Finally, after many years of wanting to experience Hilton Hawaiian Village, we got our chance in February. Our perfect excuse for staying here was that we were both speaking at Pubcon Paradise which was held in the hotel conference center. The conference was a blessing and a curse in that it allowed us to be at Hilton Hawaiian Village, but ... Read More »

I hope you enjoyed reading part one of Erin’s Oahu trip report. In part two, Erin and her husband move from Waikiki Beach up to Oahu’s North Shore. —- After four days of Waikiki, we were very ready for the second part of our trip – Oahu’s famous North Shore. We’d splurged on two nights at Turtle Bay Resort in ... Read More »

We love reading trip reports – especially from first timers . Our friend, Erin Jones, has kindly agreed to share her Oahu trip report with us. This trip was her first time on Oahu, but her second visit to Hawaii. She and her husband traveled to Oahu in February. Erin and her husband split their Oahu time between Waikiki and ... Read More »

We’ve stayed at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows twice – on our first Big Island trip in 2004 and on our recent visit in November. Both stays were excellent. I’m going to veer away from our typical review format to list what makes the Mauna Lani great. 1. Yippee! No resort fees! Update: Things have changed.  The Mauna Lani ... Read More »

If your tropical vacations normally take you to the Caribbean or Mexico, you probably stay in an all-inclusive resort. So, when you start to look at Hawaii as your next tropical destination, you may wonder where you find the all-inclusive resorts. You might be surprised to learn that Hawaii doesn’t have many all-inclusives. Hawaii’s all-inclusive resorts are: Travaasa Hana is ... Read More »

On my very first visit to Hawaii in 2003, we stayed next door to the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in the Kapalua Villas. Back then, villa guests were welcome to enjoy the three-tiered pool at Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. That’s when I first fell in love with this beautiful Maui resort. I guess you could say it was my first Maui hotel crush. Fast ... Read More »

Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island is a massive resort.  How big is it? The resort sprawls over 62 beautiful oceanfront acres. That’s big! Some folks describe the Hilton Waikoloa Village as Disney-esque with the tram and boat rides that transport guests throughout the resort. Though we found it fairly walkable from one end to ... Read More »

The Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona is set in a location fit for a king, literally. King Kamehameha the Great established one of his royal residences here. As you survey the site, you can see how these grounds would have been chosen with a naturally protected bay. Remains and reconstruction of this royal residence and heiau provide ... Read More »

We thoroughly enjoyed our Aulani stay and covering their Grand Opening Celebration. This review will detail all aspects of this excellent resort and provide you with tips for getting the most out of your Aulani experience. Hawaiian Culture Is Embraced and Honored When I first heard that Disney was coming to Hawaii several years ago, I wondered how Disney would blend ... Read More »

Wondering what it’s like to stay at the brand new Disney resort in Hawaii, Aulani? Then you’ll really enjoy this excellent video tour that Andy created from our recent stay. The video will give you a great introductory view of the resort with brief video scenes of these Aulani resort features: The colorful lobby filled with contemporary Hawaiian art features. ... Read More »