Our hotel, the Hale Koa, is actually part of an American military installation called Fort Derussy. There's an armed soldier guarding the front gate which nobody can get past without a military ID. The hotel was built on Waikiki Beach as a recreation center for members of the active duty and retired military, which was how we're able to stay here, Tom having 20 years of military service. The hotel rooms are located in two twelve-story buildings called called Maile Tower and Elima Tower. We're on the sixth floor of Maile Tower.
But anyway, our room has a lovely terrace called a lanai overlooking palm trees and a bit of the ocean on one side, ...and downtown Honolulu on the other. And though the rooms may be a bit on the Spartan side (or, at least ours is), the rest of the hotel is absolutely gorgeous. The lobby is a wide veranda open on two sides. There are a number of upscale shops off the lobby and on the hotel's lower level, including a beauty salon, a flower shop,
On the lower level there are two pools, one of them right on the beach: A botanical garden: There's a playground for the soldiers' children, which there are many here, ...as well as tennis courts in the park across the street from the hotel, which is also military property.
For breakfast I tried the eggs benedict and tricolor potatoes, a plate of papayas, grapefruit and pineapples, then I went back and tried the eggs florentine and the strawberry cream cheese blintzes.
I started with the duck a l'orange in Grand Manier sauce,the roast pork, asparagus and potatoes, ...then at Tom's suggestion went back for the Asian Ratatouille and the braised short ribs with sauteed vegetables, which Tom swore was the very best roast beef he'd ever eaten. I can't dispute him. Then we hit the dessert and ice cream sundae bars. As you can imagine, our dinner conversation consisted mostly of , "Ummmmm!" After dinner we stepped off-post onto Waikiki Beach, passing on our way The Happy Shack, one of the post restaurants, located right on the beach. Not only is the Hale Koa a nice place, but the staff is lovely. Everyone we've dealt with has been among the nicest, friendliest hotel staff we've ever met. And of course the hotel guests are all very friendly and sociable and helpful to each other, as military people tend to be. Anyway, I guess all of this begs the question: Who'd of thought it would be possible to have a great vacation without leaving an army post? But what an army post!
6 Comments
Romaine
4/2/2015 10:09:13 am
It all looks so wonderful! I can almost smell the plumeria.
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Patti
4/2/2015 02:38:49 pm
No, Romaine, believe it or not, I did not get around to a macadamia nut frosted cinnamon roll! But I have been chowing down plenty! Wish you were here!
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Patti
4/3/2015 02:49:15 am
Plumeria, you say? Is that the elusively pleasant fragrance I feel like I've been smelling since arriving in Honolulu?
Molina
4/2/2015 10:37:07 am
Patti everything is lovely. I am glad to finally see what the Hale koa looks like. We were supposed go in 91, but Desert Storm arose and canceled those plans. Maybe some day!
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Patti
4/2/2015 02:41:30 pm
Oh, Molina, I so hope you get to go some day! Being around all these military families would make you feel like "old times".
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Marianne
4/5/2015 09:42:04 am
There's something almost magical about the open lobbies, walking from outside in but really being out! It's 7:30 Easter Sunday, it's still 61 degrees here in Columbus, and it's sunny...not Hawaii but I can dream.
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"Tropical Depression"
by Patti Liszkay Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTPN7NYY Archives
June 2025
I am a traveler just visiting this planet and reporting various and sundry observations,
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