Hotels in Hawaii have an excellent reputation, located as they are in a group of islands where everything takes a back seat to tourism. But not all fit the usual patterns, and a few may be totally off the wall.
Most accommodations fall into three categories: (1) luxurious palaces or elaborate condos plunked down next to gentle waves and golden sands, (2) modest but still pleasant choices located some distance from the shoreline, or (3) quaint bed-and-breakfasts tucked away in suburban streets or mountain rain forests.
But there are a few hotel operations that are truly different from all the others, and from each other. These more far-out entries may attract mavericks among the multitudes who visit the Aloha State.
Here are five whose philosophy, location or mode of operation set them apart from the others — and from each other. All are recommendable within their price range. Only one has a genuine golf course, and just two are on a beach –and not a great beach at that. More’s the pity, none of our favorite five are here on the island of Oahu.
THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
Kona Village Resort: Long before the Kona/Kohala Coast began to sprout with Westins, Hyatts, Hiltons and the like, a Pacific drifter and dreamer wrecked his schooner on a portion of verdant shoreline and subsequently decided to build a genuine Polynesian-theme resort on the same spot.
Instead of putting up a single building, he came up with a group of rough-looking thatched huts, but the inside of which would be equipped with every modern amenity — except for air conditioning, televisions and telephones. Thus was born the Kona Village, one of the most delightfully peaceful and comfortable headquarters in the islands.
Ownership has changed several times, and the resort has expanded considerably, but so far it has remained true to its founder’s philosophy. The little hales (pronounced HAH-lays), to use the Hawaiian word, are spread over a large acreage under coconut palms and surrounding several lagoons and ponds, all of which was once the site of an ancient Hawaiian village.
It boasts two dining pavilions and a separate luau garden, which serve excellent meals and have entertainment. Most extras — snorkel equipment and the like — are free, and for those with an aversion to salt water there are also two pools. Including three meals a day, double rates begin at $425 a night, per room, with special low rates for children.
The Volcano House: Far away on the other side of the island, this accommodation on the edge of Kilauea Crater has been welcoming visitors since the mid-1800s. This rambling wooden structure, admittedly a little creaky and antiquey, provides an opportunity for visitors to stay within the boundary of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Views on the Kilauea side, of course, are of the gigantic pit that often seems to be alive with scores of steam vents. In the past, Volcano House guests have also been treated to nighttime displays in the crater, although in more recent years lava flows have taken place in other parts of the park. Be sure to see the portrait of Pele, the Goddess of the Volcano, near the parlor fireplace. Rates begin at $85.
LANAI
The Lodge at Koele: Until a few years ago, there was only one modest hotel on this tiny dollop known in Hawaii as the Pineapple Island. Now most of the pineapples are gone and that modest inn has been joined by two others run by the RockResort organization. The more interesting choice is the 102-room Lodge at Koele.
Plunked down under pine trees in the cool center of the island, its architecture and interior decor reminds some of a grand country manor house. Its Great Hall, library, music room and trophy room are decorated with art and artifacts from around the world. It’s all very cozy, but what especially sets the Lodge apart is its role as the center for the Lanai Visiting Artists program.
The program brings internationally renowned literary, culinary and performing artists to the island for five nights at a time and includes a free talk or performance for all comers. Some of the talent has included William Styron, Garrison Keillor, Calvin Trillin and pianist Lorin Hollander. Guests and others so inclined often manage to buttonhole these people for a personal chat. Published rates begin at $325, single or double.
MOLOKAI
Molokai Ranch: They call it camping, but it’s much more comfortable than that when the guests at Molokai Ranch occupy wood-framed “tentalows” (instead of bungalows). Each features a queen-size bed, self-composting toilet, solar-powered lights and hot-water showers under an open sky.
If the ranch ever manages to get around some zoning restrictions, the canvas may someday be replaced with real roofs. Meanwhile it’s fun to wander the footpaths among the structures or up to the open-air dining pavilion, to the round corrugated-iron swimming tank, etc.
There are lots of outdoorsy activities to sign up for, including mountain biking, rodeo riding and various ocean sports. Including meals and lots of activities, rates begin at $185 per person, or $75 for younger cowpokes
KAUAI
Waimea Plantation Cottages: Lots of local folks are sentimental about life on Hawaii’s plantations in the years before World War II. Generations grew up in simple yet solidly built tropical houses built by and owned by “the company.”
Now one of these family-owned sugar companies has turned its attention to tourism. In the midst of a 27-acre coconut grove, one of its camps has been transformed into an atmospheric echo of plantation days, with 48 restored or re-created cottages of the period.
Accommodations, all including kitchens and separate bedrooms, vary widely in size and shape. Maid service is weekly. A restaurant on the property, with a new microbrewery, offers evening meals. Rates begin at $170.
Of course these are not the only Hawaiian hotels that march to a different drummer. You may find examples of antique country hotels with down-the-hall bathrooms on the Big Island, notably the Manago Hotel and the Kona Hotel. There’s even one place with no name and no electricity, which is sometimes open in the isolated depths of Waipio Valley. Some parts of Maui’s Pioneer Inn have remained the same since it opened on the Lahaina docks in 1901. (Among the posted rules: “If you wet or burn you bed, you going out.”)
Small operations of one sort or another regularly open and close on the North Shore of Oahu. And modest, family-operated enterprises anywhere might turn out to be your best vacation headquarters in the 50th state.
IF YOU GO
INFORMATION
For more information on the five Hawaiian hotels, contact the following:
Kona Village Resort, 800-367-5290 (Internet www.konavillage.com)
Volcano House, 808-967-8429
Lodge at Koele, 800-321-4666 (Internet lanai-resorts.com)
Molokai Ranch, 800-254-8871
Waimea Plantations Cottages, 800-321-2558 (Internet www.aston-hotels.com)
For a nearly complete detailed list of Hawaii accommodations (and activities), Internet surfers can check out www.discoverhawaii.com, a Web site maintained by Hawaii Business magazine.
