Originally Posted by
bocastephen
It's hard to know where to lay the blame - Marriott, or the Japanese owner, who no longer seems to care about offering a great experience. Either way, the situation is bad enough that it warrants looking into non-Marriott properties for a better experience, and not staying at the SW would be a sad change given my 20+ yr history there.
I'd say the lack of Japanese tourists is very much hurting Hawai'i - not only in terms of volume but also expectations. The SW is geared towards Japanese clientele, without the Japanese tourists there's no reason to maintain a high level of service until they return.
I stayed at the SW a few months back when things seemed to be rebounding and Waikiki felt very different to pre-covid, a different vibe altogether with virtually only American tourists. Even then though, not much was going on. I can't imagine how things must be right now.