‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach

This hotel located right across from Waikiki Beach with easy access to numerous eateries and food trucks within walking distance. The lobby features a massive fish tank and a variety of activities throughout the day. The pool is located on the 5th floor, and while lounge chairs are limited, you can relax in the Swell pool bar area. Parking is slightly pricey but highly convenient. We chose to stay on the 36th floor, and the view was simply breathtaking. Our housekeeper, Loita, was incredibly sweet and attentive. She went above and beyond to ensure that our stay was enjoyable and memorable. Compared to other hotels I’ve stayed at in Waikiki, this one stands out as one of the cleanest. The hotel provides complimentary towels at the pool and at the bellman’s desk. However, there’s no microwave in the rooms, but you can rent one for $10 a day or $50 for the entire stay. One minor drawback is the noise pollution on weekends. Even from the 36th floor, we could hear sirens and the occasional drunken person screaming on the street. Additionally, the elevator operates very quickly, and if you miss tapping your card, you might end up riding it up and down for a while.

*edit* The review below has been resolved. They responded through comment. They never reached out to me personally so I am not sure if it was for show, but when I reached out to staff they did take the additional charge. The staff was great the whole trip, room service and cleaning was amazing, and the room we had was very comfortable. My complaints were the initial first night and not being reached out to even though they said they wanted to resolve the situation. Also if you are staying on the 5th floor on the shorter tower, good luck(it reeks of mold, the carpet must have some stuff festering in there. For some reason they have LVP on one side of the hotel but not the other). Overall was a very enjoyable stay and is right on the beach. Still never got that prosecco though! Old review: I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Alohilani, especially because this was supposed to be the beginning of my honeymoon. We traveled all day and had been awake for approximately 26 hours when we arrived, simply hoping to get some sleep. Our room was located directly next to the pool and was **extremely loud**. We immediately contacted the front desk and explained the situation. We also had several other guests from our wedding party staying at the hotel in the exact same room type, and they had no issues with noise. We were never made aware when booking that our room would be directly next to a very noisy pool area. We did try to show staff our multiple videos of the noise but they refused to watch the videos. The hotel offered to move us to two different rooms, but we were told we would have to pay more than $400 extra to do so. We explained that we did not feel this was fair, considering we had booked the same room type and the issue was the location of the room, not something we had requested or knowingly agreed to. The manager, Sarah, came out to speak with us, and unfortunately, her response made an already frustrating situation significantly worse. She told us that this was a risk we took with booking and that there was nothing she could do. She pointed out that this happens all the time. Sarah also said she was already being gracious by only charging us an additional $400. When we explained that we were celebrating our honeymoon and had a large wedding party staying at the hotel, she made it clear that she did not consider those circumstances relevant, stating that everyone has something they are celebrating. It makes sense that they do not care, as they had said in celebration of us that they would be sending us prosecco to our room, and never did. I understand that hotels cannot control every noise issue, but I do expect a hotel to make a reasonable effort to accommodate guests when the room they were given is excessively noisy, especially when the alternative is paying hundreds of dollars more for the same type of room. This was supposed to be a special and memorable start to our honeymoon, and instead, our first experience was being exhausted after traveling all day, unable to sleep because of the noise, and then being told essentially that it was our fault for booking the room. I hoped they would make this right but it is unfortunate that we are being punished with the additional charge. I wish I had not recommended this hotel to my wedding party. I am extremely disappointed that our honeymoon started this way.

We booked this hotel for our honeymoon because it is advertised as a 5-star property, but unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations at all. Upon entering our first room, we immediately noticed stains on the floor, missing basic amenities like tissue paper, and an overall feeling that the room was not properly cleaned. They changed our room, but unfortunately, the second room still did not meet the expectations we had for a 5-star hotel. Everything beyond the first floor which seems to be the only updated area smelled strongly of humidity and outdated. The carpeted floors and AC system made the entire hotel feel damp and musty. We were even shown what they described as their “best” premier room, and sadly, it was still disappointing. The photos speak for themselves. We literally wore shoes in the shower because we did not feel comfortable otherwise. Ultimately, we went back and they gave us a refund for the remaining nights, and we left to stay elsewhere. I do want to give credit where it’s due: the staff Ethan, Suerte, Rene, and Mata the manager, were extremely helpful and genuinely wanted us to be satisfied. I’m sharing this not to bash the hotel or the staff, but so others like me know what to expect and aren’t disappointed. Don’t be fooled by the “5 stars,” pretty pictures, and TikToks. The staff was wonderful, but unfortunately, the hotel itself just did not meet our standards or expectations for our honeymoon.

The hotel itself is gorgeous. The beach is beautiful, the grounds are well kept, and at first glance it feels like a nice resort. Unfortunately, the staff experience really let it down. Lines were long everywhere — check-in, the pool restaurant, you name it — and the staff seemed largely indifferent about it. At the pool restaurant, even at half capacity, service was painfully slow. Staff would gather in groups of three or four chatting in corners while guests sat waiting, and wait times felt deliberately inflated, like they were hoping people would just give up and leave. We also noticed extra charges added to our bill that weren't explained — the kind of thing that felt like they were hoping we wouldn't check closely. Front desk service was similarly frustrating. Asking when our room would be ready got vague, dismissive answers — "come back in an hour," then another hour, then "we don't know, try again later." No urgency, no real communication, no ownership of the situation. For the price point, this isn't a high-end resort, and the attitude of the staff made that clear. It's a nice facade with a bad attitude behind it. If you go in expecting beautiful scenery and are prepared to be patient (and check your bill closely), you might still enjoy your stay. But don't expect the service to match the setting.

We had a really enjoyable stay at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki. The staff were fantastic throughout our stay—always friendly, welcoming and happy to help. The location is perfect if you love the beach. Having the hotel's own little beach café was a great touch, and the beach itself was absolutely amazing. The ABC Store ground floor was incredibly handy for picking up snacks and drinks without paying hotel bar prices. The oceanarium in the lobby is a really nice feature and gives the hotel a unique feel. There were a couple of minor downsides. Breakfast is served around the pool area, which felt a little unusual for a 5-star hotel. The seating area is quite small, so we had to wait for a table most mornings. It could feel a bit awkward standing around while people finished eating, although to be fair we never waited more than about 10 minutes. We also wondered what would happen if there was heavy rain, as it's largely an outdoor setup. Our room was comfortable enough for our family of four (including two teenagers), although space was a little tight at times. One thing that did stand out was that access to the hotel and guest floors seemed quite open, which made us question the level of security. Overall, we had a really great holiday here. I think some of the reviews saying this isn't a true 5-star hotel are comparing it to large luxury resort-style properties. In my opinion, the Alohilani is more of a premium city-style beach hotel, and judged on that basis, it delivers a very enjoyable experience. We'd happily stay here again.