Aqua Palms & Spa - Honolulu, Hawaii - Boutique Hotel near Ala Moana Shopping Center

Originally opened in 1970, the 12-story Aqua Palms & Spa has been recently renovated to become one of the most luxurious boutique hotels in the Ala Moana area. It has earned the AAA's 3-diamond rating and can claim to be the only off-Waikiki hotel consistently ranked among the Top Ten Honolulu Hotels by users of TripAdvisor.

The lobby is small, intimate and inviting, with a retro-Hawaiian motif, displaying a colorful mural of a Polynesian maiden surrounded by tropical plants. The smells of freshly brewed Kona coffee and tea waft through the lobby every morning - available gratis to guests - and a Manager's Reception is held here every Wednesday evening from 5pm to 6pm to welcome new arrivals with a complimentary cocktail.

Hawaiian dycor is present in every one of the 262 guestrooms. Standard rooms cover 325 square feet, junior suites are 485 square feet, and the luxury suites have an interior space of 538 square feet. Most units offer sweeping views of Diamond Head and Fort DeRussy Park, while others face the Pacific. Non-smoking rooms, handicap rooms, rollaway beds and cribs are also available upon request.

Furnishings in each room comprise 42-inch wall-mounted LCD televisions, AquaBLISS pillow-top beds, microwaves, coffee makers and mini-fridges. Included as part of the room charges are daily coffee packets, high-speed Internet access, use of an in-room safe, and unlimited local and toll-free calls.

As a special service to all guests registered in Diamond Head level rooms and above, the hotel includes a complimentary hot American breakfast. It is served each morning adjacent to the lobby at the IHOP restaurant, which opened here in 2004. IHOP is open throughout the day and evening hours, offering an extensive menu of lunch, dinner and snack items, plus street-side al fresco dining.

Up on the rooftop, a small swimming pool with a sundeck and a barbecue grill is available for guest use during daylight hours. Beach towels are provided upon request. And to help arrange island adventures, from shopping and sightseeing excursions to golf outings, horseback riding and surfing lessons, the hotel's activities desk provides both information and bookings.

The "spa'' part of the hotel's name comes from its well-known AquaSPA, an on-site facility offering fitness equipment, facials, body scrubs, and calming massages, including Swedish, Lomi Lomi, Shiatsu and Reflexology techniques. The AquaSPA's treatments and fitness room are located poolside.

Other amenities available on the premises of the Aqua Palms & Spa are fax and copying services, same-day dry-cleaning, laundry facilities, and luggage storage. Ice, soda and snack vending machines are available 24/7.

Located at 1850 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96815, the Aqua Palms & Spa is near Ala Moana Shopping Center. It is part of the boutique hotel collection of Aqua Hotels & Resorts, which includes the Aqua Aloha Surf & Spa, Coconut Waikiki Hotel, Aqua Bamboo & Spa, Aqua Waikiki Pearl, Aqua Waikiki Wave, and the Equus. Covered parking is available for a fee, with 50% instant savings on garage charges offered to those who make direct bookings with the hotel.