Halepuna Waikiki Hotel
You know I’m all about staycations and if you’re looking for clean, cozy, convenient, and an absolutely charming hotel, I highly suggest the Halepuna Waikiki!
For my one week of vacation, I wanted to mix things up and choose another hotel to stay at for 24 hours to not do work, but just relax. I honestly chose the Halepuna because of the leadership and culture of the staff at this hotel and took a leap of faith spending slightly more than I usually do, but was pleasantly surprised that it was all totally worth it!
For Kama`aina, the resort fee is waived, parking included, room view upgrade available, reusable water bottles provided, and the best part, guaranteed super late check out at 4pm. The extra surprises included an empty hotel, early check in, and other goodies provided by the team to help celebrate a special occasion (my best friend’s birthday)!
If you LOVE late check out, you will need to do this one. Where else can you sleep in and not feel rushed to get out by 11am or 12pm but can hang out until 4pm?! I also like the convenience of the easy wide open self-parking so I can go to my car anytime if I forget anything.
This hotel is small, but now I know why it’s a boutique hotel! It offers some kind of coziness and convenience being not too big. The elevators are fast and that was very nice. The ice machine is a quick walk located on every single floor. (If you drink a lot of water like me, this is kind of a big deal!) The rooms are just the right size not too big, but definitely enough. And quite frankly, the pictures don’t do it justice. It’s so much nicer in person!
And the lobby…well I could just sit there and hang out. It’s stunning, quiet, but welcoming like a large riving room to rest in. The gym is also super clean and nice that I even found myself scheduling a workout there (even though I haven’t been to the gym in years). Currently, you must reserve your gym time, but that helped me to stay committed and go and it meant it was empty with my choice of machines and equipment and I could jump around or take my time with no pressure. There’s also a nice hospitality room to work in if needed. Beside it is a garden for yoga and complimentary 8am rotating group work outs (shucks I missed out on this one)! But I did enjoy sitting on their little rocking chairs in the garden and daydreaming while watching the wind blow the clouds by and that was peaceful! On the other side of the hotel is the pool with a nice little hot tub and chairs available. The best part about the pool is it’s shallow all the way and heated so it’s not super cold when you get in and feels just right.
I would love to go to the Halepuna again for a quick get-away and when coronavirus cases come down, because it’s convenient to go roaming around Waikiki from here. With Giovanni Pastrami, Ruth’s Chris, and Yard House right downstairs, Royal Hawaiian shopping center next door, and the beach just a building away (in fact, I could watch the surfers come in and out the public access from my balcony), it’s highly convenient.
But the Halekulani Bakery that is just downstairs, that was divine! Such a beautiful well designed space, with a view of the kitchen and the chefs at work, salads, sandwiches and OMG the pastries! I suggest the cream pan and the cinnamon roll though everything I tried was absolutely divine! And if you can’t stay at the hotel, you can at least visit the bakery and peek at the lobby with a one-hour validation for parking!
Special thank you to the team at Halepuna for your warm welcome, the sweet surprises, and your care. I felt extremely relaxed and will be back for more rest. :)
Erin’s Experience Tips:
Take advantage of their current Kama`aina deals of room upgrades and late checkout.
Bring your own food/snacks to keep in the room if you don’t want to go out (no room service available yet)
Try their free morning work outs or book some time in their very clean and empty gym!
Getting a chair at the pool doesn’t seem to be a problem so don’t stress!
Can’t book a stay, at least visit their decadent bakery and receive 1 hour free validation. Outdoor seating is available!
P.S. When I look for staycation rooms, the most important thing I am looking for since I spend majority of my time in the room, is the desk and the chair. When I realized my room didn’t have a desk, I asked for a fold out table if possible of some sort and their housekeeping team brought me a full on desk to go with my comfy chair! Now that’s SWEET service!
