Where to Stay Hotel rates in Hawaii remain high, but this is the off season, which means lower prices than the December through April high season. The New Otani is on the beach, near Kapiolani Park and the Waikiki Aquarium, and its restaurant, Hau Tree Lanai, is practically on the sand. Nearby, Diamond Head Bed and Breakfast is awash in the fragrances of Tahitian gardenias and puakenikeni, at the end of a drive lined with estates discreetly hidden behind royal palms and pandanus trees. An easy walk from Kapiolani Park and Sans Souci Beach, the house is nearly 50 years old and filled with family heirlooms, including the four-poster koa bed of Princess Ruth, who was reputed to have weighed more than 300 pounds. Immense trees in all directions shade the three units, each with a lanai.
All rooms have a kitchenette.
The Halekulani's two swanky restaurants, Orchids and La Mer, have considerable followings. Some look over a lagoon where dolphins leap and spin. Old-timers may miss the old Plumeria Cafe and Maile Restaurant, but the new Hoku's has better views, international cuisine and a bamboo floor. Here you can dine indoors next to an open kitchen, or in a glassed-in terrace with mountain and street views. Mr. Wong should get a medal for his rose-apple sorbet.