New Otani Kaimana Beach

Hotel Information: Visiting faculty of the University of Hawaii mingle with leisure travelers, fitness enthusiasts, and celebrating couples at the quiet, oceanfront New Otani Kaimana, across from Kapiolani Park and within walking distance of Waikiki. They check in family-style in an open-air lobby, and take advantage of health, beach, and meeting facilities, as well as alfresco dining under ancient hau trees.

Amenity highlights: The New Otani has a surf shop that offers lessons and rental beach equipment and kayaks. On site are also a fitness center with a personal trainer, and two health/beauty salons, one with complete wedding services. Guests may dine open-air under ancient hau trees close to the ocean or in a traditional Japanese restaurant—or they can brownbag it with supplies from the snack shop. The banquet rooms offer wireless Internet access.

Insider tip: Sans Souci Beach was a favorite spot of Robert Louis Stevenson. Historical photographs onsite tell of an era come and gone.

Located throughout nine floors in an oceanfront main building and three floors in a park-side wing, the 125 rooms at New Otani Kaimana are furnished in contemporary island decor of light woods and tones of turquoise and violet. Rooms in the main building are located around an open-air atrium and are accessed by elevators. In the park-side wing, rooms are accessed by stairwells.

Cubed pineapple awaits guests in the rooms’ compact refrigerators. All units have furnished lanais, wireless Internet access (surcharge), and newspaper delivery every day but Sunday. They include safes (surcharge), cable TV with movies, and Neutrogena toiletries.

All guestrooms are nonsmoking.