no budget concerns
looking for beach front
and 5 days of R&R + TIKI
looking to book tomorrow! leaving next week. Need expert opinions asap. please help...
trust you guys more than tripadvisor...

Check out The Outrigger on The Reef. We just stayed there in October for our Honeymoon. Beautiful Hotel in a Tiki-rrific Location!!!

I don't know if you are the resort types, the "Island Lifestyle" types, or true Tikiphiles. For the latter, I would recommend this modernist marvel:

http://www.hawaiihotels.com/Main/Sub.cfm?ID=200&Ref=RKR

...but then it is THIS kinda stuff there that gets ME excited:

..oh, and their Don The Beachcomber restaurant

The Hotel King Kamehameha is an oldie but a goody, you can tell by its 70s font.
It is at the tip of Kailua Kona, the town:

http://www.konabeachhotel.com/

Now this is not one of those fancy resorts with water park and Dolphin pool, but it has stuff like this:

http://www.konabeachhotel.com/historical.htm

"Prominently displayed in the lobby area of the King Kamehameha hotel in Kona, Hawaii, is a large and compelling mural painted by renowned artist Herb Kane. The mural depicts Kamehameha, dressed in a simple kapa wrap, in conversation with his son Liholiho, heir apparent who ruled as Kamehameha II."

Here is a Herb Kane illustration of the little beach and temple in front of the hotel, in earlier times:

"Ahu'ena Heiau:
Reconstructed by King Kamehameha the Great between 1812-1813, the Ahu'ena Heiau is on the register of National Historic Landmarks as one of the most important of Hawaii's historic sites. In the heiau or ancient temple, the dominant temple image was of Kalaemoku, a chief deified for his healing of acute diseases. Carved upon Kalaemoku's helmet was a perched bird. Other images in the heiau were of ancestral gods with whom Kamehameha maintained close rapport for the benefit of his kingdom."

This is how it looks today (note the bird!):

THE Tiki temple to visit down the coast is of course:
http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm

Access it not from the official park entrance, but take a different road to the beach right next to it, and snorkel with the giant turtles to it. :)

Ah, but unfortunately, BigBro, our friend is requesting info for Oahu, and not for The Big Island.
(Your recs for it were great, however - I stayed at the Royal Kona, with its Don the Beachcomber, in November and it was faaaaab.)
F

Oooops :D. Well that's a mistake on his part then, he he. The Big Island is much cooler than Oahu! Waikiki is all but de-tikied, x-ept for La Mariana.

Let's see...

1. Waikiki
2. Beach-front
3. No budget concerns (?? !!)

I've always wanted to stay at one of these historic grand dames....

1. Royal Hawaiian
2. Moana Surfrider
3. Halekulani

If it was good enough for back in the day, it should be good enough for now. :)

FYI, Waikiki doesn't look quite like this anymore. :lol:

Ya - I think that picture is from last year...

:wink:

I'd stay at the Royal Hawaiian, always wanted to stay in that pink palace..

There is only two places to stay on Oahu. In the North Shorte, it is Turtle Bay, particularly if you spring for the bungalows, which do not disappoint. The Polynesian Cultural Center is the best place for Tiki, bar none!

I didn't see these when I was there about 3 years ago:

But I love the Moai:

In Waikiki, there is only one choice, the Ashton Wakiki Beach Hotel:

Bright Hawaiian interiors:

Tiki's restuarant downtstairs, where one dines in a Tiki art gallery:

For Tiki, I would visit:

Hawiiana Hotel (now closed, but the grounds are chock full of Tiki)
Bishop Museum (the main campus, not the Waikiki location)
Hilo Hattie's (A shuttle will pick you up)
International Marketplace
Da Big Kahuna bar & grill
http://www.dbkwaikiki.com/
Hilton Hawiian Hilton
http://www.dbkwaikiki.com/

On 2010-01-21 09:18, bigbrotiki wrote:
Oooops :D. Well that's a mistake on his part then, he he. The Big Island is much cooler than Oahu! Waikiki is all but de-tikied, x-ept for La Mariana.

Lets not forget the Hawaiian Hut at the Ala Moana Hotel:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19151&forum=2&26

It is a Tiki Mecca (although I had forgotten it)!

On 2010-01-21 20:10, christiki295 wrote:
....The Polynesian Cultural Center is the best place for Tiki, bar none!

"bar none!" is right.

All that Tiki splendor and not a Mai Tai, Zombie, or even a beer in sight.

Darn Mormons !! :evil:

On 2010-01-21 21:18, JOHN-O wrote:

On 2010-01-21 20:10, christiki295 wrote:
....The Polynesian Cultural Center is the best place for Tiki, bar none!

"bar none!" is right.

All that Tiki splendor and not a Mai Tai, Zombie, or even a beer in sight.

Darn Mormons !! :evil:

The Old Lahaqnia Luau in Maui has Tiki and MaiTais.

On 2010-01-21 20:25, christiki295 wrote:
For Tiki, I would visit:

Hawiiana Hotel (now closed, but the grounds are chock full of Tiki)
Bishop Museum (the main campus, not the Waikiki location)
Hilo Hattie's (A shuttle will pick you up)
International Marketplace
Da Big Kahuna bar & grill
http://www.dbkwaikiki.com/
Hilton Hawiian Hilton
http://www.dbkwaikiki.com/

and whatever you do... just don't forget to go visit "La Mariana" on Oahu, just outside of waikikikiki.. You'll kick yourself later if you do...:wink: