Rebecca Luke

Review of The Waikiki EDITION

We were delayed in Vancouver and lost one day of o...

We were delayed in Vancouver and lost one day of our trip. We called Expedia to explain and to see if we could get refunded for the first night. The hotel refused but kept our reservation. The check in was not great. The man who checked us in was indifferent to our situation. We requested to have one bed instead of 2 being that it was just me and my BF. He was in no way helpful and told me to check the following day. I told him very clearly I would be paying the $40US per night resort fee cash repeatedly and he said he was just putting a "hold" on the card. Well he put the entire amount plus the night we weren't even there for on my card. He explained nothing about the property or the amenities and sent us on our way. Honestly this was the worst check in I've had in a very long time. Not welcoming, friendly, or understanding. And clearly incompetent from charging my card when I specified I would be paying cash. The other hotel staff presented us with some small refreshments and moist towels for check-in. He didn't seem to care.

On this trip we stayed at the Modern, Shoreline, La Croix and Holiday Inn Express. This review will show how this hotel stacked up against the others.

The good...The hotel was a great concept from the speak easy in the lobby to the decor. The rooms were bright and airy. The beds were comfortable and the bathroom and toiletries were nice. The gym and the main pool were decent. The pool staff was also nice. Check out was smooth and I was refunded the first night's resort fee without hassle.

The bad...the hallways were uneccessarily dark. The headboards are padded and looked dirty and old. The shower was glass and although quite modern leaked all over the bathroom for lack of a simple seal beneath the door. Called maintenance and they indicated it was a common problem. There is an ongoing labour dispute with demonstrations. That wasn't a huge problem for us because we spent most of the time at the beach and not the pool. Second pool and bar upstairs closed for the entirety of our stay. That $40/night is definitely not worth it. The place seems like it's transitioning into a time share. On the plus side we were not hassled for that.

The ugly...for us it was the check in. It's the first impression you get of the place you are staying. I found it unwelcoming and cold. I'm a former resident of Oahu and I can tell you it wasn't very Aloha in spirit.

Versus the others it was the worst for staff overall. Value for money - it was better than Shoreline. Location was nice but at the very beginning of the Waikiki strip and not my favorite. For beds, cleanliness and housekeeping it was good. I probably wouldn't stay here again for 2 main reasons - the staff wasn't great and the resort fee is high for what you get. Stay at a hotel that either has a lower resort fee or pay a little more and stay at one that doesn't have one. We got breakfast, chairs, towels etc...at other hotels for a much lower resort fee.