Escape to Paradise at great value ($89 per night). Walks by the beach, breathtaking sunsets and warm, tranquil waters will energize and refresh you!!! It’s not too late to getaway…stay between 9/7 to 10/30 in this 1-bedroom Oceanview Waikiki Condo!!
There’s no place on Earth like Hawaii! And no better place to stay than the Ilikai Hotel Condo 1512!
We live part of the year in our condo apartment at the Ilikai Hotel and Apartments. We rent out our apartment the rest of the year. We offer generous discounts off our regular rates to help “fill in” open nights. Click on this link ( 1530) for more details on this fully furnished Hawaiian Style Apartment.
Our ocean front Condo apartment is right next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. There is a great reef to snorkel in front of the Hilton. The reef extends from the Atlantis Pier to the jetty. My wife loves to snorkel and loves the fact that she can see the reef from our Condo’s lanai. She can see the clarity, condition, and depth of the water to determine when she wants to walk down to snorkel.
This is a shallow reef so you get a great close up view of the fish. At low tide there can be less than 12 inches between the reef and the surface of the water. My wife uses the Boogie Board to keep her above the sharp coral. When the surf is up or choppy this area can be cloudy, but when the water is clear it is a great experience. We have seen Wrasses, Trumpetfishes, Pufferfishes, Needlefishes, Moorish Idol, Gobies, File fishes, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (Hawaii state fish), Tang, Surgeon fishes, Box fishes, Cornet fish, Dragonets, Goat fishes, Pipe fishes, Porcupine fishes and Butterfly fishes, to mention a few.
This is a good link for pictures of these fishes. We have only seen turtles (honu) once or twice around the reef but they are very common beyond the surf break.
The reef at Hanauma Bay is a spectacular place to snorkel. Please note that Hanauma Bay is Closed Tuesdays.
We take the bus. The fare is $2.25 for adults, $1.00 for seniors with a medicare card, and $1.00 for students. The bus takes about 60 minutes. From the Condo, go to the bus stop in front of the Ilikai and take any bus going to Waikiki. Ask the driver for a transfer.
Get off at the first stop on Kuhio Street.
Then take bus # 22 to Hanauma . Give your transfer to the bus driver. Click this link for bus 22 schedule. TheBus 22. This stop on Kuhio is bus # 22′s second stop so you will be among the first passengers on Bus 22. There is only one bus an hour so they can get pretty crowded and even fill up with passengers having to stand in the isle the whole trip. As the bus goes through Waikiki it often fills up completely and it will go past regular bus stops until more space is available. So the closer to the beginning of the route you get on bus 22 the more seats will be available.
We pack a lunch, go early and spend the day at the bay. We freeze bottles of water to use as our ice packs and then have cold water to drink with lunch. When you rent our Condo, unit 1530, we have a soft sided cooler, 2 backpack beach chairs, 3 folding beach chairs, a beach umbrella , 2 snorkel sets and 3 boogie boards for your convenience. One of the boogie boards does not have a lease. If you get a seat in the back of the bus there is room behind the “side” seats on either side of the bus to store the boogie board.
When you return from Hanauma Bay on bus 22, get another transfer and get off at any bus stop on Kuhio street in Waikiki. Use your transfer to get on a # 8, 19, or 20 and get off at the Ilikai Hotel on the corner of Hobron and Ala Moana Blvd. Many of the buses have speaker systems the use gps to announce the next stop, so listen for Hobron and Ilikai.
We invite you to come stay in our beautiful Ilikai condo # 1530 and enjoy the spectacular snorkeling.
Aloha, Terry and Sue
The beautiful Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon is directly in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. This public lagoon was previously known as the Hilton Lagoon. It is adjacent to our fully furnished Ilikai Hotel and Apartments rental unit # 1530. Our 1 bedroom condo overlooks this small “lake” and has a large, well equipped, full kitchen. Our rates are lower than the Hilton Hawaiian Village or the Ilikai Hotel.
You can access the lagoon by simply walking down our ramp. You won’t need to cross any streets.
The 5 acre lagoon is fed by 7 saltwater wells, with a state of the art pumping system, which entirely replaces the lagoon water 5 times a day. There is a boardwalk around the lagoon with benches and landscaping that create a park-like setting. The lagoon boardwalk is a popular jogging course.
There are no lifeguards. The sandy bottom gently slopes to the middle of the lagoon. The water is colder than the ocean because of the 250 ft. deep saltwater wells.
There is a kiosk at the lagoon where you can rent stand-up paddle (SUP) boards and get lessons. Since the lagoon doesn’t have waves, it is much easier to learn to balance and paddle than in the open ocean.
If you want to learn to surf, the Hilton also has a kiosk where you can rent a surfboard and lessons. I have surfed for 50 years and believe that their teaching location is uncrowded, a short distance from shore, and definitely one of the safest places to learn to surf in Waikiki.
Occasionally stinging jellyfish invade the beaches of Waikiki. But you can still swim in ocean water and enjoy the beach around the lagoon, because the jellyfish cannot get in.
We invite you to come stay in our condo #1530 and enjoy the lagoon.
At the Gateway to Waikiki is the world famous oceanfront Ilikai Hotel and Apartments, and our fully furnished condo, unit 1530. In addition to the well-equipped, open kitchen, and the spacious lanai, you may also enjoy the fact that our prices are lower than many mere hotel rooms nearby. Save money by eating in, and enjoy your meals on our lanai, overlooking the ocean . We often offer discounts on our nightly rates, so be sure to check out our website! (Click on the above link to learn more about current discounts and renting this condo).
In order to stock up the refrigerator during your vacation, there are four grocery stores within walking distance of the Ilikai. They are listed below; and if you click on each link, you will find the map with walking directions from our Condo. (This unit has a shopping cart for the use of our guests)
In addition, ABC Superette Market is across the street, kitty corner from the Ilikai, and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
(Be informed that there is a free newspaper, Midweek, which has lots of grocery ads and comes out on Wednesdays.)
Also, on the lobby level of the Ilikai Hotel is the small General Store. It carries a fairly wide variety of grocery items,but is “pricey”. If you find that you have forgotten something in your grocery shopping, it is a possible stand-by. This store is located at the end of the wing towards Diamond Head. They also have a counter where you can buy some very good, made-to-order sandwiches.
When staying with Aloha Condos on Oahu at the Ilikai Hotel or Ilikai Marina you are only 15 minutes walk from the third largest mall in the US. The Ala Moana Shopping center is something to behold. Dining from food-court to gourmet. Movies, all sorts of shopping and even groceries.
Take the walk!
-rocco