Shoreline Hotel Waikiki

First, a disclaimer: the Shoreline Hotel Waikiki is not, strictly speaking, located on the shoreline, but a few minutes’ stroll from the beach. What you get in return for that quick stroll is a hotel with an indie vibe and a relatively small scale. This is Waikiki, home of massive resorts, chain restaurants and discount clothing shops. By local standards, a hotel with 125 rooms is practically a bed-and-breakfast; intimate, stylish, and eco-conscious, the Shoreline excels at trading bloat for island beauty. You don’t need a 24-hour fitness center with complimentary personal trainers? You don’t need a kids’ club, or seven onsite restaurants, or a staff member to spray mineral water over your body as you lie by the pool? Perfect: the Shoreline is just the ticket, and you save on the resort fees that the rest of Honolulu’s hotels pile on. Guest rooms are simple and bright, outfitted in white and natural wood, mixing modern decor and retro-inspired details like Wegner wingback chairs. Amenities include flat-screen LCD TVs and free wi-fi; bathrooms have marble countertops and oversized showers. There’s a small swimming pool on the rooftop, and a singular dining and drinking venue, the rustic-chic Heavenly Island Lifestyle café, on the ground level. It’s open all day, so you can drop in for coffee or drinks on your way to and from the beach. And the beach, of course, is why you’re really here. The Shoreline Hotel Honolulu, it goes without saying, doesn’t have its own private beach club. But they’re more than happy to lend you a towel and point you in the right direction. Text courtesy of Tablet Hotels Courtesy of Adam Kane Macchia