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
hawaii
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
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
Value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership
After my post on Aulani's accommodations, some of you had asked about the value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership. Originally I hadn't want to write about the value of a timeshare ownership, as its rather complex. But Disney Vacation Club is a bit different from traditional timeshare ownership programs. Plus, while the wife and I were Disney Vacation Club owners, we have … [Read more...] about Value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership
Aulani Activities
Today I'm continuing my mini series on Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. The previous posts discussed the resort's accommodations and dining, but today I'm going to go over Aulani activities. Pools Despite being a resort in Hawaii, the main draw at Aulani are its pools. The Waikolohe Valley is the resort's main attraction, home to its many pools, slides, and lazy … [Read more...] about Aulani Activities
Aulani Dining
In my last post I went over Aulani's Accommodations, mainly the Disney Vacation Club villas, so this time around I'll be covering Aulani Dining. Why? Well, despite the perception that there's few options, Aulani does have a TON of different dining options ranging from quick-service to upscale fare. 'Ama'Ama To me the best and only sit-down restaurant at Aulani is … [Read more...] about Aulani Dining
Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms Construction
Hyatt recently announced it's new brand, the Unbound Collection. During the announcement, it was mentioned that a hotel in Hawaii would be included. This hotel will actually be the redeveloped Coco Palms hotel on Kauai. And recently, the Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms construction project has begun, sort of. According to local news outlets, the project has been stalled for … [Read more...] about Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms Construction
Sam Sato’s
Like I said before in, like in my review of Mitch's Sushi, some of the best food you'll find in Hawaii, are in unlikely and/or obscure places. Sam Sato's, like Mitch's is in a somewhat obscure location with terrible parking. But unlike Mitch's, Sam Sato's is an old school, local institution. Located above Kahului, in the county seat of Wailuku, Sam Sato's is buried in … [Read more...] about Sam Sato’s