My husband and I stayed at this small hotel for 7 nights in November/08. Given its No 1 status on this site, we expected a near-
perfect experience. We were not disappointed.

We had a lovely corner room (906) with lanai to the side and an ocean-front view.

Pluses: cool welcome face cloth and pineapple drink. Bedroom contained contemporary, beautifully hued decor with modern and high-end fixtures and decoration. Beautiful view of the ocean and the surfers. Good use of small space in bedroom and bathroom. We brought lots of stuff, and with some creative rearranging, there was ample room for everything (eg, iron board and iron we had removed during our stay, suitcases fit neatly under the bed, and a/c unit served as a large shelf for books and gear). A small bathroom had lots of drawer and shelf space. Bathroom had good lighting, and a window with a view of Diamond Head. The lighting system was the best we have experienced - eg, allowed for dimmer bedside lighting when I wanted to read and my husband wanted to sleep. Bar none, the most deliciously comfortable pillow-top bed and pillows I have encountered in a hotel room (and I include the "heavenly" beds of the Westin and Sheraton in this comparison). Small fridge ample enough in size to hold 3 beer, bottle of wine, cartons of milk and juice, small containers and water bottles, and keep them sufficiently cold. Excellent continental breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt (some different choices every day), fresh pastries, good tea selection, and good coffee, cereal and juice (not fresh). Daily fresh apples - nice touch. Thursday evening wine tasting evening with other guests (we didn't go, but appreciated the invitation). Beach chairs, towells, umbrellas, and straw mats for the asking. (we had a hard time keeping the umbrella from blowing over on the beach, however). Helpful, friendly, can-do staff who were genuinely pleasant to guests.

Minuses: small rooms, not great shower spray, a/c that was fairly noisy at night as it responded to thermostat setting, noisy with windows open, and no pool. 9th floor hallway looked a bit tired and worn in spots (but not the foyer and breakfast area, or first floor bathrooms - these were gleaming and perfectly maintained). Bit of a lack of a feeling of privacy with adjacent (large) resort towering over the hotel. I believe there may be small differences in rooms - eg, perhaps new shower heads in other rooms?? Also we did not have a high tech (or any) computer in our room - not a problem as we brought a laptop. It worked fine.

As you can see, the positives significantly outweighed the negatives. Moreover, 10 steps behind the hotel was a scooter rental place where we rented scooters for a couple days and had a blast touring the island on our own schedule, parking free and with ease. We also rode the city busses - busstop half a block away, both directions - bus fare was $2; exact change needed, or you can buy a 4 day pass at an ABC store - and these were ubiquitous. Starbucks a block away. Beach and restaurants a 2 minute walk. A Wolfgang Puck take out (or casual eat-in) just beside the hotel. I should mention that the beach a block away also rented umbrellas that were firmly "rooted' in the fine sand. If you have water shoes, they are ideal for the beaches. Leave your fins at home.

As to Honolulu, it was my first visit there and I loved it. I especially suggest a trip to amazing, moving Pearl Harbour, and Hanauma Bay for excellent snorkling (even large sea turtles were seen) in a beautiful park-like setting. Also, Ala Moana park and beach, at the other end of Waikiki, is gorgeous, as is the stunning road to and beach at Kailua. As a Canadian, I have always felt that monuments and parks are things Americans structure, organize and maintain very well, and these were no exception.

In summary, I would stay again at this fine small hotel with its genuinely friendly and courteous staff in a heartbeat, and recommend it to anyone for whom a pool is not absolutely necessary.