Last week, I was given the incredible opportunity to go to Hawaii for some resort and location training. I am so excited to share what I learned with you – as well as feature some incredible resort properties. First up: Review of the Alohilani Resort on O’ahu.
By: Sarah Bergman
Hawaii is my favorite place, ever.
I was married on Maui in 2009 – and my husband and I went back 1-2 times a year until our kiddos were born.
Hawaii holds a very special place in my heart.
Seriously, how cute are we?!
I was thrilled to be invited to an exclusive training opportunity, and to explore O’ahu a little bit more!
The last time I was on O’ahu was for my honeymoon where we split our trip and stayed at Turtle Bay for a few nights, and Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort for the rest of the time.
Review of the Alohilani Resort on O’ahu
I stayed at the newly renovated?Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, formerly the Pacific Beach Hotel.
I cannot say enough great things about this resort. It was one of the first times, in a long time, that I lost my breath when entering a hotel room.
THE VIEW. YOU GUYS… THE VIEW!
The room itself was nice.
Nothing overly special but it was clean, storage was plentiful, and I really liked the selection of bath products.
Plus – Keurig.
On another note, I blew through those 4 k-cups real quick.
The next morning, I had 6. The next morning, 8. They get me.
The O Bar is very cool with this GIANT three-story oceanarium – when I take my kids back they will love it.
The water is literally pumped in from the ocean.
There is a large variety of colorful native Hawaiian reef fishes, over 400 when I was visiting.
They were in the process of repopulating the oceanarium and eventually will have over 800 species to view… perhaps with some rays or small sharks as well!
You can also catch scuba divers in there feeding the fish and cleaning the tank – very cool and fun to watch. The oceanarium is also a feature at the restaurant upstairs.
We were able to eat a few meals at that restaurant, and the chef (Conrad! We love Conrad!) even put together an incredible display in the KITCHEN for us!
This was lunch. In the kitchen (which was wicked clean by the way)!
I think, above all, my favorite part of this resort is their commitment to sustainability.
They provide eco-friendly, refillable water bottles upon arrival, and their?unused bath products are re-purposed and sent to developing countries.
The on-site restaurants and catering department even compost food items.
Other Area Resorts
I was also able to see and experience Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa, The Laylow Autograph Collection, and even Aulani A Disney Resort and Spa (more on that one later!) I must say I was VERY impressed with O’ahu… specifically Waikiki.
The people were hospitable, the food was INCREDIBLE, and the scenery was amazing.
This was dinner at the Hyatt! Everything was as good as it looks!
One thing that I want to note – a lot of the hotels will be “across the street” from the beach.
I was not too excited about this. I want to walk out of my room and onto the beach, so “across the street” is a dealbreaker for me. Or so I thought.
Y’all… the beach is right stinkin’ there.
I have walked further from my room at a resort ON a beach to get to the beach. I can’t stress how close it actually is.
It’s RIGHT there.
So don’t let the fact that the beach is “across the street” be a reason not to stay.
I mean seriously – this is a view from one of the rooms at the Hyatt – “across the street.”
I learned so much during this experience and can’t wait to share more with you.
Alohilani is a really special resort and I’m not kidding when I say I can’t wait to return!
If you have any specific questions about Waikiki, O’ahu, or Hawaii in general, please let me know in the comments; I’d love to go into more detail.
And if you have questions about choosing the best Hawaiian Island for your family, be sure to check out this post!
Do you have a favorite Hawaiian island? Tell me about it!?
Patty Holliday is a Marvel loving, Disney obsessed wife, and mother of four. She’s a travel agent specializing in Disney & Universal vacations- and loves a candid confession. Find her in Virginia (or anywhere frequent flyer miles or her trusty minivan takes her.)