Halekulani Hotel

Guest review by Alan Light, visited March 2004

From Alan Light: I am currently typing this in suite 410 at the Halekulani on my last day of a ten-day visit. 410 is a luxury suite, one of six at the hotel. They are 1600 square feet -- enormous living room, huge bathroom and a walk-in closet larger than most hotel room bathrooms. It's been terrific staying here.

I've made some notes along the way so here they are, in no particular order:

The trip didn't start off on a positive note. I had reserved a non-smoking luxury suite 7 months ago, but when I called to confirm the day before arrival I was told I was assigned a smoking luxury suite instead. When I complained about being switched without my permission or notification, the reservations person was sympathetic but said there was nothing she could do. She assured me that housekeeping would do a deep-clean of the room to eliminate any smoke smell.

When I e-mailed a complaint to the manager, I heard nothing back -- and I still haven't. However, the reservations person was correct -- at no time did I ever smell any cigarette smoke in the room. But I was disappointed that the manager of the hotel did not respond to my letter.

My first impression of the room was of a slightly musty smell upon entering, but that goes away as soon as the doors are open. The musty smell returns every time the windows are closed, but it is only a minor annoyance.

The balconies are very close together, and even facing each other most times, so don't expect privacy out there.

The rooms are nicer here than at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, another favorite of mine. However, the beds themselves are more comfortable and eye- pleasing at the Kahala. The beds at the Halekulani are rather hard, and plain.

It's great that the hot water in the shower here at the Halekulani is kept at a constant 105 degrees. That means you can just turn on the shower and it's ready to go -- no fiddling around with water temperature. If you want the water a bit cooler than 105 there is a knob to add cool water to the mix, however much you wish. I never had to touch the control. I found 105 degrees to be perfect.

The bathroom is HUGE in this luxury suite, and toiletries are left in abundance twice a day. If you're the type who collects them to take home even a short visit will overwhelm your ability to collect them. Quality of the toiletries is superb.

I enjoyed having the passion fruit smoothie while sitting around the pool. However, it was disappointing that food is not served there -- only drinks. When I asked for some pretzels, nuts or something munchy I was told food is not permitted. It's surprising and unusual to hear no with such finality at a 5-star luxury hotel. No explanation was offered, just a "no," but it later occurred to me that perhaps food causes problems with the birds. I dunno.

Despite a card in the room which states that "chairs at the pool are first- come, first-serve -- absolutely no reservations" the pool guys will hold them for you as long as you want. Go over to them after breakfast and they will save whichever ones you want. Joey in particular is quite nice. But it's not necessary to rush out and reserve any unless you want a particular location. During the ten days of my stay there were always plenty of empty chairs around the pool.

Please don't bring your kids here. This is not the hotel for kids, and their screaming in the pool just disrupts the mood for everyone else. Due to the U-shape of the hotel, every noise in the center reflects and even magnifies up into all the rooms. We had to close our balcony doors at times due to some kids who were having so much fun they were squealing and shrieking non-stop.

La Mer, one of the restaurants at the hotel, was amazing. It is the only 5- diamond restaurant in the state of Hawaii and I can certainly see why. This level of food and service and atmosphere is available very few places in the world. The two meals we had there were, we agreed, the finest we have ever had. (And we have eaten at some of the world's best restaurants) Waiter Tom is a particular delight. Price is astronomical (dinner for 4 each with appetizer, entree and dessert, and a total of two bottles of wine, came to $650 with tip) but it was worth every penny to us. I can't wait to go back.

Housekeeping is perfection. Nothing more to say than that. Perfect.

The Halekulani's location in Waikiki is not a plus in my book, but the hotel is such an oasis that I forgive it. Inside the property, it's a different and wonderful world. Outside are the tourists and the drunk college kids and the bus noise & exhaust. You'd never know it inside the grounds.

Part of the reason may be the security guards that are constantly pacing around the property in dark suits, with earpieces and walkie talkies, looking stern. One is almost always at the front entrance, and another is around the pool, usually guarding the beach access area. Just the intimidation of standing there, looking like secret service agents, keeps almost all non-guests at bay.

I appreciate this security, so I forgave one of the guards who asked me rather sternly if I and my two friends were guests at the hotel as we left the pool area for the beach. I felt like I must not have looked like I belonged at the hotel and was annoyed, but later I realized I do appreciate the overall effort they make at securing the area.

The chocolate Toblerone pie is wonderful. The pizza on the room service menu is not. The pizza is the only food here that I didn't find absolute perfection. It was frankly more like microwave pizza. The food at La Mer, Orchids and House Without A Key is virtually out of this world -- perfect.

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