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The Aqua Bamboo Hotel & Spa certainly lives up to the "bamboo" aspect of its name. This here snapshot was dropped into the HotelChatter Flickr Pool by Derek728ia. For a budget boutique hotel in Waikiki where studios start at $110 a night, this places doesn't look too bad. So far, guests reviews are pretty good too. Now, if only we could afford to actually get to Hawaii.
Sigh, Nobu Restaurant: if only we were able to dine with you and indulge in your delicious cuisine without feeling our wallets go empty while our stomachs filled up.
Oh wait! Now we have another option.
Nobu Waikiki (inside the Waikiki Parc Hotel) has just launched a "European-style pre-dinner feature" called Apertivo to be served in the Lounge at Nobu:
Among his 21 globally-based restaurants, Chef Nobu has hand-selected Nobu Milano and Nobu Waikiki to celebrate this sophisticated pre-meal European-dining tradition. Available Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Aperitivo will feature a tasting trio of the chef's selections of the day, served with a choice of a Nobu cocktail.
The price? $18 per person. Score.
So now you can say you dined at Nobu and nobody ever needs to know you just popped in for a little taste before dinner -- and, by the way, we were there a few weeks ago and the food was damn good.
[Photo: Nicole Lee]
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by Jenna
Hilton Hawaiian Village's Paradise Pass should actually be called the "Make Your Friends Jealous That You're in Hawaii and They're Not" Pass, but that's just a minor detail. On this fine Monday morning, we'd also settle for calling it the "Why Aren't We in Hawaii Sipping Mai Tais on the Beach" Pass.
But whatever we think the name should be, it seems like a good deal: for $20 per day, guests can purchase a Paradise Pass (official name) that's good for a whole bunch of beachy amenities:
· Twenty percent off at the Mandara Spa - so you can get your massage on.
· Daily fitness center access for two - so you can get your Stairmaster on.
· Fifty percent off beach toys - like kayaks and surfboards - so you can take pictures of yourself doing a bunch of fun, awesome beachy stuff to show off when you get home.
· Two free mai tais, because being on the beach sipping mai tais is, well, perfection.
· Free unlimited local phone calls, so you can call around and make your fancy dinner reservations.
Remember, the pass is $20 per day, not per stay, so make sure you know you will have to pay the $20 each day to get the benefits throughout your whole Hawaiian vacay. Hey, that rhymed. We should reward ourselves - is it too early for mai tais?
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[Ed Note: Alex Salkever is the founder and editor of Hawaiirama.com, a travel blog covering Hawaii.]
Nobu opened inside the Waikiki Parc Hotel, a poor but not inelegant sister to the Halekulani, in June of 2007. Yet unlike the other Nobus across America, the food at this outpost got tepid reviews from local writers.
When I asked a friend who works there what the deal was, she told to me the chef was still feeling out the local purveyors and had not really localized the menu.
The restaurant had done well with tourists but locals took a lot longer to come around. So I waited and waited. And finally dove in two weeks ago. Verdict? Damn, that food is good.
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by ASalkever
[Ed Note: Alex Salkever is the founder and editor of Hawaiirama.com, a travel blog covering Hawaii.]
We love this feisty little Hawaii hotel chain, Aqua Hotels, for taking a modern spin on Waikiki resorts. Alas, they've only been able to grab second-tier (and sometimes extremely second-tier) locations to showcase their chops.
But that will all change as the chain announced yesterday it would take over management of the Park Shore Waikiki , a property that has had some renovations done and has a super-primo location but has always been relegated to the B-List.
If past is prologue, Aqua will do some nice renovation to mod out the place, put in a spa, ideally bring in a nice restaurant, etc.
Having a decent operation managing this place will be awesome -- I personally can't wait to test drive the Aqua take on the pool deck, one of the best in Waikiki and one of the few with 270 degree views taking in both Diamond Head and the western end of Waikiki.
Those sill girlfriend getaways are all the rage and the Waikiki Parc Hotel in Honolulu couldn't help but get in on the act too. Their girlfriend getaway package, thankfully, isn't especially girlfriend-centric, and is simply called the "My Place - Waikiki Escape Package".
The contents of the deal also don't sound especially like a really girly vacation, but are nonetheless pretty tempting. Starting at $999 for a mountain view room ($1,149 for sea views), you and your best friend get a three-night stay, a welcome bottle of wine, breakfast every day, one dinner at Nobu Waikiki, free passes to several museums and a choice of outing: surf lessons, a spa or a Lotus rental car for a day.
It's quite a nice package, but we can't really see why we couldn't do the same with a partner or pretty much anyone. If you and your girlfriends are keen, it's valid from now until December 20 this year, and we don't think they're really gonna check who you bring with you.
[Photo: SmartTraveller]
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by amandak
Big thanks to HotelChatter reader Dan who sent us these killer views from the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Dan said he stayed in the Rainbow Tower Room #1119 and could look out the window to this view ; that's gotta be something like being in paradise. Dan, did you ever leave, or have you moved in permanently?
You can also check out a video view from the 31st floor, and one more perfect view from Dan after the jump.
Related Stories:
· Hilton Hawaiian Village's Surf's Up Package [HotelChatter]
· The View from Hilton's Rainbow Tower [HotelChatter]
0 Comments - Add Yours by amandak
[Ed. Note: Alex Salkever is the founder/editor of Hawaiirama.com, a Hawaii travel blog.]
I've been blogging about the slowdown in Hawaii travel, what with the U.S. economy slowing and terrorism travel fears. But this deal bears a look.
The Aqua Palms Hotel in Waikiki is on offer for July -- which is smack in the middle of summer high season -- for a paltry $79 per night. Mind you, the Aqua is a decent hotel. Recently renovated, free Wi-Fi, hip decor -- its part of the up and coming Aqua line in Hawaii.
Downsides? The location is across a major (and I do mean major) thoroughfare from a park that you must cross to get the beach (phew).
Views are basically non-existent. You won't get a lot of Hawaii ambiance on property. That said, it is a perfectly comfortable and decent home base. And what other major resort destination lets you bed down for less than $100 bones per tonight?
2 Comments - Add Yours by ASalkever
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