FriendlySkies

While I don't hate the paint color, it probably would not have been my first choice.

There are two pull-out drawers below the TV, which can be useful for storage. You've also got the area in the 'closet', though it is not enclosed. Still, seems like it would work for luggage storage?

MFLetou

Ahh, well that's encouraging. Thank you. So I wonder if they are still circulating unrenovated rooms in the Diamond tower?

Sounds like there isn't outside construction going on per se, just noise from the inside that can carry?

I'm in the minority, I actually like the blue.

I feel like I've got the best change of a nice, fresh room at the Hyatt. The mixed reviews of the regular Sheraton rooms are scaring me, sounds like some of them are pretty rough. And in the Marriott I'd probably be stuck in the back tower, which isn't really appealing.

So, I think I'm going to go with the Hyatt. I've reserved a partial ocean view room--my thinking being that I could either ask for an upgrade or pay for one if need be.

hailstorm

We had a freshly renovated room in Diamond tower for one nght (39th floor, next to Ulukou Room) Besides the fresh paint smell, the most annoying part of the room was a constant flickering of the lights. I wonder if these rooms have some sort of electrical issues?

FWIW, we stayed in the Ulukou Room a week later, which had not yet been renovated, and had none of the flickering issues.

Mary2e

I was told that by March most of the diamond head tower will be complete and they'll be working on the lower floors.

Re: the preview comments we made. I believe it was an effort by the hotel to get the designers/owners to change some of the design. I suspect they didn't like it and were surveying frequent visitors for opinions in hopes of getting things changed. I know we were told that most people seeing the rooms had the same comments - the paint color is awful, there isn't room for storage, and the seating is uncomfortable. It just doesn't look tropical.

We did see a different version of the room - one which had the bathroom at the entrance, and that configuration had more storage space.

I don't know what these designers were thinking. The hotel is in Hawaii, not some big city where all the hotels are going minimal.

hailstorm

I didn't hate the new room, but maybe the 39th floor rooms are bigger (the lanai certainly is) and skewed my viewpoint.

Regardless, I agree that I prefer the "traditional" Hawaiian touch. Doesn't have to be full-blown Coco Palms (wonder what Hyatt will do to that place...), but it should somehow let you definitively know that you're in Hawaii. The new rooms don't do that at all. I would be very sad if the Ulukou Room looks like that now...

Mary2e

The 39th floor rooms are the same as all the rest. Depending where they're located in the octagon is the shape/size of the room.

The only differences I've seen on the higher floors is that the bigger suites are there.

I'm not looking for tropical either... but that awful blue, which doesn't come close to the color or the ocean makes it seem like the hotel is anywhere but Hawaii.

I hope the horrible rugs in the hallways are gone

JetAway

The late venerated Coco Palms will become an Andaz.

edgewood49

The ugly carpet syndrome began when the hotel was sold years ago to GS by the Japanese businessman. Along with taking the limo away they started on the C floors with ugly carpets! I am not quite sure what is going on but this property has been in a tail spin ever since it was sold. And I have been staying here from almost day one. It's just not the same really comfortable resort as it once was. Thankfully Mark and Barbara are still there.

Mary2e

Yeah, I miss the old floral carpet. This last batch was truly awful.

I think Blackstone owns them now? I forgot which private equity firm bought them.

edgewood49

Correct I do business with several venture capitol firms "reflagging" ( I have a construction co) and know some of the players here. Again for whatever reason that property is in a tailspin. They seem to be searching for their identity and can seem to find it, hopefully they will, oh for the Colony !!!

AZ Travels the World

I'm a regular guest at this property and was also asked to review the models when they were in the design stage. My feedback was virtually identical to Mary2e's. As I gave my comments, I also got the feeling that the hotel management was disappointed in the direction and looking for guests to back them up.

My biggest issue was that they lost the Hawaiian element. With this design you could be anywhere in the world close to a beach. It seemed like they flew in some junior designer from a big firm who opened up his portfolio and they chose Design #17.

Hawaii has such a distinct culture and unique design-ethic. It's so unfortunate that they ignored it.

I, too, hope they're replacing the 'oil slick' hallway carpeting. That's one of the worst design choices I've seen in any hotel, anywhere.

qmiles321

Just finished a quick one night stay at the property.
I've stayed there 10+ times and diamond treatments are always nice.

Since diamond head tower is currently under renovation, they've been assigning diamonds to the renovated ewa tower. The room is nice with Japanese bidet toilet and everything, but I really dislike that smoking is allowed on the balcony. The floor is considered non-smoking but guests are still allowed to smoke on the balcony. May be great news for smokers, but as a non-smoker I have to shut the lanai door once I start smelling cigarettes. This stay was okay with only a few instances, but our last stay I had to keep the lanai door shut at most times because of cigarette smoke.

Kacee

It doesn't matter what the hotel says, people will smoke on their balconies. I hate this as well. It's really just luck of the draw whether you get a heavy smoker in a room near yours.

edgewood49

I have been staying at this property for over 20 some years and ever since it was sold and then resold the hotel has never found it's way having lost it's identity since being sold by the Japanese businessman approx. 12 years ago. Sure the limo was nice but understand it's lost, but it just seems like they can not get out of their way. Food service and offerings has diminished greatly and the past few attempts of late have been a disaster, my opinion. The remodel is again my opinion not going well, but then what is? If it were not for the long time dedication of people like Mark and Barbara I sure there are some of us that would go elsewhere.

Let's hope

jpdx

I just spent 5 nights there, and they initially gave me a direct ocean-facing room on a low floor in the Ewa tower. I didn't realize how obstructed the view is (by the Moana), and I ended up asking to move. You really need to be well above the 15th floor in that tower to have a full view. I wanted to keep the direct ocean view (so either xx09/xx10 on a high floor in the Ewa tower or xx59/xx60 in the Diamond Head tower), and offered to move to a non-renovated floor. It appears that the Ewa tower is fully renovated, and what remains un-renovated in the Diamond Head tower has been taken out of the inventory (either because of construction going on, or as "buffer zone"). I ended up moving to a renovated room on one of the highest floors of the Diamond Head tower, and there wasn't any problem with noise.

I'm gonna side with the minority that likes the new rooms. A vast improvement over the old ones, IMO. On a side note, I was assigned ADA rooms (roll-in shower), and they are truly top notch from an accessible design standard, unlike the prior accessible rooms, which were very challenging for a wheelchair user. (I didn't actually need an accessible room this time, but have in the past, and somehow they still had it in my file; somewhat surprising considering that it was years ago and I have stayed in standard rooms multiple times since).

Regarding the Sheraton (the main one, not SPK), I stayed there five times last year, and had some spectacular upgrades. A high floor Pualani or Kai suite (which is well above the official upgrade pool, but the hotel assigns it to Plats anyway) will be one of the best upgrades you can get in Waikiki (and indeed, systemwide). Yes, the un-renovated "select standard suites" and the standard rooms will make you want to wish you had stayed elsewhere, but given the potential upside, SPG Plats/Hyatt Diamonds who don't mind a gamble are likely better advised to stay at Sheraton than at Hyatt.