Now where was I? Oh yeah...today (Thursday) we switched rooms from a Studio in the Waianae Tower to a 1 bedroom in the Ewa Tower. We relaxed by the Wailana pool (quiet pool). Had a few beverages served by a wonderful CM Edwin. Floated the Waikolohe Stream. Relaxed some more and CM Edwin served us some more drinks. It was a very nice day doing nothing. But it was time to start thinking about going to Starlit Hui. Since this is not a traditional luau with food, we had to eat.
A quick trip to our room to shuck the bathing suits and don some dry clothes, we went back downstairs and ate at Aulani's Makahiki buffet. This buffet is fluid in that it will not be the same every time you eat there. It consists of seafood, carving station, Asian-inspired entrees, pasta with chicken done several ways, salads, fruits, desserts, and many other things I know Im forgetting. The price might seem steep at $43 per person but there is a LOT of food so come hungry and get your moneys worth. If you prefer, you can order from their a la carte menu. We had a bite or two of most everything on the buffet. The items that stand out in my memory were the boiled shrimp, snow crab legs, raw oysters, sashimi, prime rib and the mango cheesecake. Here is a copy of the online menu...
Once we were totally stuffed, we made our way back to the quiet pool to sit at the Wailana pool bar to await the start of Starlit Hui. I dont remember the CMs name but she was extremely nice. There is an excellent view of Starlit Hui from the bar so DW stayed there and talked to the CM while I meandered around taking pics during the show. We asked the CM questions about Aulani and some of the things she told us were
Before Labor Day, Aulani was 100% occupied. Starting the week after Labor Day, when we were there, it was 84%.
Normal Hawaii hotel figures show that 17% of guests stay at the hotel for their entire stay. At Aulani, 40% of their guests do not leave the hotel property. That is the reason they are expanding the pools, play area, etc.
Starlit Hui is being moved to a larger grassy area over on the other side of the Ewa Tower to accommodate the crowds. She did not know if the program would be changed to include a luau or not. Looking at the map below, the blue circle is where Starlit Hui was performed up through October, 2012. Now, it will be performed where the red circle is located on the Halawai Lawn. With the move, many in the Ewa Tower will be able to watch from their balcony.
The expansion/construction is scheduled to pause for Christmas and then restart in January. The anticipated completion date is Memorial Day to be ready for the summer rush.
(Continued in next post)
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