2121 Ala Wai

2121 Ala Wai is a 42-story, 211-unit tower sitting directly on the Ala Wai Canal at the quieter, mauka edge of central Waikiki. Built in 1979 and originally designed as a hotel, the building was fully converted to condominiums and carries that heritage in its single-loaded corridor layout — every unit faces the canal, giving the building an unusually consistent view orientation and natural cross-ventilation from Honolulu’s trade winds. Air conditioning is available but optional, which says something about how well the building was designed to breathe.

The units are almost entirely two-bedroom, one-bathroom configurations, with interiors in the 690–848 square foot range plus a private lanai. The floor plans are functional and efficient, and the single-load design means no unit is sandwiched between two neighbors on the same floor. On higher floors, views extend across the Ala Wai to the Ko’olau Mountains, Diamond Head, and glimpses of the ocean from the walkways — a panorama that gets better the higher you go. The building also includes a penthouse unit at the top with a substantially different footprint.

The location sits close to the International Market Place, Waikiki Beach, and the Ala Wai walking and jogging path, while remaining removed enough from the tourist core to feel residential. Tenure is a mix of fee simple and leasehold — leasehold units carry a lease expiration of 2052, which affects financing options and long-term value considerations and is worth confirming on any specific unit before proceeding.