Over the years, I’ve raved about the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu, my favorite hotel on the island of Oahu. Today, I’m sad to report about a shooting and suicide that occurred at the hotel over the weekend. Terror at Kahala Hotel As Gunman Barricades Himself In Room On Saturday evening, the Honolulu Police […]
Swimming With Dolphins In Hawaii – Kahala Dolphin Quest Review
One thing that makes the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu unique is its on-site dolphins, which have delighted children and adults for decades. My son had the chance to experience the Kahala Dolphin Quest program during our last visit and I offer the review below. Kahala Dolphin Quest Packages The Kahala has six dolphin […]
Review: Kahala Hotel & Resort Honolulu (Dolphin Lanai Room)
Another great stay at the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu solidifies my conviction that there is no better hotel on the island of Oahu. This review will cover a Kahala Dolphin Lanai room. Kahala Booking When you book the Kahala via American Express Fine Hotel & Resorts, you receive a number of benefits including […]
Review: Kahala Hotel & Resort Honolulu (Suite)
It’s always a joy to return to the Kahala in Honolulu. While little has changed from my two prior reviews, I was upgraded to a beautiful suite during my recent visit, which merits an updated review. You can read my full 2016 review here and 2018 review here. I’ll share about this experience more colloquially […]
The Kahala: Still a Treasure in Honolulu
I took my wife to The Kahala for our brief trip to Hawaii last week. It remains my favorite hotel on the island. No full review is necessary because the hotel has not changed much from my last review four years ago. > Full Review: Kahala Hotel & Resort – Honolulu If you read me regularly, […]
Review: Kahala Hotel & Resort – Honolulu
If I am going divert from staying in a chain hotel in which I can earn and redeem points, the alternative has to be very, very compelling. Although Honolulu has a wide assortment of chain hotels including three great beachfront Starwood properties and a comfortable Hyatt Regency, my hotel choice is the Kahala Hotel and […]
Review: Hyatt Regency Bali
The Hyatt Regency Bali is an aging hotel, but I would argue a hotel that is aging gracefully. Bali is full of luxe properties at excellent prices and so you might be tempted to overlook this one, but I would not do so…I had a lovely stay. This will be a photo-intensive review, because it’s […]
My Top 10 Hotel Stays In 2020
As 2020 draws to a close, it is time for my annual “Top 10” series. Here, I’ll look back on my 10 favorite hotel stays from 2020. As a reminder, this is not a top-1o all-time list , but only my hotel stays in this travel-compromised year. A confession. I stayed in only 11 hotels […]
Do Hawaiian Residents Hate Tourists?
Let me begin this discussion by stating that I pose the question below in all sincerity and in the spirit of learning. Recent Live and Let’s Fly posts on tourism in Hawaii have elicited viral responses, with the comments from Hawaiian residents overwhelming negative. Do Hawaiian Residents Hate Tourists? Notice I use the word resident […]
Introduction: My Son’s Hawaii Initiation
With my wife busy and the little one still in the womb, my three-year-old son Augustine and I took an opportunity to spend a couple days in Hawaii. It was a short but extremely satisfying trip and a great Hawaii initiation for him. Each year my parents vacation on Oahu during the month of February. […]
Coming Up: New Trip Reports
For the last few months I have held off on publishing new trip reports. But it’s time to start clearing the backlog. In what seems like ages ago but was only late March, I made the choice to stop publishing new trip reports. With the world starting to shut down but COVID-19 still not a […]
Is It Proper For Adults To Order Off The Kid’s Menu?
This discussion came up in the context of my review of the Park Hyatt Aviara yesterday and I think it is an interesting question. Should Adults Be Able To Order Off The Kid’s Menu? I’m asking this generally, though we can narrow this down to the context of a fine hotel for purposes of this […]
My Top 10 Hotel Stays In 2019
As 2019 draws to a close, it is time for my annual “Top 10” series. Here, I’ll look back on my 10 favorite hotel stays from 2019. As a reminder, this is not a top-1o all-time list nor does it even contain the 10 most luxurious or expensive hotels I stayed at this year. Rather, […]
Delta Sends The Mailman To Hawaii
A retired Georgia mailman has been offered the dream trip of a lifetime thanks to his neighbors and Delta Air Lines. Jennifer Brett, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, caught wind that beloved postal carrier Floyd Martin was retiring after two decades on the same route in Marietta, Georgia. On his last day, the whole […]
Review: Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach (Family Ocean Suite)
Yesterday I reviewed the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Today, I want to separately review the family ocean suite, perfect for a family traveling together. For all I rave about the Kahala, if you are on a budget and wish to balance luxury with affordability, the family suites provide a great solution for families […]
Review: Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach
The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach has been a family favorite for many years. The refreshed rooms and central location make this a location worth considering and my favorite Hyatt property in Honolulu. During my trip to Hawaii last month I had the chance to spend a few nights here. Today I’ll review a standard partial […]
My Top 10 Hotel Stays In 2018
As 2018 draws to a close, it is time for my annual “Top 10” series. Here, I’ll look back on my 10 favorite hotel stays from 2018. As a reminder, this is not a top-1o all-time list nor does it even contain the 10 most luxurious or expensive hotels I stayed at this year. Rather, […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: May 13, 2018
Greetings from Tokyo Narita. I’ve been overseas the last several days and will provide further details on my trip tomorow. Over the last week, United has announced network updates including changes in Mexico service and a re-tooling of its Newark and Washington hubs. We also learned of new service fees coming to Alaska Airlines and […]
Great Hotel Concept: Hospitality Suite
What happens when you check-in and your hotel room isn’t ready or you check-out but are not ready to leave the hotel? The Kahala in Honolulu provides a great solution: a hospitality suite. I wrote about my recent stay at the Kahala last week and how I exchanged a quadruple upgrade for a noon checkout […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 29, 2018
Greetings from the fairly remote Las Padres National Forrest about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles. It was special weekend for me: my brother is getting married next week and this weekend was his bachelor party. Heidi, don’t worry…it has been a very calm weekend. We’re in a lodge-style house. Our big activity was not […]
