FOUR SEASONS HUALALAI VS MAUNA KEA BEACH HOTEL VS PARK HYATT TOKYO

My following analysis is based on ten stays at the Park Hyatt Tokyo (PHT), four at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (MKB) and once at the Four Seasons Hualalai (FSH).

BACKGROUND: The PHT has long been my (and Pearl's) favorite hotel. It was the star of the movie, Lost in Translation, with Bill Murray, and was ranked by Institutional Investor last year as the best hotel in Japan and #2 in the world (the Paris Bristol was #1). The FSH just completed a $40 million upgrade, and will feature attractive rates this Fall, which indicates that Michael Dell's (of the computer company) purchase of this property showed intent to make it the best. Travel+Leisure rates the FSH as the top hotel in Hawaii. MKB was not even in the top 16, but that could be because it was closed for two years (courtesy of an earthquake) and recently re-opened after a $150 million modernization. Pearl and I spent our honeymoon here when it was first opened. An interesting review of both MKB and the Volcano House (where I will stay tonight) was printed in the Los Angeles Times in April. Both the MKB and FSH were blessed with Pearl's ashes, and I will do the same for the PHT when I next stay there. But where do you scatter the ashes in a hotel that starts on the 48th floor?

COST: You need to be a math major to calculate the actual nightly rates, but the PHT, when Pearl and I went to Japan this past April, was a couple of hundred dollars more expensive than the FSH, which, both based on kamaaina rates, was twice the cost of the MKB. However, the PHT picked us up at Narita with their limousine and provided a free breakfast. The FSH also included breakfast, which, if you read my blog of yesterday, had a limit of $52/room/day.

SIGNATURE RESTAURANT: The New York Grill on the 52nd floor of the PHT is considered to be the most sophisticated restaurant in Japan. Yes, I suffered from food poisoning when I first dined there during their first week, and the prices are ridiculously high...but the view is extraordinary and it is sophisticated. I hosted my Kenjiro roots search team there in April, and, sad to say, both Fumio Ito and Pearl have since then passed away. Monettes is more elegant, while Pahui'a is next to the pounding waves. The best meal I had on this trip was at Monettes. Both are pricey. Pahui'a has a dress code, and so does Monettes, but if you come with slippers and shorts, they just place you on the patio external to the airconditioned portion, but under the stars...and I personally selected an outside table to view the sunset on my second night. I would pick Monettes over Pahui'a because of the service. But Monettes needs to add a few more servers.

GOLF: The MKB golf course is okay, but lacking, with greens that are unfair. Lacking because it has no signs. You don't know which hole you're on, and sometimes finding the next tee off spot can be a challenge. The FSH course is better, with a GPS system on the cart. They use Titlist PV1 golf balls on their practice range. I borrowed a bunch with the intent to naturally return them to the course. That worked well. They both are in the range of $250, even if you stay there. Then, when you add on a rental set, you wonder why you decided to golf. The PHT has no golf course.

THE BEST? Each has its own charm. At least the MKB is "affordable." However, FSH has a vitality that is missing from MKB. PHT exudes elegance. All three feature exceptional service.

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The Dow Jones Industrials edged up 36 to 9398, and, except for Norway, major world markets were also up. Gold increased $4/toz to $954 and crude oil moved to $71/barrel.

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There are two disturbances in the Atlantic and Hurricane Guillermo (now a tropical storm, with a strengthening to hurricane status expected within 24 hours) heading for Hawaii. However, waters will be cooler as Guillermo moves west, so it will probably be downgraded to depression status within 5 days.

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