Bamboo Waikiki Hotel

This boutique hotel has a very tranquil atmosphere, despite its location in the middle of Waikiki. A nice pool, fresh bamboo and Buddhas sprinkled about add to its appeal, which has sort of a contemporary Asian feel. Their saltwater pool is nice with the sound of a waterfall to drown out the city noise. Because of the hotel’s relatively small size, nothing feels too distant. Service is personalized and warm. Some rooms are pretty small but well laid out, so size is less of an issue. (The building gets narrower as it goes up.) The rooms are bright and modern with hints of bamboo and dark woods. There’s a place to secure your surfboard (limited), and free fresh ground-to-order coffee and tea in the lobby 24 hours a day. Hotel-type rooms have a microwave, fridge and coffee maker—add a burner for the kitchenettes. If you’re staying on a lower floor, opt for a room facing the courtyard pool.

Overall, we like this place a lot. Rooms are 188–247 sq. ft., studios with kitchenettes are 240–418 sq. ft. Suites with kitchens or kitchenettes are 372–490 sq. ft. They do charge a cleaning fee here instead of a resort fee, probably not a good deal on shorter stays as it is $169 and up depending on room category.