Neighbor Island Feel
Written: Apr 15 '03 (Updated Apr 19 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Luxurious rooms, beautiful property, away from crowded Waikiki and Honolulu.
Cons: Away from crowded Waikiki and Honolulu. Dining choices are few and pricey.
The Bottom Line: The perfect get away hotel for the island of Oahu.
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| dlnak's Full Review: Marriott J.W. Ihilani Resort and Spa |
The J.W. Marriot Ihilani Resort and Spa is every bit a resort as you would hope. The rooms are very spacious and luxurious. This holds true for the bathrooms too.
I live on Oahu and have stayed at the Ihilani Resort and Spa several times. I will definitely stay there again. If you wonder why someone from Oahu would go to Ihilani... To get away. Ihilani has a neighbor island feel for those of us who live on Oahu. It's away from the crowds of Waikiki.
Family and friends (who live on Oahu) agree, it's a wonderful place to go to get away without having to fly to a neighbor island. It may not be the place for the first time visitor to Oahu since it far from Waikiki. Remember, far is very relative when you live on an island.
If you visit (or live on) Oahu and want to "get away", the J.W. Marriot Ihilani Resort and Spa might just be what you are looking for.
Good things about Ihilani: Luxurious rooms, beautiful property (with very inviting lagoons), nice spa facilities (weigh room, lap pool, steam room, massages, etc.)
Not so good things: Pricey and limited dining, previous owners (Nikko Hotels?) seemed to do a very slightly better job running the hotel.
I'm not sure how many types of rooms Ihilani has to offer, but I've stayed in the "Ocean View" each time. The floor plan is probably typical of Ihilani's basic (inexpensive) room. It is far from a basic hotel room. The room had a separate entry area, wet bar, a small sitting area (with a couch, chair, coffee table and end table with a clock radio/CD player), a nice desk, and a large lanai (with a very private feel). Large sliding louvered doors are used in place of curtains. During the night, I liked to leave the sliding glass doors open while closing the sliding louvered doors. This way you can hear the waves hitting the shore in the distance below. Very soothing, relaxing, romantic, etc.
The bathrooms were wonderful too. Two separate sinks/counters, a deep soaking tub, separate shower, and marble floors.
The room included robes, slippers, a hair dryer, and an iron & ironing board. The nice sided TV was tucked away in a very spacious closet.
As I mentioned, dining choices are limited and expensive. But I suppose that is typical of a luxory resort hotel. I've never tried "Azul", Ihilani's high end restaurant nor have I tried the Japanese restaurant. Both seemed too high priced for my wallet. I really enjoyed the Naupaka Terrace. You will feel comfortable in your shorts and an aloha shirt or in business/casual clothes. I've gone to the Naupaka Terrace to celebrate special occasions even when I did not spend the night at Ihilani. During diner, the hotel offers some music/entertainment across the pool which you can enjoy while eating at the Naupaka Terrace. For a casual meal, food is also served at pool side.
The grounds are just as wonderful as the accommodations. There are four lagoons which lead away from the hotel. The pathway is excellent for a nice casual/romantic walk or for a nice morning or evening jog.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dlnak
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Location: Hawaii, USA
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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