The hotel has two buildings: On the Waikiki side, the rooms open to an atrium courtyard, and on the Diamond Head side, they feature kitchenettes. The Waikiki-side rooms are tiny, but tastefully decorated in pale pastels, and they open out to large lanais with ocean and park views. Since the hotel overlooks Kapiolani Park, guests have easy access to outdoor activities; kayaking and snorkeling are available at the beach. The hotel also arranges for visitors to climb to the top of Diamond Head. The airy lobby opens onto the alfresco Hau Tree Lanai restaurant, a delightful beachfront restaurant thats one of the most romantic spots in Hawaii, set under the same banyan tree that sheltered Robert Louis Stevenson a century ago. The beachfront Sunset Lanai Lounge is great for cocktails.

This is a nice hotel, but I had a couple of complaints when I stayed here: The air conditioner was positioned right over the bed, so you had either frigid air blowing on you all night or nothing, and the check-out staff at the front desk was not only slow but extremely unhelpful--and weve received a few letters from our readers with the very same complaints.