- Address: 1777 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96815.
- Built: 1965, 1023 units on 26 floors (123 are timeshare), studio, 1 & 2BR floor plans, Pets: No.
- Amenities: 2 Pools, a Gym, Restaurants, Valet, Meeting Rooms, Security Guard.
- Fun Fact 1: Ilikai has 11 Commercial Units (7.74% of project), 8 Elevators, 494 Parking Stalls (none are deeded with units). The Ilikai Hotel owns 28.33% of the property.
- Fun Fact 2: Millions saw this building every week as Jack Lord stood on the penthouse lanai in the opening scene of the original Hawaii Five-O TV Show.
- Short aerial video of Ilikai.
Officially called 'Ilikai Apartments' - we will refer to as just 'Ilikai'.
The Ilikai immediately became one of Waikiki's premier condominium when it opened in 1964. It was considered colossal at the time towering 26 stories tall, right next to the beach and the marina, over an otherwise architecturally mostly flat Waikiki neighborhood. The Y shape footprint and modern architectural design by John Graham (who also designed the Seattle Space Needle) were clearly ahead of its time.
The Ilikai was also Hawaii’s very first condotel, a new concept that combined condominium ownership with hotel operation, allowing owners to short term vacation rent their units.
Featuring a young Jack Lord on the penthouse lanai in the opening scene of the famous Hawaii Five-O tv show, the Ilikai quickly received worldwide name recognition. Many of the early episodes were filmed in and around the Ilikai, and celebrities often enjoyed staying at the iconic Ilikai.
Interestingly, it has yet another Hawaii Five-O connection. The Ilikai's developer was a well-known local businessman named Chinn Ho. Producers of the tv show actually named their Chinese detective character after him. The big question is – did the real Chinn Ho know how to build a great condo?
The answer is unequivocally Yes. It is only due to Ho’s ingenuity in combining condominium ownership with the hotel concept that
the project became reality in the first place. Many last minute design revisions along the way, even while already under construction, resulted in what makes the Ilikai great today.
All Ilikai condos enjoy wide usable lanais with most of them enjoying serene ocean views. As one of the few Waikiki condotel projects, Ilikai condos can be rented out short-term as vacation rentals, allowing for maximum income potential and great flexibility of use. This could be an attractive combination for someone looking to purchase a Hawaii vacation condo where the rental income pays for the carrying costs.
The building stands directly next to the marina so you look out over the forest of sailboat masts that give it a charm you don't get many other places in Hawaii. There's no chance of anything ever getting in the way of that vista either, because you're right on the water. That is extremely rare for residences here.
In fact, the Ilikai is one of only 3 condo projects with direct beach access in all of Waikiki. There is no need to cross the street to get to the beach! This special and forever rare location could not be duplicated today.
The beach immediately next to the Ilikai, adjacent to the lagoon, right in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village is considered one of the finest wide stretch of Waikiki’s white sandy beach.
Despite her age, don't mistake this for a property with her best days in the past. The llikai has undergone a complete upgrade in 2014, including lobby, retail shops on the 2nd level, porte cochere, and pool deck, restoring it to world-class resort status. As of summer 2015 work is also underway to built another family pool (located where there used to be a tennis court) making the Ilikai even more special.
Part of the upgrade included the full floor renovation of the top four floors 22nd - 25th, just below the penthouse level. These high floor units had been designated for hotel use only and had never been available for purchase before, up until now. All units on the 22nd through 25th floor have been completely renovated in 2014 with top-grade designer finishes, high end materials, appliances, full kitchens and upscale hotel furniture. Fully furnished and with fully equipped kitchens, these condos look fabulous, turn-key and ready for occupancy.
Similar plans had failed before, and iStar financial picked up these about 200 units for a fraction of the real value at a foreclosure auction in 2009. Times have changed and the wisdom of making these improvements in today's market became abundantly clear.
Besides the majority of Ilikai units being condos, there are also a number of Ilikai timeshare units for those seeking vacation ownership in a place filled the unfailing trio of sights, setting and sun-filled fun you'd expect in a top property.
Want a dining experience that's hard to beat? Head up the exterior glass elevator to
Pesca with its limitless lookout at the top of the Ilikai. The food is so good, you'll talk about it as much as the view. Ready to work on your tan? Take the designated bather’s elevator to the huge recreation deck and lounge away the day. Dive into the pool when some cool relief is called for. But who needs the pool when the finest beach is right next door.
From your home, everything is easily in reach. Walk to the beach, take in the ocean waves from your lanai or do some dining and shopping without ever leaving the premises. That's the total package.
Other Condo Hotels Other PagesThe Floor Plans There are as many as 43 condos on floors 3 - 25. There are only 13 penthouse condos on the 26th floor.
Ilikai condos on floors 3 through 25: There are basically three different floor plans available on these main levels:
a.) A 1-bedroom floor plan with 500 sq ft interior living space (a couple are just slightly smaller) and a wide lanai with a 120 sq ft. Most of these standard condos have over the years removed the original shoji sliding door between living room and bedroom. Therefore these 1-bedroom condos often look and function as large open studios. Both, the lanai and the sliding glass door, stretch across the whole width of the unit offering wide open views to the outside.
The vast majority, about 840+ of of all Ilikai condos are these standard 1-bedroom units located along each side of the three building wings.
b.) A 2-bedroom, 2-bath corner-end floor plan with 1,000 sq ft interior living space and two separate 120 sq ft lanais, for a total of 240 sq ft lanai space. These 2-bedroom units are in the -09, -10, -25, -26, -43 and -44 stacks located on the right and left corner of each tip of the three respective building wings. There are about 138 of these 2-bedroom corner units offering expanded 180+ degree views because of the unique corner-end location.
c.) A 2-bedroom, 2-bath floor plan with 1,000 sq ft interior living space and a double wide 240 sq ft lanai. Both bedrooms are separated by the living room in the middle. There are only about 16 of these 2-bedroom units scattered along the ocean side of the building wings on different floors in the -18, -22, -31, -34 and or -39 stack
Ilikai penthouse condos on the 26th floor:
There are only 13 Ilikai penthouse condos available in different 2 & 3 bedroom configurations with tall ceilings and some condos boasting as large as 2,378 sq ft interior living space.
The Views Best Marina & Ocean Views All even number stacks: -02 through -10, and odd number stacks: -27 through -43.
Best Lagoon & Ocean Views All even number stacks: -12 through -44.
Mountain Views All odd number stacks: -01 through -25.
