island crush: painted ladies

glimpses of old waikiki have become ever elusive as the years go by so i am swooning over kat reeder's dreamy illustration of the royal hawaiian hotel commissioned by starwood for its 2012 calendar. the matted print makes the most delightful souvenir if you have ever wandered along the lush garden path to be romanced by the breathtaking spanish-moorish architecture of the iconic pink palace.

why, you can almost smell the perfume of the plumerias and hear the gentle strums of a ukulele floating up from the mai tai bar.

$40 online. (fyi: additional sizes available by request.)

p.s. order by sun, nov 20th and score a complimentary trip to your mailbox with secret code freeshipping.

final boarding: sig zane x ito

. . . pop-up by interisland terminal . . .

hopefully, you are one of the lucky locals who met the sig zane 'ohana during their weeklong waikiki appearance talking story about how art, design, travel and the islands combine to influence the family of makers. if you call oahu home, the interisland travelwrights pop-up shop closes on sunday and with it your chance to scoop up limited edition offerings and other goodness (hello kites!) by the hilo label.

although distance is keeping me away (alas!), the story behind the ponoholo print debuting at ito makes me hopeful that it will become a permanent part of the collection. the starry skies that guided the native hawaiians during their navigations across the pacific are intertwined with a woven motif representing the ties that bind . . . from the canoes on which those long ago journeys were made to the connection of the zane 'ohana to their hometown.

happily, the interweb is filled with ito peeks so i gathered up a few to tempt you down to waikiki this weekend!

ito tee

hilo one duffle

ponoholo printing process

i love how screenprinting transforms a plain piece of fabric, and was delighted to discover interisland terminal posted a fascinating peek of the made in hawaii production process.

tonight, find out what sparked the creation of kuhao's art installation (6p to 8p), and remember a portion of sales from the ponoholo design benefit interisland terminal!

• when: now to sun, jun 12th
• where: waikiki parc hotel, 2233 helumoa road
• pop-up shop hours: daily, 11a to 7p
• fyi: free validated parking at hotel (valet only)

{photo credit: 1/2 - sig zane + 3/interisland terminal}

aqua coconut waikiki

aqua resorts continues to bring its updated boutique vibe to waikiki with the refreshed aqua coconut waikiki which just opened its doors a few days ago. if hotel renew was a bit too sleek for you, take a peek at the recently renovated coconut waikiki which is sporting a more approachable cheery decor and offers perks like free wi-fi, 40-inch flat screen hdtvs, complimentary continental breakfast, and, as an added bonus, the property is completely non-smoking.

the location is on lewers (near the ala wai) which is good for those who require a shopping fix when traveling (waikiki beach walk, royal hawaiian shopping center, dfs galleria & marqet are about a block away) but expect a few blocks walk to reach the surf and sand.

depending on when you go, rates start as low as $100/night in the off season and $130/night in the summertime which is a pretty sweet deal for waikiki. a few ways to save include a 12% kama'aina discount and 10% off for auto club & aarp members plus a handful of package deals for longer stays.

as of this posting, no reviews of the renovated rooms had hit tripadvisor yet but management seems to be very responsive to comments left by guests which is always a good sign.

happy traveling!

kokua festival 2008

just a quick note to let you know that the official ticket on sale for the kokua festival is tomorrow morning. joining jack johnson will be dave matthews and bandmate tim reynolds along with mason jennings and paula fuga! ticket buyers will also have the opportunity to donate $2 to offset their carbon output for the ride to the shell.

local designers setting up shop in the kokua village include keolopiko, lily lotus, marqet and mu'umu'u heaven. and, do stop by the re-use hawaii booth to learn more about the good work they are doing in the islands!

{fyi - clicking your preferred date will take you directly to ticketmaster's website to buy tix}

• on sale: sat, feb 16th - 9a hst
• when: sat, apr 20th & sun, apr 21st
• where: waikiki shell
• tix: $40 ga/$50 reserved/$125 pit

p.s. if you haven't already, pick up a copy of jack johnson's latest cd sleep through the static.

waikiki 2.0

can it be? modern design and eco-friendly in waikiki? yep, it seems aqua hotels recently unveiled hotel renew (formerly known as the ocean tower hotel in its past life) as their boutique entry into the growing green hotel movement. in addition to the in room guest recycling program, each room features a sexy dimmable lighting system (energy conservation, perhaps?), water saving fixtures in the bath, and housekeeping gets the job done with non-toxic cleaning products.

and, be still my beating heart, there appears to be a faux eames aluminum management chair in guest rooms.

amenities include a pillow menu, complimentary wi-fi, lcd televisions, organic snacks to tempt you in the mini bar, and the hotel gets bonus points for being completely non-smoking. geeks will surely want to play around with the in room computer/entertainment system that offers everything from netflix to satellite tv/radio plus a place to dock your ipod.

the hotel is located about a block from the zoo and is a short walk to kuhio beach.

introductory rates start at $149 a night through the end of year, and if you are planning a waikiki holiday be sure to inquire about the stay free package (fyi - work is still being completed in the lobby so be sure to request a room on a higher floor).

click over to tripadvisor for traveler reviews before you go.

marqet: bringing the green to waikiki

 

one of my new favorite shops is smack dab in the heart of waikiki stocked with some of the coolest organic style around. if you are trying to go green, you must stop by marqet which is filled with hard to find eco-chic labels like loomstate, stewart+brown, livity and the islands' own oaks hawaii.

they even have a house brand green collection with tees benefiting the hawaii audubon society, hawaii organic farmers association & jack johnson's kokua foundation. for travelers searching for a different kind of memento to take home, marqet's green tees are a refreshing reinvention of the souvenir that not only does a little good in the islands but also makes a little less impact on the earth with its use of organic cotton fabric and vegetable & plant dyes.

audubon society * organic farmers * kokua foundation

there is limited shopping on their website or just stop by the shop (across the street from the duty free galleria. click here for a map) the next time you are in waikiki for the full marqet experience.   

mac 24/7 diner

modern diner . . . be still my heart!

there's still a wee bit of jet lag to shake off but i rolled out of bed this a.m. to contribute to the island foodie scene with my take on mac 24/7. it's a modern diner which recently opened its doors at the soon to be hilton waikiki prince kuhio hotel and after reading a few reviews before we left i knew my fella and i would have to stop by and check it out.

the design is definitely not what you would expect to find in waikiki . . . chilewich placemats adorn the tables, modernist lighting fixtures add subdued warmth, and plasma televisions hang on the wall behind the bar. the menu is all about [m]odern [a]merican [c]ooking available 24 hours a day. many of the reviews have mentioned pancakes fit for andre the giant and i admit i was tempted, but i couldn't resist the biscuits and gravy once i spotted it on the menu.

biscuits + country gravy

the photo doesn't really do it justice but these were definitely the most artfully arranged biscuits & gravy that i have ever had the pleasure of being served. it looked like an entry in top chef. just the right amount of cheesy gravy goodness topped the biscuits which managed to stay crisp & soft.

my fella opted to try the pulled kalua pork sandwich. it was definitely delish but tasted more bbq-y to me. the most surprising item on the plate was a deep fried dill pickle. the portions of our dishes were just the right size to leave room for dessert which ended up being a warm macadamia nut bread pudding cupcake with vanilla custard sauce.

pulled kalua pork sandwich

all in all, we really enjoyed our meal and would definitely return. the ambiance delights my modernist heart, the wait staff was friendly, and, most important, mac 24/7's fancy diner food hit the spot.

mac 24/7 is three blocks from the zoo and, if you go, take note that the hotel offers free valet parking with validation from the restaurant.

bon appétit!