Following our wonderful stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the wife and I needed to stay in a hotel another night. This wasn't by choice and was last minute. Not wanting to waste points, I looked for the cheapest rate I could find. And rather than simply staying at the HHV another night, I decided to revisit the Courtyard Waikiki Beach. It's been a while since the wife … [Read more...] about Courtyard Waikiki Beach
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Coming Soon
As Miles to Memories , mentioned last week, Hyatt is expanding in Hawaii once again with a third hotel in Waikiki, the Hyatt Centric Waikiki. Part of Hyatt's new Hyatt Centric brand, the hotel will provide a more boutique experience. And now we have an idea on what the property will look like and what kind of amenities we can expect. Unlike the Hyatt Regency Waikiki … [Read more...] about Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Coming Soon
Pacific Beach Hotel Redevelopment
The Pacific Beach Hotel is a local landmark and one of the largest hotels on Oahu. The property has 839 rooms across two towers and is home to a 280,000 gallon aquarium. In fact, the aquarium is the centerpiece of the Oceanarium Restaurant, a locally popular buffet. I'm personally not a fan of either the hotel or the Oceanarium Restaurant. And it isn't because the hotel is … [Read more...] about Pacific Beach Hotel Redevelopment
Waikiki Shave Ice Guide
Shave ice is the quintessential local snack. It's cold and refreshing, perfect on a hot Hawaiian day. I've covered my favorite shave ice spot before, but Waikiki has a growing number of shave ice stands. So for those of you that choose to stay in Waikiki, I've decided to prepare a Waikiki shave ice guide. As you may know from my previous posts, I'm a fan of the new wave … [Read more...] about Waikiki Shave Ice Guide
What’s in My Wallet July 2016
I've said it before, and I said it again, my points and miles strategies differ somewhat from many other bloggers. I don't travel for work, nor do I have much disposable income to throw around. Because of this, I primarily earn miles to redeem for free travel and don't focus much on earning elite status. … [Read more...] about What’s in My Wallet July 2016
Cinnamon’s at the Ilikai
Hawaii has an obsession with breakfast and brunch. Why? I don't really know. What I do know is that some of our favorite dishes are primarily breakfast foods. Think local style (Japanese-based) fried rice, loco moco, and corned beef hash. And one of the very first restaurants dedicated to brunch was Cinnamon's in Kailua. Nearly two years ago Cinnamon's opened a second … [Read more...] about Cinnamon’s at the Ilikai
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a mainstay of Waikiki hotels and is the largest resort on the island. It's size and popularity HHonors members means the place is, in my opinion, a bit of a circus. The number of people staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village at any one time is a bit staggering. The property does have nearly 3,400 rooms, after all, and is still growing! And … [Read more...] about Hilton Hawaiian Village
Wailea Beach Marriott
A couple of years ago spent a week on Maui for our anniversary. We split our time between the Courtyard Maui Kahului Airport and the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort. We chose to split our time between the two properties as a way to save money, while also saving points. As I've said before, the Courtyard Maui has a central location that's great for treks to Haleakala and Hana. … [Read more...] about Wailea Beach Marriott
Bid Up by Hawaiian Airlines
Airlines are always on the search for new ways to generate revenue, and one of the newer trends in incremental revenue generation is bidding for unsold first class seats. Throwing their hat into the ring, Hawaiian Airlines recently introduced their new Bid Up by Hawaiian Airlines program. Hawaiian's bidding system is similar to many other airlines already offering this … [Read more...] about Bid Up by Hawaiian Airlines
Ko Olina Dining Guide
Ko Olina Resort is a great place to stay if you want to kick back and relax. It's far from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu, which is both good and bad. Positive points of staying in Ko Olina are the lack of crowds, congestion, noise, etc. But with that serenity comes a negative; Ko Olina lacks shopping and has limited dining options. While greater … [Read more...] about Ko Olina Dining Guide