Descriptions of Aqua Hotels in Hawaii

Aqua Waikiki Pearl
Waikiki's Honolulu Prince Hotel reopened in the Fall of 2009 as the Aqua Waikiki Pearl Hotel, after a $5 million renovation. The hotel has 135 rooms, on 10 floors, and the room sizes range from 195 to 986 square feet. Located at 415 Nahua Street in Waikiki, near the "vintage tiki" style International Marketplace outdoor shopping area. The Waikiki Pearl Hotel does not have a swimming pool but it is only a couple of blocks from Waikiki Beach. One of the longest running sports bars in Waikiki, Legends Sports Pub, is located on the first floor of the Waikiki Pearl. For reservations or more information call 808-922-1616.

Aqua Waikiki Wave
The Waikiki Wave Hotel was built in 1973, and it was known as the Coral Reef Hotel until it was extensively renovated in 2007. The hotel has 247 rooms on 15 floors and room sizes ranging from 328 to 515 square feet. It is located at 2299 Kuhio Avenue, adjacent to the tropical decor, International Marketplace outdoor shopping area. The Waikiki Wave has two on-site restaurants, the Da Big Kahuna Restaurant and Tiki Lounge and the China Garden Restaurant. The Waikiki Wave does not have a swimming pool, but it is only one block from Waikiki Beach. For reservations or more information call 808-922-1262.

Best Western Coconut Waikiki Hotel
This hotel across the street from the Ala Wai Canal is located on the corner of Lewers Street and Ala Wai Boulevard, about three blocks from the new Waikiki Beach Walk Shopping Mall and the Duke Kahanamoku Beach section of Waikiki Beach. It has 81 rooms on 10 floors and room sizes ranging from 250 to 1000 square feet. Amenities and facilities on the property include a small swimming pool, a fitness center, and barbecue grills. Located at 450 Lewers Street. For reservations or more information call 808-923-8828.

The Equus
The Equus Hotel is a small, moderately priced, boutique hotel located across Ala Moana Boulevard from Waikiki Beach, in an area sometimes called the "Gateway to Waikiki". The hotel has 67 rooms on 10 floors, one elevator, a small swimming pool, and room sizes ranging from 280 to 660 square feet. The Equus is on the west end of Waikiki, and within walking distance of many attractions including Ala Moana Beach Park, Ala Moana Shopping Center, the Hawaii Convention Center, Fort DeRussy Park, Duke Kahanamoku Beach, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort, the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, and the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. The Equus Hotel was previously known as the Polo Inn and it has an equestrian and Ralph Lauren polo inspired theme and decor. Located at 1696 Ala Moana Boulevard. For reservations or more information call 808-949-0061.

Oceanfront Aqua Lite Hotels

Two of the hotels in Aqua's budget hotel category have beautiful locations, across the street from Waikiki Beach, with unobstructed views of the ocean. These hotels are ideal for the budget traveler seeking an inexpensive, no frills room, as close to the beach as possible.

Park Shore Waikiki
The Aqua Park Shore Hotel has one of the best locations in Waikiki, across the street from the Honolulu Zoo and Kapiolani Park on one side and the Prince Kuhio Beach and Queens Surf Beach sections of Waikiki Beach on the other side. The hotel also has a freshwater swimming pool, a Starbucks Coffee Shop, an ABC convenience store, and two restaurants, Lulu's Waikiki Surf Club and Yoshitsune Japanese Restaurant. The Waikiki Park Shore has 226 rooms in two towers, one 18 stories high and one 14 stories high. Most of the rooms have spectacular views of the Waikiki Beach, Diamond Crater, or both. The hotel was built in 1968 and last renovated in 2001. Located at 2586 Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. The hotel is ideal for families because it has a swimming pool and it is within a block or two of both the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium. For reservations or more information call 808-923-0411.

Aqua Waikiki Beachside
Aqua Waikiki Beachside Hotel is an affordable hotel with a great oceanfront location that is closer to the center of Waikiki then the above Park Shore. It is situated across Kalakaua Avenue from the Prince Kuhio Beach section of Waikiki Beach and it sits between the Waikiki Circle Hotel and the luxurious Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Hyatt Shops Mall. The Waikiki Beachside is a 12 story, 78 room hotel with room sizes ranging from 197 to 244 square feet. It was built in 1966 and renovated at a cost of $7.4 million in 1991. The hotel has no swimming pool but it is located across the street from one of Waikiki's best and safest swimming beaches. At one time there were plans to turn the Waikiki Beachside Hotel into a luxury condominium property called the Royal Kai Lani but the last I heard, those plans have been scrapped, or at least put on indefinite hold. Even so, it would be wise to ask if any construction is in progress when you book your room (and of course this is a good question to ask when booking any hotel). For reservations or more information call 808-931-2100.

Other Aqua Lite Hotels

The "Aqua Lite" line of hotels features inexpensive, but clean and comfortable hotel rooms that are especially suitable for budget travelers, families, seniors living on retirement incomes, and those who would rather spend their Hawaii vacation dollars on tours, attractions, activities, dining, and event tickets.

Waikiki Marina Hotel
This moderately priced, high-rise hotel at 1700 Ala Moana Boulevard is situated next to, and directly behind, Aqua's Equus Hotel. The Waikiki has 103 rooms on 40 floors, and all of the rooms are all about 350 square feet in size and have kitchenettes. On-site facilities include a swimming pool and a tennis court. onsite swimming pool and tennis court The hotel is across Ala Moana Boulevard from Waikiki Beach and it is within walking distance of Ala Moana Shopping Center, Ala Moana Beach Park, Fort DeRussy Park, the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon Beach, the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, and the Hawaii Convention Center. For reservations or more information call 808-942-7722.

Aqua Island Colony
This moderately priced hotel near the Ala Wai Canal is the tallest, and one of the largest, hotels in Waikiki with 740 rooms on 44 floors. Room sizes ranging from 308 to 570 square feet. Amenities and facilities on the property include a swimming pool, a hot tub, and a convenience store. Located about three blocks from Waikiki Beach, at 445 Seaside Avenue. For reservations or more information call 808-923-2345.

Former Aqua Hotels in Hawaii

WAS: Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel
NOW: Sold to Rockbridge in January of 2014
ADDRESS: 2299 Kuhio Avenue, Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu island

WAS: Aqua Continental Surf
NOW: Viva Hotel Waikiki
ADDRESS: 2426 Kuhio Avenue, Waikiki, Honolulu
The former Aqua Continental Surf Hotel located at at 2426 Kuhio Avenue is now known as the Viva Hotel Waikiki. When it was the Aqua-branded Continental Surf hotel it was a low priced hotel popular because of its location only two short blocks from Waikiki Beach. Most of its rooms were about 160 square feet in size but it had a few larger suites from 400 to 1000 square feet. The Aqua Continental was a basic hotel, with small rooms with no lanais, but its low price and close proximity to Waikiki Beach made it a good choice for budget travelers more concerned about price then amenities.

When Aqua acquired management contracts for two outer island hotels, they added a new category called "Aqua Hawaii Resorts". Aqua had two hotels in this category, the Hotel Wailea on Maui Island and the Hotel Molokai on Molokai Island. Note that those two hotels are no longer marketed under the Aqua brand.

Hotel Molokai | Molokai Island | No Longer Managed by Aqua |
The only hotel on Molokai was operated and manged by Aqua at one time. The Hotel Molokai is located at Kamiloloa Beach, adjacent to Hawaii's only barrier reef, in the town of Kaunakakai on the rural island of Molokai. Moderately priced. 53 rooms on 2 floors with room sizes from 228 to 432 square feet. The Hotel Molokai has been the only hotel on Molokai Island since the Molokai Ranch shut down all of its operations, including their two hotels, in the Spring of 2008

Hotel Wailea Resort and Spa | Maui Island | No Longer Managed by Aqua |
Hotel near the ocean that was formerly known as the Diamond Hawaii Resort and Spa, and later as the Aqua Wailea Resort and Spas, and bow branded as a Relais and CVhateaux hotel. 72 rooms in 2-story buildings on 15 acres of land in the hills overlooking the Wailea Resort. All of the rooms are 900 square feet in size and they all have private lanais and kitchenettes. Amenities and facilities include a swimming pool, landscaped grounds with a waterfall and a koi pond, and the award winning "Capische?" Italian Restaurant. Guests also have signing privileges for food, drinks, and shop purchases at the Grand Wailea Resort. Located at 555 Kaukahi Street in South Maui. For reservations or more information call 808-874-0500.