m0hamed

That may be so, however my biggest issue is the lack of information on the restricted access to the hotel. This is a major communication issue, and I couldn't possibly be the only inconvenienced guest. Obviously they are not responsible for the traffic or closure, but they could have ensured that we knew of these issues and planned around them. We could easily have taken an earlier flight from OGG to arrive in time before the road was closed.

For the rest of our stay in HNL we were at the Hyatt Regency, a monstrosity of a hotel, and dated common areas, however they upgraded us from an Ocean Suite to a Penthouse Suite which was stunning.

The reason I mention the Westin Moana is that we visited their lobby and found the common areas on the ground floor quite breathtaking. We really just wanted a final night before coming home in a hotel enshrined in Honolulu's history.

DCF

Because the rooms are 3 star at the Westin, the pool area is crowded, they nickel'n'dime just as badly for beach chairs and the garden is around 10 times smaller than the Royal's ancient Helumoa Coconut Grove.

And they treat Platinums with contempt. I never went back after being refused entry to the lounge because "it's not called a Westin lounge but the Memories lounge, and it is reserved for our Japanese guests."

The Moana's lobby is comparable to the Royal's. Everything else is significantly inferior.

m0hamed

We arrived at 5PM and left at 6AM the next day. All we needed was a good arrival, a quiet room and a standard welcome.

Why are the *wood properties here so bad? It is because Waikiki has so many tourists they don't need to rely or care for elites?

DCF

M0hamed,
I have read your disappointed posts from leisure stays at Noumea, Princeville and Waikiki in recent months, and I think that the common factor is possibly you.

Your disappointment seems to be about things like a lack of silver service dining, and I think that that puts you outside the general target demographic's requirements.

Most of us who pay extra money for a beachfront room at the Royal Hawaiian or Lee Meridien Noumea or St Regis Princeville ( or Bora Bora) aren't looking for fawning service or a superb gourmet restaurant at the hotel but rather a great view, a nice sized room and the beach on their doorstep. All of these hotels also have loyal families as their customer base.

The demographic which seeks what you seek isn't really a mainstream Starwood demographic at all, but rather is much more Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons. It's a bit more DINKY/ gay couple than what the majority of top-end Starwood guests to Hawaii and other Pacific islands probably value. I must have had a dozen Royal Hawaiian stays, but I've never taken dinner there.

Starwood Hawaii is a very tightly-run ship: every room in Waikiki is sold out for the first half of October. If they aren't meeting your needs, it might be that those needs are a bit less mainstream and that the hotels judge that they don't need to cater to those needs.

m0hamed

Well perhaps you have missed all of my other reviews of the PH Maldives Hadahaa, Hyatt Regency Sharm el Sheik, Sheraton on the Park, St Regis Bangkok, Le Meridien Bangkok, Westin Siray Bay, Park Hyatt Melbourne, Grand Hyatt Melbourne this year alone.

My issue with the St Regis Princeville was how the restaurant is marketed and what it actually is. And I consider the St Regis, Luxury Collection brands on par with Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons etc.

Given all the negative reviews here for the Pink Palace, its lack of cleanliness and service failures I find your comments slightly odd.

Again, it is unacceptable for a property to have restricted road access and not notify guests prior to arrival. The demographic of the guest is a useless data point in this regard.

DCF

M0hamed
I think you're missing my point.

I'm saying that in the Pacific, the demographic which stays in 4 and 5 star Starwood hotels is a demographic in which 85% or more of them wear flip-flops on non-work days at home in Sydney, LA or Auckland. If they are wearing any footwear at all........

You actually wrote approvingly that at St Regis Princeville most male guests wore long trousers. That's not my experience anyway, but puts your priorities firmly in a different niche to most Starwood guests in the Pacific.

I agree with you about access to your hotel, but most of the things you have expressed concerns about at these properties are things that I fear that most of their guests would not notice.

clublounger

The property isn't responsible for rerouting traffic. That is the City's responsibility. They had traffic warnings stating that Kalakaua would be closed. There is another route to the Royal, and you should have followed the traffic signs.

If you picked up a rental car, why not blame the rental agency for not telling you?

ajnaro

I have stayed at RH many times over more than 10 years, always as a Platinum SPG member, and have NEVER had an upgrade to an ocean view suite. Upgrades there are always a battle of wills and words for me. Although there nearly always seems to be something available on the SPG site, the check-in clerks always come up with the 'we have your Platinum membership number on file' routine. I find it's best to just go to the assigned room and call down to ask to speak to a manager. Polite requests always get an upgrade of some sort.

m0hamed

My issue is not the road closure, it's the hotel not sending emails to all guests arriving on the day with the same information they had printed at front desk.

DCF

I had a similar issue at the former Sheraton Moorea. They told me that 90%+ of Starwood Hawaii guests are on package holidays so direct contact is avoided.

pwb

My wife and I (and our 8 week old son!) just finished a 5 night stay at the Royal Hawaiian. I booked a standard garden view king room back in April for 80,000 points (20,000 per night with 5th night free).

Upon arrival, helpful and courteous valets handled our car and luggage.

At checkin, we were greeted warmly and offered beverages. The receptionist recognized my platinum status and upgraded us to a "side ocean view king" room. She gave us vouchers for free drinks, an invitation to the concierge reception and a platinum breakfast voucher. She also arranged for a crib to be delivered to our room.

The room was quite nice and spacious, so I didn't argue for a further upgrade. The view was acceptable but overlooked the roof of the restaurant, so we had to listen to some noisy HVAC units, but it didn't drown out the ocean sounds. The bathroom was small with very little vanity space. Shower only - no tub.

The complementary platinum breakfast was ok, but most days we opted to upgrade (for $15) to a full breakfast. The pancakes and eggs benedict were among our favorites.

The pool and beach area were very nice and relatively quite in the mornings. Complementary seating is limited, and the cabana rentals are $175! We also hung out at the Sheraton Waikiki's pool, but it was much more noisy and chaotic.

Overall, a very nice stay. If I ever return to Waikiki, I'd probably try out the Moana Surfrider. But more likely, on our next Hawaii trip we'd stay over at the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina. Seems like much more quiet and secluded area.

tnw

Thank you for your report pwb. Your review is the first to mention that you can pay to upgrade from the complimentary Platinum continental breakfast. Several other posters were told they could not. One even mentioned that the complimentary breakfast was only for the platinum member! I am headed there in a couple of weeks. We shall see......

ajnaro

Breakfast at the RH when I visited last was strictly a la carte, with each item having a certain price. Platinum 'upgrade' was a la carte too, with each offered item having a certain price, presumably less than on the a la carte menu, but I didn't check it out in detail because the Platinum breakfast was more than enough for me (and my partner).

pwb

Yes you could certainly upgrade. They have a special printed menu for the plat breakfast that spells out the complementary and upgrade options. I believe the complementary breakfast is only for plats, but I'm not certain.

pwb

So one correction on the cabana rentals. They are $175 / day, not $40. A set of chairs and umbrella on the beach is $40 / day.