Resort at a Glance: Aston Waikiki Beach Tower

The inviting waters of the Pacific Ocean are just steps away from the beachfront condos at the 4-star Aston Waikiki Beach Tower. Each two-bedroom suite combines the comforts of home with the service of a high-end hotel; full kitchens and in-suite laundry facilities help you maintain a daily routine, while housekeeping and nightly turndown services take a little of the work out of vacation. 

• Enjoy a sweet start with complimentary box of Godiva chocolates at check-in
• Watch the sunset from your private lanai
• Take a dip in the recreation deck’s heated pool, or relax in the hot tub or sauna
• Play games or watch movies on your in-room Playstation 3; stays include unlimited access tothe resort’s DVDNow kiosk
• Stay connected with complimentary WiFi

Waikiki, Honolulu: White-Sand Beaches, World-Class Surfing, and Luxury Entertainment

In 1911, local Waikiki kid Duke Kahanamoku beat the world record for the 100-meter freestyle swim by 4.6 seconds at an amateur swim meet—a feat so unimaginable that athletic officials refused to recognize it. But when he won an Olympic gold medal the following year, Duke became an international sensation despite them. Photogenic and frequently in the press, he was rarely seen without his surfboard, popularizing that local pastime in the press. This publicity helped turn Waikiki from a private playground for Hawaii’s ruling class into a travel hot spot as people came from all over to take surfing lessons from a celebrity athlete. Today, you can see Duke’s likeness immortalized in a bronze statue on Waikiki’s Kuhio Beach.

When they’re not surfing or sunbathing on the beach, most travelers explore the area’s busy avenues lined with everything from upscale boutiques and nightclubs to craft booths and street performers. Other attractions include the Honolulu Zoo, which houses exotic and endangered species such as sumatran tigers and white-handed gibbons, and the Waikiki Aquarium, where more than 3,500 creatures of the Pacific glide throughout glassed-in galleries.

Also nearby is one of Hawaii’s most recognizable natural landmarks, Diamond Head State Monument—a 300,000-year-old saucer formed by a single explosive eruption. Hikers can walk along a trail where molten lava once smoldered to ascend to the crater’s 560-foot-tall lip.

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