wedding-something: Turkeys in Paradise: Sun (+ Hotel Reviews)

Being in Hawaii, you can be sure that we saw A LOT of sun.

Waikiki morning - no clouds to be seen

In May, Hawaii sees average highs in the 80s and average lows in the high 60s / low 70s. The actuals were about the same for us, which was fabulous. It was only on our final day (when visiting Pearl Harbor) that we saw any rain.

However, I'm not going to talk about the weather or give you a blow-by-blow of our days on the beach or show lots of gratuitous shots of us in bathing suits (ummmmm). Instead, I thought it would be more helpful if Mr. Turkey and I shared our perspectives on our hotel experiences. After all, with the summer upon us, there are a lot more weddings...and honeymoons (or anniversary trips).

As I mentioned early on, we visited 5 hotels during our honeymoon: 2 in Oahu, 1 in Lana'i and 2 in Maui. My other posts have referenced some of them, but here I'll provide some personal photos and reviews from me and Mr. Turkey. Hotels are numbered in the order in which we visited them.

OAHU
1. Moana Surfrider

Called the "First Lady of Oahu", this hotel was the first in Waikiki. It's now been transformed into a Westin, but still retains the charm of yesteryear. Mr. Turkey, a big history buff, enjoyed the displays about the Moana Surfrider's history on the second floor.

Just a gorgeous facade

The Moana Surfrider's location can't be beat if you're looking to explore the Waikiki area. It's almost exactly across the street from the International Marketplace and within walking distance of many other resorts, restaurants and retail stores (ranging from ABC Stores to Gucci).

Although the hotel itself didn't feel overly crowded when we arrived, the area in which it resides is extremely hectic. Clearly this is what happens when you're in a heavily populated resort area, but Mr. Turkey and I didn't love the "city" feel, especially as it compared to our other experiences during our trip.

In terms of accommodations, we had a very good experience. Since both of us are Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members, we scored an upgrade upon arrival. Although it wasn't the biggest room, it was great to have a room right on the ocean for our first night in Hawaii!

You can see Diamond Head off to the left and one night we even saw fireworks!

The Moana Surfrider had a nice pool area, but it was small and there weren't too many chairs. When we returned from Diamond Head at 9am on our first day, we were unable to find 2 chairs together in the shade. Although chairs / towels at the pool are included, if you want to sit on the beach, you need to rent chairs and umbrellas.

Rental fees for beach seating seemed to be standard in Waikiki (found the same at the Royal Hawaiian later in the trip). Not sure why. We ended up reserving a spot on the beach through the resort because our pale skin wouldn't have made it without cover!

Our spot on the beach - Mr. Turkey is taking a break from the shade

Overall, the Moana was a nice hotel at which to start our honeymoon and we would recommend it to those staying in Waikiki area.

5. The Royal Hawaiian
This was our final hotel of the trip and, unfortunately, it was not the best experience.

Now part of this was due to our schedule, which was far from optimal. We only spent one night, but our flight did not leave Honolulu until 11pm the next evening. However, our Pearl Harbor trip returned at 1pm, well after normal check-out.

As a SPG member (Royal Hawaiian is part of the Starwood Luxury Collection), you are given preference for an early check-in / late check-out. However, the woman we worked with was very difficult. Long story short, they did not let us in our room until well after normal check-in and it took a downgraded room (from what we reserved) to get a late check-out.

A somewhat sub-optimal way to spend the final night of your honeymoon; yes, those are double beds!

Enough on that, though. The Royal Hawaiian is also known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" and WOW is it pink.

View from the back of the hotel

Besides the pink building, the hotel has a LOT of other pink - from beach towels to robes to cup covers. It's a little kitschy, but they manage to avoid it being too overdone!

No mixing these towels up with any other hotels' offerings!

Only a few yards down the beach from the Moana Surfrider, this hotel also has the benefit of being in the heart of Waikiki. However, despite being a higher "level" hotel, its pool area left something to be desired and their beach seating was right next to a high traffic vendor stand (for kayaks, surfboards, etc). Mr. Turkey and I opted for the pool area.

Although we enjoyed our experience, in the spirit of full disclosure, Oahu was not the most relaxing or luxurious part of our honeymoon. In general, we found it to not be unlike other beach vacations and, if we were to return again, we might opt to skip this island (main reason for visiting was Pearl Harbor).

LANA'I
2. Four Seasons Resort - Lana'i at Manele Bay

We went from one extreme to the other when moving from Waikiki to Lana'i. This was pretty obvious when we de-planed outside the very small airport.

Welcome!

The resort had a shuttle waiting for us at the airport and we were soon at the resort. With cold towels and mini iced coffee at arrival, Mr. Turkey and I were spoiled from the moment we set foot on the Manele Bay property.

This is actually an iPhone photo of the pool area - amazing even in low-def!

Our room was available right away - a lovely garden view with a patio (and an enormous bathroom). Unfortunately, we didn't spend much time there!

View from the outside in

As you can guess, we spent most of our time at the beach or pool, both of which were spacious and well-staffed. The staff and service was phenomenal. Our experience definitely lived up to the Four Seasons' reputation - from setting up chairs and umbrellas; to coming around with Evian spritzes (yes, really), cold towels and snacks; to offering to clean your sunglasses. Ah-maz-ing.

They even give you a bag to use during your stay!

Besides the personalized attention mentioned above, we felt extra lucky because the resort was not at full capacity. It practically felt like we had the place to ourselves (and some mornings, we actually did).

These chairs were very comfortable, but you will get burnt

We also took advantage of the Four Seasons shuttle to visit the other resort on the island - the Lodge at Koele - which was a completely different experience. Although both seemed to have some Asian design influences, the Lodge was much more rustic...and about 10 degrees cooler.

When we visited, it was raining at Koele...but sunny still at Manele!

You can't see the full mountain view because of the low clouds

From fireplaces in the lobby to comfort food on the menu, we enjoyed the Lodge's markedly different ambiance for a night, but were happy with our decision to stay by the water.

This was one of our two favorite hotels from the honeymoon. Besides great memories that came from the snorkeling and our splurges, it just a fantastic overall experience. We were also relatively unacquainted with Four Seasons resorts and they blew us away with their service and attention to detail. This, coupled with relatively low occupancy, tranquil atmosphere and phenomenal view made us feel like we were truly on our honeymoon!

MAUI
3. Westin Maui Resort & Spa

We chose another Starwood resort for our first stop in Maui. Located on Ka'anapali beach (northwest side of the island), this was probably the second "busiest"area we stayed. There are many resorts along the beach and a nearby shopping / dining area called Whaler's Village. Options for meals and activities are plentiful.

We took many long walks on the beautiful beach

The resort's grounds are lovely, with a very large pool area. Besides slides and activities for little ones, there is an adult-only section which provides peace, quiet...and shade!

Due to being on EST, we were always first at the pool

My idea of a good time. I spent several hours like this (until the crowds came)

Our own accommodations at the Westin were very nice, albeit a bit cramped in the bathroom area (we're used to double sinks in real life). Because of our SPG status, we had a very nice room with a view of both the ocean and pool area.

Ocean view

View of just the pool area (from above)

Our decision to stay in the Ka'anapali area of Maui was driven by the luau we chose (just a walk down the beach versus a 45 minute drive - would have missed out on all the Mai Tais) and the Westin was a great selection. Although it was a short stay, we enjoyed the balance of activity and relaxation - the adult pool made a huge difference. We would definitely recommend it if you're staying in this area of Maui!

4. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

This was our other favorite resort of the honeymoon and the place where we stayed for the longest amount of time (and probably ate the most). We were again struck by the amazing Four Seasons service, despite the fact that we didn't have a room immediately. You'll hear no complaints on that, though...wait until you see our room.

View from balcony #1

Breakfast on balcony #2

We were somehow upgraded to a suite, which was a fabulous surprise, albeit totally unnecessary (due to the fact that the amount of space was far more than would be needed based on the amount of time we spent in our room). The balconies and the little perks (like a music system in the bathroom) were fun, though!

It was the resort, not the room, that really WOWed us, though. From day 1 we fell in love with the adult / tranquility pool area (which is where we splurged on the cabana).

I would like to bottle this moment in time

View of Wailea Beach

Mr. Turkey is very happy

Like at Manele Bay, we were spoiled by the "treats" that came with being at the Four Seasons, so I'll not repeat myself. However, we really enjoyed the daytime food / drink options at the pool and their free activities (outrigger ride, morning yoga).

Pulled pork tacos with various dipping sauces and a pineapple salsa

I must say, it's harder to do many poses in sand

With several restaurants within the Four Seasons Maui (we ate at two) and many dining options at resorts within walking distance (including the nearby Shops at Wailea), you could likely stay here for two weeks and not be bored. We'd love to try this in the future, as we definitely hope we can someday return to this resort.

So, there you have it! Our Hawaiian recaps are done, meaning I'll be returning to wedding related topics after our "honeymoon tips" post. It also means we need to accept that we're no longer able to lounge on the beach and drink champagne all day.