HNLbasedFlyer

Well, a city view to oceanfront isn't a bad upgrade - I'm wondering if the booking a double held you back - I believe the bulk of the suites are king.

Visitor numbers are roughly 80% pre-covid which is where they are expected to peak and not increase until international travel is allowed.

In some respects - I wonder if the hotel not being nearly completely full hurts upgrades as they'd likely more upgrade to suites to free up regular rooms for sale. Another poster mentioned Kai suites for sale - those traditionally were always available for an upgrade.

Kacee

Prior to arrival? I thought this property typically only upgraded to suites at check-in.

margarita girl

Pre-Covid, I stayed here 3-4 times/yr. I was always upgraded to ocean front room pre-arrival, and to a suite 90% of the time at check-in. (If I didn’t get a suite, it’s because there were none available.) Are you saying that you were regularly upgraded to a suite pre-arrival?

HNLbasedFlyer

Pre-Covid was always upgraded to suite pre-arrival

PHXonUA

that is a good point. I know at least a few times I was put into a suite pre-arrival, but I also remember having to ask at check-in to see if there was any possibility of a suite upgrade. I should start tracking what I book and what I get pre-arrival and at check-in. Thank you for pointing this out.

edgewood49

MG has a good point remembering until things settle down / we find a new normal booking/checking in will be a challenge at times

anteater

Yes, it is very helpful to be a guest or frequent guest of the hotel or locale so as to provide beneficial and relevant information.

Given the increased travel demand, the SH and others are more proactively holding suites for potential cash rates until they feel
comfortable assigning them pre-arrival — or until at check-in.

Kacee

Same as we've seen with airlines and upgrades, especially UA.

NW-A332

I checked in to this hotel last night around 9pm. This place feels packed. I booked an Oceanfront king and the app upgraded me to a Deluxe Oceanfront Double. BTW I am a lowly Gold member. So everything went smoothly until I asked if we could get a king room. After many minutes of checking and clicking around, the agent said she had to go talk to the manager because she wasn't seeing any rooms with kings (which turns out to be a lie). So she comes back and they have a room with a king and a double. I thought that was weird, but ok. So we were on our way. We get to the room and it's a partial ocean view facing mostly the city. Then I try calling the front desk on the room phone and my cell phone and I never get an answer. So we go back down to the front desk and tell the same agent that our room isn't Oceanfront. She said that's because I originally booked a partial ocean view room and they had nothing left. I said no and showed my email confirmation that I booked an Oceanfront room. She asked if she could take my cell phone to show this to her manager. I agreed and a few minutes later he comes out and says that their system shows that I booked a partial ocean view room and that email must be showing me an upgrade. That email was sent over 2 months ago on April 4th. I told him there is no way I was upgraded that far in advance (and I've never received an email for an upgrade). So they do more checking and end up finding an oceanfront king room. They say they need to investigate why the system was wrong. I told them that I initially booked a partial ocean view in March and then changed the reservation in April to the oceanfront. That shouldn't matter though. I was so angry, but I knew it wasn't necessarily their fault. They ended up waiving the resort fee, which is a win, and the room is actually a deluxe oceanfront king. This whole process took about an hour and we weren't into the new room until about 10p.

I also booked a AAA rate that included breakfast because I don't have high enough status to have it included. The rate says full American breakfast, but the vouchers say Continental breakfast, which turns out to be the same exact thing as the Bonvoy elite continental breakfast buffet situation. Oh well.

The other weird thing is that on the app my reservation was upgraded to a Deluxe Oceanfront a few days ago, then it was changed to a High Oceanfront the next day, then it was changed back to the original Oceanfront the day before arrival. Then after I checked in online, it was changed to Deluxe Oceanfront double. I don't get it.

Finkface

Seeing all of the posts in this thread about no elite check in line, the separare elite check in desk has been open for at least the past 2 weeks now, maybe a bit longer. I asked two different people who were manning it on two different days/nights in early June how long it had been open and they both said they opened it up at peak times or when they knew they had a bunch of elites due to check in. This past week, it has been staffed every single time I have gone past; both in the morning, peak afternoon times and late in the evening. I have not seen one single guest at the elite desk in all of the times I have passed by. The only time I have seen anyone using it was twice, both times myself. Once when I was with a visiting friend who was inquiring about something mid afternoon and then the following day when the same friend was checking in around noon (and the regular line had a huge line up). I don’t know whether people just don’t see it (I think it has to be this because the signage is not obvious and blends with the desk) or if there aren’t many elite guests right now (hard to believe?) but it has been staffed and totally empty of guests whenever I have gone by. So the elite line has been open since at least the beginning of June sporadically and lately, all of the time. At least the times I have passed by. This past week there have been two staff members on it. Yesterday afternoon and again this morning, huge long lines at the regular line and zero people at the elite desk.

Edit to add: this place is a total zoo right now. The lineup for the infinity pool was 50 people long at 7:30am (the pool opens at 8am). When I walked by again around 10am, there was still a decent line just to get into the pool area. The lineup for the elevators last night was easily 50 people, and this morning around 11am, it was a good 25-30 people long. This is pretty indicative of all of Waikiki right now. My visiting friend said it is definitely not a pleasant place to be at the moment and I agree.

mcgahat

This does not sound like a place I want to be.

dayone

This sounds like a convention, not a vacation.

NW-A332

You are correct. It feels like a Florida spring break hotel with people everywhere and lines for everything. I am not interested in returning to this hotel. I'd rather stay somewhere smaller.

bocastephen

a different island might be a better choice

anteater

A more helpful response may have included which islands currently have the least demand and / or shortest lines.

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