I grew up going on trips to Hawaii with my family, but we would always stay on Maui or Kaui, never Oahu. I had this idea that Oahu and Honolulu were touristy, cheesy, and just not that interesting. Well a recent trip to The Modern Honolulu at the start of Waikiki Beach really changed my opinion. The 353-room hotel went through a major renovation in 2010 and the resulting aesthetic is minimalist modern meets beach bungalow.
Starkly white rooms with dark wood shutters (many with views of the harbor)–are a serene oasis, while common areas like the newly revamped Study Bar are a great place to enjoy cocktails.
There are two gorgeous pools—the Sunrise pool and the adults-only Sunset pool surrounded by real sand. The Modern is also home to a Morimoto restaurant where President Obama has been spotted. Try the hamachi tartare with Maui onion. Don’t forget to check out the hotel gift shop. Filled with artsy items like Areaware piggybanks, local jewelry and Tori Praver swimwear it’s unlike any hotel gift shop I’ve seen—in a good way.
I also really enjoyed Honolulu. The food scene there is exploding and I enjoyed trips to Chinatown and the artsy and industrial Kaka’ako neighborhood.
Honolulu and a stay at the Modern Honolulu certainly offer a more cosmopolitan experience but they still remain distinctly Hawaiian. For more on Honolulu check out my story for San Diego Magazine.
1775 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
1 (855) 970-4161
themodernhonolulu.com
