The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort

1   Not Recommended
September 22, 2013 by

 Map | 2 Reviews | 50% Recommended
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The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort
 Map | 2 Reviews | 50% Recommended

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Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
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We just completed a one night stay on our way home from OGG to SYD. No upgrade appeared on the SPG app at all. This is the first *wood property that I have not seen a pre-upgrade from since the development of the app.

I called the hotel the morning of arrival to request an upgrade, and to the Rooms Manager credit she blocked a Historic Garden Suite with view.

We were initially excited to stay at the Pink Palace following the HR Waikiki, St Regis Princeville and Andaz Wailea but that disappeared upon arrival. Waikiki was shut down yesterday for the Aloha festival and access to the hotel via Royal Hawaiian Ave was completely blocked off. We asked a Police Officer how to get to the hotel and he said we should just park wherever we can and walk.

In all of my hotel stays, I have never had a property fail to notify me in advance when an event is occurring that prevents hotel access, with alternative directions and options. We parked in the shopping centre across the road and walked with our 4 pieces of luggage through a street filled with people, and into the hotel driveway.

Upon check in I saw that they had printed details of the festival and instructions to plan around it but I told the agent that it's useless for guests arriving to not have emailed this to all guests prior to arrival. I told her it was ludicrous to expect us to pay the resort fee given that we couldn't get out car into the property and had to pay for parking somewherelse. She really just didn't seem to care.

We took the Sparkling wine and 500 points amenity. Sparkling wine never arrived. Went to Mai Tai for 2 Mai Tais to be told that the 'Resort fee included' Mai Tai is different to what they serve and I should have told them first. Sorry, but if you tell me I get 2 Mai Tais for free at check in, then that's what I'm going to order. I call shenanigans with them making either half serves or smaller versions for free versions. The bar was packed with tourists, the umbrellas were filthy and it was hardly the romanticised experience the hotel sells.

We came back from the bar to discover there was a party in the garden with a DJ with music blaring into the room, the Sparkling Wine never was delivered and I finally had enough. I asked to speak to a manager, was told he would call me back, and he didn't after 40 mins. I gave up determined that it would not ruin our final night on vacation.

I went to front desk and bluntly told the agent that the noise level in the room was unacceptable and the Sparkling Wine. She wanted me to wait for the manager and I told her I had no intention of wasting any more time waiting for him. I gave her back the keys to the room and said we were going to dinner and I expect them to find a solution to our issues by the time we return.

Got back from dinner and had been moved to a Garden Suite on the other side of the hotel, with the Sparkling Wine in the fridge.

As we attempted to sleep we could hear people in the rooms above, below and next door to us. The air conditioning is ridiculously loud, but necessary to stop the room from being without air.

Overall, am disappointed with the experience which marred what could have been a nice stay. The hotel is enshrined in HNL's history, but the service levels are far from what a Luxury Collection should be. Surely we were not the only people inconvenienced by what occurred yesterday, and the festival looks like it goes for a week.

Next time, we'll stay at the Westin.

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