One of my absolute favorite things to do in Hawaii is to soak up the majestic ocean views. With such beautiful blue waters and colorfully painted skies, I honestly don’t think there could ever be a bad ocean view in Hawaii. During my most recent travel vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, I stayed at Prince Waikiki and enjoyed this stunning oceanfront view (pictured below) straight from my hotel room!
Prince Waikiki is a modern luxury hotel located in the Waikiki Marina district. From the airport, it only takes about 20 minutes to drive to Prince Waikiki. As one of the first “gateway” properties into the Waikiki area, Prince Waikiki overlooks the Ala Wai harbor, the Ala Moana Beach Park, and the Pacific Ocean. Everyone can soak up the views because Prince Waikiki offers oceanfront views for ALL of its rooms and suites. Unlike other hotels that ask you to shell out a lot more cash to catch a corner glimpse of the ocean, Prince Waikiki ensures all its guests enjoy the lovely sea and harbor! They price all rooms reasonably too, so you won’t break the bank to enjoy a stay here.
When I arrived at the hotel, I was excited to see that Prince Waikiki was literally next to the harbor! The hotel property sits between a private lagoon and the Ala Moana Beach Park. As I walked into the bright and open lobby, I first noticed the giant shiny art installation hanging from the ceiling. Hulali i ka lā, created by local artist Caili Chun, means “glistening in the sun” and reflects light differently throughout the day. The shape resembles the hinana fish, paying tribute to the life and muliwai, or estuary that once flourished at the site. The artist hand-hammered each copper piece and asked a different hotel staff member or guest to sign each piece. I soon learned that Prince Waikiki holds the largest collection of contemporary art from native Hawaiian artists!
Check-in was a breeze. I walked up to a check-in desk in the lobby, and a pleasant gentleman assisted me right away. As I waited for him to assign me my room, he gently placed a cold, scented towel on the counter next to a tray of purple orchid flowers. He invited me to cool off with the towel and take an orchid flower to pin in my hair. Although small, these unique personal touches sure impressed me already.
After he gave me my room key, I grabbed my luggage and took a quick ride up the elevators. The windows in the elevator that overlook the city pleasantly surprised me. When I entered my room, I noticed a bright, spacious and airy room that matched the ambiance of the lobby. I loved the floor-to-ceiling windows, which revealed the most gorgeous harbor views! The walls were beautifully decorated with hand-painted Nai’o flowers. A lovely scent also filled the room. It smelled like a mix of sweet, floral, and woody accents that reminded me of sandalwood. When I asked the hotel staff about it, they revealed that the fragrance is the Nai’o scent. The Nai’o is a native Hawaiian flower that grew by the estuary that existed there before all the hotel properties. This was one of the ways that Prince Waikiki incorporated its history into the details of its hotel.
While the bedrooms at Prince Waikiki do not have a lanai (private balcony), the top half of the windows slide wide open for the most amazing unobstructed views. I loved sticking my head out to breathe in that fresh air and salty ocean smell. Who needs to stand outside on a balcony when you can literally be lounging in bed next to these windows, feeling a cool ocean breeze and watching a magical sunset or sunrise?
Speaking of beds, I found the Prince Waikiki bed very comfortable! My king bed was neither too hard nor soft, and I easily fell asleep. I thought the pillows were a bit short in length, but to make up for it, the hotel provided plenty of fluffy pillows. Plus, the rooms come with automated blackout blinds to help you sleep even better! You can choose to drop down sheer blinds, blackout blinds, or no blinds.
Other amenities in the room included a flatscreen television and a mini fridge stocked with complimentary water bottles. There was also a small desk and a comfortable L-shaped sectional sofa. As I mentioned, the room felt quite spacious!
The bathroom was lovely like the bedroom. A simple sink separated the shower and toilet room from the tub. Instead of a regular toilet, Prince Waikiki uses heated bidets! I appreciated that the hotel also provided bathrobes and terry slippers in the room, encouraging me to relax and treat myself to a luxurious bath.
I almost didn’t want to leave the room! When I finally settled into my room and convinced myself to go explore the property, it was almost dinnertime. Price Waikiki offers one coffee shop and two restaurants on site: Honolulu Coffee, 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar, and Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo. For my first night, I made plans to check out 100 Sails, a restaurant offering fresh island cuisine and breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets. I heard great things about the buffet, so I wanted to check it out for myself!
The restaurant sits on the 3rd floor and overlooks the marina. I went just before sunset and caught the golden hues dancing over the waters. Besides the sunset, the buffet spread was another beautiful sight to see. Trays of bright red snow crab legs, glistening bone marrow, fresh sashimi and salads covered the tables. A lady stood behind the Japanese Temaki and carving station, ready to assemble spicy tuna hand rolls and slice tender prime rib for each guest. Everything looked so delicious, and I hurriedly filled my plate full of goodies to bring back to my table.
As I feasted, I was so impressed with the quality of the food! For a dinner buffet, 100 Sails Restaurant did not offer a huge selection of food, but the quality was superb. The snow crab legs were plump and juicy, the shrimps were sweet, and the bone marrow was flavorful. Read more of my amazing dinner with photos in my 100 Sails review here. If you go for dinner, which you totally should, I suggest making reservations for early evening so that you can catch the gorgeous sunset over the marina!
With a full belly, I happily returned to my room to rest. A sweet surprise greeted me there! Apparently, Prince Waikiki has a turndown service around 7 or 8 PM each night, and the staff leaves little chocolate treats by each bed.
Throughout the rest of my stay, I had the chance to check out the many other on-site amenities such as the fitness center that is open 24 hours. Although small, it packed in quite a few exercise machines and weights. There are also two pools for guests to use: a turnkey pool and an infinity pool that overlooks the marina. Definitely take advantage of the infinity pool if you visit! For those who upgrade to Club-level rooms, you can find the club lounge next to the pool and cabanas. The upgrade includes complimentary breakfast, afternoon snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres, draft beer and house wine, and private check-in and checkout.
Prince Waikiki also offers family-friendly classes and activities on site like hula lessons and lei-making workshops. Some are complimentary, but others include a small fee.
Of course, there is plenty in the area to explore as well. While the marina, beach park, and private lagoon is nearby, Prince Waikiki is not in the heart of downtown Waikiki. Having stayed in the hustle and bustle of central Waikiki on previous visits, I enjoyed that Prince Waikiki was further and quieter. It made the stay feel more relaxing. However, for those who do want to go to Waikiki, there is a daily shuttle service from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM to various locations, including Ala Moana Center, T Galleria, and Luxury Row. Prince Waikiki sure makes it easy to go shopping!
Overall, I LOVED my stay at Prince Waikiki in Honolulu. The warm service, luxurious rooms, delicious dining options and gorgeous ocean views all make me want to stay again! Its located far enough from the noise and tourists, but close enough to the major attractions. I also enjoyed all the little details Prince Waikiki included in its property to honor its history and culture.
Unfortunately, for now, Prince Waikiki is temporarily closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, we all need to play our roles in staying home to help keep our communities safe. When travel resumes and the hotel reopens, I recommend checking out Prince Waikiki for your next Hawaii vacation in Oahu and Waikiki! If you book directly on Prince Waikiki’s site here, your resort charge and parking fee (for one vehicle) will be waived! You’ll also have access to free unlimited wi-fi in your rooms!
Thank you Prince Waikiki for having me and for the wonderful stay!
Check Prince Waikiki rooms
100 Holomoana St,
Honolulu, HI 96815