Waikiki Edition raises the stakes on “urban upscale”

Views from a room at Honolulu's new Waikiki Edition resort.

By Vince Font

As if you didn’t already have a thousand reasons to visit Waikiki, along comes reason number 1001: The Waikiki EDITION resort. And just because it’s a late arrival doesn’t mean it shouldn’t make the top of your list of Honolulu hotels to call home on your next Hawaiian getaway.

The EDITION has already been called a “game changer” with respect to luxury urban resorts and standard beach vacations, and that’s no overstatement. For avid travelers, one of the most exciting things in life is the opportunity to experience a brand new resort — especially one with as much buzz as this. Although I can’t say that I am privileged enough to have rubbed elbows with the rich and famous that reportedly got in face time at the resort’s grand opening (no Christina Aguilera sightings here, but then again, I wasn’t looking) I can say that the service here made me feel something like a celebrity. This was exhibitA in my eventual discovery that all of the hotel’s stated objectives—in this case providing “great, personal, friendly” service—were entirely on the level.

First impressions and beyond
For me, a hotel lobby is like the opening sentence of a novel – or in this case, since my stay was only overnight, a short story. In either case, I’ve always perceived that the lobby sets the mood for the caliber of the vacation at hand. I wasn’t wrong this time either. From incredibly comfortable looking chairs to a creative art display made entirely of surfboard pieces (you’ll have to see it to really get it), my introduction was an awe inspiring lead up to the climactic first view of the hotel room itself. Not nearly rich enough in blood to have secured a penthouse suite, I took up my temporary residence in one of the hotel’s Deluxe Ocean View suites, a 370-plus square foot domicile with gorgeous furniture, a Terrazzo countered bathroom, flat screen LCD and king-size bed dressed with designer bed linens.

Activities

The Bar at Sunrise Pool, The Waikiki EDITION.

Exactly as you’d expect from a place this upscale — and guaranteed to make The EDITION a hip and happening hotspot — the resort has four bars: one in the lobby, one at the Sunrise Pool, another on the resort’s private Sunset Beach and finally the Crazybox, a dance club-oriented hangout complete with VIP section overlooking the entire scene. Also certain to make waves is the hotel’s Morimoto restaurant (named for resident chef Masaharu Morimoto) which boasts a diverse “contemporary Japanese” menu. Just one word of warning for would-be visitors: the sushi here is so good it will ruin you for sushi anyplace else.

Location
The Waikiki EDITION does one thing that all great resorts do and offers vacationers the best of both worlds with regard to locale. Its location is practically smack dab in the middle of downtown Honolulu, but it manages to edge out other Hawaii hotels with its prime southward facing location, thus eliminating the ambient city noise you’d expect to hear in a place this close to the heart of the city.

Thinking of Visiting?
If you’re interested in taking in The EDITION on your next trip to Honolulu, here’s something to note: Icaught wind that the nearby Sheraton Waikiki will be launching its Sheraton Club Lounge in January 2011 to appeal to the same level of discriminating resort goer. Exclusive access will be granted to Club Room lodgers, who’ll enjoy high caliber guest servicing and what I’m told will be an island-style breakfast worth writing home about. The combination punch served up by The EDITION and the forthcoming Sheraton Club Lounge operates in the great tradition of world class hotels, assuring that even more Honolulu hotels will follow suit.

Vince Font is a freelance writer born in Puerto Rico and currently escaped to Utah. When not dreaming of interstellar travel, he’s on the hunt for weird, wacky, and off-the-beaten-track vacation destinations. Next stop: The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.

Tagged: Hawaii, Hotels