During our recent visits to Hawaii, Travel Agent enjoyed up close looks at three hotels from Hyatt, Prince Resorts and Hilton, all worth recommending to the right client. Here are some of our impressions.
As part of our recent coverage of the Journese Curators event in Hawaii, Travel Agent stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa and came back with a wealth of selling points for affluent Millennials looking to take a trip to the Aloha State. There are 602 rooms, including 37 suites, the best of which are the hotel’s two Presidential Suites, ranging from 2,463 to 2,813 square feet, and affording top-floor ocean views from a private terrace. The rooms also have an entry foyer, a sitting area with a telescope for whale watching, a dining table for six, a kitchen, a wet bar and a half-bath.
A separate bedroom has one king-size Hyatt Grand Bed and a private bath with four-seat spa tub. Additional amenities include padded teak loungers on the lanai, an iHome alarm clock radio, wireless Internet access, a work area, beverage chillers, a 55-inch flat-screen TV and robes. An additional connecting bedroom is available for an extra charge upon request.
Millennials can chill in the pools and lagoons, where they will find everything from a lava-rock-lined lazy river to waterfalls, quiet seating nooks and hidden caves that end at a 150-foot waterslide. Reservations for scuba diving lessons in the property’s saltwater lagoon (among other activities) can be made at the hotel’s Recreation Desk on the lower level of the pool, next to Hale Nalu restaurant. Guests can also reserve one of the private beachfront cabanas, with enhanced personal services, starting at about $55 for the day. Tip: Reserve these in the morning.
The Grand Hyatt Kauai’s Anara Spa has 17 treatment rooms including two couples areas. We were told the best treatment here is the traditional Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage that embraces spa-goers with flowing strokes. There is a fee of about $30 for guests who would like to use the spa’s facilities, such as the sauna and steam room, without getting a treatment. Massages, body treatments and facials are administered in private rooms or hale (thatched-roof bungalow) each opening to its own tropical garden. Also, fitness facilities with Precor cardio and weight equipment are open 24/7.
Tidepools is the best restaurant here. Clients can feast on some fresh fish and steak amidst tiki torch-lit tropical gardens and koi-filled lagoons. No reservations are required, but it’s recommended to reserve in the morning to ensure getting a table. Stevenson’s Sushi and Spirits and Dondero’s, which serves Italian food, are other dining options. There is also a Starbucks in the hotel that clients can bill to their room.
One of the two Presidential Suites at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa.
During the Hawaii Tourism Conference in late September, Travel Agent stayed in an ocean-view suite on the 30th floor of Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki and Golf Club’s recently renovated Diamondhead Tower, which is part of an ongoing $55.4 million renovation. We were impressed by how modern this hotel has become.
Darla Won, director of marketing for Prince Resorts Hawaii, told us the biggest complaint from guests prior to the improvements was that the hotel was a tad outdated. But as it approached the half way point, the hotel’s first major overhaul in roughly 25 years has the looks of being a hit with Millennials and all lovers of modern technology. There was no shortage of USB ports and outlets in our suite and we loved the Smart TV and bedside automatic switch that controls the curtains.
The second phase of the Hawaii Prince renovation, slated to be complete by year’s end, includes a facelift for the Ala Moana Tower as well as a refreshed lobby with a copper ceiling installation created by a local artist. The best of the Tower’s 36 one- and two-bedroom suites will be the Lanai Suites, which are basically the hotel’s take on the traditional Presidential Suite. The massive lanais all overlook the ocean.
Millennials should also appreciate the new pool deck, which will connect the Diamondhead and Ala Moana towers and have an infinity-edge pool and a bar. We were also told the pool deck area can be rented out for private parties and events.
For the business traveler who is less interested in bells and whistles and more focused on the bare necessities, we recommend the new Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach hotel. We had the opportunity to stay at this brand new hotel that opened back in June and loved that it had everything we needed for both business and pleasure.
The rooms may be relatively small, but the hotel makes the most of the space. There is a king bed, a microwave, a Keurig coffee maker, a flat-screen TV and city views of Honolulu. Throw in free Wi-Fi, USB charging ports and outlets everywhere and you get all you need for both a good night’s rest and a productive morning of work. The hotel also houses a swimming pool with views of the city and a fitness center on the third floor.
Tip: The excellent Holoholu Coffee Bar on the first floor is technically a separate establishment, but hotel guests are allowed to charge purchases here to the room at the Hilton. It hosts a happy hour every day from 4 to 6 p.m. and then again from 9 to 11 p.m., serving beers for just $3 and wine for $5.
Suites are suitable for families; they come with a pullout sofa sleeper in the living room. And Waikiki Beach is only two blocks away. There’s a microwave in every room so guests looking to stretch their travel budget can get something cheap at the market and nuke it up in their room. The money saved can be used for leisure pursuits: The hotel is across the street from the revitalized International Market Place and within walking distance of a variety of golf, shopping, dining, cultural institutions and adventure activities.
The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo has opened on Hawaii Island under the DoubleTree by Hilton flag, following a $30 million renovation. We haven’t seen this one firsthand yet, but we understand it occupies 70 acres of oceanfront property, with views of Hilo Bay and the Mauna Kea Volcano. Just two miles from Hilo International Airport, it has 320 fully refurbished guestrooms and suites, a restaurant and lounge, a nine-hole golf course, children’s activities and a performance venue to showcase local musicians.