Secluded Boutique Hotel Near Waikiki Beach

Unlike some hotels in Honolulu, the Waikiki Gateway Hotel isn’t fenced in by neighboring buildings that block scenic views. Instead, a park that’s rife with palm trees and native flora encloses the boutique hotel. The vegetation provides a serene transition between it and world-renowned Waikiki Beach, located just a quarter of a mile away.

After spending a night in the private lanais of deluxe Waikiki-view rooms, in the morning you’ll enjoy a breakfast of eggs and pancakes, which is included with this Groupon. In addition to the postcard-worthy Waikiki Beach, there are plenty of other nearby attractions. Since the resort is located along Kalakaua Avenue, visitors can peruse the accessories at the nearby Luxury Row.

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

In 1911, localWaikiki kid Duke Kahanamoku beat the worldrecord for the 100-meter freestyle swim by 4.6 seconds at an amateur swim meet—afeat so unimaginable athletic officials refused to recognize it. But when hewon an Olympic gold medal the following year, Duke became an internationalsensation despite them. Photogenic and frequently in the press, he was rarelyseen without his solid-koa-wood board, popularizing the local pastime ofsurfing. This publicity helped turn Waikiki from a private playground for Hawaii’sruling class into a travel hot spot as people came from all over to take surfinglessons with a celebrity athlete. Today, you can see Duke’s likeness—completewith a board—immortalized in a bronze statue on Waikiki’s Kuhio Beach.

With the influx ofvisitors came a number of hotels and businesses, so Waikiki now has the lookand feel of an urban resort area. When not sprawled on the white-sand beaches,most travelers explore the sunny avenues lined with everything from upscaleboutiques and nightclubs to craft booths and street performers. Culturalattractions include the Honolulu Zoo,an expansive habitat that’s home to exotic and endangered species such as sumatrantigers and white-handed gibbons. Steps away,the Waikiki Aquarium is stationedalongside a living reef. Within the marine museum, more than 3,500 creatures ofthe tropical Pacific Ocean glide throughout glassed-in galleries.

It’s worth makingthe trek to DiamondHead State Monument, a300,000-year-old saucer formed by a single explosive eruption and arguablyHawaii’s most recognizable landmark. Hikers can walk down a 0.8-mile trailwhere molten lava once smoldered to ascend to the crater’s 560-foot-tall lip.

Love to travel? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for travel tips, inspiration, and photos from around the world.