Ala Moana Hotel - Honolulu, Hawaii - Landmark Hotel near the Convention Center

The Ala Moana Hotel's "downtown'' location quite literally sets it apart from its competitors. For recreation, it is just across the street from Ala Moana Beach Park. For shopping, it is adjacent to the huge Ala Moana Shopping Center. And for business, it is nearest among all Honolulu hotels to the Hawaii Convention Center.

Quite recently, a multi-million-dollar renovation has made this twin-tower landmark hotel even more appealing. Not only were more than a thousand guest rooms refurbished, but other facilities were also expanded, such as the swimming pool and meeting areas, and several modern additions were incorporated, including a new fitness center.

Among the hotel's 1,058 guest rooms are 51 suites with kitchen facilities and a magnificent Presidential Suite. There are ten different room configurations, ranging from 246-square-foot units that accommodate three persons with a queen bed and sofa bed to spacious studios and one-bedroom suites that sleep four.

All units are non-smoking and come with card key access, air conditioning, a bathtub/shower, cable/pay television with video games, and complimentary high-speed Internet access. Also standard are direct dial telephones with data port/voice mail, a coffee maker, refrigerator, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, in-room safe, and an alarm clock/radio. Cribs are available upon request, as are microwave ovens in non-suite rooms.

Only those units in the Waikiki Tower offer balconies; rooms in the Kona Tower do not.

Views of the Pacific Ocean to the north or the mountains to the south are most common. Rooms for the physically challenged can be booked in the Waikiki Tower.

The freshwater outdoor swimming pool with its expansive sun deck is located on the third floor of the Waikiki Tower. Drinks and snack are served poolside. For workouts, the hotel's new fitness center offers both aerobic and resistance training equipment, plus a sauna and steam room.

Among other amenities available on site, the Ala Moana Hotel offers a business center with computers and high-speed cable access to the Internet. There is a concierge for guests' convenience, a small gift store that sells apparel and sundries, and a hair salon offering a variety of styling and treatment services.

For business conferences, banquets, and other events, the Ala Moana Hotel now has 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. In total, there are nine function rooms, the largest of which is the Hibiscus Ballroom. It can accommodate groups of up to 750 participants. The Garden Lanai is also available for outdoor receptions, shows and social events, including weddings.

For dining and entertainment on the premises, the Ala Moana Hotel offers three fine restaurants, a lounge and a nightclub. The Plantation Cafy on the lobby level is the place for a casual breakfast buffet. Chinese cuisine is served for lunch and dinner at the Royal Garden on the third floor of the Waikiki Tower. And Restaurant Tsukasa provides authentic Japanese fare on the lobby level of the Kona Tower.

One of Honolulu's hottest nightclubs, Rumours, is open for dancing from 5pm - 3:30am on Fridays and 9pm to 3:30pm on Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Pakele Lounge serves up cocktails from 5pm to 10pm, complemented by live Hawaiian music from 6pm to 8pm.

The Ala Moana Hotel is a member of the Outrigger Hotels Hawaii group. Its address is 410 Atkinson Drive Honolulu, HI 96814. Guest parking is available on site.