Waikiki Town Center

This business is closed

this was the closest shopping center to where we were staying, really, just 1 block away. here, you can find a few gift shops/​convenience stores, a subway sandwich shop, a bar, and an udon restaurant. there is some seating in the courtyard area to sit and enjoy your drink or food, or just sit and people watch. very convenient to most hotels in waikiki, also a few minutes walk to waikiki beach.

The town center is easily accessed on Kuhio avenue when you see the infamous Puka Dog shop. The center itself is pretty quiet, with not too much interesting shop to browse. The extension of the center is a bit more bustling and hustling as it’s attached to the International Marketplace.
Just recently when I was browsing around for food, I see a stand set up for some free hula show. I’m a sucker for these things and with out of town guests or no guests, I’m sitting down and getting a free show. The dance naturally tells a story and its beautiful art form is not quickly mastered. Have you ever taken any hula classes, because it’s freakin’ hard.
The mini stage set up on the second floor offers just enough room for dancers to show off their skills. The 30+ minutes show naturally got the audience to relax and enjoy story time.
I can see the reason behind the attraction, which is to bring more shoppers to the center. However, the attraction is the main star as the stores really do not have much to offer. That’s just my take, but you never know when you find some odd gifts for a bargain there.
I give them 4 stars for effort and the fact that both male and female hula dancers are so damn talented. Some times, they’ll even have adolescent dancers there and the proud parents are taping them in the front rows.

Tacked onto the back of the International Marketplace is another mall, and I wouldn’t even notice the transition if they hadn’t put up the signage. The ground floor is mostly open air markets, and there’s a nice mural of the neighborhood on one of the hallways to Kuhio Avenue. I think the Payless Shoe store is here, and there’s a café that also rents internet. Right now the second floor is 80% empty. There used to be some wild clubs up there, and I hope the managers find some new tenants. Kuhio Avenue is so bustling with activity, empty store space is a real waste.