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The islands and all their lovely attributes continue to curry favor with travel publications and websites, which of course have to find all manner of ways to lure travelers through their online portals to book travel and make them money.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
TripAdvisor has mentioned Hawaii in two recent lists: its Travelers’ Choice Romance Hotel winners and among "10 Fantastic Hotel Pools."
The pool at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa made the list as determined by TripAdvisor.com travelers and editors as reflecting creative architecture, unique poolside amenities and breathtaking views, according to a media release.
"For travelers seeking a relaxing trip poolside or an exhilarating waterslide ride, this list highlights some of the most amazing hotel pools in the U.S. and the world," said Karen Drake, TripAdvisor senior director of communications.
The Sheraton Maui was cited for its freshwater swimming lagoon that traipses through gardens, under bridges and into an outdoor hot tub in a lava-rock setting.
TripAdvisor’s choices for most romantic hotels included two Hawaii properties in the top five. The Koa Kea Hotel & Resort (formerly the Poipu Beach Hotel) on Kauai and the St. Regis Princeville Resort, also on Kauai, both made the list, the top 10 of which were devoid of any other island’s swank properties.
Those that make the list do so on the say-so of millions of reviews and opinions from travelers around the world, according to a TripAdvisor media release.
Around much longer than TripAdvisor has been is Fodor’s, which has been publishing travel guides since 1936 and which also has a substantial online presence.
Fodor’s most recent e-newsletter, called "Your Weekly Dose of Travel Intelligence," listed "10 Top Kid-Friendly Hotels," including Maui’s Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.
The list comprises hotels that promise fun for the keiki while not skimping on amenities for the grown-ups.
Fodor’s blurb about the property mentions Camp Grande for kids 5 through 12, offering stuff for kids and their parents to do, including a bit of Hawaiian cultural education.
The hotel also offers an all-kids-can-eat buffet that includes mac-and-cheese, pigs in a blanket and chicken fingers (and presumably fruit or other healthier choices).
Kids also can have a turndown service designed just for them that includes chocolates, cookies and milk, and a chance to decorate animal-shaped butter cookies.
One wonders if most parents allow their kids to eat the caffeine-containing chocolates and other sugary treats just prior to expecting them to go to sleep.
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On the Net:
» is.gd/TripAdPools2012
» www.sheraton-maui.com
» is.gd/TripAdRomance2012
» www.koakea.com
» www.stregisprinceville. com
» is.gd/FodorsKidHotels2012
» www.grandwailea.com
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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.
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