PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

For a vacation with a view (and the feel of a palace), stay in this striking $150-million modern structure -- actually, twin 33-story high-tech towers. The high-ceilinged lobby is a mass of pink Italian marble with English slate accents; a grand piano sits in the midst of the raised seating area, where high tea is served every afternoon. A glass-encased elevator with views of Honolulu whisks you up to your room. All bedrooms face the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, with floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass windows that let you enjoy the view (sorry, no lanais); the higher the floor, the higher the price. In 2006 the hotel added flatscreen TVs and high-speed Internet (fee of $11 per day) to every room.

Following Japanese standards, the level of service is impeccable; no detail is ignored, and no request is too small. The outdoor pool is one of the few saltwater pools in Waikiki, with no chemicals or chlorine added. The location is perfect for shopping -- Ala Moana Center is a 10-minute walk away -- and Waikiki's beaches are just a 5-minute walk away (both are also accessible via the hotel's shuttle bus). Culinary options include two great restaurants, one with award-winning Japanese cuisine and one with Euro-Asian buffets (Prince Court), plus a lobby cafe coffee bar in the morning and a wine bar in the afternoon.

Facilities: 2 restaurants; outdoor bar; outdoor pool; 27-hole golf club a 40-min. shuttle ride away in Ewa Beach; small but newly renovated fitness room; small day spa; Jacuzzi; concierge; car-rental desk; business center; room service; babysitting; dry cleaning; executive-level rooms.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hawaii 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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