The New Downtown: Honolulu

The 112-room Surfjack Hotel channels 1960’s Hawaii, with vintage upholstery on the headboards, reed ceilings, and midcentury modern furnishings. The onsite Swim Club, with its outdoor pool bar, hosts music events and movie nights. Don’t miss a meal at Mahina & Sun from celebrated Honolulu-born chef Ed Kenney, whose menu showcases island cuisine and ingredients, or a trip to the Olive & Oliver boutique, whose clothing and accessories line are inspired by Hawaiian culture.

Duck inside this warehouse on Lana Lane for a crash course on the varied Kakaako art scene. An artist collective that spans media and genres, Lana Lane Studios provides space for creative types to collaborate and learn from each other. The artists at work here span a variety of disciplines, from videography to fine art, and styles, from the contemporary to the traditionally and uniquely Hawaiian. Members can do whatever inspires them within their own spaces, and the combined effect makes the warehouse appear like a collage of Hawaiian aesthetics.

Coffee shop by day; cocktail bar and artist space by night; and, sometimes, nightclub by late night. That’s the winning recipe at Manifest, which is one of a handful of bars driving Honolulu’s cocktail culture into exciting new territory. Here, you’ll be inspired to trade that mai tai for something that tastes more Hawaii modern. With concoctions like the Manifest Mule cocktail (including Buffalo Trace bourbon, ginger beer, lime, and house-made lilikoi shrub), it’s no wonder the bar is a favorite of locals and visitors alike.