Prince Waikiki

For a diving stay with the city still switched on, Prince Waikiki Hotel puts you beside Honolulu’s harbour rather than in a sealed-off resort bubble. You get sea views, direct access to the waterfront, several places to eat, and enough space around the hotel to make an evening walk feel like part of the trip rather than an errand.

The hotel’s website is available in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, which is useful when you are checking the practical details before arrival. Inside, the mood runs from the adults-only infinity pool to the quieter Library, with a full-service spa, a fitness centre and live entertainment adding options for the hours when nobody wants to discuss bottom time.

You are in Honolulu, at 100 Holomoana Street, on the seafront between Ala Moana and Waikiki. Kahanamoku Beach is about 0.5 miles away, Ala Moana Beach about 0.6 miles, and Waikiki Beach about 1.2 miles. The hotel has direct sea access, with sun loungers and parasols for the moments when you want water without committing to another full aquatic mission.

Ala Moana Beach Park is close by, as is Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Beach Park. Magic Island is around 0.7 miles away on foot, while the US Army Museum of Hawaii is roughly 0.8 miles from the hotel. Food is easy to reach beyond the hotel too: Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo is within 0.1 mile, and Chart House Waikiki and 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar are about 0.2 miles away.

The practical choice depends on how much room you want around the dive bags and how much ocean you want in the picture. King rooms suit couples who prefer one large bed, while the rooms with two queen beds make more sense for friends or family travelling together. Every category is built around an ocean or harbour view, so the outlook is part of the room rather than something you have to chase down the corridor.

If a straightforward night is all you need, the standard ocean-view rooms keep things simple. The one-bedroom suites give you a separate living area, a sofa bed and, in one configuration, two bathrooms; the two-bedroom suite is the obvious option when several adults need to share without turning bedtime into a logistical exercise. Room service runs around the clock, which matters when your appetite is operating on a different time zone.

Air conditioning takes care of Honolulu’s heat, while soundproofing and soundproof rooms are useful details when you want sleep rather than a soundtrack from the city. Rooms have a refrigerator, coffee machine, private bathroom, bath or shower, slippers, bathrobe and hairdryer. Free WiFi, a desk and streaming services cover the less glamorous business of checking messages, weather windows and the next day’s plans.

The main dining room is 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar, where modern American cooking meets island-inspired menus and an ocean view. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast from 6.30am, and the dress code is Resort Casual. Breakfast is available à la carte or as a buffet, with Asian and American choices for the first meal of the day.

Hinana Bar sits beside the pool, serving casual food and cocktails with live entertainment. Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo brings Japanese sushi made with ingredients from Hawaii and Japan; this is its only location outside Japan, a useful detail if you would rather stay on familiar culinary ground without eating the same thing every evening. Honolulu Coffee Company handles the lobby stop, with Kona coffee, pastries, cakes and desserts.

A snack bar, coffee house and bar are also part of the hotel’s food-and-drink facilities. Special-diet menus are available on request, and room service is available 24 hours. There is no need to plan every meal as a military operation, although the nearby restaurants give you an easy escape when the hotel menu has had its turn.

Three pools give you different ways to spend a non-diving afternoon. The adults-only infinity pool faces the Pacific, the saltwater pool is open to everyone, and the hot tub is there for the less ambitious form of recovery. Pool and beach towels, sun loungers and beach chairs keep the transition from water to dry land reasonably painless.

Naio Bliss is the hotel’s spa, with massages and body treatments inspired by the land and ocean. The fitness centre has treadmills, elliptical trainers, strength machines and free weights, while yoga classes offer a slower way to stretch out. After that, the Library provides a quiet corner for reading or catching up on work; computers and a printer are available there.

For the evening, the hotel offers live music and other entertainment, movie nights and temporary art galleries. Bicycle hire and local-culture tours are available, and a golf course is within about 1.9 miles. Accents and Leilow add two on-site shopping stops, so you can browse without turning the afternoon into a full Honolulu expedition.

Honolulu International Airport is about 7 miles away, with a typical drive of around 15 minutes. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk, express check-in and check-out, concierge service, luggage storage, currency exchange, an on-site cash machine and a tour desk. Car hire is available, and public-transport tickets can be arranged.

Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is by 11am. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the hotel asks for your expected arrival time in advance. The minimum age for check-in is 18. Children of all ages are welcome, with cots always available for children aged up to two; extra beds are available on request and depend on the accommodation selected.

WiFi is free throughout the hotel. On-site parking is available in a parking garage, and parking is paid. The property is wheelchair accessible, with lifts serving upper floors, toilets with grab rails and visual aids in Braille. Pets are not allowed.