Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel?

Hi everyone!

We are due to visit in the 2nd half of November %26amp; thinking about staying at the newly renovated Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel.

Is the hotel %26amp; its location ok?

We are also worried about parking our rental car since the hotel has quite limited parking. Is parking really difficult in the area and is it expensive?

Thanks!

Yoyoggi

Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel?

Just stumbled across this hotel as well, would like to know feedback or any other info, pictures etc.

As mentioned the location is a block from the beach ?

Parking ? For a rental car ?

Thanks

Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel?

Alright I think somone answered for me regarding this hotel so I will help you.....

I decided against booking this hotel. It has gone through a major renovation but is in the night club district. So I was told if you want to party and you don%26#39;t mind working girls being around then this is a great deal. We chose however not to be in the night club district and chose Ohana Islander. There is a speacial right now on their website for 99$ and includes scone/muffin and a coffee at a coffee shop. This is their renovation special. Their pool is closed but you can use any other outrigger pool and the lobby is under construction. The rooms are not affected and have already been updated. This hotel is right near the Outrigger reef. (I think or it could be outrigger beach :) )

Hope this helps, at least if you go for this hotel you know the rooms will be clean, it is just the location you will have to decide on

Hope this helps

The Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel, is the new name for the recently renovated Coral Reef Hotel on Kuhio Avenue.

I just checked in yesterday, and the renovations are virtually complete (still a little work going on in the lobby and retail area).

The place looks great ! The entry has new marble walls, artwork, and tile flooring. The guest rooms have been totally overhalued, with all new furnishings, fixtures and coverings.

It needed it badly, as the facility had become ';tired'; in recent years; but the hotel is now as nice as any in the central Kuhio Avenue corridor.

It enjoys a great location, adjacent to the International Marketplace, dozens of relatively inexpensive restaurants, and just over a block to the beach. It iis within the QEF/WDC ';superblock'; that is considered ';ground zero'; in Waikiki.

Allthough the hotel itself only has maybe 30 guest parking stalls, there is a parking lot immediately adjacent (on the other side of the access alleyway) that honors guest parking passes. So there is no shortage of avaiable stalls for gurests.

In fact, because the in-hotel stalls are so tight and the ceiling so low (I%26#39;m 6%26#39;5'; and have to duck), I prefer putting the car into the adjacent lot. FYI, the parking structure charges less per day ($10) than the hotel does ($15); but it closes every night at 2 AM and doesn%26#39;t reopen unitl 6:30 AM, which can make it tough if you have to catch an early morning flight.

As to the comment about being in the ';nightclub'; district. There really is no night club district in Waikiki, with the closest probably being what was located along Lewers Street before the on-going redevelopment into the Beach Walk project.

The Waikiki Wave does have a sports/tiki bar and grill along the front of the property that has live music (but no dancing) several times weekly and stays open until 4 AM, but it is a very laid back (not rowdy) place, and I have never heard any excessive noise in my many stays in the hotel.

There are several other clubs in the neighborhood (in the high rise Waikiki Trade Center and a dance club across the street), but it is no different from any area in the central part of the District along Kuhio or Kalakaua.

I would be more concerned with being virtually surrounded by on-going construction at the Outrigger Islander Waikiki.

Thanks to both posters :)

I was by there today checking it out for a friend with a $100 and under Waikiki budget. Looks like they%26#39;re still putting the finishing toughes on the lobby makeover (just a bit of the trim left). The rooms have been refurbished and all have balconies.

You can get your longboard in the freight elevator if it%26#39;s under 10%26#39; or they%26#39;ll store it in the locked loading dock area. The staff seemed friendly when I was just asking a few questions. It%26#39;s on the beach side of Kuhio right next to the Intl Market. It%26#39;s a straight shot past the market and across Kalakaua to the beach access path between Outrigger (Dukes) and Royal Hawaiian (Pink Palace).

Looks like the area%26#39;s cleaned up a bit. The old strip club a couple doors down is reopening as a sports bar, but I%26#39;d guess you can still find a working girl within a block or two if you look hard enough after midnight?

Amberloo...

Thanks for the information! My husband and I will be staying at the Aqua Wave in January. I have read many good reviews since their renovation.

Can you tell me if they offer a complimentary Continental Breakfast?

Beyond....

That strip club (wasn%26#39;t it originally called ';Platinum'; ?) has been closed a while now.

And for those who really want to see the working girls, you can catch plenty after their ';shift'; is over getting donuts and coffee in the 7-11 along the streetfront of the hotel from about 5 to 6:30 AM. Everyday when I get up for a paper and cup before work there are usually more than a few hanging around.

And, ya%26#39; know what ? In the early morning light, after a long nights work, they really aren%26#39;t very attractive.

Susan....

I have never been offered, nor have I seen served, a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. But, having just spent $8 million on the renovations and re-branding the property, maybe it is something they will have in the future once everything in the lobby is fully completed.

I%26#39;ll ask at the front desk this evening, and if the answer is yes, I%26#39;ll post it for you.

They do have brand new coffeee makers in the guest rooms (along with free Kona blend coffee), and they deliver the Honolulu Advertiser to your door every morning. Also, the units all have brand new executive refrigerators and microwaves.

The 7-11 in the hotel (joked about in the above post) is open 24/7 and actually has a very large selection of prepared foods, including donuts, breakfast dishes, salads, fruits, sandwiches, hot entrees and local favorites (manapua, musubi, pork hash). Their coffee, while not Starbucks or Tully%26#39;s, is fairly good.

Amberloo,

Believe the old strip club was last called Deja Vu - Never went there.

Would you say the renovated Aqua Wave is as good as it gets for $100 in Waikiki taking into consideration the rooms and location?

The rooms really look too good for the price they are charging, all modern and clean!

Whats the ';catch'; ? Just the location not being beachfront ?

Which part of Kauai do we stay on in the summer?

We are traveling in August this summer on our honeymoon. We are unsure which part of the island to stay on. We want to be on the water and were considering South Shore, because of the weather. Any suggestions with rationale?

Which part of Kauai do we stay on in the summer?

We stayed in south in summer but wished we had stayed in north.

Which part of Kauai do we stay on in the summer?

going in the summer = north shore

going in the winter = south shore

there%26#39;s always the east shore too, which puts you in the middle.

August is warm and, if the tradewinds aren%26#39;t blowing, humid.

North Shore for sure. You might want to consider saving your money on a convertible. You might put the top down in the evening, but during the day, you will likely leave it up.

Ah, the beloved North shore is where you will want to be in the summer . . . .be prepared for stunning scenery, wonderful water, beaches and the real aloha spirit! :)

Ok coal get your mind back to work, you will be on vacation soon enough leaving all that cold behind. but it is nice to think about Kauai isn%26#39;t it.

frozensnowman - you are going to laugh . . . it%26#39;s in the low 50%26#39;s here today . . . things are melting like crazy! But I can%26#39;t stop thinking about Kauai . . .ah! aloha! :)

2 months to kauai....i think about it at least 10 times/day.

?Water temperature Maui in February

What is the water temperature in Maui during February? I just read a post that mentioned %26#39;chilly%26#39; water?

?Water temperature Maui in February

not to worry within a minute or two it feels great

?Water temperature Maui in February

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g29220-c54307/Maui:Ha…

Ken

1/9 - 1/18 Trip Report

Thanks to all of you who made our first trip to Paradise like, well, Paradise!

Tue.

Got on plane in Indianapolis at 7:30 am. Quick flight to Cincinnati. Hour wait, then 9 ½ hours to Honolulu. Delta basically left us hanging there. Was lucky to find friendly American Airlines lady who directed us to Go Airlines, where we caught our flight to Paradise. Had my wife Holly wait with the luggage while I snagged the rental car at Budget. Fastbreak worked great. I was the only one in that line and they quickly had me in our 2007 Chevy Cobalt with only 641 miles! It was about 5:30 or so, so we had just enough time to find our B%26amp;B in N. Kapa’a, (on 3 acres of a working tropical flower farm) before dark. Since I am a bit psychotic, I had us immediately exploring Paradise until Holly calmed me down a bit, and we went back and ate the homemade bread and fresh fruit in the B%26amp;B and then to bed. Great start to celebrating our 25th anniversary!

Wed.

Of course I was up at 3:30 am. Not even there a day, and I had driven my wife crazy already. I couldn’t help it. I had waited so long to get Kaua’i, and I couldn’t wait until it was light to get out and explore! I had made a 9:05 appointment to go on Inter-islands two hour helicopter/waterfall trip. It was INCREDIBLE!! The only thing that wasn’t perfect was the weather. Real rainy and cloudy, but our pilot, who was perfect, (Luca, the Italian Stallion--sorry Rocky) gave us the greatest doors off helicopter ride! We saw every inch of the island and got to swim in the private waterfall to boot. They operate out of Port Allen, and I had read in UKG and from many of your posts, that if it’s a bit rainy, just head Southwest. So we did. Went to the very end of Polihale Beach. Yes, it’s a heck of a bumpy ride to get there, but it’s worth it!

I guess it was our time to display the Aloha spirit. I had found a wallet on the rental car van and turned it in. Hope the owner had it back quickly. On Polihale, we spent a couple hours digging out a poor family that had their 4wd jeep stuck so deep they would STILL be there if we hadn’t dug them out. I was so proud of my wife. She was laying prone on the sand with me the whole time digging them out! Finally got them out and on their way. Boy, were they happy! Stayed at the end of the beach until dark. Unfortunately, too cloudy to get the famous sunset there. Headed into Lihu’e to Costco where we stocked up on stuff. Holly said she was a bit tired from jet lag (and me) and just wanted to go home to eat. Had nice dinner at the B%26amp;B and she did her best to calm me down the rest of the night.

Th.

Still rainy, so decided to do timeshare at the Marriott in am. Said the usual “no” and got our 15,000 points. Started to clear up right after timeshare pres. was over! Ended up snorkeling Po’ipu Beach and spent time on the beach there. Holly is totally happy laying on the beach reading a book for a few hours. I can do that for, oh, 30 – 40 seconds, and then I have to be up DOING SOMETHING! I talked her into snorkeling Lawa’i Bay next to the Beach House. Pretty good snorkeling. Stayed there until dark and witnessed the beautiful sunset! Toured around the area. Headed back up North and had dinner at Bubba’s Burgers in Kapa’a and then headed home. Oh yeah, learned that it’s never a good idea to swim with the rental car remote control!

Fri.

Took off North at our usual departure time of dawn….good thing my wife is so laid back and easy going. Gorgeous, sunny day! Went to Kilauea Lighthouse. Beautiful! A bit disappointed we didn’t see whales there, but it was still beautiful. Heard how great Tunnels and Ke’e were, so got to Tunnels around 10:30. Lifeguard absolutely would let no one in due to high surge. Was killing me! He said he rescued 8 people in the last 2 days (with help from helicopter), including an Olympic swimmer. Was a really cool guy…especially with a name like Jeff! We ended up walking from the start of Tunnels until we almost got to Ke’e! So incredibly beautiful! Finally ended up walking back and driving to Ke’e where we snorkeled. We were about the only ones in due to the surge. Had to be careful, but not too bad. Stopped at Coalminer’s favorite shave ice, Wishing Well in Hanalei. Great place! Had the Berry Berry with Mac ice cream. Yum! Holly had wonderful Pina Colada with ice cream and coconut flakes on top. It was awesome! Toured Princeville Resort. Wow!! $100k grand piano. What a place! Incredible views of the mountains there. Decided to just have dinner at home.

Sat.

Left at dawn and got to Budget for new car remote. They were very nice and said I wasn’t the only one dumb enough to swim with a remote. Pretty cloudy. Hoping it will clear up. Decided to go to Walmart since we were close and it wasn’t nice out yet. Got a million gifts for the kids and friends. I struggled with this decision the most of the whole vacation: do I take the time to watch the Colts humble Baltimore in the playoffs?? I thought about it for a week and decided to do it. Was on at 11 am. Holly really liked watching it also. Way to go Colts!! Immediately after the game we headed up to Hanalei. Spent time there in that gorgeous area, then headed down to Hideaways Beach. Were the only ones there! What a beautiful beach! I can’t believe it, but I left the snorkeling gear back at the B%26amp;B. Nuts!! Stayed there until dark. We loved the beach. Grilled hamburgers, porn loin and potatoes out at the B%26amp;B. Day turned out beautiful and sunny!

Sun.

Left at dawn and got to Ke’e at 8am. Brought our breakfast with us, and just sat and enjoyed the area while we ate. Then did the Na Pali hike. Started at 8:30. Was beautiful weather, but the trail was very muddy most of the way. Spectacular beauty and views!! Got to the stream/beach at 10:20. The waves at the beach were incredibly powerful and giant. I’ll bet this is a surfer’s nirvana. Beautiful area!

I got a bit upset with myself. Somewhere in all the posts I had read from all of you, I guess I missed that there was a waterfall up the stream a bit. We will make sure to go to it next time! Got back to Ke’e at 12:15. I’m not tired at all and neither was Holly, so we decided to go back to Hideaways WITH the snorkel gear this time. INCREDIBLE!!! We were the only ones there again! Glass like water, and the snorkeling was magnificent! Swam with 3 turtles!

Holly was on the beach, and I came in after about 15 min. and told her how great it was and she got her gear on and loved it also. After a couple hours, I came in and there was the nicest couple talking with Holly. We offered them our snorkel gear and Dan took me up on it. He loved it also. Karen wasn’t too sure about snorkeling yet. I was gonna do more snorkeling, but they were such nice people that we ended up talking on the beach until dark. Decided to have dinner together the next evening as we had to get back home to shower and have dinner at Scotty’s BBQ with the world famous Captain Denny and Dr. Erica themselves (Kalapakidooley). What a charming couple! Had a wonderful time!

Mon.

Another gorgeous day! Left about 8 am for Waimea Canyon. It truly is the Grand Canyon of the Pacific! More beauty everywhere you looked! We discussed how we really didn’t think it would be possible for us to ever get tired of the beauty in Kaua’i, even if we lived there. We left about 2:30 and took the advice in “Snorkeling Kauai” to go to Salt Pond Beach and do some snorkeling. We were very disappointed. I don’t know if it was because Hideaways and Ke%26#39;e was so good, that we didn’t hit the right spot, or what. Anyway, we headed back toward Lihu’e and got gas at Costco. They were easily the least expensive place on the island ($2.86). Headed home for dinner with Dan and Karen. I can’t remember the place we ate at in Princeville. It was immediately across the walkway from the post office. Food was very good and service was extremely good. We had another great time. Had Holo Holo appointment at 6am, so we headed home about 9pm to get some sleep before the snorkeling trip.

Tue.

Left at 5am. Had to be at Port Allen to be at Holo Holo by 6am. Got there a few minutes early. Still pitch black out. Left dock about 6:30. Superb Captain in Chris! Wonderful sense of humor and a living encyclopedia of Kauai and the area. Absolutely outstanding crew and ship. Food all day was excellent as well. Cruised up to where Na Pali starts, and then drifted back along the cliffs for photos. INCREDIBLE BEAUTY!! They start out so early because the sun rises behind the cliffs, and blocks out all photo opportunities if they would leave any later. They also are the only boat out that early, so there is never a problem with jockeying around anyone else. We saw many whales spouting and a couple tails, but it was from a lengthy distance. Chris stated that there was only a 50% chance we would get over to Ni’ ihau due to the churning waves. I understood, but would have been extremely disappointed if we hadn’t been able to make it. But we did! Second time in 3 weeks that they had been able to do it. Saw a ton of Spinner Dolphins do their acrobatic jumping. When we got to Lehua Rock, we saw 6 HUGE Manta Rays feeding right on the surface of the water. They just continued to feed right on the surface of the water. They moored the ship near Lehua Rock and Holly and I were the first ones in the water to snorkel since we had our own gear. After a few minutes of snorkeling, I felt something grab my fin! Got my attention real quick!! It was Holly. She had spotted a Manta Ray feeding toward the bottom. I immediately swam over and shadowed this magnificent, graceful animal. It was incredible! Very good snorkeling. 100% visibility. Depth was from 10-15 ‘ to 85’. What a variety of fish! I was the last one out of the water.

Started to have their excellent deli lunch and head back, when two whales headed directly for boat!! Chris shut it down quickly and it was UNBELIEVAB LE!! They came right up to the boat and then dove under it!! After reaching the other side, they came back under again!! We were all in heaven!! We saw every inch of the top of the whales as they surfaced right next to the boat and gently dived down. One then swam adjacent to the boat and stayed submerged alongside the boat. It was too good to be true!! He/she stayed submerged just under the water. It looked just like a submarine without the conning tower. After another five minutes or so, Chris stated that we had to head back because they had a sunset cruise crowd waiting for them. While I could have stayed there all day with the whales, I knew we had to head back. Note: I have no relatives, nor know any of their employees, or own any portion of Holo Holo, but we will do the 7 hour snorkel trip again! We got back about 2:15. Even though it had been a kinda long day, we went back to Hideaways to snorkel. Water was beautiful as glass again. We took gorgeous pictures from half way down the trail viewpoint of the water/reefs. What a place! We stayed there until dark again. I could get real used to doing this!! Even I was getting a bit tired, so we headed home and ate some sandwiches at the B%26amp;B. Marvelous day!

Wed.

Very cloudy and rainy am. I feel very selfish, because it is our last full day and the weather isn’t cooperating. I figured we’d just go to the sun then! Headed toward Po’ipu. Stopped at the Sheraton to take pictures of the gorgeous plants and flowers all over that area. The Hibiscus plants are just magnificent. First time I have ever seen one (yes, I live a sheltered life!), and I immediately fell in love with them. Ended up heading toward the Marriott again. Weather was PERFECT down there!! Just as we were crossing the road to Po’ipu Beach, we saw people running and screaming on the beach. We thought someone was drowning or injured, so I ran up ahead to see if I could help. Two Monk Seals had just come up on the beach! They immediately roped off the area around both seals. I took some pictures and then we snorkeled for a couple hours. Water was very, very powerful there. I made my first (and only) snorkeling mistake. The rip and current was so strong that I almost got into serious trouble. Got back in toward the beach quickly and continued snorkeling until about 3:30 and had to leave because were scheduled to have dinner with Dan and Karen at Kaua’i Pasta in Kapa’a at 5:30. Dan had found this place earlier. I don’t think it is listed anywhere. It looks like a little hole in the wall, and I guess it is. But the food was excellent and the service was the best we had on the island! Had another wonderful time. We ended up giving our snorkel gear to Dan and Karen because they had forty-five more days on the island. Also gave them all of our water and Gatorade that we didn’t use. Headed home around 9:30 to start the painful process of packing and leaving this Heaven on earth. Maybe I am childish, but I actually went through a mild state of depression. It is so incredible on Kaua’i! Not only the beauty of the place, but the wonderful people. We had so much fun meeting new friends! It was the most fun we have had since our honeymoon.

Th.

Finished packing and left the B%26amp;B for the last time. Had brunch with Denny and Erica at Dani’s in Lihu’e. Mostly locals eat there. Very good food, although the service wasn’t that great. Had fantastic time with the Kalapakidooley’s, then accompanied Denny over to their beautiful condo. What great people! Sadly said goodbye and headed over to airport. Can’t wait to get back to this Heaven on earth. Didn’t mean to go on sooooo long. I will try and add some photos if I can learn how to get them from the camera to the pc.

Thanks to all of you for your superb, excellent suggestions on how to see the true Kaua’i!

onlycharis

1/9 - 1/18 Trip Report

What a great trip report! Sounds like you%26#39;re as hooked on Kaua%26#39;i as many of us here. When will you be back?

1/9 - 1/18 Trip Report

THoroughly enjoyed your report. In all our trips, we haven%26#39;t made it to Hideaways yet. How far is it from the road? Is it an easy hike?

Loved your BTW about the car keys and remote!

We did the Niihau trip once, too. It was fun, but you must have snorkeled in a much better area over there then we did. The water was very deep and the fish were so tiny way down there. No mantarays for us.

Just loved your trip report . . . so glad you shared all the details. Oh, now I have to go back again . . . I haven%26#39;t done any of the boat trips and seeing dolpins and snorkeling like that - I would so love that!! Isn%26#39;t that snorkeling addictive??!! You know, I live in a very beautiful state, but there is just something so magical about Kauai . . .and I see you are already thinking of going in the summer. You will love snorkeling the northshore then as well. Oh, and I noticed your other post - I will try to email you soon. Mahalo for sharing your incredible trip! :)

onlycharis...Mahalo, great spirited newsy report. Never too much Kauai to hear about. Look forward to your photos when you get connected.

P.S. Is the ';Sat.'; entry ';porn loin'; something like ';Dinner and a Movie';?

Mahalo onlycaris for a great trip report! You must be my DH%26#39;s clone with your comment about reading a book on the beach for 30-40sec max!

I agree with you about the beauty of Kauai, especially the NaPali. It%26#39;s like a brand new taste for your eyes. It really is hard to believe that it is real, it seems like you are staring at a painting and yet you aren%26#39;t. Really plays tricks on your eyes; don%26#39;t you agree? I am still blown away just looking at photos of Kauai!

Sure glad you lived through the snorkeling in those waters!

Congrats on your anniversary :-)

Very entertaining trip report. Enjoyed it all!

bjbert:

You are too funny (and an eagle eye). Mahalo very much for pointing out my error. And NO, it was NOT a Freudian error! I have notified the authorities of my lack of typing abilities, and begged them to correct the heinous error. I am so new to TA, that I hope they actually do correct errors when we beg them and promise to do anything they want for a year in return for their editing prowess!

Humbly,

onlycharis

Great report! We returned from Oahu and Maui a couple weeks ago. We would love to try out Kauai in the next couple years.

My husband also forgot to take the keys out of his swim trunks a couple times. The remote worked fine after we%26#39;d let it dry out a while.

Great report! Small world, I was on that 9.5 hour flight too!!!! Not so bad for a soldout flight!

Headed to Molokai this trip but Kauai owns me! What can I say, it is a hellhole that rains, is dark with bugs and bad food and no nightlife - hahahahahah!!!!!

Aloha...onlycharis

Such as fantastic report and along comes someone who knows better but cannot resist doing something real silly. I hoped you would take it in the spirit it was intended...just as you have. Fun to just let it be now. When I read my own posts back, I can%26#39;t believe how many times I leave out important words, directions, etc.

So glad you did Dani%26#39;s breakfast with our T.A.treasures, Denny and Erica, before taking to the air. For me, Dani%26#39;s is a fond farewell to the island. It is ';local';, the food hardy and, indeed, it is right on the way to the airport. Just one more thing to savor in paradise.

Amount of Days for Maui & Oahu Trip

My husband and I are planning a trip to Maui in Oahu in March. We are in our early 30s with no children. We will be coming from Philadelphia (aka two long flights). Does anyone have an opinion for what the ideal amount of days to ';see what needs to be seen'; would be? We want to see Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach in Oahu and mostly just lay on the beach in Maui and do some sightseeing there (volcanoes and other notes of interest). We were thinking 8 or 9 nights. Any thoughts?

Amount of Days for Maui %26amp; Oahu Trip

You can never spend TOO much time in Hawaii. If you stay Waikiki for three or four nights you can see the city and Pearl Harbor, then rent a car to see the north shore and east side.

Maui%26#39;s volcano is dormant: Haleakala. You can hike down into it. Many people schedule a sunrise trip and/or bike down from it. Most lodgings are on Maui%26#39;s west coast, in South Maui (SW) and West Maui (acutally the NW lobe of the island).

West Maui has more ';buzz'; with high rises and higher density -- and more traffic. South is more mellow. Nightlife, etc. -- Lahaina/Kaanapali. Quieter w/plenty of swiming and snorkeling beaches -- Wailea and South Kihei.

The ';Revealed'; books are good primers for all the islands. See wizardpub.com or Amazon.

Amount of Days for Maui %26amp; Oahu Trip

Much more to see %26amp; do on Oahu so spend most of the time there.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862鈥?/a>

www.visit-oahu.com free brochure There are over 400 websites for lodging, restaurants, attractions in the brochure %26amp; on the site. Click on: OVB Yellow Pages

www.mauihawaii.org

www.visitmaui.com free brochure

detox cleansing

identifying rows

October Wedding

My daughter is getting married on the beautiful island of Kauai in October and we are looking for the perfect setting. Most of the packages offered from the hotels and resorts don%26#39;t really appeal to us, i.e., we have our own minister (a family friend), don%26#39;t really care about the ';framed certificate'; or free champagne glasses, not into the white lattice archway, etc. The ceremony will be 30-35 people, small and elegant. Any ideas??

October Wedding

I don%26#39;t know the rules and regulations but the most beautiful views I have ever seen are:

The outside patio of Hanaeli Bay Resort in Princeville standing at the railing at the Bali Hai restaurant. In the background you get green covered mountains against a blue sky with huge clouds looming over the mountains which produce enough rain to provide gorgeous waterfalls. The blue water is next and then flowered trees and bushes. Our pictures at the railing are breathtaking and we are complimented on them regularly. However, I am not sure how you could do that at the restaurant. Maybe there is a similiar public location overlooking Hanalei Bay and the green covered mountains with waterfalls.

The other one is the furthest away on a golden sandy beach with blue water and the beginning of the Na Pali Coast. The road to this Polihale State Park is pretty awful as far as potholes and lack of signs, but the end result is breathtaking.

The other one that would be easier to get to would be the Lighthouse in Kilauea, but again, rules and regulations may prohibit any or all of these.

Good luck!

October Wedding

Hanalei Bay Resort, which is next door to the Princeville, shares the same views and beach as the Princeville (which I see from one of your other posts was your first choice). HBR offers a number of locations within the resort that your daughter can get married, including on the beach, in front of a waterfall, etc. You will be required to pay a location fee there, but it%26#39;s significantly less than the $2,500 fee required by the Princeville.

HBR also offers onsite wedding coordination where you can purchase certain services ';a la carte.'; This means you don%26#39;t have to have the arched lattice if you don%26#39;t want it, but if you want the coordinator to arrange for a cake or leis for the wedding party, they can do it for a small fee.

I%26#39;m getting married on the beach in front of the Princeville in May and can%26#39;t wait. It%26#39;s a beautiful location on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Congratulations to you and your daughter!

If you want to email me I can send you a few photos of our vow renewal at Hanalei Bay Resort so you can see the background. We had 40 people attend. We paid HBR $250 for the site fee, rented the chairs from them, used our own minister and they catered the party. They will do whatever you want and were lovely to work with.

jebett3@aol.com

Fairmont partial ocean view or Sheraton ocean front?

Hi! I know all of you experts get so many posts asking where to stay, so I want to thank you in advance for any help you can give me. We are going to Maui in the last half of March (5 days); married couple in our 30s, no kids with us, really just want to relax, go out to eat, hang out at the beach %26amp; pool (beach is important to us to an extent). We%26#39;re not big nightlife people. Should we stay at the Fairmont (assuming we can find a room) with a partial ocean view or at the Sheraton on Kaanapali beach where we could have a better ocean view because it costs less? Is this a hands down easy decision - do the Fairmont because it%26#39;s a nicer hotel? Please help! I need to book asap and I feel like I%26#39;m going crazy lol. We have such a short amount of time there and we want to make the best decision.

Thank you for any advice!

Fairmont partial ocean view or Sheraton ocean front?

Aloha!

I%26#39;m fond of West Maui, so if it were me, I would choose the Sheraton with the OCEANFRONT view...nice to have the memory of the VIEW over the memory of a room.

Bryan Brown

BBrown9825@aol.com

Fairmont partial ocean view or Sheraton ocean front?

This is more of a South Maui v. West Maui question. Most people heading for West Maui like the nightlife around Lahaina/Kaanapali and the more high-rise-high-density sort of surroundings. South Maui -- especially Wailea and S. Kihei -- is more the choice of people who want a quieter setting, with better beaches and easier access to the rest of Maui.

Maybe you%26#39;d like something in South Maui that is less expensive than the Fairmont? Condos at Wailea Ekahi or Elua? Not sure if Wailea Beach Villas is more or less than Fairmont, but you%26#39;d have more room and two baths, etc. in a condo.

I always choose oceanfront, always...

Thank you for all of the feedback:)! I am leaning more and more towards the oceanfront. I do think I would enjoy a more quiet setting in general, but I don%26#39;t necessarily mind more activity around. I think we do definitely want a hotel rather than a condo. Hmmm...need to decide by today.

I%26#39;d say it depends on what you have planned. Are you going on numerous excursions or are you planning to hang out at the pool / ocean mostly? That would factor into where you stay. I%26#39;ve been to the Kea Lani (Fairmont) and it is quite nice. It%26#39;s very quiet in Wailea. My only complaint was that we felt we were always in the car driving someplace else. If was our first time to Maui so and we were ';green'; about what to do and that is probably why we weren%26#39;t too organized. We%26#39;ve also stayed in the Kaanapali area which we prefer, but that%26#39;s just us. I loved being closer to Lahaina, and enjoyed walking to Whalers Village. There are several dining choices in Wailea, Nicks Fishmarket at the Kea Lani, several restaurants at Four Seasons, the Grand Wailea and the shops at Wailea. Kaanapali also offers several dining choices and you will only be 10 -20 minutes from Lahaina. The Kea Lani I think wouldbe a more luxurious property, but the Sheraton gets really good reviews too. Since you%26#39;re only there five days, I think that you might want to take it easy and stay someplace where you don%26#39;t find yourself in the car most of the time. That%26#39;s my opinion, and unfortunately it%26#39;s still a hard decision as both areas are beautiful and have pluses and minuses. Good luck with your decision. You%26#39;ll have a great time whatever you decide.

Thanks so much for the thoughtful advice! We actually just booked at the Fairmont Kea Lani for a deluxe ocean view room- decided to splurge a bit. Our main goal is just to relax and spend most of our time at the pool and beach since we have such a limited amount of time. I want to get a massage and we may do one or two activity or touristy type things, but otherwise we will just veg and eat!

Sounds great. You%26#39;ll love the hotel. I%26#39;ve read that they have been updating rooms, so make sure you ask for an updated / renovated room. And, go to the Fairmont website and sign up for their President%26#39;s Club (I think they still have that). When I went we received a coupon for a free upgrade with our membership card (it%26#39;s free of course). The adult pool is nice at the Kea Lani.

Great choice! Have a wonderful trip. Do head up to West Maui to sightsee, have lunch, gawk at the people! (Don%26#39;t go on a day there is a cruise ship in.)