Halepuna Waikiki: A Boutique Resort with No Resort Charges

Although the Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani resort sits within the coronary heart of tourist-packed Waikiki on the island of Oahu, it’s quiet and relaxed. The 284-room boutique resort provides a refreshing various to the sprawling resorts that dominate the world.

However the true standout about this boutique oasis? No resort charges.

I visited Halepuna Waikiki for 2 nights, as a part of an extended journey to Oahu. The resort initially caught my consideration for its lack of resort charges. I grew much more after I realized about how a lot it included. Notably, it supplied complimentary entry to a number of museums that I had lengthy been craving to go to given my household’s Hawaiian heritage.

Although nightly charges usually run over $300 an evening (barely increased than Oahu’s common nightly resort room fee of $272, based mostly on Might 2024 knowledge from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority), the free museum entry alone went a great distance in justifying it. With out that complimentary entry, my journey companion and I in any other case would have spent greater than $150 mixed on museum tickets.

That made the choice simple — and it didn’t harm that the resort was fairly fancy, too.

Concerning the Halepuna Waikiki

Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani is the sister property of Halekulani, On the Seaside at Waikiki —one of many oldest (and most well-known) Waikiki seaside inns. As for the Halepuna Waikiki, this property is comparatively new. It opened in October 2019, however closed for greater than a 12 months throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resort reopened in April 2021 with a number of awards and titles to its title. That features a AAA 4 Diamond Award, which is a prestigious award recognizing inns for his or her upscale fashion, facilities and repair.

Options embrace a rooftop infinity pool with ocean views, plus a smooth foyer designed with customized lighting fixtures, vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling home windows that supply up a light-weight and ethereal aesthetic.

The Halepuna Waikiki location

The Halepuna Waikiki provides the very best of each worlds in that it has ocean views with out sitting immediately on the seaside. Meaning you’ll be able to nonetheless get an incredible view with out the exorbitant beachfront price ticket.

The resort sits only one block from the seaside on one facet, and one block from Kalakaua Avenue — Honolulu’s major procuring road — on the opposite facet. For the reason that resort sits tucked away on a facet road, it tends to be just a little quieter than most different Waikiki inns, and it normally received’t have as many non-hotel visitors wandering by means of the foyer.

Halepuna parking is on the market, nevertheless it’s not low cost. Whether or not you go for valet or self-parking, you’ll pay $50 per day. Given the hefty parking price coupled with the resort’s prime, walkable location, you may not really need a rental automotive in Honolulu anyway.

To get there from the airport, it’s normally finest to take a taxi or rideshare. Ubers usually price about $30 to $40 between Honolulu’s Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport and the resort.

Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani has 284 visitor rooms and 4 suites. The very best views are from the oceanview rooms on increased flooring (flooring 19 by means of 23), as they’re not obstructed by the buildings in entrance.

These Deluxe Ocean View rooms are likely to price about 15% greater than the Ocean View rooms with obstructed views and about 30% greater than the usual Waikiki view rooms.

The rooms have fashionable facilities, like a bedside and costume charging station with ports for USB and HDMI, plus a Bluetooth connection. Shades are distant managed, and loos have good options like a lighted self-importance and magnifying mirror.

The rooms even have some nods to the native tradition. For instance, every room has a singular picture taken by an area photographer, and the bathtub facilities use locally-sourced Hawaiian oils and extracts.

All rooms even have a fridge and low maker. The complimentary refillable water bottles make for an incredible memento.

Key facilities on the Halepuna Waikiki

The rooftop infinity pool on the resort’s eighth flooring is outstanding.

The world additionally has a sizzling tub, loads of lounge chairs and cabanas obtainable for lease. Conveniently, complimentary sunscreen is on the market for resort visitors.

A rooftop backyard and grass turf house adjoining to the pool is a pleasant place to sunbathe exterior of the pool deck.

The eighth flooring additionally provides a gymnasium, which provides pretty normal tools like cardio machines and dumbbells.

One distinctive function caters to the workcation crowd — the enterprise middle and hospitality suite. This room provides work desks the place resort visitors can submit up with no reservations required. Should you do want to order a non-public house, there’s additionally a separate, bookable assembly room that accommodates as much as 24 individuals.

One underrated amenity is a coin-operated laundromat, which can be situated on the eighth flooring.

Along with the on-property facilities, the Halepuna provides some free occasions and tickets. For instance, visitors can take part in complimentary, day by day surf demonstrations held on the seaside in entrance of Halekulani.

Halepuna visitors additionally obtain complimentary admission on the greatest museums within the state, together with the Bishop Museum and Honolulu Museum of Artwork. On condition that basic grownup admission prices $34 to the Bishop Museum and $25 to the Honolulu Museum of Artwork, that alone may go a great distance in justifying the resort room fee.

Halepuna Waikiki eating places

The Halepuna has two eating places:

Halekulani Bakery: This morning spot serves espresso and pastries, and it’s most well-known for its Halekulani Coconut Cake.

Umi By Vikram Garg: This seafood-centric restaurant open for breakfast and dinner is situated within the resort foyer. Every dish makes use of high-end and distinctive components, corresponding to fried rice made with seafood, bacon and koshihikari rice. Even the pancakes are elevated; the “Mai Tai Pancake” is served with caramelized pineapple and a rum-coconut essence.

Eating choices are slim at Halepuna, however that’s the place Halekulani, its sister property throughout the road, shines. The resort has a couple of half-dozen completely different locations to eat, and Halepuna visitors can cost purchases made at Halekulani again to their room.

La Mer: The award-winning La Mer serves French delicacies with ‘flavors of Hawaii.’

Orchids: Although it’s open all day, Orchids is a superb spot for Waikiki brunch specifically, in addition to Waikiki afternoon tea given its ocean views and numerous menu that embraces each Asian and American delicacies.

Home With out A Key: Then there’s probably the most well-known eating places in Waikiki: Home With out A Key. Although it’s not fancy, it’s nonetheless an elevated spot for lunch, dinner or drinks. Don’t plan on dashing by means of a meal right here, because the draw is having fun with the Hawaiian music and hula performances held in entrance of the restaurant’s century-old kiawe tree.

It’s all outside seating, although there’s an expansive, lined space providing an open-air, indoor-like place to eat.

The meals is simply nearly as good because the vibes. There’s all kinds of burgers, fish and flatbreads. The spotlight, although, is discovered on the sundown cocktail menu: kabayaki fries. With this dish, fries are doused within the well-known Japanese sauce, after which topped with furikake, garlic, onions and kewpie mayonnaise. Don’t miss it.

Who’s the Halekulani Waikiki finest for?

The Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani provides the proper mixture of recent but luxurious touches, a tucked-away ambiance plus a main Waikiki location – all at a aggressive worth, particularly contemplating the absence of resort charges.

The complimentary cultural entry and unique privileges on the Halekulani elevate the expertise even additional. For vacationers in search of an opulent and intimate escape in Waikiki, the Halepuna Waikiki is likely one of the finest inns in Waikiki.

Reserving the Halekulani Waikiki

There are just a few methods to pay on your keep, so evaluate costs earlier than reserving. Reserving choices embrace:

Direct by means of Halepuna: While you ebook immediately on Halepuna’s web site, you’ll be able to benefit from unique provides. These fluctuate by time of 12 months, however usually embrace offers like free breakfast for 2.

I Choose Resort Rewards: The free-to-join resort loyalty program doesn’t have an enormous presence within the U.S., nevertheless it serves a whole bunch of inns and resorts worldwide. Like most resort loyalty applications, members can rack up factors to trade totally free nights. Plus, members have entry to unique charges, early check-in and space-available room upgrades.

The resort additionally normally seems on American Categorical Journey, the place it’s a part of the issuer’s Nice Inns + Resorts® program. Cardholders who pay with their The Platinum Card® from American Categorical can stand up to $200 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months on pay as you go bookings by means of Nice Inns + Resorts® or The Resort Assortment bookings by means of American Categorical Journey. (The Resort Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep.) Although that card has an annual price of $695 (see charges and costs), the assertion credit can go a decently great distance in justifying it. Phrases apply.

Plus, AmEx cardholders who ebook by means of FHR are eligible for space-available room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit score and late checkout. Phrases apply.