The Modern Honolulu

Hot. Hip. Happening.

Usually, not words associated with me. But DEFINITELY accurate descriptions for The Modern Honolulu hotel in Oahu, Hawaii.

There are a lot of older, well-established hotels in Waikiki, and then there's the Modern. A single-location property, the owners have a singular focus: great design, and great service.

I am very fond of both.

When I arrived at the hotel, I knew it was going to be different immediately. The lobby area is very, well, modern. I am a big fan of minimalist design and neutral colors and The Modern Honolulu has that in spades.

I love their front desk, the design is unique, yet appropriate for the location.

Also, who doesn't want to be greeted with cilantro lemonade and a cool towel?

I had just flown in from Oakland thanks to Hawaiian Airlines and had enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Hawaiian Airlines Headquarters, so I was ready for a little rest. I went to my room to have a little downtime before my dinner event in the evening.

The room was just perfect. Designed exactly to my taste. Honestly, being the klutz that I am, I could not live in an all-white house full-time, but I really enjoy hotel rooms that are furnished that way!

[I have realized I need some tips from Katie and Andi P. on taking interior hotel room shots (theirs are always awesome!).]

You can't tell me that this bed doesn't look inviting? Besides sleeping in it at night, I took an afternoon nap on it the next day after a couple of dozen tastes of wine with Colgin Cellars and Kermit Lynch!

I couldn't have asked for better views from my two terraces and bedroom windows! Hello Waikiki!

The sky was delicious with beautiful clouds, the water was that gorgeous shade of blue you only get from being in a tropical location.

Perfect and serene, this was a wonderful spot to drink my first coffee of the day.

There are a lot of great little touches that brightened up the white and remind you that you are in Hawaii. How many times have you been to a hotel room, even a nice one, and you couldn't tell where in the world you were? Not here!

Even the welcome amenities remind you that you are in Hawaii, pineapple, macadamia nut, ginger cookies, tropical drink, this isn't New York City!

The Modern Honolulu is known for a couple of things: its great design, hot night club (I didn't visit that), awesome pool, fabulous cuisine from Iron Chef Morimoto, and a really chill bar.

Here is a view of the pool from my terrace.

I went down Sunday morning to take some shots before it got too busy.

Plenty of spots for both sun worshipers and shade lovers. Poolside service means you really don't have to get up for much. I wasn't there long enough to relax by the pool, but I did get a chance to try their signature drink, the coconut mojito…and I can definitely envision a day of doing nothing at the pool with a constant supply of them!

At 9:00 in the morning, these guys looked like they were on their way to do just that!

There aren't a lot of kids around, but if you desire a completely adult-only space, there is a wading pool on the second level where children are not allowed. They have awesome day beds that you can reserve for 24 hours (these can be reserved for hotel guests – you need to spend $150 on food and drinks and $250 for non-guests). Talk about being treated like royalty for the day!

On my first night, I attended a progressive Modern Honolulu dinner. We started poolside where we enjoyed coconut mojito along with appetizers, like ahi tartare.

The evening atmosphere of the pool is very nice, and laid back, well, until the fireworks show! Every Friday evening they have a great display and The Modern Honolulu's poolside has an excellent vantage point.

For our main courses, we moved to Morimoto's, located in the hotel on the second level. We sampled several fish dishes all delicious and a melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu filet that was to die for! (The next day I had lunch at Morimoto's sushi bar and had an equally enjoyable experience!)

For dessert, we moved to the hotel's bar, The Study. During the day, the entry is closed off with what actually looks like the wall of a study. Then at 5 PM, it opens up to reveal the bar.

I was expecting a noisy, hip bar where you couldn't hear yourself think, but it is a very, very relaxed space, with live music and a great drink menu. We sampled a new dessert the pastry chef is working on, a white chocolate pannacotta with banana and dark chocolate. I am not a huge fan of white chocolate, but I ate every bite and say, “put that thing on the menu!”

I really was sad to leave, this hotel is fantastic. Great staff, great food, great space…and FREE WiFi everywhere!

I already knew there were amazing things to eat in Oahu, but now I knew that there were amazing hotels too! If you are visiting Oahu, I definitely recommend you stay at The Modern Honolulu. They are located at 1775 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, Hawaii. And if you are looking for something unique to do, how about sharking diving without the cage!!?? My most irrational fear in life is sharks. Everyone keeps telling me I need to get over it, maybe shark diving with One Ocean Diving in Oahu will be the experience that gets me over that!

During my time in Oahu for the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, The Modern Honolulu was my gracious hotel host. The remainder of my trip was sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines and despite their generosity, all opinions remain my own!

How about you? What do you like best about your favorite hotels?

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