German Expat

Thanks for your replies. I did put in the Ali'i tower upgrade for 49$. I can still got plenty of time to change my mind. While being a bit high priced what do you think about the one bedroom suite? We are 3 persons if that matters (travelling with our 14 year old son).

Eujeanie

Well, I think that makes all the difference in the world.

While we love the Ali'i private pool, a 14 year old would most certainly enjoy all the more "fun" pools a lot more. Plus having the extra space of a suite for privacy would be great.

With your new info I'd forget Ali'i and put in for a suite in another tower. I believe most if not all towers have pools. The Ali'i pool is just a cement square in the ground. Its appeal is not having screaming splashing kids (not that there might not be some, but you can be assured of the stink eye from those who just want peace and quiet).

Kacee

Especially for five nights.
It also has a nice ocean view and it's usually pretty easy to get loungers.

Andriyko

Given your travel dates, I'd say you won't get either a complimentary upgrade or a Nor1 upgrade as the property will be fully booked. What I would do is call the hotel now and ask them for paid upgrades to lock in the room that you want.

weezl

Big LOL on the “space-available upgrade”
Front desk is all about smoke & mirrors when it comes to upgrades and availability.
Could make for a fun SNL skit, seriously.
Or maybe Seinfeld-
...you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation

Two waters for the entire stay. Woohoo.

$10 pp/pd is good for food credit but barely puts a dent in the $39.99 pp breakfast buffet. Ouch

Spouses are free here!

I feel special as a Gold here


From check in package today

edgewood49

It truly has become a joke sad but a joke. But then most of the other resorts throughout the islands are owned by equity capital squeezing every bit of income with the least amount of reinvestment. It's not your "parents Hawaii" anymore. When a down turn comes and it will let's see what happens.

Kudosalert

hmm...I booked our family into the Double Tree Alana but now having second thoughts. I used 200k points for 4 nights and 5th night was free. I see now that there are some award space at 60k per night at Hawaiian Village. Do you think it's worth purchasing 40k points to make the change? I know we're discussing benefits and what not here but I would rather pay for a nicer experience. From the actual reviews of the DoubleTree, it's looking a bit old and sad. Yes, Diamond members get a free breakfast but if it sucks, then what is the point? For what it matters, we have a 1 year old and travelling in mid December. Will be attending my wife's graduation from UH master's program. We dont plan to be at the hotel that often but would like to have a nice place to come home to after day trips.

Kacee

8k per night more for HHV is probably worth it just for the beachfront location.

Qwkynuf

I guess I'm an outlier here - I have enjoyed HHV all 3 times I have stayed there. I tend to enjoy it for what it is, rather than lament for what it's not - or pine for what it used to be. It's a beautiful property, right on the beach. the rooms are nice. That said, it's a resort in Honolulu. You're not going to be marooned on a desert island thousands of miles from civilization; you are going to be exposed to a number of other people, probably proportional to the number of rooms available. If that's not your thing, you won't be happy here. I happen to like it.

That said, the resort fee and parking a car will add almost $100 to your nightly rate. If you can pay 100% with points, you will also save the resort fee.

BOSOGG

I would agree it is worth it to redeem an additional 40k points. Provided I had them.
If you have to purchase those 40k points at a cost of $400 I am not so sure.

ijgordon

Yikes, so having read 100-200 posts here, I'm trying to figure out what the redeeming qualities of this resort are, on its own, and relative to other HHonors properties in Waikiki (there doesn't seem to be a "which hotel in Waikiki" thread in this forum). I have HH Gold and Bonvoy Gold.

Will be doing a first time trip to Hawaii in July, probably ~10 days and am thinking Oahu/Waikiki and Maui. Maybe 3-4 nights is enough in Oahu (would be nice to use 5th night free on points, but that seems to mean crappy room or 2-3x the points). We may need to stay at the Four Seasons Maui ($$$$) for at least a few days to be with friends for a birthday celebration, so being able to economize elsewhere would help, but we don't want to slum it either!

Any general thoughts appreciated!

Kacee

It's on the beach. Nice fitness center. Many dining and shopping options on-site (including Lappert's ice cream). Some great views, especially from Rainbow Tower and top floors of Ali'i.

Basically I find all the major chain properties in Waikiki have serious flaws, so it's really a matter of picking what's most important to you, and recognizing there will be an unavoidable compromise - whether it be weak breakfast benefit, lack of direct beach access, crowds of families, disappointing pool, or lackluster accommodation.

weezl

HHV is very commercial but we like it because it is a village that bustles and it is a nice walk to the other resorts/restaurants while being at one end of the chaos, not right in the middle. The beach itself has no waves at the shore but there is a break out there where beginners can learn with the coaches there (for a fee). And the sand acreage is huge compared to other Waikiki beaches.
Parking at the marina next door is a 7 min walk, and way cheaper than anything around, plus it is manageable with a parking app, so you can extend your time if you miscalculate. The hotel lot is not much closer and can actually take longer to get in/out.

We like to visit Kailua, it is a different feel there, and an easy drive (if they don't close the main hwy crossing the island). In fact, if you can find one to rent there for <5d, a house (walk to beach and walk to Whole foods/best of both ) instead of staying in a cheesy hotel in Waikiki would be a great alternative; an altogether different experience. We've done both and enjoyed both. With and without kids. For a 1st time, I personally would go cheesy, and take a day to head to Kailua to see if that's your thing for next time.

Kacee

Unfortunately, Honolulu's new short term rental law has drastically reduced the home rental options.

As someone who much prefers staying on the north shore, I find this a most unfortunate development.

weezl

Absolutely terrible. The place we like to rent however will still rent for <30d at a reasonable rate, but they are losing a ton of income now, relative to the pre-rule days.
Back then, there actually was a 30d min rule (for all but a select few owners who had special licenses to rent short-term [maybe there are <10 of those in the area?]) but those without that license were able to slide under the radar by advertising a 30d rental, and then negotiating a shorter term outside the official channels- that is how we did it. That option has apparently died. Ultimately, per the owner of the place we rent out, it is the neighbors who can call out an owner and if they are caught, they get in big trouble. If the neighbors are cool, you can slide. Kinda like an illegal garage rental - if nobody calls the city, the authorities leave you alone. But once they are notified, they start finding things...