HALEKULANI POOL, WAIKIKI BEACH, OAHU, HAWAII

The pool at the Halekulani on Waikiki beach is beautiful. It’s always perfectly heated, oval shaped,  just a short wall over from the mellow but constant party at the shore. (I think the Halekulani might actually be the closest Waikiki hotel to the shore.) And the really cool part is the intricate mosaic of an orchid on the bottom, made from 1.2 million pieces of imported South African glass tile. They say you can see it sparkling as you fly over the island of Oahu.

It’s an almost subtle, beautiful touch and once you’re in the Halekulani pool, it feels pretty much like any pool. The tiles below can be eye catching and twinkly and fun to dive down to run your fingers over. And it’s the perfect refresher on a warm island afternoon. But what’s really spectacular at the Halekulani (besides that awesome location) is the attention to beauty and detail. It’s as if the entire place were built to serve and impress you, whoever you are.  At the pool and throughout Halekulani, there are personal attendants and aesthetic delights at the ready –  chilled pool towels, a fruit salad comprised of exquisitely sculpted balls of melon and a smattering of fresh basil? A magazine or CD while you lounge poolside? They’ll bring it and when they do, it’s going to look (or smell, taste or feel) spectacular.

You can rent a sweet ride like a Bentley or Maserati  (or stay in one of the $7,000 per night suites and have it included with your room) and they’ll stock it with your favorite snacks and soft drinks or give you directions to the Obama’s favorite shaved ice stand. You can have a couples massage treatment with local Hawaiian ingredients, or even host a private dinner party with a menu created exactly to your tastes by the executive chef. Or, you can spend your day lazing by the brilliantly reflective orchid-bottom pool. Whatever you decide, the staff at the Halekulani is going to do everything they can to make sure you enjoy it.