The Halekulani was our final stop on our incredible Honeymoon in August 2004. After 9 nights of remote tranquility, we were ready for the action and excitement of Waikiki Beach. Due to many one-way streets in Honolulu, we had a bit of difficulty locating the hotel, but we eventually found it. Upon check in, we were disappointed that the staff was unable to upgrade our room, but that quickly faded away when we saw our room. The room itself was immaculate and stylishly furnished, but not remarkable. However, the large lanai with views of both the ocean and city was certainly impressive. As soon as we were alone, we cracked the complementary bottle of champagne and enjoyed a toast on the balcony. We were also treated to a nice plate of fresh fruit and the notorious Halekulani homemade chocolates. We can promise that they live up to their reputation!
We then headed for a quick walk on the beach before the hotel manager's weekly cocktail reception. We savored a buffet of Asian and American delicacies and free Mai Tais and Champagne -- the perfect way to tide us over until our 9:00pm reservation at La Mer. During the reception, we met Patty Unterman, food critic for the San Francisco Examiner. She was in town as a judge for the annual Sake tasting and had literally tried hundres of Sakes that day. While the Halekulani PR person kissed her ass, we chatted with her husband extensively about our travels and interest in interactive entertainment. We learned that she will never give a restaurant a bad review until she's tried it at least three times -- a luxury we aspire to have as we grow this blog.
After the reception, we shopped in several of Honolulu's luxury boutiques (everything from Addias to Prada - I was in heaven!). We then returned to the hotel for our dinner at La Mer. The food there was absolutely outstanding - ranking up there as one of the best meals of our honeymoon - and we met a fabulous and informative sommelier. After the first evening, we didn't spend a whole lot of time at the hotel. We were too busy exploring Hanauma Bay, Diamond Head, and all that Honolulu had to offer. We did, however, find time to enjoy a sunrise breakfast on our balcony and a dip in the pool. We also relished in the hotel's strong Japanese culture. Halekulani truly did feel like an oasis, yet it was only steps away from all the charisma and action of Waikiki.
My wife and I had a fabulous five night stay at the Halekulani in November. We never made it to La Mer - we thought the meal at Orchids (their "second class" restaurant) was one of the best meals we've ever experienced! Dittos on the manager's reception - not to be missed! We're staying at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua in April - and we're worried that the Halekulani experience has us spoiled for anything else!
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Posted by: Marcin | November 20, 2007 at 05:37 PM
Today was a complete loss, but oh well. I don't care. So it goes. Nothing going on , but shrug. Not much on my mind these days. Such is life.
Posted by: Brygida | November 20, 2007 at 07:00 PM