Aqua Waikiki Wave - Honolulu, Hawaii - A Convenient Waikiki Boutique Hotel

The 15-story Aqua Waikiki Wave opened in 1969 and received its latest facelift in 2006. In 2008, it was named by Budget Travel magazine as one of the world's "Top 100 Best Values.'' It has also been ranked among the top 20 Waikiki hotels by TripAdvisor.

As boutique hotel, the Aqua Waikiki Wave seeks to provide its customers with a highly personalized and memorable resort experience. It begins in the white marble lobby, where paintings of the famed surfer and gold-medal Olympian Duke Kahanamoku are on display. Many of the pieces of art that adorn the Aqua Waikiki Wave were created by world-renowned artist and printmaker Charles W. Bartlett.

The lobby also features free Wi-Fi Internet access, a full-time concierge, an activity desk, and 24-hour bell service to assist guests with any possible need, from booking dinners or shows to arranging sightseeing tours, surfing lessons, or golf outings. Free apples are always available at the front desk, too.

The hotel's 247 rooms are all non-smoking. They feature contemporary dycor, AquaBLISS pillow-top beds, 20-inch flat screen televisions, private lanais, a mini-fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and in-room safe. Free wireless Internet access, daily coffee packets, local newspaper delivery, unlimited local and toll-free calls, and signature bath amenities come standard.

Even the smallest guestrooms are quite spacious at 328 square feet, while the suites cover up to 511 square feet. The largest suites are on the upper floors and can each accommodate up to five guests, with three queens or one king bed with a sofa sleeper. All units offer either ocean views or partial views of Waikiki and surrounding neighborhoods. Handicap rooms, rollaway beds and cribs are available upon request.

Two fine dining establishments are located inside the Aqua Waikiki Wave. Just off the lobby, the Big Kahuna Restaurant & Bar serves classic American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus nightly entertainment. Its menu includes pizza, burgers, salads and finger foods along with tropical drinks and beer in a tiki-room setting. There are also areas for guests to play pool and shoot darts, or watch sports on a number of large-screen TVs.

Cantonese cuisine is the specialty of the China Garden Restaurant, also on the lobby floor. It is open for both lunch and dinner, specializing in Hong Kong-style seafood dishes, such as braised whole abalone and shark's fin soup, as well as several variations on lobster and crab. There is a full bar, too.

Although the Aqua Waikiki Wave does not have a swimming pool, it is only about one block from the sands of Waikiki Beach, and the hotel does feature its own fitness room, open 6am to 9pm daily for guest use. There is a small apparel shop on the premises, and the myriad shops of the International Marketplace - a world emporium of food, crafts and artisan goods - is right next door.

Located at 2299 Kuhio Avenue Waikiki Beach, HI 96815, the Aqua Waikiki Wave is part of the boutique hotel collection of Aqua Hotels & Resorts, which includes the Aqua Aloha Surf & Spa, Coconut Waikiki Hotel, Aqua Palms & Spa, Aqua Waikiki Pearl, Aqua Bamboo & Spa, and the Equus. Parking in the covered garage is available for a daily fee, but every major tour and excursion service in Honolulu picks up passengers in front of the hotel, as do airport-transport buses, so getting around from here is never a problem.