# Imperial Waikiki



## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

Well next Sunday, 8-23, we have our staycation at the Imperial. According to the Lt, Governor we may have a stay at home order starting next week so we’ll have to see if that affects us, if it happens.

it’s really only a couple of blocks from where we live but I am taking a couple days off and we were going to go a couple places to eat. We hoped to enjoy the pool but we’ll have to see if it is even open.

Shouldn’t be too many people there so we hoped to get a nice view. At least it will be a change of scenery for us.

I plan to try to call the Wednesday or Thursday to try to get some information from them.

Weather has been great here so I am kind of looking forward to this so hopefully we’ll still be good to go.

Here’s some pictures from today at our place.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 16, 2020)

slip said:


> Well next Sunday, 8-23, we have our staycation at the Imperial. According to the Lt, Governor we may have a stay at home order starting next week so we’ll have to see if that affects us, if it happens.
> 
> it’s really only a couple of blocks from where we live but I am taking a couple days off and we were going to go a couple places to eat. We hoped to enjoy the pool but we’ll have to see if it is even open.
> 
> ...



Hi Slip,

We usually stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but we have stayed at the Imperial for a few weeks a number of years ago.  It was not the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but I understand that they have gone through or are going through a major renovation so it may be much improved.  
The pool is on the roof, so if it is windy during the winter months it can be uncomfortable to be up there wet.  Since this is the summer it should be fine.   The one thing that was very impressive about the Imperial was the 26th floor community room.  There are some excellent closeup views of the Ocean from there.   I hope the Coronavirus hasn't made that room off limits!

I do have a story about the 26th floor community room during our 2011 stay there.  Back then you were able to reserve the penthouse community room which has a full kitchen for a party or get together when you stayed there without a cost.  Well the night of March 10, 2011 we did.  We had met real Aboriginies from Australia who performed at the annual Honolulu Festival the previous year and kept in contact with them.  They were in Honolulu to perform at this years Honolulu Festival starting the next day.  We invited them as well as some local Hawaiians that we know up to the 26th floor for a wine, beer, home made salad and 5 trays of lasagna dinner. 

Things were going along fine when we started to run out of beer.   So my husband went down around 9 PM to the ABC store on the ground floor of the building to get more.  Well when he got there they told him they were closed and going home because there was a Tsnuami Warning due to the major Earthquake in Japan.  He came upstairs and notified everyone.  Well the Aboriginies said they had to go back to their hotel to shelter immediately.   We gave them a tray of left over lasagna and they left.  Since our timeshare was on the 16th floor of the Imperial we could shelter in the buidling and didn't have to leave.  However, I was nervous since the previous year we were in Kauai when a Chile Earthquarke caused a Tsunami and we were mandated to leave since we were on the first floor of the Lawai Beach Resort Building.  The Hawaiians invited us up to the safety of their house on a hill over looking Honolulu.  So we went with them for the night bringing a tray of the leftover lasagna.  

An Unforgettable Night at the Imperial.


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

I used to own at Imperial. Rooms are fairly small, since the place was built as a hotel and condo complex in the 70s.  The unit views are ok, but frankly are nothing remarkable. The best views are from the Owners Lounge at the top of the building. I think it's one floor below the rooftop pool deck.  Well worth making your way up there.  Be aware the elevators are pretty slow, so  it can take some time to get up or down.  The Staff are wonderful, and will do everything they can to accommodate you.

The ABC Store next to the Lobby is very big, quite well run, and (when I was there) was stocked quite well with a surprising variety of items. On the other side of the Lobby, the Denny's restaurant provided typical fare that you'd expect from that chain.  Beach access is convenient - down the block and cross Kalia Road, go to the Ewa side of the hotel at the end of Lewers (may be the Halekulani? I think that's the name), and there is a beach access walkway to the sand.  Easy to use.

Once at the beachfront, the boardwalk walkway toward the Hilton takes you along the water to that area.  Stop at the Hale Koa beachfront bar for a beverage - it's run by the military, but is open to the public.  Great place to watch the Friday night fireworks at the Hilton. If it's open, the Outrigger Reef hotel on the Diamond Head side at the end of the beach access walkway had a great beachfront bar and restaurant.  Their Happy Hour was pretty great.

All in, Imperial was a great place to use as a base camp for exploration of the Island, mostly due to its great location.  Not sure how much you'd be doing of that, given where you live.  But it'll be a nice diversion from your day to day life.

Have a great time!

Dave


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 16, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I used to own at Imperial. Rooms are fairly small, since the place was built as a hotel and condo complex in the 70s.  The unit views are ok, but frankly are nothing remarkable. The best views are from the Owners Lounge at the top of the building. I think it's one floor below the rooftop pool deck.  Well worth making your way up there.  Be aware the elevators are pretty slow, so  it can take some time to get up or down.  The Staff are wonderful, and will do everything they can to accommodate you.
> 
> The ABC Store next to the Lobby is very big, quite well run, and (when I was there) was stocked quite well with a surprising variety of items. On the other side of the Lobby, the Denny's restaurant provided typical fare that you'd expect from that chain.  Beach access is convenient - down the block and cross Kalia Road, go to the Ewa side of the hotel at the end of Lewers (may be the Halekulani? I think that's the name), and there is a beach access walkway to the sand.  Easy to use.
> 
> ...



I agree with your review of the Imperial and the area.  What you refer to as the Owner's Lounge I called the Penthouse Community Room.  We stayed there on an RCI exchange since we do NOT own at the Imperial but as long as we were staying there we had access to that area.  However, during the Coronavirus a number of the things you mentioned may not be available.  The Owner's Lounge, the Hale Koa Beachfront Bar, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Fireworks.  Also, the Beaches seem to be month to month as far as Open or Closed.


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> I agree with your review of the Imperial and the area.  What you refer to as the Owner's Lounge I called the Penthouse Community Room.  We stayed there on an RCI exchange since we do NOT own at the Imperial but as long as we were staying there we had access to that area.  However, during the Coronavirus a number of the things you mentioned may not be available.  The Owner's Lounge, the Hale Koa Beachfront Bar, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Fireworks.  Also, the Beaches seem to be month to month as far as Open or Closed.



Your post came in as I was typing mine.  I don't have any idea what's open or closed right now, so my comments were meant as best-case scenario stuff.  From where Slip lives, the Imperial is so close, it's almost like they'd be staying at the neighbors house. 

Dave


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> Hi Slip,
> 
> We usually stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but we have stayed at the Imperial for a few weeks a number of years ago.  It was not the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but I understand that they have gone through or are going through a major renovation so it may be much improved.
> The pool is on the roof, so if it is windy during the winter months it can be uncomfortable to be up there wet.  Since this is the summer it should be fine.   The one thing that was very impressive about the Imperial was the 26th floor community room.  There are some excellent closeup views of the Ocean from there.   I hope the Coronavirus hasn't made that room off limits!
> ...



Excellent story and of course, the best part was no Tsnuami.

I owned at the Inperial for a few years but I always either exchanges it or rented it. But so did research what it was and it’s short comings.

We are hoping to be able to use the owners lounge and pool but things have changed rapidly and I will have to wait and see.

I booked this a few months ago because it was cheap and I always wanted to see what I had owned. Plus, I new I was only going to take a couple of days off, my commute to work is practically the same as from home.

Right now, we would be happy to be able to go up and see the owners lounge. So hopefully we can. We don’t expect too much from the units. Probably similar to our apartment. It would be nice to get an ocean view since ours at the apartment is a couple blocks away.


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

slip said:


> Excellent story and of course, the best part was no Tsnuami.
> 
> I owned at the Inperial for a few years but I always either exchanges it or rented it. But so did research what it was and it’s short comings.
> 
> ...



I'd suggest calling the Front Desk and asking if the Owner's Lounge is open for guests - if only for sightseeing. The view from the rooftop pool deck isn't as good.

Dave


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I used to own at Imperial. Rooms are fairly small, since the place was built as a hotel and condo complex in the 70s.  The unit views are ok, but frankly are nothing remarkable. The best views are from the Owners Lounge at the top of the building. I think it's one floor below the rooftop pool deck.  Well worth making your way up there.  Be aware the elevators are pretty slow, so  it can take some time to get up or down.  The Staff are wonderful, and will do everything they can to accommodate you.
> 
> The ABC Store next to the Lobby is very big, quite well run, and (when I was there) was stocked quite well with a surprising variety of items. On the other side of the Lobby, the Denny's restaurant provided typical fare that you'd expect from that chain.  Beach access is convenient - down the block and cross Kalia Road, go to the Ewa side of the hotel at the end of Lewers (may be the Halekulani? I think that's the name), and there is a beach access walkway to the sand.  Easy to use.
> 
> ...



You helped me by answering some of my questions years ago when I was looking into picking up my week there. It all worked out but I ended out just concentrating on my Kauai and the couple weeks of Maui rentals. I got rid of my Oahu and Big Island weeks a few years ago.

We had hoped to be able to stop at a couple places along the beach to get some lunch or dinner so hopefully we can still do that. Most everything else is closed, fireworks and beaches.

I’ll get some pictures so you can tell me what has changed since you and Tamaradarann have been there.


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'd suggest calling the Front Desk and asking if the Owner's Lounge is open for guests - if only for sightseeing. The view from the rooftop pool deck isn't as good.
> 
> Dave



I planned on call Wednesday or Thursday. I wanted to wait to see if the Governor was going to make any changes.


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

slip said:


> I planned on call Wednesday or Thursday. I wanted to wait to see if the Governor was going to make any changes.



Good idea.  It's been enough years since I owned there, they may have upgraded the units.  I don't expect they could have done anything about space, however.  They're pretty small. But as it stands, Imperial is best for its location.  I don't think you can get any closer to the beach in a Waikiki timeshare unless you're staying at the HHV.

Dave


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

slip said:


> We had hoped to be able to stop at a couple places along the beach to get some lunch or dinner so hopefully we can still do that.



Is Duke's open?  That was always a favorite meal stop when I was staying in Waikiki.

Dave


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Is Duke's open?  That was always a favorite meal stop when I was staying in Waikiki.
> 
> Dave



Yes, it is and that was part of our plan too. At the very least we will be closer to some places we like to go. So that will save my wife some walking.

The Ruth Chris is really close too so we may go there also.

We’re not hard to keep occupied. I have never stayed in a timeshare where I will be going to work also so that will be different for sure.


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## DaveNV (Aug 16, 2020)

slip said:


> Yes, it is and that was part of our plan too. At the very least we will be closer to some places we like to go. So that will save my wife some walking.
> 
> The Ruth Chris is really close too so we may go there also.
> 
> We’re not hard to keep occupied. I have never stayed in a timeshare where I will be going to work also so that will be different for sure.




If it's open, the P.F. Chang's on Lewers is really good.

Dave


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> If it's open, the P.F. Chang's on Lewers is really good.
> 
> Dave



I don’t know if that is open but I will check. There are a lot of places really close in that area so it will work well.

I know the Yard House is open, there is a Cheeseburger in Paradise type place there too. Giovanni’s Pastrami is there and they are all on the same block.


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## slip (Aug 16, 2020)

I took a couple more pictures from our apartment just to see where we are compared to the Imperial.

This first picture Is of the back side of the Royal Kuhio. The back side of our building is a block from the backside of the Royal Kuhio.




These two are a closeup of where the Imperial Waikiki is from our apartment. Our building is about a quarter block away from Lewers and the Imperial is on Lewers about 3 blocks toward the ocean.


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## DaveNV (Aug 17, 2020)

I'm not sure that's the Imperial.  It looks like there are unit balconies on the mauka end of the building.  As I recall, Imperial only has units on the other three sides, and nothing on the mauka side.

Dave


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## slip (Aug 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'm not sure that's the Imperial.  It looks like there are unit balconies on the mauka end of the building.  As I recall, Imperial only has units on the other three sides, and nothing on the mauka side.
> 
> Dave



I was thinking the same when I wrote on that photo but that is down Lewers and the Imperial is 27 stories high. Maybe there is a building mauka of the Imperial.  I’ll take pictures when I’m there.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 17, 2020)

slip said:


> I was thinking the same when I wrote on that photo but that is down Lewers and the Imperial is 27 stories high. Maybe there is a building mauka of the Imperial.  I’ll take pictures when I’m there.





slip said:


> Yes, it is and that was part of our plan too. At the very least we will be closer to some places we like to go. So that will save my wife some walking.
> 
> The Ruth Chris is really close too so we may go there also.
> 
> We’re not hard to keep occupied. I have never stayed in a timeshare where I will be going to work also so that will be different for sure.



With your wife's walking problems I totally understand your need to get closer to the restaurants, as well as your desire to vacation and then retire to car oriented places rather than walking type paces like Waikiki.

While we did desire the opposite, this Corona Virus is now having us thinking differently.  We are so glad to be in car oriented Long Island rather than Waikiki so we don't need public transportation, don't walk or ride elevators near anyone, can drive our cars right up to where we want to go, have no problems parking.  

The world has changed, at least temporarily.  Perhaps it will NEVER be the same again and we will never be the same again.


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## slip (Aug 17, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> With your wife's walking problems I totally understand your need to get closer to the restaurants, as well as your desire to vacation and then retire to car oriented places rather than walking type paces like Waikiki.
> 
> While we did desire the opposite, this Corona Virus is now having us thinking differently.  We are so glad to be in car oriented Long Island rather than Waikiki so we don't need public transportation, don't walk or ride elevators near anyone, can drive our cars right up to where we want to go, have no problems parking.
> 
> The world has changed, at least temporarily.  Perhaps it will NEVER be the same again and we will never be the same again.



Yes, this was cheap and I am taking advantage of some weeks that would never be available as bonus weeks. My wife’s walking problems were exactly what I was thinking of. Too bad the beaches got closed. It would have been nice to sit out there a couple days. 

The only change I have made because of the virus is wearing masks. It is mandatory here. Everyone has to deal with it in there own way and for many people things have changed drastically. It is going to take Hawaii years to overcome the economic impact to this.

Hopefully there will come a time when you are comfortable returning and then you can enjoy your place that you two have worked so hard for. No matter what, I’m sure at least your first visit back will not be the same as you remember it being. Hopefully it will get back to normal over time.

I have been watching the bonus week section for more Oahu weeks in case the inter-island ban is still in force over Thanksgiving. We planned on two weeks on Molokai then. If we can’t go, I will try to at least look for one week on Oahu again. I still have 4. Onus weeks left anyway.


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## slip (Aug 18, 2020)

We had a little rain tonight so you know what that means.


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## DaveNV (Aug 18, 2020)

That's pretty cool, and pretty perfectly located;  It's right over top of the Rainbow Drive-In.  How did you do that?  

Dave


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## frank808 (Aug 19, 2020)

slip said:


> I was thinking the same when I wrote on that photo but that is down Lewers and the Imperial is 27 stories high. Maybe there is a building mauka of the Imperial.  I’ll take pictures when I’m there.


Could that be the Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk resort that you circled is the Imperial?  From your home the Wyndham is before the Imperial building.  Right across the street in your second photo on the right edge is the Hokulani.  In front of the Hokulani is the Halekulani on the beach (top right edge of your photo).


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## slip (Aug 19, 2020)

frank808 said:


> Could that be the Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk resort that you circled is the Imperial?  From your home the Wyndham is before the Imperial building.  Right across the street in your second photo on the right edge is the Hokulani.  In front of the Hokulani is the Halekulani on the beach (top right edge of your photo).



Yes, I believe that’s right. I really can’t see the Imperial because of the building in front of it. I’ll take a picture when I’m right there on Sunday or Monday. Those two are very close together and Imperial is blocked from my straight on view.


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## slip (Aug 22, 2020)

Well, I started my long weekend and we check-in to the Imperial tomorrow. We decided to make a reservation at Ruth’s Chris for Monday evening.  It’s really close to the Imperial and we haven’t been there. I tried to go when I arrived last year when I was by myself but couldn’t get in until after 9pm on a Tuesday.

We checkin at 4pm and we are just going to bring some snacks since we will be eating out or doing some takeout more this week.

I’ll post some pictures after we checkin.


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## slip (Aug 23, 2020)

Just checked into the Imperial. There are some people here. We did pretty good with a room. We were upgraded to a one bedroom two bath, 1807. A little higher would have been nicer but the owners lounge is open until 5pm. I headed up there before it closed and no one was there. I’ll post a couple videos of that later.

Here’s a few of our unit.


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## DaveNV (Aug 23, 2020)

You got lucky with that unit.  It looks like it's a Hala? On the makai end of the building? Definitely upgraded since I was there last.

How were the views from the Owner's Suite?  Looks like it was a really nice day.

Dave


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## slip (Aug 23, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> You got lucky with that unit.  It looks like it's a Hala? On the makai end of the building? Definitely upgraded since I was there last.
> 
> How were the views from the Owner's Suite?  Looks like it was a really nice day.
> 
> Dave



Yes, I agree, we were upgraded. Yes, we are on the Makai side. I’ll have to look at the name of the unit. It has been upgraded since I owned here also. I only owned a studio. 


The elevators weren’t slow. They are about the same as our building. Not bad anyway.

I will be posting pictures of the owners lounge. I took a couple short videos out on those Lanai’s up there.

DW decided Denny’s was fine for tonight so I will post those after dinner. We are going to grab a couple things at the ABC store before we head up to the condo.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Here’s some pictures of the Owners lounge on the 26th floor. I’ll post the videos after I upload them. I may do a video of the inside of the owners lounge tomorrow.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Here’s the first video of the first lanai at the owners lounge. I will make one of the inside tomorrow. We ended out at Denny’s not the Yard House for dinner.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Here’s a short video of the oceanfront Lanai in the Owners Lounge.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Looking at the book in our unit, our unit looks like a Koa unit. The Hala was listed as a two bedroom. This unit has two queen beds in the bedroom though and it has a pull out queen in the sofa so it sleeps six. It does have two full baths.

Either way, we are happy. They had the air on when we arrived and we haven’t needed that in our apartment because of the trade winds that blow right through the unit. Here you don’t get the breezes so we will use the a/c. That’s fine with us because the unit is very quiet. I’m sure it’s quieter now since there aren’t as many people in Waikiki too. Our apartment definitely has more noise since we keep the windows open everyday.

So tomorrow is Ruth’s Chris for dinner. Don’t know about the rest. My wife’s back was bothering her today so hopefully she will get a good nights sleep and feel a little better in the morning.

We enjoyed the lanai tonight and will enjoy our morning coffee out there tomorrow.


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## DaveNV (Aug 24, 2020)

slip said:


> Looking at the book in our unit, our unit looks like a Koa unit. The Hala was listed as a two bedroom. This unit has two queen beds in the bedroom though and it has a pull out queen in the sofa so it sleeps six. It does have two full baths.



Yes, sorry - Koa, not Hala.  Oops, my error.    I owned a Palm unit, (1br 2ba, sleeps 4) which was a good size for us.  We stayed there a number of times, and traded it a few times too.  (Got 56 TPU in RCI for a deposited Christmas week.  Great trader!)

Nice videos from the Owners Lounge.  The views are as great as I remembered. The weather looked to be excellent, too.

Did you ever figure out the name of the building in that one image you'd thought was the Imperial?

Dave


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Yes, sorry - Koa, not Hala.  Oops, my error.    I owned a Palm unit, (1br 2ba, sleeps 4) which was a good size for us.  We stayed there a number of times, and traded it a few times too.  (Got 56 TPU in RCI for a deposited Christmas week.  Great trader!)
> 
> Nice videos from the Owners Lounge.  The views are as great as I remembered. The weather looked to be excellent, too.
> 
> ...



No I didn’t look when we pulled up but what I circled is where it is. I just can’t see it from my apartment because of that building in front. I do believe it’s the Wyndham Beachwalk though. I’ll see today.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Yep, it was the Wyndham Beachwalk. In the picture where I circled the Imperial, that was the Beachwalk with the Imperial right Behind it. Because my apartment building is straight behind it, we can’t see the Imperial but that is where it’s at.


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## slip (Aug 24, 2020)

Here’s a couple of the lobby in the Imperial.






The ABC store in the same building as the Imperial is great like DaveNV said. They even have Dole Whip.


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## DaveNV (Aug 24, 2020)

You can't go wrong with Dole Whip. 

Dave


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## amycurl (Aug 24, 2020)

OMG, the Dole Whip machine is AWESOME.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Ruth’s Chris was excellent. I had the Ribeye and my wife had the Seafood Tower. We are outside and we were the only ones out there. Great evening to eat outside. My wife went in to use the rest room and she said it was busy inside.

Great week so far. We are definitely enjoying the lanai. Tomorrow we may take some drinks it’s to the owners lounge and enjoy the lanai up there.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Got a quick picture of the sun before it went behind the building.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 25, 2020)

slip said:


> Ruth’s Chris was excellent. I had the Ribeye and my wife had the Seafood Tower. We are outside and we were the only ones out there. Great evening to eat outside. My wife went in to use the rest room and she said it was busy inside.
> 
> Great week so far. We are definitely enjoying the lanai. Tomorrow we may take some drinks it’s to the owners lounge and enjoy the lanai up there.
> 
> View attachment 25368View attachment 25369View attachment 25370View attachment 25371View attachment 25372View attachment 25373View attachment 25374View attachment 25375


The Food Looks Great.  We have walked by there hundreds of times but never ate there.  During NORMAL times there is a farmers market on Tuesdays and Thursdays right below where you were on the artificial grass lawn.  Also, on the same lawn they occasionally have free music events, and in March during the Honolulu Festival there are music performances all day long on Saturday and Sunday in a tent with a stage and chairs to see the performances.

If you recall the story about the 2011 Tsunami in Honolulu that I previously told on TUG.  Well as I said we were staying at the Imperial right across the street at that time.  On Sunday night after the Tsunami Jeff Shumubucoro, a world renowed virtuoso ukulele player, organized and performed a free fundraiser on the lawn in the tent that was set up for the Honolulu Festival, for the victims of the Tsunami.   We attended and received an autographed CD of his for a donation of any amount.  Since then we have seen him perform many times in Honolulu as well as on Long Island near where we live.


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## Luanne (Aug 25, 2020)

@slip did you try the sweet potato casserole at Ruths' Chris?  I didn't see it on the table.   The few times we've gone that has been a must for us. We even found a copy cat recipe on the internet and younger dd has made it a few times for Thanksgiving.


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## DaveNV (Aug 25, 2020)

slip said:


> Great week so far. We are definitely enjoying the lanai. Tomorrow we may take some drinks it’s to the owners lounge and enjoy the lanai up there.



You can't go wrong with the Owner's Lounge at the Imperial.  The individual room views are what they are.  That Owner's Lounge being up higher like that give the best views in the building, I think. 

Glad you're enjoying yourself.  It's a nice place to stay.

Dave


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 25, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> You can't go wrong with the Owner's Lounge at the Imperial.  The individual room views are what they are.  That Owner's Lounge being up higher like that give the best views in the building, I think.
> 
> Glad you're enjoying yourself.  It's a nice place to stay.
> 
> Dave



I certainly agree with you.  It is not only being up higher it is the fact that you have 270 degree views the individual rooms give you maybe 90-150 degree of views.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Late started to today. Lots of work emails to get through and then had a FaceTime call with my son, so that was great.

Since we have the Stay at home order starting on Thursday. We will just enjoy the rest of our time here at the Imperial. We are both really enjoying the owners lounge and the our lanai. It feels good to get some sun.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> I certainly agree with you.  It is not only being up higher it is the fact that you have 270 degree views the individual rooms give you maybe 90-150 degree of views.



It is really nice and we haven’t seen anyone else up there each time we went.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> You can't go wrong with the Owner's Lounge at the Imperial.  The individual room views are what they are.  That Owner's Lounge being up higher like that give the best views in the building, I think.
> 
> Glad you're enjoying yourself.  It's a nice place to stay.
> 
> Dave



This has worked really nice for us. My wife has been happy on a different view and having a few things really close. We have mostly stayed around here but she is enjoying everything and she doesn’t have to go far.

It has been worth it even though it was only a few blocks away.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> The Food Looks Great.  We have walked by there hundreds of times but never ate there.  During NORMAL times there is a farmers market on Tuesdays and Thursdays right below where you were on the artificial grass lawn.  Also, on the same lawn they occasionally have free music events, and in March during the Honolulu Festival there are music performances all day long on Saturday and Sunday in a tent with a stage and chairs to see the performances.
> 
> If you recall the story about the 2011 Tsunami in Honolulu that I previously told on TUG.  Well as I said we were staying at the Imperial right across the street at that time.  On Sunday night after the Tsunami Jeff Shumubucoro, a world renowed virtuoso ukulele player, organized and performed a free fundraiser on the lawn in the tent that was set up for the Honolulu Festival, for the victims of the Tsunami.   We attended and received an autographed CD of his for a donation of any amount.  Since then we have seen him perform many times in Honolulu as well as on Long Island near where we live.



We were actually going to see him at the Blue Note but it was canceled with COVID. I have seen some music being preformed in that grassy area but never saw the Farmer Market. I was just probably not there on those days.

I was thinking of going to Roy’s since it is right across the street but I see they are closed. Today, we just grabbed lunch at the deli in the ABC store.


----------



## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Luanne said:


> @slip did you try the sweet potato casserole at Ruths' Chris?  I didn't see it on the table.   The few times we've gone that has been a must for us. We even found a copy cat recipe on the internet and younger dd has made it a few times for Thanksgiving.



Unfortunately no, I ended out getting one of their specials. They did have a more limited menu. The special was a choice of salad, choice of steak and one side, then a choice of desert. My was $69. I chose the creamed spinach. I had heard good things about it also. I do like spinach and it was good. I would try the sweet potato casserole as I like that too.

We enjoyed it a lot. It was great that it was right across the street so it was great for my wife to walk to. We really like the Aloha Steakhouse which is just down the block on Lewers. It is more of a local business. So I can see us going to another Ruth’s Chris on a different island. Definitely work a trip back.


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

We stopped at the ABC store deli for lunch and brought it up to the lanai. I had the French Dip and my wife had the Chicken Curry plate lunch. They have a great variety there.


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## DaveNV (Aug 25, 2020)

slip said:


> We stopped at the ABC store deli for lunch and brought it up to the lanai. I had the French Dip and my wife had the Chicken Curry plate lunch. They have a great variety there.



I think that particular ABC Store is my favorite one of all.  Probably the widest variety of stuff of any of them I've been to.

Dave


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 25, 2020)

slip said:


> We were actually going to see him at the Blue Note but it was canceled with COVID. I have seen some music being preformed in that grassy area but never saw the Farmer Market. I was just probably not there on those days.
> 
> I was thinking of going to Roy’s since it is right across the street but I see they are closed. Today, we just grabbed lunch at the deli in the ABC store.



That farmer's market started around 4 PM till 8 PM.  With the virus around I don't think they are having it.  On Friday night we have seen a few of the litle 1 hour concerts that he does from his home.  l


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## slip (Aug 25, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> That farmer's market started around 4 PM till 8 PM.  With the virus around I don't think they are having it.  On Friday night we have seen a few of the litle 1 hour concerts that he does from his home.  l



Farmers Markets have still been going on. There is one at the Longs on Kalākaua but now with the stay at home order starting Thursday, I’m sure they will all be shut down for at least two weeks.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 26, 2020)

slip said:


> Farmers Markets have still been going on. There is one at the Longs on Kalākaua but now with the stay at home order starting Thursday, I’m sure they will all be shut down for at least two weeks.



We have been to that one also.  Perhaps with the pandemic some have closed or joined up with others since some vendors have dropped out due to low sales.  Without many tourists everything in Waikiki has a great deal less customer traffic.


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## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

We went to the YardHouse tonight after work. It’s right below the Ruth’s Chris so a nice close walk. Since tonight is the last night before the Stay at Home Order, it was really busy. With the order done in is stopped for at least two weeks. They told us it would be an hour and it took 45 minutes to get a seat. We sat indoors since it was the first available. It was another beautiful night but we didn’t want to wait longer.

My wife had the Fried Chicken Sandwich and I had the CrabCake Sandwich. Both were delicious. We both only had half and brought the rest home. My wife got a Bread Pudding to go also.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 27, 2020)

slip said:


> We went to the YardHouse tonight after work. It’s right below the Ruth’s Chris so a nice close walk. Since tonight is the last night before the Stay at Home Order, it was really busy. With the order done in is stopped for at least two weeks. They told us it would be an hour and it took 45 minutes to get a seat. We sat indoors since it was the first available. It was another beautiful night but we didn’t want to wait longer.
> 
> My wife had the Fried Chicken Sandwich and I had the CrabCake Sandwich. Both were delicious. We both only had half and brought the rest home. My wife got a Bread Pudding to go also.
> 
> ...


We have been to Yard House many times.  They have some excellent strong 8-10% Belgium Ales and Chocolate Stouts which we love.  We like to get there at the begining of Happy Hour which is 2:30-5:30 and get one of the few seats outside which is usually great for people watching.  We start with a couple of brews which are a couple of dollars off, then some more brews with 1/2 price appetizers, then move on to either some more appetizers or some thing off the dinner menu.  Nice place and nice location.


----------



## AnnaS (Aug 27, 2020)

Very nice!!! Love the views.  Thank you for sharing - great pictures.  Not only do you have a different location, but you have some great/different views to look at!


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## CalGalTraveler (Aug 27, 2020)

Thanks @slip for sharing. I am traveling virtually through you. Especially enjoying the view photos since I am in smoky Calif.

We have stayed many times at HHV and I run by the Imperial and the restaurants close-by. Nice to see an alternative view of the city. Now I know which ABC store is the best!

I am amazed by the street photo outside Ruth Chris'. Honolulu appears deserted! Can't wait to get back to Hawaii and normalcy.


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## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks @slip for sharing. I am traveling virtually through you. Especially enjoying the view photos since I am in smoky Calif.
> 
> We have stayed many times at HHV and I run by the Imperial and the restaurants close-by. Nice to see an alternative view of the city. Now I know which ABC store is the best!
> 
> I am amazed by the street photo outside Ruth Chris'. Honolulu appears deserted! Can't wait to get back to Hawaii and normalcy.



Mahalo
Yes, hopefully you are safe from the fires.

This ended out to be just as I had hoped. Nice different view, close to some different places for us and it was really cheap to do. I have a could more bonus weeks, I’ll be looking while all this is going on. There are a few different places for us to check out.

Yes, Waikiki is deserted and it was even worse going into work today since the stay at home order started at midnight. Traffic was extremely light and not many people walking. Hopefully, inter-island travel will be lifted by Thanksgiving and I can get back to Molokai. Otherwise, I’ll try to use the bonus weeks for at least one of the two weeks I have left for vacation.


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## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> Very nice!!! Love the views.  Thank you for sharing - great pictures.  Not only do you have a different location, but you have some great/different views to look at!



Yes, we really enjoyed that and being able to sit on the lanai. It was real convenient for my wife. She even got out during the day.


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## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> We have been to Yard House many times.  They have some excellent strong 8-10% Belgium Ales and Chocolate Stouts which we love.  We like to get there at the begining of Happy Hour which is 2:30-5:30 and get one of the few seats outside which is usually great for people watching.  We start with a couple of brews which are a couple of dollars off, then some more brews with 1/2 price appetizers, then move on to either some more appetizers or some thing off the dinner menu.  Nice place and nice location.



The Happy hour and the Stay at Home Order starting was why it was so busy. Plus that they aren’t at full compacity either. I usually get home from work at about 5pm so we weren’t going to make Happy Hour. 

They have a good variety and the food is good. I’m not much into the craft beers but I like their lite and medium Lagers.

I think they had 5 tables outside and I think that is normal. All the other benches around where full, plus some people sitting in the grass. The wait was so long many people left but many of the other restaurants in that area were closed. Not even open for takeout.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 27, 2020)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks @slip for sharing. I am traveling virtually through you. Especially enjoying the view photos since I am in smoky Calif.
> 
> We have stayed many times at HHV and I run by the Imperial and the restaurants close-by. Nice to see an alternative view of the city. Now I know which ABC store is the best!
> 
> I am amazed by the street photo outside Ruth Chris'. Honolulu appears deserted! Can't wait to get back to Hawaii and normalcy.



I totally concur with you thoughts here.  Only our thinking would state the last line, "Can't wait for Hawaii to get back to normalcy so we can go back."


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 27, 2020)

slip said:


> The Happy hour and the Stay at Home Order starting was why it was so busy. Plus that they aren’t at full compacity either. I usually get home from work at about 5pm so we weren’t going to make Happy Hour.
> 
> They have a good variety and the food is good. I’m not much into the craft beers but I like their lite and medium Lagers.
> 
> I think they had 5 tables outside and I think that is normal. All the other benches around where full, plus some people sitting in the grass. The wait was so long many people left but many of the other restaurants in that area were closed. Not even open for takeout.



I know your beer drinking taste.  However, what I don't know is do your like chocolate and your coffee sweet.  Some of the beers we love the best are some Chocolate, Coffee, or Coconut Stouts or Porters.  The Imperial ones are even better than the regular ones.  They go down so easy you don't think you are even drinking beer.


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## linsj (Aug 27, 2020)

slip said:


> We went to the YardHouse tonight after work.
> 
> My wife had the Fried Chicken Sandwich and I had the CrabCake Sandwich. Both were delicious.



I just had the crab cake sandwich with fruit and Diet Coke at Yard House, here in Chicagoland. But I would have preferred eating it in Hawaii! I normally go there for the turkey burger, but it's gone from the menu.

Thanks again for taking us along for the ride when we can't get there.


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## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

linsj said:


> I just had the crab cake sandwich with fruit and Diet Coke at Yard House, here in Chicagoland. But I would have preferred eating it in Hawaii! I normally go there for the turkey burger, but it's gone from the menu.
> 
> Thanks again for taking us along for the ride when we can't get there.



Glad you enjoyed it.

That was the first time I had the CrabCake Sandwich. I was going to order the Fried Chicken Sandwich like my wife but that was huge.


----------



## slip (Aug 27, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> I know your beer drinking taste.  However, what I don't know is do your like chocolate and your coffee sweet.  Some of the beers we love the best are some Chocolate, Coffee, or Coconut Stouts or Porters.  The Imperial ones are even better than the regular ones.  They go down so easy you don't think you are even drinking beer.



Both my wife and I like Dark Chocolate. I drink my coffee with cream and a little sugar. I only drink coffee at home while on vacation and I drink it at work about three times a week.

I was a big beer drinker in my youth. More for quantity not quality. When I drink now it is only one or two and I’m done.

Tonight we are just going to finish up some leftovers and then we have to decide what we want to do for takeout on Friday.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 27, 2020)

slip said:


> Both my wife and I like Dark Chocolate. I drink my coffee with cream and a little sugar. I only drink coffee at home while on vacation and I drink it at work about three times a week.
> 
> I was a big beer drinker in my youth. More for quantity not quality. When I drink now it is only one or two and I’m done.
> 
> Tonight we are just going to finish up some leftovers and then we have to decide what we want to do for takeout on Friday.



Slip,
Well there are some really good Dark Chocolate Stouts and Porter that I have had which would make you and your wife's head spin it is like drinking a Dark Chocolate Drink.  We don't drink more than one or two either once a while 3 over 3 or 4 hours with plenty of food.  When the Beers are between 8-10% alcohol they pack a punch.  I was a Rhingold and Schaefer beer drinker back in the 60's,70's and 80's.  These were NY beers and you probably had different ones in Wisconsin)   My son-in-law was a specialty beer drinker, even before there were craft beers when no one else was in the 90's.  Him and his friends would go on a special beer tasting weekend where they each would buy and bring a beer they thought was good like Harp or Bass which now are common beers and they would vote on the best.  When my Daughter started dating him he got me into a better grade of beer and I looked for craft beers when they started to be developed.  There are craft beers that are lighter with a yellow or gold taste.  But as the saying goes "once you go black, you never go back"


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

Awesome takeout sale at Aloha Steakhouse so we couldn’t pass it up.


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## dsmrp (Aug 29, 2020)

@slip I've enjoyed reading about your restaurant eating exploits as we will likely stay in same vicinity very soon. Thx!

I've been looking in II, but the Imperial only comes up as a getaway, or are at the wrong dates for us. Will keep it in mind for future Honolulu visits.


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

dsmrp said:


> @slip I've enjoyed reading about your restaurant eating exploits as we will likely stay in same vicinity very soon. Thx!
> 
> I've been looking in II, but the Imperial only comes up as a getaway, or are at the wrong dates for us. Will keep it in mind for future Honolulu visits.



If you have any questions about what’s open before you come, just shoot me a message.

Aloha Steakhouse is two blocks from the Imperial and I noticed the PF Chang’s was closed when I walked by. I know some of these places won’t reopen. So thinks will be changing.

I was very happy to see Aloha Steakhouse was very busy when I picked up my order. They even ran out of the Tomahawk Ribeye. So they seem to be doing ok through this.

I really expect this two week stay at home order to be extended two more weeks but we’ll see.

We have one more day to enjoy here and we will spend some time on the lanai in the owners lounge tomorrow.

This was nice for me since I used to own here but never made it here during the years I owned. The units are small but it is Waikiki and my wife and I are used to it now. We feel our 750 so/ft condo on Molokai is huge now when we go there.


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## DaveNV (Aug 29, 2020)

dsmrp said:


> @slip I've enjoyed reading about your restaurant eating exploits as we will likely stay in same vicinity very soon. Thx!
> 
> I've been looking in II, but the Imperial only comes up as a getaway, or are at the wrong dates for us. Will keep it in mind for future Honolulu visits.




If it helps, the Imperial rents directly, too. Great if you only need a night or two.  Just check their website. www.imperialofwaikiki.com

Dave


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

Had a nice takeout breakfast from Denny’s this morning. They were very busy. People waiting outside and cars pulling up for orders.

Now we’re enjoying a beautiful morning on the lanai. We’ll go up to the owners lounge in a bit.


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## dsmrp (Aug 29, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> If it helps, the Imperial rents directly, too. Great if you only need a night or two.  Just check their website. www.imperialofwaikiki.com
> 
> Dave


Thx, however I just made a HGVC reservation for the Hokulani farther inland on Lewers.  Good way to use up my outstanding points.

The Hokulani requires their guests to be Hawaii residents or have completed the 14 day quarantine. I'm glad I called them, and had them verify that a boarding pass is acceptable proof of having passed quarantine. Otherwise we have nothing else as proof. Like others, we never got anything, even an email from the state, letting us know we had officially finished quarantine. They were not staffed or maybe as organized.

Now as of Sept 1, a new Safe Travels app will go in to effect. I don't know details, but heard visitors will get a QR code.  








						Travelers flying into Hawaii will be required to complete Safe Travels application
					

The Safe Travels application, starting Tuesday, will become the newest mandatory requirement for travelers flying into Hawaii.




					www.staradvertiser.com
				




 Would be nice if they got some kind of official confirmation after the 14 days.


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

dsmrp said:


> Thx, however I just made a HGVC reservation for the Hokulani farther inland on Lewers.  Good way to use up my outstanding points.
> 
> The Hokulani requires their guests to be Hawaii residents or have completed the 14 day quarantine. I'm glad I called them, and had them verify that a boarding pass is acceptable proof of having passed quarantine. Otherwise we have nothing else as proof. Like others, we never got anything, even an email from the state, letting us know we had officially finished quarantine. They were not staffed or maybe as organized.
> 
> ...



The Hokulani is also in a great location and will be nice for getting around the area. Aloha Steakhouse is right across Kalākaua on Lewers.


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

We have the owners lounge all to ourselves. Feels great to get some sun.


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## slip (Aug 29, 2020)

Here’s another video from the Owners Lounge.


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## frank808 (Aug 30, 2020)

dsmrp said:


> Thx, however I just made a HGVC reservation for the Hokulani farther inland on Lewers.  Good way to use up my outstanding points.
> 
> The Hokulani requires their guests to be Hawaii residents or have completed the 14 day quarantine. I'm glad I called them, and had them verify that a boarding pass is acceptable proof of having passed quarantine. Otherwise we have nothing else as proof. Like others, we never got anything, even an email from the state, letting us know we had officially finished quarantine. They were not staffed or maybe as organized.
> 
> ...


Hokulani is not that far away from Imperial.  It is on the other side of Lewers and at intersection of Kalakaua.  Maybe 130 yards away from Imperial.

When we returned from CONUS in July,  I did the check in at the arrival gate.  The person took my paperwork and called my phone to make sure it worked.  I did not get a call, email or any contact from the state during the 14 day quarantine.   We did abide by it and had food delivered to us.  Just thought it strange that we had no contact regarding the quarantine.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 30, 2020)

dsmrp said:


> Thx, however I just made a HGVC reservation for the Hokulani farther inland on Lewers.  Good way to use up my outstanding points.
> 
> The Hokulani requires their guests to be Hawaii residents or have completed the 14 day quarantine. I'm glad I called them, and had them verify that a boarding pass is acceptable proof of having passed quarantine. Otherwise we have nothing else as proof. Like others, we never got anything, even an email from the state, letting us know we had officially finished quarantine. They were not staffed or maybe as organized.
> 
> ...



I read the details it seems if the system works the Hawaii Officials will be able to see that you did complete the 14 day quarantine since it will show your arrival date and todays date.  While I believe they will be using it to remind you during your 14 day quarantine period that you need to quarantine, I don't know if it will be or act as the official confirmation that you want and need since logic and customer service is sometimes not a strong point with systems that are set up by computer programers that are not customer service oriententered.   

However, with all the rave about this new system it won't do what most visitors want which is a method to avoid the 14 day quarantine.


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## TheHolleys87 (Aug 30, 2020)

Oh Jeff, your report and photos make me hope even more that our 2021 late-December trip to Hawaii happens! Thanks!


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## slip (Aug 30, 2020)

TheHolleys87 said:


> Oh Jeff, your report and photos make me hope even more that our 2021 late-December trip to Hawaii happens! Thanks!



Mahalo, I hope you can make your trip too. As long as you don’t have to quarantine or if you do, you have some weeks to enjoy afterward, Hawaii is still an awesome place to visit and enjoy. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 30, 2020)

slip said:


> Mahalo, I hope you can make your trip too. As long as you don’t have to quarantine or if you do, you have some weeks to enjoy afterward, Hawaii is still an awesome place to visit and enjoy. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.



If they are still fooling around with the 14 day quarantine for visitors without coming up with a system to get tested before you fly so you don't have to quarantine in December 2021 you won't have to worry about making your trip to the awesome place that Hawaii is.  It won't be anything like it was.  I have no idea what it will be like but it won't be anything like it was.  Already Honolulu is a shell of itself and it has only been 5 months.  In another 16 months?


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## slip (Aug 30, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> If they are still fooling around with the 14 day quarantine for visitors without coming up with a system to get tested before you fly so you don't have to quarantine in December 2021 you won't have to worry about making your trip to the awesome place that Hawaii is.  It won't be anything like it was.  I have no idea what it will be like but it won't be anything like it was.  Already Honolulu is a shell of itself and it has only been 5 months.  In another 16 months?



 
I didn’t notice the 2021.

When ever it first opens up Honolulu will not be like you remember. It’s going to take a long time to recover but the people and the island are still the here and worth the trip.


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## slip (Aug 30, 2020)

Well, we made the long three block ride home.  I’m glad we got our grocery shopping done so now we can relax after our staycation.


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## DaveNV (Aug 30, 2020)

slip said:


> Well, we made the long three block ride home.  I’m glad we got our grocery shopping done so now we can relax after our staycation.
> View attachment 25671




It's a struggle, isn't it?  LOL! 

Dave


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> It's a struggle, isn't it?  LOL!
> 
> Dave





slip said:


> Well, we made the long three block ride home.  I’m glad we got our grocery shopping done so now we can relax after our staycation.
> View attachment 25671View attachment 25672



Hi Slip, Your 3 long block drive home from where?


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## slip (Aug 30, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> Hi Slip, Your 3 long block drive home from where?



The Imperial is only about three Blocks from our apartment. We live on Ala Wai.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 30, 2020)

slip said:


> The Imperial is only about three Blocks from our apartment. We live on Ala Wai.


 I know but did you park at the Imperial or did you take a cab?


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## slip (Aug 30, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> I know but did you park at the Imperial or did you take a cab?



I had my car at the Imperial because I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 31, 2020)

slip said:


> I had my car at the Imperial because I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.



How much is the parking at the Imperial?  We are such crazy walkers there is no way we would have brought a car and paid for parking.  I am not suggesting that you do what we would have done because I know you roll differently.  We certainly believe in the saying "different strokes for different folks" which was restated in a song by the Stylistics in the 70's, "To each his own, that's my philosophy, I don't know what's right for you, you don't know what's right for me". 

I am bringing this up to illustrate how we roll and ultimately why we will not be going back to Honolulu for quite sometime since, the way it is now, does not jive with how we roll.  The way things are now we actually have considered getting a car in Waikiki if we go back.  That would certainly be prohibited in our budget, but we don't think we could exist there the way it is now for months like we usually do without a car.  

This is a comparable example since the Wailana, where we own, is approximately the same distance away from the Imperial as your apartment.  I know you had luggage and I am sure that the way we pack we would have had more luggage than you did so getting the luggage to the Imperial would have been a challenge.   I also know your wife has trouble walking.   In addition you might have brought some breakfast or lunch food or snacks from the apartment (certainly we would have).  So my husband would have dropped me off with the luggage and food, and then parked the car at the apartment and walked back.  When he had to go to work each morning he would walked to the apartment to get the car and then each night parked it there and walked back to the Imperial. 

We have been able to afford to vacation on a retirement budget in Honolulu for approxmately 3 years in total nights out of the last 12 years staying in timeshares and never getting a car but walking or using the bus.  We have always felt safe walking and taking the bus any time of the day or night and, of course, catching the Coronavirus was not a concern.  Things have changed and unfortunately we have to change our path also.


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## slip (Aug 31, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> How much is the parking at the Imperial?  We are such crazy walkers there is no way we would have brought a car and paid for parking.  I am not suggesting that you do what we would have done because I know you roll differently.  We certainly believe in the saying "different strokes for different folks" which was restated in a song by the Stylistics in the 70's, "To each his own, that's my philosophy, I don't know what's right for you, you don't know what's right for me".
> 
> I am bringing this up to illustrate how we roll and ultimately why we will not be going back to Honolulu for quite sometime since, the way it is now, does not jive with how we roll.  The way things are now we actually have considered getting a car in Waikiki if we go back.  That would certainly be prohibited in our budget, but we don't think we could exist there the way it is now for months like we usually do without a car.
> 
> ...



I checked our confirmation and parking was $25 a day there. So my plan was similar to what you said but I was going to park the car at the Imperial the days I worked. But, when we checked in they said parking for the week was $100. I don’t know if that was because there wasn’t many people there or if that is what they usually charge. Like I said the confirmation said $25 a day.

Anyway, I was fine with that and just parked it there all week. It was definitely worth the convenience for us to just hop in and go when ever we wanted. We did go to the store and took a ride a couple times. We never did go back to the apartment the whole week. 

I could have taken the bus to work, I could actually take the bus to work every day but I like the convenience of having the car even though it is expensive. I just renewed my annual registration and it was $383 compared to, I think it was $75 the last time I paid it in Wisconsin.

If I were you, I would definitely get a car and come in the winter. Sure, it will be different than what you are used to but before this last shutdown museum’s were open even the Blue Note was having venues. So I am sure things will be opening up again even if they are limited. You certainly won’t be sitting by your pool in the winter. So even if you didn’t want to go out you can still enjoy the nicer weather. 

Before we moved here, I was looking for a used car to buy to keep at our condo on Molokai and I am sure I would have bought one if I was still in Wisconsin. It would have been really convenient. To me that would be worth the extra cost.

If you did come and try having a car, you may find that you enjoy it. You will still probably walk a lot of places. I still do, mostly because parking is a pain but there is a lot to be said for the convenience and freedom of having a car at your disposal. While traffic is a pain, it is still a time saver and you wouldn’t be limited to bus schedules. To me, it would be worth the extra cost to be able to use the condo and enjoy Hawaii even though it is different. Everywhere is different right now anyway. Like you said a different strokes thing.

One thing that I may be changing  my thinking about is working and retirement. I really planned on working until 62 and I am really thinking about 60 or sooner. While I could retire now, At 57, I know I will be better off if I work a few more years. But we don’t know what the future will be so we’ll see how it goes.


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## Tamaradarann (Aug 31, 2020)

slip said:


> I checked our confirmation and parking was $25 a day there. So my plan was similar to what you said but I was going to park the car at the Imperial the days I worked. But, when we checked in they said parking for the week was $100. I don’t know if that was because there wasn’t many people there or if that is what they usually charge. Like I said the confirmation said $25 a day.
> 
> Anyway, I was fine with that and just parked it there all week. It was definitely worth the convenience for us to just hop in and go when ever we wanted. We did go to the store and took a ride a couple times. We never did go back to the apartment the whole week.
> 
> ...



I agree with you about the last paragraph.  We retired at 59 and never regretted it.  I also agree with you about driving and not taking the bus to work.  You would at least double your commuting time and while your working time is very scare.  I drove 47 miles each way into 
Queens which is a borough of NYC for 12 years which was sat least 1.5 hours each way if there was no rain (2 hours at least in the rain).  But it was at least an hour less each way than the (car to the train/train to Queens/Bus to Job trip)

Now for reasons for our not going to Honolulu:

 - While we will be shutting the pool down next month and have never spent a winter in New York since we retired in December 2008.  We certainly feel safer here than we would in Honolulu and the absence of a car is certainly one of those things.  If we moved there and did have a car we would want to bring our newest car with us.  However, the way things are right now we don't know if we want to ever move there so we certainly wouldn't want to bring our car.   We have lived with cars for over 50 years so we certainly don't need to try out living with a car.  It does have its convienience.

- We don't have any bedroom furniture in our condo.  

- We are very close on money right now supporting 2 places.  We do have the money saved for bedroom furniture but that is it.   Therefore we would not want to take on any additional expenditures.

- In the Condo we would have to pass people everytime we left the apartment and the building.  Here we never pass people.  We either get stuff delivered or we order food on line, drive to Sam's or ShopRite, they bring the food out in a cart to our car, we put it in the car, and drive home.  We bring the stuff right into the house all without any contact or being near other people.  

- The weather in Honolulu in the winter certainly is attractive.  However, what made us love Honolulu was all the stuff we did which included restaurants and live shows.  We could but we don't go to restaurants here in NY right now.  Going to Honolulu is not worth the risk.

Until there is an effective vaccine we will NOT be going back to Honolulu.  As I have said before we are SAFE and happy on Long Island.









would no


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## amycurl (Aug 31, 2020)

Jeff, I think your strategy about retirement is sound. I'm sure you wake up most work mornings and hear Molokai calling your name on the wind.  As long as you have a job that you still enjoy, are being paid well, and where you feel relatively safe vis a vie the virus, I stay stick with it until one of those three things change. And no one's job is ultimately secure these days, so you may face "forced" retirement sooner rather than later. I've had two close friends get laid off recently, one's a young 50s engineer; the other, a tenure-track PhD college professor in her late 30s, who would have gotten tenure at the end of this academic year. So not the "service industry" folks that have been hardest hit. This might be shaping my thinking on your situation somewhat.


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## slip (Aug 31, 2020)

Tamaradarann said:


> I agree with you about the last paragraph.  We retired at 59 and never regretted it.  I also agree with you about driving and not taking the bus to work.  You would at least double your commuting time and while your working time is very scare.  I drove 47 miles each way into
> Queens which is a borough of NYC for 12 years which was sat least 1.5 hours each way if there was no rain (2 hours at least in the rain).  But it was at least an hour less each way than the (car to the train/train to Queens/Bus to Job trip)
> 
> Now for reasons for our not going to Honolulu:
> ...



Yep, A 47 mile each way commute would be a deal breaker for me and I would never even consider it. I know it’s common and I even saw it in rural Wisconsin.

I haven’t talked to much about COVID here on TUG. It’s too much of a personal choice and not a one size fits all. But I am glad we were able to move here and at least live a year where we dreamed of being. Who knows what the future holds so we’re enjoying every part of now.


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## CalGalTraveler (Aug 31, 2020)

My approach is similar to @amycurl. My DH is 61 and I am in my late 50s. After many years in private industry, I have been embarking on a "next stage" career in higher ed. The work is intellectually stimulating and I enjoy the camaraderie.

My DH and I can afford to retire as soon as our youngest graduates college next year. Once the job isn't fun anymore, or my DH is forced to retire and he wants to travel more. I will retire too. Spending weeks/months in Hawaii is on my bucket list when we retire.


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## slip (Aug 31, 2020)

amycurl said:


> Jeff, I think your strategy about retirement is sound. I'm sure you wake up most work mornings and hear Molokai calling your name on the wind.  As long as you have a job that you still enjoy, are being paid well, and where you feel relatively safe vis a vie the virus, I stay stick with it until one of those three things change. And no one's job is ultimately secure these days, so you may face "forced" retirement sooner rather than later. I've had two close friends get laid off recently, one's a young 50s engineer; the other, a tenure-track PhD college professor in her late 30s, who would have gotten tenure at the end of this academic year. So not the "service industry" folks that have been hardest hit. This might be shaping my thinking on your situation somewhat.



Yes, I have heard Molokai calling my name since we bought the condo. 

And not to make light of anyone’s situation but I am not lucky enough to get the “forced retirement “. They would pretty much have to close the whole Hawaii region for them to eliminate my job. Our corporation just went through a large regionalization and many local Presidents and VP’s have lost their jobs. I am sure there are more to come but my department when through that last year already. The company has a standard severance package for these things and if it happened to me, I would take it and run.

While it still wouldn’t be perfect, it would be enough for me to call it quits. We can actually live pretty reasonably, even here in Hawaii. Most of the activities we enjoy are free or practically free.

I have never been much of a worrier and I’m not into second guessing myself or even looking back and seeing what if. So for right now I am just going to ride things out and see where the things I can’t control take us.


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## slip (Aug 31, 2020)

CalGalTraveler said:


> My approach is similar to @amycurl. My DH is 61 and I am in my late 50s. After many years in private industry, I have been embarking on a "next stage" career in higher ed. The work is intellectually stimulating and I enjoy the camaraderie.
> 
> My DH and I can afford to retire as soon as our youngest graduates college next year. Once the job isn't fun anymore, or my DH is forced to retire and he wants to travel more. I will retire too. Spending weeks/months in Hawaii is on my bucket list when we retire.



You two have a plan and I hope it pans out for you. We’ll have to meet up here in Hawaii when you are traveling again.


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## Fredflintstone (Aug 31, 2020)

slip said:


> Yes, I have heard Molokai calling my name since we bought the condo.
> 
> And not to make light of anyone’s situation but I am not lucky enough to get the “forced retirement “. They would pretty much have to close the whole Hawaii region for them to eliminate my job. Our corporation just went through a large regionalization and many local Presidents and VP’s have lost their jobs. I am sure there are more to come but my department when through that last year already. The company has a standard severance package for these things and if it happened to me, I would take it and run.
> 
> ...



That’s the attitude @slip. Reading your posts over the long haul tells me you are very astute. Why?
1. You took a dream and made it reality (move from WI to HI)
2. You bought a lovely but modest condo in Molokai. You did your homework and didn’t break the bank which is easy to do in HI.
3. You transferred your job to your preferred locale.

4. You work in a multinational food business. Good choice. The entire economy could go down and folks will ALWAYS need to eat regardless...


And..

I know, based on your past moves, your next move will also work well regardless of what happens.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## slip (Aug 31, 2020)

Fredflintstone said:


> That’s the attitude @slip. Reading your posts over the long haul tells me you are very astute. Why?
> 1. You took a dream and made it reality (move from WI to HI)
> 2. You bought a lovely but modest condo in Molokai. You did your homework and didn’t break the bank which is easy to do in HI.
> 3. You transferred your job to your preferred locale.
> ...



Mahalo for the kind words. I wish I could take credit for it all but I have been very lucky over my life also. Sometimes things just fall into place.


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## Tamaradarann (Sep 1, 2020)

slip said:


> Yep, A 47 mile each way commute would be a deal breaker for me and I would never even consider it. I know it’s common and I even saw it in rural Wisconsin.
> 
> I haven’t talked to much about COVID here on TUG. It’s too much of a personal choice and not a one size fits all. But I am glad we were able to move here and at least live a year where we dreamed of being. Who knows what the future holds so we’re enjoying every part of now.



The 47 mile commute each way, though uncomfortable, wasn't a deal breaker.  It was a door to door commute from my driveway to a reserved parking spot for free right next to my building.  That is rare in New York City.  I brought it up to make the point that you are totally correct to drive to work rather than take the bus.  NOTHING is more convenient and a faster total commute time than a car if you can park right where you want to for free.  That is one of the reasons that I feel that the rail is ridiculous in Honolulu as long as there is parking for free or low cost.  New York City Parking is at least $50/day or thousands a month.  Most people can't afford that kind of parking so they take the train.

I respect and appreciate your COVID position.  I will state my position and fears about the virus, but not give advice.  We are over 70 with some respiratory concerns so that staying safe if imperative.  Endangering ourselves for something that we no longer feel is paradise is certainly not worth it.  As things change significantly we will revisit our decision.  Our focus is on Fall 2021 right now even though we know it won't be the same as it was, hopefully it will be in a recovery stage and there will be a vaccine.


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## pspercy (Sep 14, 2020)

I remember right after 9/11 people semi-stranded stayed at the Imperial and some said they bought a timeshare there too as it was not at all expensive.
I think its lease or similar expires in twenty years so?


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## JulieJulie (Jan 8, 2021)

slip said:


> I had my car at the Imperial because I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.



Hi Slip,

Thank you for all of the information/postings on the Imperial.  I read through and didn't see an answer to what I am wondering.  I was just offered a two bedroom at Imperial for next February (2022).  Do you know if all of the units have a lanai that you can sit on?  And do they all have a little but of ocean view?  Or are some city view?  Normally when we go to Hawaii we book oceanfront but with an exchange that is a lot more difficult to do.  I think as long as I am guaranteed a lanai I will be happy.


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## slip (Jan 8, 2021)

JulieJulie said:


> Hi Slip,
> 
> Thank you for all of the information/postings on the Imperial.  I read through and didn't see an answer to what I am wondering.  I was just offered a two bedroom at Imperial for next February (2022).  Do you know if all of the units have a lanai that you can sit on?  And do they all have a little but of ocean view?  Or are some city view?  Normally when we go to Hawaii we book oceanfront but with an exchange that is a lot more difficult to do.  I think as long as I am guaranteed a lanai I will be happy.



Yes, they would all have a lanai but not all have an ocean view. You may get a lower floor and not get much of a view at all. But remember, you can always go to the owners lounge and use the lanai up there for the best views in the building.

Here’s the website for the Imperial. We really enjoyed it and it was close to everything.



https://www.imperialofwaikiki.com/


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## SeeMe (Jan 17, 2021)

The Hala units actually have 2 lanais.  The second bedroom is tight but overall the units are excellent especially after the soft remodel.  We had 13 of us there 4 years ago in 3 Koa units while the remodel was still in progress.  All completed now.
i have owned there for 10 years now and prior either traded on RCI or rented through Craigslist.  I loved the location and ended up buying a Koa and an Ohia unit.  I almost always go the first 2 weeks of December.
The Imperial is one ofvthe best kept secrets in Waikiki ...location, location, location and the staff is great!  I am greeted by name each year as I arrive!


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## Tamaradarann (Jan 18, 2021)

SeeMe said:


> The Hala units actually have 2 lanais.  The second bedroom is tight but overall the units are excellent especially after the soft remodel.  We had 13 of us there 4 years ago in 3 Koa units while the remodel was still in progress.  All completed now.
> i have owned there for 10 years now and prior either traded on RCI or rented through Craigslist.  I loved the location and ended up buying a Koa and an Ohia unit.  I almost always go the first 2 weeks of December.
> The Imperial is one ofvthe best kept secrets in Waikiki ...location, location, location and the staff is great!  I am greeted by name each year as I arrive!



Although we are Hilton Hawaiian Village people we have stayed at the Imperial about 3 times and liked it very much.  You can't beat the location and the staff.  We know some people that stay in the winter months and even though we aren't stay there we stop on our way back to the Hilton to say hello and visit with them on the front porch.  Do you stay there in the winter?  Do you a couple named Shirley and James from Chicago or their friend Shirley that lives near them?


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