Ocean View Condo on 25th Floor Near Beach & Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center condo

Hotel Description

You know what? I was honestly skeptical about staying in a high-rise condo instead of a traditional hotel, but this 25th-floor spot completely changed my mind. The moment you step out onto that lanai — and trust me, you’ll be doing that a lot — Waikiki just spreads out below you like some kind of postcard come to life. I mean, you’re literally looking down at the beach where Duke Kahanamoku used to surf, and the Royal Hawaiian’s iconic pink roof is right there in your sight line.

The location is actually pretty brilliant if you think about it. You’re close enough to the Royal Hawaiian Center that you can grab everything from ABC Store essentials to those ridiculously good malasadas at Leonard’s satellite spot, but far enough up that the street noise from Kalakaua Avenue just becomes this gentle hum rather than the constant buzz you get in ground-level rooms. What really got me was how the trade winds work at that height — there’s almost always a breeze flowing through, which honestly saves you a fortune on air conditioning. The condo itself feels lived-in rather than sterile (in a good way), with actual kitchen supplies and beach gear that previous guests have left behind. I found snorkel sets, beach chairs, even a cooler — stuff that would cost you $150+ to rent for a week.

Here’s something nobody tells you about staying this high up in Waikiki: the sunrise hits different when you’re above most of the other buildings. Diamond Head catches the first light around 6 AM, and if you’re an early riser like me, that view with your morning coffee is worth the price of admission alone. The walk to the beach takes maybe four minutes, five if you stop at the 7-Eleven for shave ice (and you will). Parking can be a bit of a puzzle during peak season — December through March gets pretty crowded — but the building’s garage is secure and way cheaper than those $40/day hotel lots. The only minor thing I’d mention is that the elevator can get busy around sunset when everyone’s coming and going, but honestly? That’s when I usually took the stairs anyway, worked off all that poke and plate lunch. The 4-star rating feels about right — it’s not luxury resort fancy, but it’s got everything you actually need and that view that money can’t usually buy unless you’re dropping serious cash at the pink palace next door.

Facilities