Book 1 Room, Get 1 Free at Hawaii Prince Hotel

The Hawaii Prince Hotel, Waikiki, is offering a 2 for 1 promotion - You book a room, you get one free. The complimentary room is based on double occupancy and must be of equal or lesser value than the 1st room booked. Dates of stay for both rooms must overlap. Valid until Decemer 22 2008. Watch out for the blackout dates, and make sure you're getting value for money, because rates per night, for the one room you need to pay for, begin from $390, which gives you an Oceanfront Marina room (or rooms, if you count the free one). More details and online booking here.

I was going to pass this one by, because they have other packages at rates starting from as low as $189 (for the same Oceanfront Marina room), but then, it comes to about the same, for two rooms. And the reason why I'm interested in this 2 for 1 promotion is because I was looking up family hotels in Oahu. Most hotels, including the Hawaii Prince, offer spacious suites designed to accomodate the entire family, along with a host of family-friendly amenities. It's way cheaper than booking two seperate rooms. Only problem is, you end up sleeping with the kids in the same suite. Kinda cramps your holiday fun a bit.

So let's say you do want two seperate rooms. That's about slightly less than $400 per night, which is on par with rates at comparable Honolulu hotels. The 420 sq ft oceanfront marina rooms are in between the 5th to 9th floors, with views of the ocean and Yacht Harbor. Contemporary decor, floor to ceiling windows that open. Beds are king or 2 beds assigned on arrival.

Speaking of par, mention needs to be made of their Golf Club, with 27 holes of championship golf. And the Hawaii Prince itself has a bit of an exhibitionist streak. 28 floors full of 521 oceanfront rooms and 57 luxury suites sit atop 5 floors worth of restaurants, lounges, meeting and banquet facilities, shops, and other guest and parking facilities.

All said and done, its one heck of a luxury resort with a fitness center, a business center over 20,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor meeting space, a day spa and beauty salon, multiple restaurants offering genuine Hawaiaan and Japanese cuisine. To top it off, the hotel is located 5 minutes from the Hawaii Convention Center, and 15 minutes from Honolulu International Airport, and just a short walk to the beaches.

Info: 100 Holomoana St Honolulu HI 96815; (888) 977-4623; www.princeresortshawaii.com/