Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu

The main lobby

In most places, 578 rooms in two 28-story towers would make you a pretty imposing player in the local hospitality industry. In Waikiki, it puts you in the middle and, if you play your cards right, in the thick of the competition. The problem with the Hawaii Prince -- the main problem, anyway -- is that it's nowhere near the thick of things. Worse still, it's not even on the beach -- a problem if you're a hotel in Hawaii. Instead it overlooks the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, in the northwest corner of Waikiki, across the canal from the closest beach.

The hotel's two seafood restaurants, plenty of Asian art, and bilingual staff provides some character -- and also some truly delicious food. But the mood is still quiet and subdued. The lobby, beautiful though it is, is quiet and often empty. Ditto for the lobby bar, the Promenade Deck, and the pool.

View on a Larger Map

The Prince is nestled in the far northwestern corner of Waikiki, where the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor meets the Ala Wai Canal (the unofficial border of Waikiki). You have to hike a bit once you've gone to reach the restaurants and shopping centers on Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki's main drag. They're a healthy 15 to 25 minutes away by foot (or a quick taxi). The nearest beach, in Ala Moana Park, is a five- to 10-minute walk (see Beach, below). Basically, it's as far away from the action as you can get while still remaining in the general vicinity. Unless you have business at the Hawaii Convention Center, staying at the Prince could very well make you feel like you're missing the party.

• Not much nearby except the yacht harbor (pleasant enough) and the next-door Chart House restaurant.
• Hawaii Convention Center is a five- to 10-minute walk.
• Closer to the monstrous Ala Moana Center mall than any hotel in Waikiki.
• Free shuttle to the main areas in Waikiki; once there, the local bus -- known, appropriately, as "The Bus"
• Honolulu International Airport is a 20- to 25-minute cab ride.
• Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay, and Diamond Head Crater -- three of the most popular tourist sites outside Waikiki -- can all be reached within 30 minutes by car.

The distance from the beach is probably the biggest drawback of the Prince. Unless you're here for a convention, you're most likely coming to Hawaii to spend some time on the beach. The Prince doesn't have one. Your best bet is to walk along the yacht harbor for 10 minutes till you hit the manmade lagoon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It's a nice little spot with tons of activities, especially for kids, but for a "real" beach, you'll need to walk five minutes further, to Fort DeRussy Beach. It's not as picturesque as its famous neighbor to the southeast, Queen's Beach, but it's far less crowded. The water is shallow, warm, and calm, making Fort DeRussy a decent place to swim, especially for kids. But the ocean bottom is a bit rocky, so tread gingerly. Lifeguards monitor the beach throughout the day.

For a more sedate beach experience, walk northwest on Ala Moana Boulevard, across the canal, to Ala Moana Beach Park. There you'll find decent sand, calm water, and more locals. There are no concession stands, though, so bring your own food, drinks, and equipment.

• Both beaches are public.
• Free towels provided by the hotel
• At Fort DeRussy, umbrellas and lounge chairs must be rented from one of the many Star Beach Boys stands
• Water sports equipment, like surfboards and boogie boards, available for rental at Star Beach Boys stands

The Standard Room

The rooms at the Prince are spacious (standard rooms are about 425 square feet) and well-appointed with a bench, desk, and multiple stuffed chairs, and feature decent views of the yacht harbor and ocean beyond. A very soft renovation to the Prince was completed in late 2011, adding new rugs, desk chairs, and lamps to the space that have brightened things up a bit, but plans for a major renovation have not yet been finalized. Overall, they get the job done.

• Beds, like most in Waikiki, have cheap coverlets rather than duvets; the Simmons Beautyrest 350 Chadfield Luxury mattress is a bit firm (and certainly not "Luxury"); the 200-thread-count sheets (a 55% cotton/45% poly blend) feel scratchy.
• Bathrooms are a highlight: separate showers and tubs, light-up vanity mirrors, light-knit, waffle-comb bathrobes, free slippers, typical hotel-brand toiletries, but shower water pressure is weak.
• The Hitachi tube TVs are small (20 inches) and only show about 20 English-speaking channels
• Wired Internet (there's no Wi-Fi) charged by day

The pool

The array of amenities is, along with the service, the best reason to stay at the Prince.

• Nice pool, but nothing special: the Promenade Deck boasts picturesque, yacht harbor views at sunset.
• Whirlpool looks a little sad: jets turned off, not enough water, faded tiles, and grout corroded by mildew.
• The fitness room is two rooms -- two converted guest rooms, to be precise -- and small; equipment is pretty modern, though.
• The business center is just four computers against the wall in the 2nd-floor lobby; Internet charged per minute (there's no Wi-Fi); in-room wired Internet is charged daily.
• The Yamano Dayspa & Beauty Salon is, like most hotel spas in Hawaii, independently owned and operated; Prince guests get discounted treatments. For a complete list of treatments and prices, click here.
• Free shuttle/discounted rates to Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay-designed golf course.

The buffet is half price for kids

There's not much focus on kids here.

• No child-centered amenities or programs
• Free cribs (as is common in Waikiki) and rollaways are charged per night; either make the standard room feel tight.
• Restaurants don't have children's menus, but buffets are half price for kids ages six to 10.
• Nice pool, but nothing special

The Jacuzzi

The Prince's last renovation was in 2005, and that was only a partial update (some furniture and technology, etc.). The hotel underwent a soft renovation in late 2011, but no major renovations have been planned so far. Although there were no disturbing cleanliness issues, this is a case of an older, slightly understaffed hotel.

Dinner at Prince Court

I hope you like seafood. The Prince offers both a sushi place and a seafood buffet. Other than that, there's not a whole lot more here or in the nearby vicinity.

• Prince Court is primarily a buffet -- in theory you could buffet your way through the day given the breakfast and lunch spreads -- but there's also an la carte lunch menu and three prix fixe dinner options. Either way it's expensive here.
• Hakone serves Japanese cuisine (the Prince knows who butters its lobster tails), and it's just as pricey as the Court.
• The only budget option on-site is the snack bar in the lobby.
• You get more for your money if you head off campus, though there's not much nearby: next door is the Chart House restaurant; nearby are a few chains (Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, IHOP).
• It's a 10- to 15-minute walk into the heart of Waikiki for many more options.