Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
By Jen Kane
IDEAL LOCATION WITH UNIQUE INDOOR OCEANARIUM
It’s always fun to walk through the glass double doors at a new hotel – vacation time just started! The Pacific Beach Hotel in downtown Waikiki is located just steps away from the legendary Waikiki beachfront, and surrounded by all the nightlife and dining options you could ask for.
For a unique experience, dine on property at the Oceanarium Restaurant, a one-of-a-kind 3-story 280,000-gallon indoor aquarium. Try their famous Sunday brunch, or I recommend the daily crab leg lunch buffet. Load your plate with an assortment of delicious Hawaiian, American, and Asian-Pacific cuisine. Then, leisurely indulge while 4-foot wide manta ray and colorful tropical fish float past. Many of the servers may have broken English, but one message is clear, “please, eat more, eat more.”
The restaurant is the hub of activity for this hotel that brings in a zingy mix of characters from around the globe, making for unbeatable people watching and conversation. You’ll see the ultra trendy fashion conscious Japanese tourist, business men from Phoenix, and honeymooners from Tennessee.
My final night at the hotel, I happened into the Oceanarium just in time for their 6pm feeding. As a nightly occurrence, a scuba diver tends to the fish as all the children stare wide-eyed, and a lovely mermaid enters and begins to dance with the manta ray. Tonight she carried a sign. And, as a young gentleman got down on one knee and pointed toward the glass tank; his sweetheart started to shake. Myself and the other diners waited with delight for the answer to his request, “Stacey will you marry me?”
In the hussle and bussle of Waikiki, next to the extravagance of Trump Tower, and a few blocks down from Dog the Bounty hunter, that touch of magic and romance still exists. Its that timeless stuff of tiny bubbles.
PROS:
- Moderate Accomodations for affordable rates
- Balcony’s with either ocean or city view
- Steps from Waikiki Beach
- Fun and Unique on-site Oceanarium Restaurant
- Dining/Shopping within walking distance
- Honolulu Zoo and other attractions within walking distance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Spa on sit
- Rooftop sun deck with jacuzzi
- 24 Hour Fitness onsite (with daily fee)
- Tennis Courts
- Concierge Services
- Excellent people watching
CONS:
- lackluster swimming pool
- hit and miss service from the front desk
- hidden $20/day resort fee at check in time
- $25/day self parking fee (valet $33/day)
