MechMachine

I had to make this decision later this year and chose the HP over HR (and the centric). In my opinion Hyatt’s offerings in Oahu are subpar so it’s kinda like choosing the lesser of 3 evils. But I’m staying here before going on to another island so I have something to look forward to. Here are some of the factors/opinions why (may be different for you):

HR:
People in HR thread seem to have poor experiences with globalist upgrades without a TSU and even then the experience finding availability is hard. Additionally ever since HR moved the club from the upper level to its current location seems like a downgrade IMO. Breakfast offerings seem subpar during covid. Why pay more for basically a slightly better or on par HP breakfast? The rooms seem really small to me and there was an abundance of city view and ADA rooms and I couldn’t see any ocean view rooms bookable at time of booking so I figured upgrade chances were slim; or at least something I’d be worried about. I wanted the confirmation so didn’t end up choosing here. Elevators seem to be a problem at this property; and honestly it just didn’t seem worth paying the premium for this “Regency”. Beach construction too.

Centric:
The rates during my stay were higher at the centric compared to the HP or HR. I didn’t like the location/views provided by this property, even the ocean views seem obstructed. And their definition of a suite is laughable; look at the pictures. Just a big room with a curtain separating the main bedroom and “living room” area. Finally apparently the globalist breakfast here the property is not allowing a choice of entree at the restaurant and has a dedicated “buffet lite” you are given. To me in general this property just gives off vibes of “do the bare minimum possible to remain in compliance with Hyatt corporate for T&C for WOH”. Also this property plays games with award availability. Have to have a minimum stay of I believe 4 nights. You could always book it and call the call center to trim it down. But this property just gives me stingy management vibes.

Hyatt Place:
I was able to get a room cheapest out of all 3 properties for my stay for 4 nights. But technically 3 since the first night is a late airport arrival. Didn’t want to waste a higher rate on that night. I got a premium ocean view for $200 a night. Granted this is a lot for HP but I booked more than the standard 2 person occupancy (that was around $170). Something to keep in mind is this property has a better ocean view on higher floors (technically you have a view of two buildings on either side but way better than the centric). Also something I didn’t realize until after I booked is HP has balconies; centric does not. And the fact that I booked into a guaranteed ocean view at HP over upgrade roulette at HR made me happy. The premium ocean view at HP isnt documented well on the app but it is a pretty big room with either two kings or queens with a couch and punch out for a desk. But additionally it has another alcove with a separate window and couch with a sleeper. Basically a suite lite that’s bigger than centric standard suites minus the curtain 😂. All for less with equivalent breakfast really for all 3 properties. And HP is closer to the beach than centric.

Anyways hope this helped you. Some of it was my opinions and others just research from threads and such but hopefully can take something from this.

I definitely think Hyatt has some improvements to do in Waikiki. All properties have subpar pools and views IMO. I could have stayed at Hilton for a similar rate but since the stay is so short and I have a cert and late night airport arrival this was the best option for me. I think breakfast situation could improve after covid and HR could win out on that front but for now that’s how it stands.

MechMachine

see if you can book an artificially longer stay with points or even do a points + cash if you don’t have enough points. Then trim it down via the call center for the nights you want with points if you really want to stay there.

Kacee

Agreed, the Hyatt Waikiki options are weak. That said, it's not much of a competitive landscape. High demand has historically allowed subpar properties to remain competitive. We'll see what happens post-Covid. Right now, Waikiki is hurting.

I would not choose any of the three Hyatts for a 6 night stay. But then again, I consider 6 nights in Waikiki as 8th circle of hell. The only thing worse would be 6 nights in Times Square.
They play terrible award availability games. 7 night minimum.

brabb12

This is what I wanted to know. Thank you, I don't think then it may be worth spending the extra points at the Hyatt Regency. If the breakfast is subpar and the service isn't that impressive nor is the chance of a upgrade, I'd rather save my points and stay for less at the Hyatt place. I've been there before once and I was impressed and was much better than Marriott and getting bonvoyed. Lol
Thank you

Kacee

In years past, the typical Diamond/Globalist upgrade at HR was an ocean front room on a high floor. It's a nice view, though not so spectacular as Sheraton or HHV Rainbow Tower. HR has very few suites. The elevators suck, with the effect magnified the higher your floor.

Matt4200

Would highly recommend the Centric over the HP or HR based on past stays.

Beckles

It's been nine years since I stayed at the HR, have they moved it off the third floor or so down lower? I'm actually planning on staying here in November.
Many of the hotels have rooms with limited or no views, but the rooms with views at the HR are among the best views in Waikiki between the height of the hotel and where it's located.
Haven't stayed at the Sheraton (I was actually thinking it was a different hotel than it is), sure looks like a lot of rooms with 'City views' to me though looking at it just now, I have stayed in the Rainbow Tower, and half the rooms have great views, the other half are Lagoon/Marina/Ala Moana view, which are hardly 'spectacular'.

Not trying to be a homer or anything, but I have a hard time buying a claim that this property in general can be labeled as having 'subpar views'. I actually really like the location of the Regency Club when I was there on the third floor, the outdoor space was great and could not be matched at that property on a higher floor which is why I asked if they had moved it further down (I had looked recently and thought it was still in the same place).

MechMachine

Fair point. For all the rooms i was looking at the HR with city views; and no ocean view rooms bookable the views weren't the best; but I am sure if you got a high enough floor with an ocean or diamond head view it would be lovely!

I cant remember when they removed the club at the HR; it was deep back in the thread but fairly recently they used to have the club separate (without a deck I believe?) and then more recently the new location it was moved to had a deck which then the hotel started renting out to weddings and closing the club to guests during stays which was upsetting people.

Matt4200 what experiences lately with the Centric gives you this impression? Not much information out there lately from what I have seen.

Matt4200

Stayed in January and it was enjoyable.

Have stayed at the HR and HP and it’s just not been as good of a stay.

The Centric’s style, location and staff have always been amazing for us, it feels more lively more modern and just overall better for us. We’ve stayed both as a couple and with our little ones (separate stays) and it’s amazing for either.

It’s also always been better for a points redemption or a Hyatt Prive’ booking which IIRC comes with a 4th night free right now.

lincoln boy

I’ve stayed at HR and HP in the past and am thinking about trying HC this summer.

Location: HR is definitely better due to the proximity to the beach. HC is far from the beach and I would like to know why you mentioned that the location of HC is better compared to HR.

Restaurants: no restaurant at HC at the moment. SHOR at HR is open. So if you are staying as a globalist or even Prive rates, I would feel that HR may be better.

The rates for both HR and HC are about the same this summer. If you are globalist and the rates are the same, would you pick HC over HR?

Matt4200

We felt like the location of the HC and it’s proximity to shopping, dining and the beach was actually pretty great.

I believe it’s about a 4-5 minute walk IIRC. We cut through an Alley filled with surfboards that leads straight to the beach and I believe Duke’s.

We were able to walk around and explore which was nice for us.

I definitely felt the HC felt more modern and had a more “in the action” (their motto) feeling than the HR even though it was a conversion.

The only good thing for us staying at the HR pre-Covid was the dining options on property (Breakfast and Dinner, though dinner was pricey) along with the Regency Lounge. Though when you’re in Hawaii I think it’s probably best to try the local cuisine.

Also AFAIK the HR isn’t a Prive’ property so staying on cash rates with the HC and Prive’ even if the rate is the same as the HR you’d get extra benefits and likely end up with a better suite even as a Globalist than you would sans Prive’. Not to mention the 3rd or 4th night free through Prive’.

Kacee

Let's compare apples to apples please - ocean front at any of the three properties. IMO, of the three, Sheraton is #1, HHV Rainbow Tower #2, with Hyatt a distant third. And yes, the ocean front views at Sheraton and HHV RT are absolutely spectacular.

In terms of upgrades, Marriott Titanium or AMB is likely to get the Club Ocean Front at Sheraton, just as Globalist is likely to get Ocean Front at HR. HHV is much more difficult with the upgrades.

MarkOK

I fell like the HR and HC has a lot of disappointed folks on their review page because their expectations were perhaps misplaced. This is Waikiki -- crowded beaches, city atmosphere with shopping and multitudes of restaurants, launching pad for excursions and tours elsewhere on Oahu (which, I think has a lot of great places worth visiting). These aren't really resorts, and their price points are usually 25-50% what the real resorts charge elsewhere in the islands. You don't cruise on Carnival and expect a Viking Ocean cruise experience.

Yes, the standard suites at HC are small, but they still offer a true separate bedroom, and I would rank their (pre-Covid) buffet breakfast as one of the best out there*. They treated me and my family quite well overall. Easy to get towels and sunscreen for the beach, and the walk to the beach is only a couple of blocks (hopefully, I never get to the point, where I think that is too far to walk). And it is right in the center of the commercial center of Waikiki (and if you don't care for that, then why are you even in Waikiki?).

(*unless maybe you show up late and the food's gone cold? I don't know, I ate several days at 7-7:30AM and the food was always very good -- lots of fresh fruit, american and japonese options, hot food was hot, cold food was cold. Better than any mainland full service Hyatt buffet breakfast given to globalist I've had except maybe HR Miami in terms of selection and freshness; and tons better than any HP breakfast).

And yes, the HR does have fairly few hard to get suites, but this hotel can sell most of their suites most nights for cash, as well as their ocean view rooms, so it is silly to expect to always walk into free upgrades here. Again, they treated me very well when I was there. If you don't get an ocean view upgrade -- the city and mountain views up top are still very nice, some of the best mountain and city views in Waikiki. When I lived in in Waikiki several years ago, I had a condo with a decent view to the ocean and a full on view of the mountains, and seeing the clouds, rain, and rainbows crawl over those mountains are something I always cherished more than the water view (which is gorgeous for a couple of hours during the day when the light really shines through the water, but that is often the part of the day I'd be out and about anyways). The HR gave us a welcome basket with lots of treats, free champagne to celebrate an anniversary, and the lounge (in the new location), was still one of the best lounges for food and service out there compared to any mainland US lounge. The week I was there, I never waited more than 5 minutes for any elevator to get to my top floor room too, despite a high occupancy and all the warnings and moanings on the thread.

These experiences were just months before Covid, and I know these things keep changing over time, but if you read those threads you can get what I consider to be an overly negative impression of those hotels. No, they aren't resorts with large suites, complementary upgrades to go around, and 5-star chef inspired breakfasts, but they are decently fine hotels, and with cash rates usually only 10-30% more than the Hyatt Place which is tucked away on some sketchy streets at the end of Waikiki and just offers standard Hyatt Place service and breakfasts, I think the HC and HR are both well worth the upcharge. (And, I have never really seen rates high enough to justify paying either with points. I earn and burn a lot of points, but I don't have so many points that I am going to waste them on ~1-1.5 cent redemptions here when I easily redeem points at 2+ cent per points elsewhere.)

MarkOK

I think on the whole, the elevator situation is worse the lower your floor. Going up, at worse, you may have to wait 2-3 extra minutes to stop at a few floors on the way up to the top, but you get in line the same as everyone else. But going down, you can get into a situation on the lower floors where you never get an elevator to show up that isn't already full from the floors above you. If people ride 'both ways' and push buttons up and down because they just want to get on, that effects everyone equally really.

I didn't have any issues when I stayed at HR, but at other hotels where the lower floors were always having a line of people trying to get on, I usually just get off on one of those lower floors so some people can get on in my place and just take the stairs down from there (where, I'd often beat the elevator I was on). Disabilities aside, I am amazed at how often people avoid a few flight of stairs, and usually get some weird nasty looks from the people that I just let on in my place when I come out of the stairwell at the same time they get off the elevator they spent waiting several minutes for.

Beckles

My main point of contention was the claim that views at Hyatt were 'subpar' (which was not something you said). I haven't stayed at the Sheraton, but obviously it is literally oceanfront, but by the same token, it is not beachfront, One of the reasons I like oceanfront/beachfront is to people watch, and the Sheraton isn't really beachfront, but if you want unimpeded views of the ocean, it clearly can't be beat then. All three have rooms with what I'd say are spectacular views, while at the same time having some rooms with less spectacular views too. If you're top tier at any of those three chains, they're all viable choices (as a Hilton Diamond though even I want to avoid HHV because of its marginal treatment of elite members).