I’m one lucky blog mom. As part of Allegiant Air’s Blog Your Way to Hawaii contest, I was recently able to make a magical, memorable first trip to Hawaii and bring my daughter along for the adventure. It was an amazing trip that we will both remember forever.
Our stay was hosted by the Oahu Visitors Bureau and Aqua Pacific, part of Hawaii’s first boutique hotel chain with properties on all six Hawaiian Islands- Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island, Molokai and Lanai. We had so much fun on this trip that I’d love to stay with them as we try to hit the rest of the Islands on future trips!
We stayed at the Aqua Pacific Monarch during our Oahu getaway!
My seven-year-old travel partner and I flew into Honolulu and stayed in the travel hub of O’hau- Waikiki is only 9 miles from Honolulu airport. It was awesome exploring Waikiki and we felt right at home staying at the Aqua Pacific Monarch hotel.
A 34-story condo style hotel, this is a wonderful option for families seeking an affordable landing zone for their many outdoor Hawaiian adventures. The Aqua Pacific offers a range of rooms from studios to 1 bedroom suites with views of either Waikiki or the Pacific Ocean. Many of the options offer the convenience of a kitchenette or full kitchen. With room rate starting at $125 (prices always subject to change and depend on your travel dates) you really can’t beat it!
Our spacious room was perfect is perfect for families.
Our bed was comfortable.
Every room has a large balcony for optimal views of the valleys and ocean.
Our kitchen came equipped with a fridge, dishwasher, microwave, cofee maker and dishes!
We stayed five nights in a Studio Kitchenette Partial Ocean View room. It was a basic, no-frills room that offered us all the clean and tidy space we needed to sleep, eat and map out our Hawaiian adventures for the next day. With the extra linens, blankets and a sofa couch we could have even entertained a guest. We had a nice sprawling view of the surrounding area from our large private balcony and certainly recommend booking rooms the higher the better for views.
Beautiful views of the ocean from our room.
A hospitality fee covers daily newspapers, in room coffee, WIFI, weekly manager’s reception and more hotel towels or chilled water for the beach at the lobby. We didn’t need to use it, but there is a coin-operated laundry in the building perfect for extended guests.
My daughter loved the mini waterfall in the hotel lobby of the Pacific Monarch.
The hotel lobby was welcoming with a small waterfall and super nice agents that helped us with booking rental cars and directing us to the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium, and Kalakaua Avenue. With the beaches, shops, restaurants and attractions within a 2 minute walk of our hotel, we seldom thought about parking but it is available for a fee.
The roof top of the hotel offers guests access to a pool, hot tub and sun deck offering fabulous panoramic 360 views of the city. The mountains, the ocean, the skyscrapers — all amazing views. Don’t miss the best sunsets ever!
The rooftop pool was the perfect way to end the day with amazing views of the sunset.
The sunsets were glorious! Some of the best I’ve seen!
The rooftop offers panoramic views of the city and ocean.
Breathtaking views of the ocean from the rooftop!
The Aqua Pacific houses the Jinroku Restaurant & Bar cooking up authentic Japanese cuisine, but don’t go at breakfast time – they only open for lunch and dinner. With a range of supermarkets within walking distance, such as ABC Stores and Coco Cover we chose to put our in-room kitchenette to use and save money on dining out for breakfast. There are also plenty of place to eat out from well-known chain restaurants (i.e. McDonalds, Cheesecake Factory) to hotel buffets.
The only (minor) con we encountered was a slow hotel elevator. There were lines and long waits at times due to construction. We would definitely stay at Aqua again. The location is key, the views were spectacular and the rates were extremely competitive. Having more of an apartment setting than a hotel room was cool for my daughter on I.
Background on Aqua Pacific
Just twelve years old, Honolulu-based Aqua Hospitality is Hawaii’s first boutique hotel chain. Aqua currently has a portfolio of 24 Hawaiian properties that deliver a contemporary and stylish experience without the luxury price tag.
It’s parent company Aqua Hospitality is a Hawaii-based management company founded in 2001. The company provides full-service management including sales, marketing, Internet distribution, individualized branding, reservations, as well as revenue management to maximize profitability. Currently representing 23 contemporary properties on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island, Aqua offers lifestyle full-service resorts, stylish boutique hotels, comfortable budget properties and a historic hotel within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more information on the company, individual hotels, and its three divisions of hotels – Monogram Hotel Collection, Aqua Hotels and Resorts and Lite Hotels – visit www.aquahospitality.com or call 1-808-943-9291.
Learn more about Allegiant Air flights from LAX to Honolulu here: http://thatsitmommy.com/?p=38886
* 3 Nights hotel accommodations was provided by Oahu Visitors Bureau and Aqua Pacific as part as of Allegiant Air’s Blog Your Way to Hawaii contest. All opinions expressed are my own.
