Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa

100   Recommended
September 11, 2013 by

 Map | 1 Review | 100% Recommended
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Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa
 Map | 1 Review | 100% Recommended

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We have just spent the last 6 nights at the HR Waikiki. We knew that the hotel was a monstrosity that runs at 100% most nights so we prebooked the night before because we landed in HNL at 7:45AM.

The VIP Manager James had been in contact soon after making the reservation and provided the Diamond benefits and offered himself as our main point of contact for our stay. We have only ever experienced a VIP Manager at the GH NY and it's nice to have a similar service on site to my dedicated PL rep.

He arranged our airport transfer and we requested a S Class because we always use Mercs for our transfers, and have no use for a stretch limo. He was extremely helpful with our requests. Arthur's Spedishuttle sent a stretch which was quite bizarre, I felt like a Real Housewife as it was was clearly a party car with Champagne glasses, and glowing LEDs on the ceiling.

Arrived at the hotel, and walked up to the check in desk which I knew from FT was going to be a zoo. There was a clearly marked Diamond/Platinum GP part of the front desk. Huge thumbs up to the property for this. Often the sign is so small noone takes notice, or there simply isn't one.

Check in was swift and we headed up to our Diamond e-vert suite, which as above was 2 connecting Ocean View Rooms in the Ewa Tower. I found this most odd. We book suites so that we have a separate living and bedroom, but 2 exact room types with beds in them was simply a waste. I sent an email to James expressing our disappointment, and to his credit he managed to secure us a better suite. I believe it was a Penthouse Suite called the `Āpuakēhau Suite. He even sent up a basket of goodies because of the room move.

The suite was a complete contrast to the rest of the hotel. Clearly the common areas are dark, dated however the suite was bright and airy. Photos below. We spent most of our time in the hotel in the suite.

The Regency Club was great with the outdoor area, and even paying for cocktails (real cocktails like Mai Tais etc) at $3 each with the Diamond discount was a steal. The evening food offerings were a salad and one hot item. The breakfast, however was lucklustre. Perhaps in Australasia we're spoilt, but international Hyatt properties, even the HR Sharm el Sheikh have far superior food offerings. It seems US Hyatts don't really get it, which is unfortunate given that they charge for alcohol. I witnessed the most bizarre behaviour in a Club Lounge ever with a woman filing up at least 10 styrofoam cups intended for coffee with food from the lounge and filling her backpack. Interestingly the lounge staff allowed her to do this, even assisted her. Where we come from the food safety possible issues prevent such behaviour, and hotels don't take the liability of the food quality once it leaves the premises so no hotel I know allows this.

We expected there to be long lines for elevators and so forth, but that never resulted, even at 100%. Others have commented on the ethnicity of other tourists and I find this datapoint not only incorrect but unnecessary. Just to counter the view that 'Mainland tourists are less important' I don't believe this for a moment. In fact, James told us the hotel has a lot of Australians like us which we witnessed.

The pool was busy and unattractive. We never used it. The only issue we encountered was that the valet when busy has a voicemail instructing you to go downstairs to the valet desk and they don't take messages. I just kept calling back.

Also, if you take advantage of the Diamond discount via room service or Shor, you MUST tell them to apply it. Some bills posted to our folio and we were in a rush to check out. To apply the discount the lounge agent said she would have to get approval from the F&B Manager which I wasn't willing to wait for so we just paid it.

The staff are extremely friendly. James was exceptional, and met us one night in the Regency Club and all of the other staff were genuinely happy and warm.

Overall we had a great stay here, but Waikiki is not our thing. On our final night we are staying at the Royal Hawaiian and I have to stay, the Royal and Westin Moana are much nicer properties. The Hyatt has some of the best views, however we walked through the Westin and the Royal and these are properties you actually want to come home to. They are beautiful and have stunning common areas. The HR can't compete with this, and I dare say with a hotel of this size may never be able to.

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