LifetimeUpgrade

Thanks for sharing, please report back especially on the late checkout and suite upgrade possibilities. I have a stay booked for later this year and am curious how it goes for you

Kacee

Will do. It's cheaper than Kahala for my dates and with the $50 daily credit and no resort charge figured it was worth checking out vs. playing the upgrade game at the Westin.

Kacee

Currently wrapping up my second night here. The report is mixed. I booked a Deluxe Studio and that's what I got, despite availability in at least two higher room classes, as well as a multitude of suites. This was after extensive pre-stay communications with guest relations about room assignment. So at least in my case, this property simply does not upgrade. On the positive side, I was proactively offered a 4 pm check-out, which I gratefully took, since I have a 5 pm flight.

My room on the 22nd floor looks out over Ft. DeRussy toward the ocean. Here's the view from the balcony:



I timed the walk to Ft. DeRussy beach park at 8 minutes (I'm a fast walker).

I have mixed feelings about the room. It's a long, narrow shotgun-style room, and would qualify as a Jr. Suite at many places, with a living area which can be separated from the bed with a sliding door. Here are views out the sliders and back towards the door:





The bed is exceptionally comfortable and the towels are high quality. Asprey toiletries. Strong internet (>25 mbps down). Washer and dryer in the room is a huge bonus. There's also a Nespresso Virtuo with four capsules, which were replenished by housekeeping. Two large tv screens with Netflix capability (not that I've turned either of them on).

While the room obviously a number of positive features, overall it does not feel particularly luxurious. The cabinetry in particular is Ikea quality and already showing signs of wear. And the "lanai" is kind of pathetic - about three feet deep, with two unpadded aluminum and plastic chairs plus a small table.

Staff have all been exceptionally nice (including particularly Sandy, the guest relations associate with whom I corresponded and spoke by phone). Service is very good overall (without being cloying, as I find many RCs to be).

Most of the guests right now are Japanese. The place is right next to "Luxury Row" so a very easy walk if you're laden with bags from Gucci, Prada, etc.

Rate was about $100/night less than FHR rate at Kahala, so figured I'd check it out for the two nights' stay credit and a bunch of Marriott points. While the property has plenty of positives, I much prefer the Kahala's location and ambience. And the refusal to upgrade Marriott elites does leave a bit of a bad taste. Personally, I doubt I'd return.

margarita girl

Does RC care about Trip Advisor reviews?

hockeyinsider

One of my biggest complaints about the tropics, like Hawaii or Guam where all new buildings are concrete because of building codes, is the black mold and water stains on rooftops. I don't understand why owners don't paint the rooftops to mask any discoloration. The view, which certainly isn't premium given how far it is from the beach, is kind of ruined by the rooftops of other buildings.

Failing to upgrade isn't exactly "very good" service. This property does not have an exemption in Marriott's terms and conditions from the upgrade benefit. Period.

Kacee

I don't agree at all. There's more to service than whether you get a room upgrade. Staff who are limited by an ownership imposed "no upgrade" policy can otherwise provide excellent service. And the staff here have been uniformly pleasant and helpful and done their best to provide a positive experience.

Whether the lack of upgrade trumps everything else is really a personal call and depends on your priorities. For me, the biggest negative of this property is not the lack of an upgrade, it's the location in the middle of Waikiki. I just don't like staying in Waikiki anymore. With the traffic and crowds of tourists it's just too much of a hassle.

Well I think the staff knows the policy is not popular with Marriott elites. They've really gone out of their way to do everything they can for me. Who knows whether a bunch of negative TA reviews would impact ownership's approach. Although honestly, the TA reviews where some guy complains about being a 15 year Plat and not getting an upgrade tend to come across as whiny to me.

If Marriott cared, they would force the property to comply with the program rules. Since we know they don't, the answer to me is, don't patronize properties that don't provide benefits that are important to you.

hockeyinsider

Unless the ownership also manages the property I don't think this is a case of owners forcing the management not to comply with the terms and conditions of Marriott's program. That's a decision that has been made by management, who are required to manage the property in compliance with Marriott's standards.

I doubt Marriott is aware this property is explicitly not complying with the upgrade benefit, as Marriott publicly cracked down on another property that was bold enough to say it wouldn't extend upgrades.

Kacee

This property states in writing both at booking and in its reservation confirmation emails that "free upgrade to suites is not available." Let us know when Marriott cracks down.

I think you're ignoring the history of this property, which initially did not participate in the Marriott program at all.

I think their upgrade policy is wrong. But they don't charge a resort fee and they pro-actively offered me a 4 pm check-out. Both of which set them apart from the other full service Marriott/SPG properties in Waikiki in a positive way. I don't think any of the other properties offer washer/dryer and Nespresso Virtuo in their rooms, either. And valet parking is only $35/day.

hockeyinsider

As others have said, properties can edit their website and the bookings page without someone at Marriott approving it.

The property's previous non-participation is irrelevant. It participates now and can't pick and choose which aspects of the program it's going to participate in, unless it's given an exemption in the terms and conditions as some of the other properties in the Marriott portfolio have been given.

I've never been charged a resort fee and have always received a 4 p.m. check-out at the Marriott Waikiki.

Nagasaki Joe

Thanks for the informative review. I have a stay booked this March, so was very curious to hear another's opinion. Actually, I had a private tour of the property over a year ago to look at the condo units. Saw the Deluxe Studio room and the only part of it that I found luxurious was the bathroom, which is quite nice, but the rest of the room doesn't maintain the same level of quality and comes across as just ordinary, with the lower end units all pretty much looking like hotel rooms. However, I think the luxury aspect of the property may be more the common facilities, such as pools, spa, small movie theater (which I hear is in the newly completed tower), fitness center, etc. Did you get a chance to use them, and if so, what was your impression? Did you eat in any of the restaurants? How was the free breakfast you got with the $50 credit? All things considered, if you are booking using Marriott Reward points or FNAs, then I think this property is very competitive with other Marriott or SPG hotels in Waikiki (since it too, like the Mona Surfrider and Royal Hawaiian, is at 60,000 points/night, but with much nicer and larger rooms than you will get for 60,000 points at either of those two on-the-beach hotels), unless you are simply one of those people who must be on the beach at all times, so the quality of the room doesn't matter.
I have a Deluxe Studio booked for March, so I'll have a chance to see for myself and will give a review.

Kacee

The fitness center was nice. Not spectacular, but good. Pools are okay, if smallish. No adult pool so they're not exactly going to be peaceful. I did not try the spa. I found the service to be luxury level, as there seems to be a very high staff to guest ratio.
I had breakfast in the Market. The setting is nice with a view out to the ocean. The menu is small, no buffet. I found the food mediocre. Service was good.

Sushi Sho, on property, is one of the toughest reservations in town. There's also a Dean & DeLuca downstairs which is nice for a quick snack. And your 5-10 minutes walk from heart of Waikiki dining options.
I agree, assuming you can get past the annoyance at the no upgrades policy. You risk getting a really awful room at any of the other properties, and that's not likely to happen here. The rooms all face the ocean and are very well sound insulated. The walk to the beach through Ft. DeRussy is easy (easier than at properties such as Laylow or Hyatt Centric).

Nagasaki Joe

I completed a 4-night stay here in March using 2 free-night certificates and reward points. I reserved a Deluxe Ocean View Studio, but at check-in, we were offered an upgrade to a larger studio on a higher floor for $100/night, which I accepted. We were given a room on the 28th floor with wooden floors instead of carpeting and with a partition between the living and bedrooms, which the original room we booked didn't have. I had seen the standard room with carpeting and no partition before, so I was glad we upgraded because this studio was more spacious and the wooden floor gave the room a feeling of luxury missing from the fully carpeted room, and the partition was welcome since it created a wall between the two large wall-mounted TVs in the living and bedrooms. I should add that, although I'm a Marriott Platinum Elite, the RC Waikiki had me as Gold Elite in their system. At check-in, they accepted my Platinum Elite status, but I was never told what my Platinum Elite benefits were, only my Gold Elite benefits were provided to me after I made the reservation.

View from our 28th floor room.

We were very happy with the spacious room and the wooden floor was a nice luxurious touch. The bathroom is quite spacious and probably the most luxurious element of the entire room (unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the bathroom). The spaciousness is welcome when you consider the small size of most Waikiki hotel bathrooms. Oddly, the washer and dryer were housed in a wooden cabinet between the living and bedroom, but their operation was not at all noisy, and we hardly noticed when operating. On Friday night, Hilton Hawaiian Village had their weekly fireworks display, which we enjoyed watching from our lanai, though it lasted only about 5 minutes.

Living room - washer and dryer are behind the wooden cabinet.



Living room of our unit.

The kitchenette was very nice to have, but we really only used the refrigerator (very large, full-size), wine cooler and coffee maker with cappuccino capsules, but not the microwave/oven. There were plates, glasses and sliver ware in the cabinets and drawers, which were very handy, if not essential. On the second day of our stay, I found a slice of birthday cake in the refrigerator along with a birthday card on the kitchen counter, a thoughtful touch to celebrate my birthday. The materials of the kitchenette were all high quality, with solid wood (I believe walnut) and either marble or granite counter tops (I saw marble mentioned in some Ritz-Carlton marketing material). I disagree with the previous review by Kacee that the wood is like furniture from Ikea, it is not wood veneer or composite wood, but very solid quality wood, which imparted a luxurious feel.

Kitchenette with wine cooler and microwave/oven in our room.

View of room from kitchenette.

The hotel itself is a rather massive structure, but for all its size there is a clear lack of common or public space (except for the huge drive-in area where the valet takes your car and parks it). The two pools have nice, but low views of the ocean,and have a somewhat cramped feel. The maximum pool depth is around 4.5 feet, so you can swim or walk in them, but they are relatively small. There are many reclining chairs, especially in the Diamond Head pool area, and it is a pleasant place to just relax, enjoy the view, wade in the pool, or order food and drink to consume at your chair. The pool area was never overly crowded during our stay, but I'm told it varies all the time, and can become very crowded. The pool staff are really excellent and very friendly and outgoing. They circulated around and always asked if you needed anything, and to a person, they all had excellent interpersonal skills. I found the RC's pool service much better than any of the other on-beach Marriott hotels.


Ewa Tower pool and Jacuzzi.

The fitness center was of an adequate size and very well equipped. There is 24-hour access and it was never crowded when I was there. There is a Yoga room next to it, which you have to reserve it ahead of time. Apparently, classes are held there also, but I didn't see any nor did I ever see anyone using the room. A movie theater is even advertised on the RC Waikiki's website, but on further inquiry, I was told that it is only available for event use. I made a reservation at the RC spa before arriving, but was told that the sauna's were not operating undergoing maintenance, so I cancelled the spa, which I was looking forward to.


Ewa Tower pool

We did not eat at any of the RC restaurants, although we had wanted to. We did, however, have some drinks at the outdoor bar of the Diamond Head Tower. We got there during the last half hour of Happy Hour, and ordered a Mai-Tai and Margarita. The Margarita was delicious, but the Mai-Tai was a major disappointment, through it was nice looking. The view from the bar is good, but the view of the ocean is quite low. There was live music and I found it to be a very pleasant space to drink and relax. You could even order food from the restaurant at any of the tables. There is also a Dean & DeLuca's attached to the hotel, but its second floor, where there is supposedly a wine bar, was being renovated, so only the first floor was open.

Outdoor bar area of Diamond Head Tower

It's a short walk to the beach (probably about 8 minutes), so distance is not a problem. The RC's location is very convenient and just a short walk to the epicenter of Waikiki Beach. That said, I did miss being right on the beach, but the quality and size of our room was so much nicer, newer, and luxurious than anything I could get on the Beach that this somewhat offset not having direct beach access. It's major demerit, in my view, is that if has less common space (pool area, restaurants, bars, fitness center, and general public space) than most if not all major 'luxury-class" hotels in Waikiki, and of course, it's not on the beach, which will ruin it for many. But, for reward stays, I think the RC Waikiki Beach is hard to beat since there are no resort fees attached to the rooms. For paid stays, the RC rooms are still fairly price competitive given the room size and quality. Service quality is also significantly better than anything I've seen in Waikiki. Overall, it's even cheaper than the Halekulani, which also does not have direct beach access, even though it's right on the beach. I've never stayed there, but that fact alone makes it a hotel I have no desire to book. At least the RC is less expensive and without resort fees, so it's a nice new addition for Marriott Rewards members. I'm sure I'l return, and next time try the restaurants.

Kacee

lol, did you stop to think that perhaps your upgraded room had elevated finishes? It clearly did.

Floor 22 (which is what I had) is the highest floor for the regular and "Deluxe" room categories. Anything 23 or higher is "Grand." If you look at the pics on the website, you'll see the cabinetry and finishes are completely different. By comparison, the cabinets in my room were chipped and you could see the particle board underneath the vinyl.

Nagasaki Joe

I'm not defending RC, but I did research these units at one time with the thought of purchase and this is what I found:
Under "Room Highlights" for the "Studio, Ocean View" room from floor 22 and down it says this about the rooms: "Hardwoods, marble and hand-crafted millwork" (Studio, Ocean View The Ritz-Carlton, Waikiki Beach)
On a website that specializes in sales of these RC Waikiki condo units it says: "Kitchen: Miele appliances, walnut kitchen cabinetry and marble countertops" https://www.hawaiiliving.com/oahu/ho...ndos-for-sale/
OK, you saw what you saw. It's possible that walnut kitchen cabinetry applies only to the Grand floors as you suggest, but it does contradict what RC itself advertises, which is that all units use hardwoods/walnut kitchen cabinetry. Yes, there is a lighter wood used in the units from the 22nd floor down, but if their advertising is true, I would just assume it's a less expensive hardwood than walnut that is lighter in color. It would seem a bit disingenuous for RC to offer Ikea-type woodwork in half of its units (most of which cost in the vicinity of $1 million), and walnut kitchen cabinetry in all units from the 23rd floor up. "Particle board underneath vinyl" means that the surface is "vinyl" and not wood. I did see a unit below floor 23, and the cabinetry looked like wood to me, not "vinyl". It just seems odd to me that an expensive condo would do that without stating it in their marketing material. It also seems odd that they would use marble counter tops on Ikea-style vinyl covered particle board cabinetry, who would do that?

Kacee

The cabinetry in the lower floor rooms extends all the way from the entry way into the living room and includes a desk and closet structure (which differs quite a bit from the layout in your pics). It's possible there's a portion in the kitchen that's hardwood, but the closet portion was absolutely vinyl covered compressed wood product - there was a gouge on one of the edges and you could clearly see this.