In 1883, a businessman from New York called Robert Lewers visited Hawaii and decided to build a two-storey house for his family on the oceanfront in Waikiki.

Local fishermen would berth their canoes at the front of the property and rest, and they called the Lewers family home Halekulani – house befitting heaven.

In 1907, the modest little property was enlarged and converted into a hotel with five bungalows and then it was repurchased in 1917 and extended again.

Today it is the splendid Halekulani Hotel, one of the best hotels in Hawaii.

 Located on the south shore of Oahu, this hotel is located at the quiet end of Waikiki beach, known throughout the world for its two-mile-long stretch of white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters and rolling waves that attract surfers.

This cheerful menu for the coffee shop is from the 1950s and shows the many pleasures of spending a day at the beach.

Courtesy Private Collection.