Stephanie Serino's Travel Blog

The Royal Hawaiian was my home in Honolulu on my recent trip to Hawaii. This Starwood hotel is part of The Luxury Collection . Click here for my Slideshow . What I loved: Great location in the heart of Waikiki Beach, this landmark luxury hotel is perfectly situated on a lovely stretch of sand with awesome views of Diamond Head. Beach service: All beaches on Oahu are public and serving alcohol is not permitted, but the Royal Hawaiian was grandfathered in allowing beach service in a roped off section of the beach. Fabulous décor: Recent restoration updated the style while retaining the classic features (like the hand-carved doors). Sensational luau. This ocean-front dinner show called Aha'aina was truly a 'Royal Celebration' with first-rate talent and a delicious sit-down meal. What I liked less: Small rooms. This historic property opened in 1927. Guest rooms are small and bathrooms are very small. Consider a suite. Small pool, but exchange privileges w...

I've been too busy on the Big Island to post until now, my last morning in Hawaii. Here's a summary of my itinerary here: Thursday, April 29. Breakfast at JW Marriott Ihilani (with resort tour) and then flight from Oahu to Kona on the Big Island. Welcome to the Fairmont Orchid (love the Deluxe ocean-view room here) and dinner at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel (with resort tour). Friday, April 30. Breakfast at Waikoloa Beach Marriott (with resort tour) and lunch at Sheraton Keauhou Resort (with resort tour). A little break was scheduled for shopping in Kona Town, but I managed to arrange a resort tour of the stunning Four Seasons Hualalai instead (sorry Mom). Then we had a resort tour of Hapuna Beach Prince , and a superb dinner at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (with resort tour). Saturday, May 1. At 6am, Blue Hawaiian picked me up for my two-hour "Big Island Spectacular" Helicopter Tour and it was amazing! I took a million photos and a little video but haven't even l...

We are at the Honolulu Airport waiting to board our flight to the Big Island. Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Orchids at Halekulani (the coconut cake was divine). Then we celebrated our last night on Oahu with a delicious lavender-cucumber Mojito at RumFire , the ocean-front hot spot at the Sheraton Waikiki . The moon was full, the breeze was as refreshing as the drink, and the view of Waikiki Beach was sensational. It's a 45 minute flight to Kona on the Big Island. We check into the Fairmont Orchid and then head to dinner at Mauna Lani Bay .

I had an amazing experience on the Island Seaplane Tour of Oahu. I took one million photos, click here for the Slideshow . Enjoy our Happy Landing!.

Aloha! Greetings from the Royal Hawaiian , A Luxury Collection Resort on Waikiki Beach. It's a beautiful day in Honolulu. It's a beautiful property and my room is lovely. This is my first Pink Palace hotel experience (but I hope it won't be the last). Last night we enjoyed the Royal Hawaiian Luau Aha'aina which is an amazing dinner show. The Samoan Fire Dancer was my personal favorite. We've been touring resorts since 6am this morning. So far, we've seen the Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki, the Westin Moana Surfrider and the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Next stop, Trump International. And tomorrow, I will ride a Seaplane.

My trip to Hawaii has been confirmed for April 26-May 3! I'm really excited to stay at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu and the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island. The itinerary is manic; we tour three or four resorts per day. Highlights of the trip will be: having dinner at the new Trump International , and the Halekulani (both with resort tours). On the Big Island, I'm arranging a private tour of the Four Seasons Hualalai . I'll try to make time to visit Pearl Harbor and the volcano too. I'll be posting details and photos here, so stay tuned.