White Sands Hotel

There’s often a sense around Waikīkī that the best time to visit might have been a few decades ago, before the beachfront filled in with towers. White Sands Hotel proudly declares itself to be the “last of the vintage walk-up hotels,” and it’s exactly that: a low-rise, three-story compound oriented around a palm-lined swimming pool and plentiful lounge and garden space. It’s an intentional throwback to the Seventies, when Honolulu still felt like a world apart from the continental U.S., and when laid-back bohemianism had yet to be replaced by sanitized luxury.

Needless to say, at White Sands you won’t find the same kind of extravagance you’ll find at the local luxury resorts — and you won’t miss it. Here you’ll find romance, atmosphere, and personality — and if you’re old enough to remember the real Seventies aesthetic, rest assured, this is an idealized, updated version. The hotel will hook you up with a boogie board and a beach chair if you’re after some waves, and back at the hotel you’ll be grateful for the restaurant, Heyday, a knowingly nostalgic restaurant by a couple of well-known local restaurateurs.