I recently completed a two-night stay at DoubleTree Alana Waikiki and was pleased with both the accommodations and service.

Check-In
I arrived at the hotel around 3:30 p.m. After a brief wait, a cheery agent checked me in, explaining that I had been upgraded to a 1 King Partial Ocean View suite. (I had booked a standard 1 King City/Mountain View room.) She warned that all suites were located near the elevators, which contradicted the preference specified in my HHonors profile, but I insisted I was happy with the upgrade nonetheless. The agent also provided certificates for continental breakfast and two bottles of water.

The Suite
I was assigned suite 1817, which straddled the west elevator bank on the second highest floor. Happily, I heard no noise from the elevators during my stay. The room was clean and nicely appointed, with the bedroom separated from the seating area by a set of pocket doors. Somewhat oddly, there was no television in the bedroom, though there was a clear view of the television in the parlor room when the doors were open:



The bedroom closet included an electronic safe:



The bathroom, being rather small, was the only disappointment. Given the space constraints, I would have preferred a walk-in shower rather than the tub with curtain. Only the minimum complement of Citron toiletries was provided (i.e., no body wash, mouthwash, etc.):



The parlor room included a sofa and armchair, along with a desk and wet bar:







The wet bar included a small refrigerator free of any minibar items:



A double-wide lanai with two chairs and a small table afforded both ocean and city views:





Breakfast
Breakfast was served in the Trees Restaurant off the lobby. The HHonors certificates provided only for an underwhelming continental breakfast, which consisted of pastries, cereal, yogurt, and a limited selection of fruits. The menu prices for the continental and full American breakfast buffets were $16 and $22, respectively. Curiously, the up-charge for hot buffet access for HHonors Elites was $9 (why not $6?). I sampled only the continental breakfast on the first morning and skipped it on the second.

Housekeeping
For stays of two nights or more, the hotel offers the option of forgoing housekeeping in exchange for a $10 dining credit to be used between 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. in Trees Restaurant & Bar. Since I had such a short stay, I opted for the $10 certificate which more than covered the cost of a cocktail.

Location
The DoubleTree is located just down the street from the sprawling, oceanfront Hilton Hawaiian Village resort. As I understand it, DoubleTree guests are able to use the spa at the Hilton and charge treatments to their rooms. The beach at the Hilton is perhaps a five-minute walk, while the shopping and (chain restaurant) dining of Kalakaua Avenue are a bit further in the opposite direction.

Summary
DoubleTree Alana Waikiki provides nicely appointed rooms at a fair price for Waikiki, without the resort fees of the neighboring Hilton Hawaiian Village. Though it's best suited for business travelers, the hotel is close enough to the beach and other attractions to serve as a base for vacation stays as well. Staff were friendly and HHonors Elite recognition was good, even if the continental breakfast selection was disappointing.