bashfulLV

I am a heartbeat away from booking a terrific package deal to Honolulu in November. The hotel offered is the Aqua Aloha Surf Hotel near Kuhio. From all that I can find on this hotel it seems like it'll be okay but I still wanted to run it by the trusted Fodorites on this board for their expert opinions. I'll only be there for five nights and six days but want to make sure it's not a dump or in an un-safe area as I will be making the trip alone. Thanks for any and all advice and comments.

bashfulLV

Topping this for a response - has ANYONE out there stayed at this hotel recently? I'd really like to know what you thought of it - they say it's been recently renovated and I want to know if it's a safe and decent place.

BigJim

We just stayed there back in March and thought the hotel was OK. It's definitely safe. It's definitely a little nicer than some other budget hotels in Waikiki. It's about a block away from Kuhio. It's at the corner of that Ala Wai street, so it's a short walk to Kuhio or Kalakaua. The hotel, especially the lobby, does look like it's been renovated and does look nice. What kind of room do you have?? We were supposed to be in a standard room, but I believe they put us in 1 category higher. The room was nice and pretty clean. Nothing fancy. It also looks like it's been renovated. But the bathroom didn't really look it. The new flat screen TV was also nice! Check out tripadvisor.com for some other reviews of the hotel.
The pool was pretty small too.

If you're going to have a car....I think they have limited parking though because when we were there, they told us their parking garage was full and we had to either park on the street or in a public parking lot right next door, which wasn't free.

bashfulLV

BigJim - thanks for the reply - yes, I read a lot about this place on Trip Advisor - I think for the money I'm going to go for it - I am supposed to be in a standard room, but will hope for an upgrade - just as long as I get a queen-size bed - the thought of sleeping in a twin is not appealing!

I won't have a car, but my BF who lives over there will so I may check into the parking for his sake - he always has a hard time with parking when I come to visit.

Thanks again.

jcena

The one good thing about the hotel is it's right near that Ala Wai street, which is about the only street in Waikiki where you can park for free. But it's hit and miss as to whether or not you'll find any spots though. If we found a spot, we would park there, and if not, we would just park at the lot next door.

Oh, the hotel also has a complimentary breakfast that they bring to your room each morning. We never had it though as we were out of our room pretty early each morning. I'm not sure what it included though.

chepar

I wouldn't count on free parking being available on the Ala Wai. Earlier this month the city started a wastewater bypass project that effectively eliminates about 5 blocks worth of street parking along the Ala Wai. This project will last at least 6 months.

What's left of the free street parking certainly will be in demand and very hard to obtain.