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The Modern Honolulu

baf99

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Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort
Blue Whale
Has anyone stayed here? I have two weeks in my GPX account that are expiring early March 2019 and can’t be extended. I cancelled a two week Kauai stay last winter, extended the weeks, and then forgot to finalize plans for a new stay. I was hoping for Maui, but that wasn’t possible at the last minute. Then two adjacent February weeks turned up at The Modern. So I decided to try it out. But there are a few questions.

GPX lists the weeks as one bedroom but the resort website and Diamond website only show hotel rooms. When I called for the reservations the GPX rep insisted that they are one bedroom. Since I can’t be too picky with my last minute reservation I went ahead and booked. Really since it’s just me going I suppose a hotel room would work. Even if a one bedroom, I think it will be a limited kitchen (as in small fridge and microwave). Maybe a one burner hot plate can be obtained but I am not sure. But I don’t usually cook much while on vacation so I should be OK.

Parking is expensive as is typical for most Waikiki locations. But, despite the Diamond affiliation, GPX said there is no resort fee. Hard to believe in these days, so I was wondering if anyone has had a different experience. When I stayed at a GPX managed resort I was charged a resort fee even though I am an owner at a different GPX resort. So, it’s hard to believe there isn’t one at a Waikiki Diamond resort.

The Modern is located next to the Ilikai which is next to the Lagoon Tower at HHV. It’s at the marina, not the beach but it should be a short walk to the HHV lagoon and the beach beyond. I’ll have to do a cost/benefit on renting a car plus parking for two weeks or just for a few days here and there. I like to do sunrise and sunset photography, hike, visit waterfalls, etc. so maybe the bus system won’t work out all that well. But for some days I will be going to places that are accessible by bus or on foot so I may just rent a car for part of the stay.


All this being said, I am looking forward to two weeks in warmth during the winter. Should be fun and a nice break from the northern Indiana cold. There were definitely a few places I missed when on Oahu before, and a few I want to revisit.
 

DaveNV

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I can't speak to the place itself, but the location sounds just right. (And even if it's a hotel room - how much time are you going to spend in the room anyway?) You're (more or less) on the beach at the end of the Waikiki development. Across the Marina is Ala Moana Park, which has a nice beach area, if the Ilikai beach area proves to be too crowded. If you've got a connection to the military, the Hale Koa hotel just Diamond Head from the HHV complex has great options, including nice restaurants. They also have a great barefoot bar open to the public right on the boardwalk.

As to renting a car, parking will be expensive, so it may be cheaper to rent on the days you need the vehicle. I highly recommend Oahu Photography Tours, as a way to get a great photography experience without having to hassle with a car. They pick you up and drop you off at your hotel, and they know all the right places to stop. Timing was perfect when we took their sunrise tour, and we got some excellent images. They now offer sunset tours, and even circle island tours, so you may be able to get the best of all worlds. Definitely worth looking into. Say Hi to Alex, the owner. https://www.oahuphotographytours.com

February will be a nice time to be on Oahu - the winter rains will be subsiding, everything will be lush and green, and the weather will be just the right temperature. You can look forward to a great time.

Have fun!

Dave
 
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geist1223

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We are going there for a week in January. We,are,suppose to have an Ocean Front room. We will see. Contact the front desk and see what appliances are in the room. They are suppose to have some they can loan you.
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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GPX lists the weeks as one bedroom but the resort website and Diamond website only show hotel rooms. When I called for the reservations the GPX rep insisted that they are one bedroom. Since I can’t be too picky with my last minute reservation I went ahead and booked. Really since it’s just me going I suppose a hotel room would work. Even if a one bedroom, I think it will be a limited kitchen (as in small fridge and microwave). Maybe a one burner hot plate can be obtained but I am not sure. But I don’t usually cook much while on vacation so I should be OK.
When I go to the website it shows 11 different accommodation types, ranging from a City View Double to a 1 bedroom Marina Ocean Front unit, and a penthouse. Each option has a floor plan.

When you get to the resort website at Diamond Resorts, and select "Accommodations" it will probably show City View Double as the default choice, but that's actually a drop down menu. When you click on the arrow, all of the other room types will appear.
 

baf99

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Blue Whale
Hmmm... The Modern website looks different than what I saw. I checked about 3 weeks ago when I was trying to decide to make the reservation and all I could see were hotel rooms. Now I am seeing the one bedroom as well. I have been burned before using the resort link on the GPX site (thinking I was going to the actual resort site and instead going to a GPX info site about the resort) so that could be what happened when I thought I went to The Modern site. The Diamond site may have been updated since or I just missed the one bedroom mixed among the hotel rooms. I now see the king standard and two double bed options along with view choices.

So hopefully the one bedroom is what I will get. I used to travel on business a lot and typically would stay all week in a hotel room and survived that--a few times even for two weeks at a time. I'm sure the hotel room would work. But a little more room to stretch out is always welcome.

Thanks for the info everyone.
 

Tamaradarann

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I can't speak to the place itself, but the location sounds just right. (And even if it's a hotel room - how much time are you going to spend in the room anyway?) You're (more or less) on the beach at the end of the Waikiki development. Across the Marina is Ala Moana Park, which has a nice beach area, if the Ilikai beach area proves to be too crowded. If you've got a connection to the military, the Hale Koa hotel just Diamond Head from the HHV complex has great options, including nice restaurants. They also have a great barefoot bar open to the public right on the boardwalk.

As to renting a car, parking will be expensive, so it may be cheaper to rent on the days you need the vehicle. I highly recommend Oahu Photography Tours, as a way to get a great photography experience without having to hassle with a car. They pick you up and drop you off at your hotel, and they know all the right places to stop. Timing was perfect when we took their sunrise tour, and we got some excellent images. They now offer sunset tours, and even circle island tours, so you may be able to get the best of all worlds. Definitely worth looking into. Say Hi to Alex, the owner. https://www.oahuphotographytours.com

February will be a nice time to be on Oahu - the winter rains will be subsiding, everything will be lush and green, and the weather will be just the right temperature. You can look forward to a great time.

Have fun!

Dave
I totally agree with the thought to rent a car only when you need it. I love the bus system. You could try the bus at first to get you to some locations for for hiking and waterfalls and see if you need to rent a car. For sunsets you may be able to see them from your window or can easily walk to the Ocean for some of the best sunsets I have ever seen. If you have your heart set on seeing and taking pictures of sunrises I would get a car or take a tour. You would need to get up and leave very early and catching the right bus or buses at say 5 AM in the dark, if they run that early to that location, to have clouds ruin a sunrise is not my idea of a good time.
 

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Info below from DRI's website includes info on parking, taxes collected, timeshare conversion, pet friendly!
DRI members cannot put a guest on the reservation nor have more than one room at a time they call it a PRIMARY MEMBER-ONLY RESERVATION RESORT. Their new hotel in St Louis is the same way, Red Lion Hotel St. Louis City Center. GPX is the only outfit I know that has access and can place names on The Modern reservations.






ALERT! Valet parking charge
Please be advised that the valet charge is $35 plus tax for each day that a guest has a vehicle parked at the resort.

ALERT! Construction Notice
On January 7, 2019, we are excited to begin construction on remodeling some units which will take approximately 3 months. Please be advised that there will be noise, dust, and a possible lack of service during this time. All work will take place during the daylight hours on higher floors and we will do our best to accommodate our guest needs. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.


Arrival Information
  • Check In/out
    • 24 hour reception
    • Check in time: 15:00
    • Check out time: 12:00
  • Charges
    • Parking and/or Transfers The valet charge is $35 plus tax for each day that a guest has a vehicle.
  • You Need To Know
    • Non-smoking resort
    • Prior to checking in:
      - The Valet charge is $35 plus tax for each day that a guest has a vehicle.
      - Minimum check-in age is 21.
      - Children are welcome, though cribs/infant beds are not available.
      - Rollaway beds are available for a fee of $75 per night (limit 1 per room) - due to size some room types will not allow a rollaway bed.
      - ADA rooms available on request.
      - There is a General Excise Tax (GET) and state imposed Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) which will be collected upon check-in.
      - Please note that this hotel is a Member-Only Resort. This means that only the Primary member can check-in at the resort. Alternate guests and Associate members may not check-in. One room per trip, and any additional rooms will be cancelled.
      - The Modern is a hotel that is being converted into a timeshare property. Although our rooms are not currently equipped with the typical amenities our members have become accustom to (refrigerators, microwaves, washer/dryer), we will do our best to deliver a memorable vacation experience. We are presently in the planning stages with the goal to renovate and refresh the accommodations in the near future. During this time, the hotel rooms will not have kitchens or kitchenettes.
      - Housekeeping is not provided daily; however, will be provided after the third night.
Resort / Hotel Details
  • Pet Friendly
    • Pets allowed
  • Phone
    • Rental Phone: 1.808.943.5800
 

baf99

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Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort
Blue Whale
Thanks for the additional comments. I may go with just a one week rental for the car and try to plan my trip around the bus routes and schedules for the rest. For my photography hobby (I'm not really good at it but I like to pretend I'm a real landscape photographer) I like to get out in the early morning and around sunset and dusk for the low sun angles. I'll be studying the locations I want to see and checking bus routes to see if they will get me there. Even if I decide to rent a car I may opt for the expensive parking that is closer since I would be hauling my gear around after dark.

I did see the DRI info (that's where I saw the parking fees) but I think I was assuming that there would be the tiny refrigerators that one usually finds in hotels and the comment referred to typical timeshare sized appliances not being available. I did call the resort to see what is available and they said that the small fridge and microwave are not in the room automatically but you can call after you get there and they will bring them up. As I said, I don't usually cook but being able to store milk, juice, and fruit for a quick breakfast is nice.

However it goes I am sure I will have a great time. I mean, February at the beach in Hawaii or February in northern Indiana--no contest.
 

DaveNV

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Thanks for the additional comments. I may go with just a one week rental for the car and try to plan my trip around the bus routes and schedules for the rest. For my photography hobby (I'm not really good at it but I like to pretend I'm a real landscape photographer) I like to get out in the early morning and around sunset and dusk for the low sun angles. I'll be studying the locations I want to see and checking bus routes to see if they will get me there. Even if I decide to rent a car I may opt for the expensive parking that is closer since I would be hauling my gear around after dark.

Just wanted to offer a suggestion: If you're thinking of doing sunrise photography on Oahu, the best images will be on the Windward side of the island. Bus service that early in the morning from Waikiki to the Windward side is not going to get you where you want to go. I really want to stress my earlier recommendation for checking out Oahu Photography Tours. They WILL get you there, and they know the right places to stop. Later, once you have a car, you can go back on your own, but keep in mind the sunrises and sunsets in Hawaii are fairly fast, and being in the right place at the right time is pretty important. It would be a real let-down to miss it because you're trying to hassle with taking a bus.

Sunset is another matter. My recommendation for that is from above the city, like from Tantalus Drive, Roundtop, Punchbowl, and even the peak of Diamond Head. You can reach most of those via car, and maybe bus service if you don't mind hiking some after you get off the bus. if you're hauling lots of camera gear, you may decide it's more of a hike than you feel up to.

Photography in Hawaii is fun and exciting, as long as you can plan ahead to get to where you need to be at the right time of day.

Have fun!

Dave
 

baf99

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Blue Whale
Thanks Dave. I will really look into doing that. I took a photography tour on Kauai several years ago and there were some good and some not as good parts of it. I really liked that the guide was knowledgeable about locations and that I didn't have to drive and find parking. But they didn't offer a sunrise tour and they weren't really "gear friendly". In fairness, the lack of a sunrise tour didn't matter when I was there because it was heavily overcast and frequently raining in the mornings. But they preferred people use just one lens and no tripod. Maybe I was on the wrong tour. But I did check out the website for Oahu Photography Tours and it looks good. I'll probably opt for the 5.5 hour sunrise tour. Then I might go to a few other places on my own. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

DaveNV

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Thanks Dave. I will really look into doing that. I took a photography tour on Kauai several years ago and there were some good and some not as good parts of it. I really liked that the guide was knowledgeable about locations and that I didn't have to drive and find parking. But they didn't offer a sunrise tour and they weren't really "gear friendly". In fairness, the lack of a sunrise tour didn't matter when I was there because it was heavily overcast and frequently raining in the mornings. But they preferred people use just one lens and no tripod. Maybe I was on the wrong tour. But I did check out the website for Oahu Photography Tours and it looks good. I'll probably opt for the 5.5 hour sunrise tour. Then I might go to a few other places on my own. Thanks for the suggestion.

I’ve done their tour, and they’re very responsive to their guests. We were in a van, they provided tripods for those who needed them, and the guide was available if someone needed photography help. It was worth the money. Look for a Groupon or other discount to help bring down the cost.

Dave
 
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VegasBella

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We are considering staying at this resort next year so I’d like to know about it.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tamaradarann

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While I feel for anyone that is laid off and must seek another job without wanting to, I must make some comments on this issue to put it is perspective.

First of all they are being laid off since Diamond resorts is renovating the building to convert from Hotels Rooms to Timeshare Apartments with kitchens. I don't know the extent of the renovation but occupancy is probably difficult if not prohibited by the renovation. Therefore, they won't need staff since they won't have people staying there. That is totally understandable.

Second, the people of being laid off are in the hotel hospitality industry and unemployment is at an all time low in Hawaii. If any industry thrives in Honolulu it is that industry, therefore, the ability to get find another position should be one of the easier reemployment searches.

Of course, as the renovation is complete, new positions will be opening up at the Modern.
 
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