Room check: Halekulani, Hawaii

Waikiki Beach's historic Halekulani hotel is known for its pool featuring the cattleya orchid motif. Photo / Barbara Kraft

Shandelle Battersby relaxes at one of Hawaii's most historic hotels, the Halekulani.

Location: This beautiful hotel is right on Honolulu's Waikiki Beach where it has existed as the Halekulani for nearly 100 years, and as the Hau Tree for 10 years before that. It was given its name, which translates in Hawaiian as "house befitting heaven", by the fisherman who once sailed their canoes onto the beach in front of the property to rest.

Check-in experience: Polished and friendly, with a quick hotel and room tour. There is a dress code here, so there are no "undies, undies, togs, togs, togs" situations.

Room: A light and airy Diamond Head Oceanfront room overlooking the hotel pool with its beautiful mosaic floor featuring the hotel's motif, a cattleya orchid. The bottom of the pool is made up of over 1.25 million glass tiles, and is designed to smooth over as soon as it is empty. I also had spectacular views of the beach and Diamond Head, the prominent volcanic "tuff cone" which looms over it at the southeastern end. There's a sizeable lanai (balcony) and the air con switches off when the sliding door is open. A little panel by the bed controls the temperature, and has a selection of attendant call services.

Price: $1327 a night. Your room key will also get you complimentary admission to several local attractions, including the must-see Iolani Palace, the Bishop Musuem, and the Honolulu Museum of Art.

What's in the neighbourhood? You're a 12-minute walk from downtown Waikiki and 4.5km from Diamond Head. Between that and the hotel is the Honolulu Zoo. You're minutes from several shopping centres though there are several high-end stores in the hotel itself. An quick cab ride away is Pearl Harbor, downtown Honolulu and the up-and-coming hipster-friendly Kaka'ako district.

Exercise: The splendid outdoor pool is heated and there's a snazzy gym with touch screen machines which let you browse the web or play games while you jog. There are complimentary fitness classes on offer.

The bed: A super king, which I only took up a fifth of. As part of the turn-down service, little mementos are left on the bed - a watercolour notecard;a shell; a magnet.

Bathroom: A separate bath, shower and loo, and a marble vanity with a stool so you can sit and do your makeup.

Toiletries: The hotel's own brand. Something I've never seen before is a hotel suppling washing powder in tiny sachets and a "lingerie drying line" over the tub.

Noise: With the balcony door shut there is no noise at all, not even the mighty crash of the waves down below.

Food: Onsite are three restaurants (one is 5 Diamond and Five-Star rated), two cocktail lounges and the Veranda which serves daily afternoon tea.

What's on: There is regular live jazz/contemporary music, and daily Hawaiian music and hula, and when I was there the hotel was celebrating Mele Mei, the May celebration of Hawaii's music, language and culture, with regular Sunday lunch concerts. Guests can get involved in social and educational activities at the hotel - which has many returnees who stay for weeks at a time - and attend manager's receptions, back-of-the-house and historic property and culture tours, intro surf and paddleboarding lessons, and art and architecture tours of the area.

Free wifi: Yes, and it's like lightning.

What's so good about this place? Its laid-back elegant luxury, its beach-side location and its heritage. The concierges are knowledgeable and helpful, and the hotel is proud of its history and invested in the local culture.

And the bad? The wooden screen doors which serve as curtains let in a lot of light, so maybe pack an eyemask.

Contact: halekulani.com

Would I return? Yes - this is probably as close to heaven as I'll ever get.

The writer stayed courtesy of the Halekulani.