The Polite Traveler

  Hawaiian Airline Lounges, Honolulu: Crowded & Limited Refreshment Choices My dear polite travelers, Two lounges welcome the few departing passengers who qualify for entry when flying Hawaiian Airlines from Oahu. This qualification could be the price of the ticket, a specific credit card, or a daily/hourly fee.  Both lounges are accessible, non-smoking, and offer newspapers, free Wi-Fi, restrooms, and televisions.  Welcome to The Plumeria Lounge Well...hmmm...  The Plumeria Lounge is a tossup of good and yikes.  If arriving early, it’s not terribly busy.  But it’s also not incredibly interesting— food selection is limited.  By 10:00 am, this small space is packed, and noisy, as hot food and wine finally arrive.  Yes, it’s pleasant to have a semi-private place to sit with a computer, and a restroom nearby.  Still, I’m not a fan of small, crowded   spaces in the never-ending pandemic age.   Not a fan. Premier C...

Join me in a Favorite Waikiki Memory

  Why We Might Not Return: Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki My dear polite travelers, Imagine waiting three years to revisit a pleasant memory.  You’d probably be thrilled to be on that journey.  Right?  Well, I am, and ...well, I’m lukewarm to some aspects of it, especially our room: #1537.  But the Ocean is Right There! In our room, #1537, we have the ocean view and the fresh breezes associated with it.  Still, due to the central, otherwise excellent location, it’s noisy—very noisy.  Thus, those breezes remain outside all night.  Darn.  The pleasant sweet-ocean-air-in-our-room-memory I dream of often eluded us on this trip.  Now, it’s just sad. The Good & the Weird Beyond the noise, it is a comfortable room—especially the shower—but there’s not enough counter space.  Instead of a long counter or desk, the hotel designer thought a long built-in seat would be a clever idea??  Hint.  It’s not.  We can only ...

Viva The Pink Palace My dear polite travelers, Welcoming tourists for nearly 100-years and a member of the Historic Hotels of America, The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a paradise fantasy come true.  The 528-room oceanfront resort has it all: luxury, history, pool, restaurant , bar, and glitz. As of now, we’ve never stayed here, but we always drop in.  We’ll sit and enjoy the surroundings while breathing in the ocean breezes.  Pour yourself a Mai Tai while checking out my pictures.  Aloha! More by The Polite Traveler  Two Waikiki Restaurants to Try & One to Skip What to Know Before Visiting Honolulu’s Hawaiian Airlines Airport Lounges Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki

Dining in Waikiki My dear polite travelers, When traveling, I sometimes feel that we are always searching for our next meal .  Is this place good?  Does that place serve wine?  Well, for our most recent trip to Waikiki, we decided to revisit one of our favs and test the waters on a few more.     Hula Grill: The View & So Much More For those of you who follow me, you know how much I love the Hula Grill.  It’s a great combo of good food, affordable prices, friendly staff, and one of the best views in Waikiki.   For this trip , we kept it simple with bar food: a hamburger with fries, battered portobello mushroom, and Hula Grill Tacos.  Every dish was good, not great, but good—with one exception.  The battered portobello mushrooms were excellent—crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside with an enticing, earthy flavor.  Hula Grill;  2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 203 Cheaper Than a Flight to Italy: Arancino di Mare...

Those of you who read my travel-blog know the many Hawaiian activities my hubby and I have engaged in thus far—includes trekking up Diamond Head, Honolulu Zoo , ‘ Iolani  Palace, Waikīkī  Aquarium , Polynesian Cultural Center , and the Wailua River Cruise & Fern Grotto Tour on Kaua ʻ i. For the one must-do item on this year’s vacation list, I walked a short distance from the Hilton Garden Inn (review) to the Hilton Hawaiian Village to rent a board so I may paddleboard in their private lagoon.  After a brief tutorial, I was off paddling.  It was AWESOME!  The price of the rental--$42 per hour—was relatively inexpensive making this a yearly treat.  (rentals on Kuhio Beach are even cheaper) My hubby had his own “must-do” this trip: Honolulu Zoo’s Twilight Tour .  It was wonderful!  Two young knowledgeable ladies led us through the zoo offering us a unique experience most visitors don’t receive.  We learned about the...

My Three Favorite Dining Options on Waikiki Dear Polite Traveler, The hunt of excellent eats tends to be nearly as important as any other part of any journey.   I am definitely in that food camp, as is evident in this blog.   On this trip to Waikiki, Oahu, we concentrated our food dollars on three superb venues: Kona Coffee Purveyors, Spitfire  Rotisserie and Flatbread in Dukes Market, and The Hula Grill. Best Pastries Ever! Even though I’m an avid fitness junky, I melt when I see, what I consider, the perfect pastry.   For me, it’s worth the indulgence.   Luckily, Waikiki has the Kona Coffee Purveyors conveniently located at the mouth of the International Market Place.   Their selections of pastries and savory items are downright drool-worthy.    Each item is pricy but worth every penny.   Grocery Store?   Restaurant?   Bar?   Grill? In the heart of Waikiki, you’ll find a grab & go grocery, bakery, ice cream ...

What makes the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki worth another visit? Dear Polite Traveler, Set in the heart of Waikiki, Hilton Garden Inn is a no-frills, newly renovated, contemporary gem.  The center of the light-filled lobby feels open with its many windows allowing for ample sunshine to flow through the well-appointed space full of seating areas and the check-in desk.   On one end of the lobby is a Holoholo Café & Market, which is affiliated with Foodland—a large, local grocery store chain.  One can find most anything here, including a ‘grab & go’ counter, offering sandwiches , pastries and even glasses of beer and wine during happy hour.  The TR Fire Grill caps the other end of the lobby as the hotel’s dining room and bar.  Since we are Hilton Honors members, we received a free, full breakfast held in this comfortable restaurant.  Later in the day, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner as well.  Their happ...

Review of the 'Iolani Palace Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, The more we visit the islands of Hawaii, the more I feel compelled to learn more about the culture and the past, including the politics of various time periods.  Consequently, we have visited the  Polynesian   Cultural Center  a few years ago and this year, the ‘Iolani Palace. I thought I knew much of the history behind Hawaii becoming a state and its previous relationship with the U.S.  What I knew was just a split second of Hawaii’s true history.  What I learned on our guided tour would be too much to share here, but I can share my opinion and impression of Queen Liliuokalani and the tour’s accuracy. Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public King David Kalākaua Upon King David Kalākaua death, her brother,  Queen Liliuokalani  became the true leader of the Hawaiian Island...

Hiking the Diamond Head Trail Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, Many of the YouTube videos about hiking the Diamond Head Trail are not entirely honest.  After hiking this trail for myself, I found it to be challenging for many.  As for me, I exercise daily and walk miles just for fun.  Nevertheless, I was out of breath often as I climbed.  The real issue, I believe, many may find with this trail is the unevenness.  Most of the trail is rock.  Some are smooth, most are not.  Consequently, this is a real issue and could be dangerous for those not in good health .   Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.        Please follow the advice on the map offered at the gate and read it well.    We took the bus—very convenient—from Waikiki to Diamond Head.  The fares for adults are:  $2.75 for o...

Old, Odd but Friendly Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, After a half-day of air travel that began early in the morning, we arrived at the DoubleTree in Waikiki.   From the outside, the hotel didn’t impress.    It looked dingy, small, and old.    To be honest, it is small (ish) compared to so many in Waikiki, but somewhat cozy. Old?     Yes, even though its website mentioned being recently updated.    Still, it was adequate, especially when receiving a deal not easy to pass up.   Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   Upgraded Again!  Upon reaching the welcome desk, we were greeted by more than a friendly face.  Rebecca automatically upgraded our “deal room” to a suite.  Gotta love that!  And, besides sharing the same name as me, she shares my love of tea.  Subsequently, she made sure I had plenty ...