What does it take to be voted the best hotel in Hawaii? We check in to find out

Where: 383 Kalaimoku Street, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, US

How much: From $US575 ($853) per room, per night

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, set a new standard for Hawaiian residential resort luxury when it opened in 2016. A new-build property, it rose from what was an empty lot. Seven years later, it won over a devoted clientele, and was voted the Best Hotel in Hawaii in Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards last year and No 2 this year.

There are 552 ocean-facing guest rooms and suites in two 38-storey towers, making this the largest Ritz-Carlton Residences in the world. Each one privately owned and about 55 per cent of the rooms and suites are available for hotel stays, while 45 per cent of owners retain their accommodations for exclusive private use.

The property isn't beachfront, marking a departure from other premium Waikiki luxury hotels. It's a 10-minute walk to the sand or a five-minute walk to the boutiques of Luxury Row.

While some guests will prefer to be close enough to Waikiki Beach to hear the squeals of happy children splashing in the water, there are advantages to this quieter location on Kalaimoku Street. From up high, the ocean views are spectacular. It's also closer to Honolulu's Chinatown, where you'll find highly recommended restaurants including Fete, and the Pig and the Lady.

As elegant and sophisticated as you'd expect a Ritz-Carlton property to be. The "Residences" part of the name is key - this is modern residential luxury, not a stuffy, grand hotel. The style is island chic with an emphasis on comfort and relaxation. There are deck chairs on the balconies and a palette of muted ocean colours.

Read more on Explore:

My suite could be the apartment of my dreams, if only I'd invested early in Bitcoin. I'm on the 23rd floor in a Grand Ocean View suite, a vast 78 square metres. Powerful air-conditioning and fast Wi-Fi - aka the essentials - get the tick of approval.

There are dark wood floorboards, two wall-mounted TVs, a dining table and an impressive galley kitchen with Miele oven, a wine fridge and a Nespresso machine. In the bathroom, there's a deep soaking tub, a Japanese-style toilet with warmed seat and luxe Diptyque Philosykos toiletries.

Modern French cuisine is served at La Vie restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner. The morning menu is diverse, from bento boxes to fried chicken and waffles. In the evening, choose from splurgy dishes including golden Osetra caviar and Big Island abalone. Book well ahead for Sushi Sho, a 16-seat omakase sushi counter, with a menu created by renowned chef Keiji Nakazawa.

Al fresco dining at Quiora restaurant presents classic Italian and grill dishes including lamb chops flown in from Australia. There's an upscale grocery store, Dean & DeLuca, on the ground floor. A convenience store, Island Country Markets, is right next door.

It's almost always sunny in Hawaii and many guests will head straight for the two hotel pools to cool off - they're the highest infinity pools in Waikiki with private cabanas to boot. At the Ritz-Carlton Spa, many treatments are based on healing traditions of the islands. For shopping, dining and a dip in the big blue, Waikiki Beach is no more than a 10-minute walk from the lobby.

Pacific Ocean views from the windows in my suite create an immediate sense of calm. I could have parked myself on the balcony for days.

Explore more: ritzcarlton.com

The writer was a guest of the hotel.