Holiday Inn Express Waikiki, an IHG Hotel

Our first impression of the hotel was being greeted by Sal (I think that is his name), the bell man. Though we did not then need his help, his personable greeting was a true welcome! Desk staff were delightful as well, and helpful, even reminding us of the special wedge pillow I had ordered and had sent to the hotel earlier. Breakfast was the other highlight. We enjoyed the various types of eggs served, the two kinds of meats each day, fruits, juices, hot and instant oatmeal, cold cereals, mini muffins, bagels, toast, sometimes small cinnamon rolls. It was convenient and timely so we could dine and go out touring. On our last morning, taking the elevator we met a man going to his first breakfast. He asked about breakfast and we described it. He said, "I had been expecting cereal and milk. I didn't know I was staying at the Ritz!" as his face brightened. Additionally, aside from breakfast prep time, the breakfast room was available 24 hours a day for space to study, play board games, chat with family and friends, and have a complimentary cup of coffee or tea. We enjoyed the pool and hot tub! There were more hotel facilities than we had time to use. The laundry room on-site was a help as well. It was also on convenient city bus lines, which we used significantly once we got our Holo passes updated to Senior passes. Tour pick ups were also just across the street - very convenient.

My husband complained to me that our room was rather small, and some of the other guests at breakfast wondered to us how the college baseball teams managed with 4 to a room, including their equipment. Apparently they did, as we saw them at breakfast. We did not come to this hotel to stay in the room all day. We were out and about. Though smaller than some rooms we have used we managed well and were glad for the fridge and microwave.

The property was clean and had all the amenities necessary for our stay. The complimentary breakfast was surprisingly good and we did not need to go out of the hotel for a decent breakfast. They had laundry facilities, which we needed to use during our one week stay. The beds were comfortable. We had a pretty good view of Waikiki Beach from our room on the 39th floor. Overall, this is a great hotel at a great price!

My one and only gripe with this hotel was the elevators. They had three elevators going from the 1st to 3rd floor and then from the 26th to 44th floor. Only two of the three elevators were working at the time of our visit and they was always a long wait for elevators that were not full. Sometimes the wait could be up to 15mins!

The location was great. We were within a comfortable walking distance to beaches and Waikiki hotspots. The room service did a great job in unclogging the sink and bath tubs.

The parking situation was challenging at times. Once the garage was full, they should no longer let cars park inside it. Many cars were illegally parked and on more than one occasion, cars were backing out the narrow corridors between floors which were essentially reduced to one lanes due to illegally parked cars that forced me to back out and wedged me into tight corners that were difficult to navigate out of without help from nice strangers who coached me out.

The breakfast changes every morning which makes it worth the the price built into the stay. One of the things I said I wanted during our vacation was not to worry about cooking. Staff were very welcoming and were always around when I needed them. The pool level had a variety of things for the kids and adults to keep entertained.

The room size was a bit smaller than I was expecting. Having travelled with three kids, it made it a bit squishy. However, with us being out and about a majority of our time in Honolulu, it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience. The rooms need more storage. Like I said, having three kids, having more space to lay out all of our things would have been great.

Very friendly and helpful staff. We were offered an upgrade to a bigger room and better view for a small daily few, which we took. Super happy we did our room was big enough for us and had an amazing view. Room was very modern and clean. Beds were very comfortable. Pool and activities floor are a plus. Breakfast was good

Walls were not so sound proof and we unfortunately had to hear the neighbors engaging in some late night and early morning "activities". Aircon in room very loud. But we just used fan which was sufficient.

The location was fantastic; near amenities but not noisy or crowded. There was an expensive convenient store nearby and food places are within walking distance. Breakfast was basic but changed daily and suited our preferences of a light start to the morning. We arrived early and were given our rooms for an early check-on. Appreciated that. The bed was big and comfortable and there was enough space around for our things. Just that there wasn't a table or a mirror in the room, only one by near the toilet.

The check-in was a complete mess. We had to wait for a while in the queue and the staff appeared harassed because they were short-handed and probably a couple of staff who didn't 'do their jobs properly. Good thing they were all nice and polite to us and gave us rooms for early check-in. Another thing - the water pressure is really low, almost like a trickle. So we got a bit flustered when we were in a hurry to wash our hair and rush out. And on the 1st day, we saw a small cockroach that crawled out of the sewage pipe that was stinking a bit.

This hotel was a great value. It was a good family friendly hotel with a centralized location that made it easy to walk to shopping and the beach. The breakfast and staff were great, especially traveling with kids. Parking was on location. The rooms were not large but worked well. The view was great, especially for all the NYE fireworks! The pool/outdoor play area was great with small children. They could run around and play.

Only complaint, which wasn’t a deal killer, was the A/C were window ones and they were a little bit noisy. There are ceiling fans in the rooms though so you are able to cool the rooms down and then use the fans at night if the noise is too much for you.

Wanted to say a huge Mahalo to the team at Holiday Inn Waikiki for making us feel welcome. Victoria was helpful in getting us checked in (as we had landed early in the morning) to our hotel room smoothly and promptly. The rest of the team at the front desk were also very helpful when we had questions. One of us had lost our wallets, being foreigners, it was really helpful having local advice on what to do. The room was clean and comfortable, the mattress was pleasant to sleep on and having the option of having a soft or hard pillow was a nice extra. And no bed bugs! It was handy having an on-site laundromat to use. The location was good, it was handy to the beach, restaurants and bus stops. The breakfast, while basic was worth waking up for. The team made small changes every day so there was a bit of variety (we had fresh pineapple one morning and cinnamon buns another)

Only downside about the room was the air-conditioning was hard to control, and the little window next to the unit would of been nice if there was a way to block out the light.

Check-In was easy and fast. Complimentary Breakfast is good , lots of options . Rooms are clean and kept clean good housekeeping . Friendly staff.

They charge for parking per day and it is first come, first serve basis. Elevator system annoying and if they don’t explain to you the difference in the 2 elevators you will be very confused. During morning and evening rush took us about 10 minutes to get from parking garage to our room because elevators wouldn’t come.

The breakfast was great to fill you up in the morning. We loved the pool and the large hottub. The kids enjoyed playing the games available. Close to shops and beach was about 8 mins walk.

The lift (elevator) was really slow, especially in the morning. The rooms were pretty tiny but the beds were comfy. We checked in late with 7 suitcases. The Bellhop had gone home. Luckily one of the staff members was able help us with a trolley. Oh and the water fountains for drinking were helpful to fill our water bottles each day.