Key Lime Pie. It’s as delicious as it looks!
We’d like to highlight this specific dish which is called Calabash Curry. It’s a great twist to spam and curry! Yes, you heard that right, spam. We love that the chefs at Halekulani create signature dishes! It sounds odd, but it all mixed well together. Their Calabash Curry is a limited item on the menu at House Without a Key. Once it’s off the regular menu, it’ll be put on the secret menu. It can still be ordered once, just for those who know about the dish!
Right next to House Without a Key is a coffee station. It’s available every morning, complimentary for guests!
THE OCEAN FRONT ROOM
Finally, take a lot at our Ocean Front Room where it overlooks the Orchid pool and directly on to Waikiki. Halekulani offers suites and guestrooms with different views from Diamond Head Ocean Front, Ocean View, Partial Ocean View, and Garden Courtyard View. Different rooms and views but the same exceptional service!
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One of the coolest features in our room was the closet! It opens up from the bathroom leading to the bedroom, vice versa. In the closet, there are also other features such as our hotel room safe, blow dryer, slippers, and laundry bags.
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Halekulani is such a gem with the delicious treats they left us in our room. Also, the cold complimentary water bottles in our mini fridge every day with a filled ice bucket was such a great ending with great service!
Honolulu, HI 96815
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