Aloha Aulani

In the mornings, this is a coffee bar.  After that, it’s a walk-up bar with table service.   Hours vary seasonally.   Last time I was there, it was a coffee bar until 11AM.  This is your only real option for morning-beverages outside of basic coffee.   

Make sure to look at any signs they have on the counter as sometimes there are surprises.  When we were there in June, there were signs for Holiday-style drinks like Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha.  There’s also typically a small array of cookies and muffins on the counter to tempt you.

Unfortunately, this location is typically staffed by only two or three people in the mornings (it really can’t fit many more anyway) and just can’t keep up with demand, so the waits to get your morning beverage can take quite a while.  I’ve waited about 15 minutes for my drink when there were only two people in line in front of me when I got in line to order.  The reason is there are two lines, one to place your order and one to receive your order, and the one to place your order goes a lot faster than the other.  If you see a lot of people waiting to the side, be prepared to have to wait a while.

Off to one side is the formerly-adults-only Wailana pool, to the other side is a seating area which operates as an adults-only table-service location.  The table service doesn’t typically start until 11 and you order off the poolside menu.  Just behind here is ‘Ulu Cafe.   While in the mornings, the bar has a unique beverage menu, once they switch over to lunch, it’s the same as the poolside menu for everything.  This is a full bar and they don’t actually make the food here.  While you can order food at the tables, there isn’t much point doing it at the counter itself.