The best of Honolulu

There is really only one great hotel here. Consistently great food, beautiful views and fabulous service. The Halekulani. The bathrooms are small yet immaculate and all the rooms have terraces and are bright and well designed but not lavish. It is the service and the quality of the food that sets it apart. There is a zen like vibe and the most iconic pool that really makes one forget that the honky tonk touristy Waikiki is a step outside the door. But it’s really the unique touches The killer jazz singer with the smoky voice they fly in every weekend from the big island who performs in the dimly lit Lewers Lounge while you sip your after dinner espresso martini. It’s the card on your bed at turn down with a provocative quote by M.S. Merwin the poet laureate who has created it especially for the hotel. Best of all it’s the bartender in La Mer (the most exquisitely beautiful restaurant anywhere in the world ) who remembers you from the last time you sat and watched him make a smoked Old Fashioned -over a year ago.