Waikiki Beach Hotel

Hotel Information: The ResortQuest Waikiki Beach caters to all ages and blends traditional Hawaiian décor with contemporary design. A three-panel photograph of the flying skirts and feet of hula dancers decorates the elevators, while cultural antiques—such as pig- and poi-serving bowls and tikis—are on display throughout. Neon-green surfboards and traditional kappa (bark cloth) prints recall different periods of Hawaiian history.

Amenity highlights: From sunrise to nearly midnight, activity centers on the open-air terrace. Mornings, food carts roll out a buffet breakfast. While a ukulele player or Hawaiian storyteller entertains, guests select from an array of foods and pack their choices in complimentary cooler bags to enjoy on the beach, by the pool, or in their rooms.

Tikis Grill and Bar fills with fun-lovers when the first band of the evening begins playing just before sunset. Bands play in the glow of a 30-foot stylized volcano.

Insider tip: Directly across the street, Kuhio Beach Park features an enormous, sand-bottomed, saltwater lagoon protected from surf by a retaining wall. Waikiki Beach is close by—in fact, Kuhio and Waikiki are merely names for short stretches of the same powder-fine strand around the bay fronting the Waikiki district.

The ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel guestrooms are decorated in a hip retro Hawaiian style. Dark Indonesian teak furniture is accented by natural tones of wicker and vibrant bedspreads and headboards in most rooms. Bamboo-bead closet curtains depict hula dancers. Bathrooms feature curved shower rods for a roomy feeling behind kappa-print shower curtains.

All rooms have 32-inch flat-panel TVs with complimentary HBO, pay movies, and video games (surcharge). Also included are in-room safes, compact refrigerators, and daily newspaper delivery.

High-speed Internet access is available for a surcharge.

The hotel provides two complimentary bottled waters upon arrival.