Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach {US-HI}
 

I just read that Hilton will be bringing its Hilton Garden Inn brand to Waikiki (2330 Kuhio Street, Honolulu) taking over the former Ohana Waikiki West.

Hilton to Open New Waikiki Hotel.

Great to have another option in the area, thank you for the heads up.

since it isnt a new construction, its simply a Yawn by me, after seeing and staying at both the CY and HP in Wakiki if its not new construction then it wont be anything to talk about and wont resemble anything to the reg HGIs here on the mainland.

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Terrific! No resort fee too. @:-)

I'm not so enthralled with architectural conformity that I will ignore a new mid-priced Hilton offering near Waikiki. It's an area that doesn't see too much new construction. I'll let the reno wizards have their turn before I dismiss it.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/n...r-june-20.html

Opens today. Lobby looks nice (from peeking in). Attractive market/cafe on the corner for those who can't stand to go into yet another ABC Store. The building exterior of the hotel tower doesn't look very appealing, as it is in the style I've called Outrigger Moderne for decades.

Great urban Waikiki location . . . adjacent to the Food Pantry and half a block from Marukame Udon.

The in-building market is apparently run by the same folks as the Food Pantry.

http://shopinternationalmarketplace.com/ this hotel used to be across the street from the "back" entrance to the international market place. I hope it will still be like that when the new one opens in august.

I stopped by last night. I only come to Honolulu for work, so the upcoming Hampton Inn in Ewa Beach has much more location appeal. The Kuhio location is something of a blessing (right on the bus line; not on Kalakaua and the resort-fee-free experience spares me a "hit" to per diem.) The lobby is more like...something else...maybe an aLoft(?) Definitely not off-the-rack HGI fixtures. The pool area is large, especially by HGI standards, with a bar and "seating" (lounges, chairs) for many dozens. I couldn't get into the fitness center, but it looked like it was junk equipment (not Precor, Life Fitness, Technogym.) Introductory materials say this is the 700th HGI and the largest in the world.

Planning to stay here in December, usually I stay at the Hilton a few blocks away. Close to Queens beach and Udon place, and no resort fee! I found that MVP rate gives the best rates for here.

From the pictures on the hotel website, the rooms look 'cozy' (i.e., very small) & they have gone the Marriott route of taking out desks which takes this off my list of hotels for work.

Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki
 

Introduction I stayed in this hotel one night on July 6-7, 2016 with my wife and son. This hotel has only been open as a Hilton Garden Inn for a couple weeks now. Overall it's a nice property with friendly service. There are still a few kinks to work out, such as unreliable internet and walking to another resort for breakfast until their restaurant opens. Here's my experience (diamond member)... Check In I asked if they did upgrades for diamond members, and the front desk agent had to check with her manager and then put us in room 1665. Besides being a higher floor I'm not sure what exactly the upgrade is, but beggars can't be choosers.I had originally booked 1 night at 60k points in a "2-double-bed city view" room. About a week before arrival the rate dropped (team USA code) to $160/night so I changed the booking to cash. OLCI the day before showed us assigned to room 5xx, and the day of changed to 11xx. At check-in I was thanked for being a diamond member and given the two bottles of water. Room The balcony on this particular room faces east and does not have a view of the ocean.The room is pretty small. Upon entering there is a sink to the left, which turns out to be the bathroom sink. The toilet and shower are behind a sliding door to the right. The room itself has a microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker, and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. There was no desk in the room, but rather a round table with a bench. The sliding door does open and the balcony is sufficiently large to go outside (and there are chairs and a table). There is a nightstand between the two beds with 2 wall outlets and 1 USB outlet. It's clearly very recently refurbished. Dining  The restaurant for this hotel is not complete yet (the website says October, and the sign on the street says "opening this summer"). The breakfast is at Duke's Waikiki, which is about a 10 minute walk as it is in another resort. While that's not the most convenient, I will say this is the best breakfast buffet I've ever had "in a Hilton" -- eggs benedict, omelette station, banana pancakes, 2 different types of sausage, Hawaiian fruit, passionfruit and guava juice, etc. And it's right on the ocean. This is temporary until the HGI's own restaurant is finished, but it was fantastic. (Retail price was $17 which I would have happily paid.) Internet The wireless internet at this hotel left a lot to be desired. Upon arrival we connected devices (computers and iPhones) to hhonors/attwifi and got IP addresses but no login page. About an hour later, the login page started working and I got decent performance: 5.7-6.0 MBps down, 5.6 MBps up, ping around 100 to Los Angeles. The next morning, the internet was again not working. I called the tech support number and they were unable to authorize my device and then said there was a network outage in the area. I'm posting this review from my phone via tethering. :( Other Pictures Restaurant is opening in Summer 2016 (website says October).The welcome information with information about breakfast at Duke's.The ocean is (somewhat) visible between the buildings. For "ocean view" rooms it would look something like this.Hallway leading to rooms.View from the elevator exit lobby. Overall The small (double) beds and small rooms aren't ideal for a large family though. It was pretty tight here for even one night, and quite a change from 2 queen beds plus a sleeper sofa at the Embassy Suites the past couple nights. Since the "upgrade" for a diamond member is to a room with a better view, be sure to book the bed size you actually want if traveling with a larger family.Breakfast was awesome.If traveling alone or for business, I'd definitely stay here.

That review helps me as I am staying there this Wed-Sunday for business. Breakfast at Duke's is an unanticipated pleasure. One thing I noticed from the pictures is the two bed room has no way to watch TV unless your on the bed. Which I really hate. I see that the one king bed room has a couch to sit on.