What’s Included?
Although Waikiki hotels and resorts often times cost an arm and a leg, they actually offer some reasonable rates for the amenities they provide. Especially when you can take advantage of things like room upgrades, one free night after staying for a minimum of three, or special packages on things like spa days and hotel cultural activities. One thing that people might not take enough advantage of is the pool. While many will scoff at this remark and say, “why would you swim in a pool when you have the ocean so readily available”, we still believe in getting some good R&R by lounging poolside. There’s something about knowing that you can retreat back to the hotel pool area for a soak in the hot tub after a long surf session or an evening ocean dip. It adds to the relaxation of the day, not to mention gives you the feeling that you’re getting more out of the vacation too. Carve out some time to relax at the pool and enjoy the luxuriousness the hotel provides for its guests. You’ll receive envious eyes from the passerbys on the beach and really feel like you’ve got it made on your Hawaii vacation.
Unfortunately, not many Waikiki hotels and resorts offer pool passes to non-guests. Some places like The Modern Honolulu offer access to their pool beds when you spend $250 on drinks or food at the pool bar. But the main resorts such as the Ilikai, Sheraton Waikiki, Hilton Hawaiian Village, and The Royal Hawaiian do not offer any access to the pools, unless you are a registered guest. While it may be illegal for us to tell you that slipping in to the pool areas via the beach side access points is really quite easy, we’ll also tell you that there are other ways to getting the most out of your hotel accommodations., even if you don’t have a pool.
If you’re booking a hotel yourself, you can always try the kama’aina card. Kama’aina is Hawaii’s word for local, and if you carry a Hawaii state ID or drivers license, you can usually get kama’aina rates on just about anything. We don’t recommend taking advantage of this however, for example, don’t order an extravagant meal at a fancy restaurant and then ask for kama’aina rates once the check arrives. But asking the hotel front desk if they honor the rates with a valid ID is a good way to cut back on hotel costs.
Another good way to get more out of your hotel is to know what’s included in your resort fees. A lot of times cultural activities are included in this, such as ukulele lessons, arts & crafts, property tours and more. You’ll also want to become familiar with hotel amenities, such as continental breakfasts, free WiFi, complimentary bathrobes, yoga and workout classes, toothpaste, razors, DVD rentals, Hawaiian coffee, and sometimes even fresh fruit. We like to make sure our clients receive good treatment while staying in Hawaii, so we at Hawaii Aloha Travel even add in our own touches like flower lei greetings at the airport, picnic lunches, and personalized welcome baskets. Make sure you’re satisfied with your hotel experience, because if you’re spending money on staying in Waikiki, you want to make sure you’re fulfilled. Always look into what your hotel offers and take advantage of those mysterious resort fees; you’ll be glad you did! And you might even be surprised at what’s included.