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Hotel Class: 
3 Stars - 268 Opinions
130 Liliuokalani Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96815, United States
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of people enjoy staying here
268 Opinions
On our most recent visit to Oahu we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It is a resort with several towers. The location is further down Waikiki than the other hotels. We enjoy walking so this was not a problem. The resort is self contained with many shops, restaurants and beautiful grounds The landscape is beautiful on the property. The beach is lovely.
A local jazz musician and promoter and a hotel executive are trying to re-ignite Honolulu's once-vibrant jazz scene.
And they have the support of the city's new director of economic development.
Veteran jazz trombonist and promoter Abe Weinstein and Halekulani Chief Operating Officer Peter Shaindlin are operating in different lanes, but they have a common devotion to the music and a common goal: Bring back the beat.
In an experiment meant to draw local jazz lovers out of the woodwork, Weinstein has arranged with the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa to reopen the legendary Trappers lounge for one day, Friday, April 1. The event will coincide with the 12th annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival's "Swingtime in Hawaii Part II," which Weinstein is promoting.
A jam session at the old Trappers venue will follow an 8 p.m. big-band concert in the Regency Ballroom.
Trappers, which closed in late 1991, is now known as the Leahi Room and is used by the hotel's catering department for lunches, dinners and briefings.
"We're going to bring in comfortable sofas to place near the old bandstand, round tables on the lower level, and there will be a bar on the upper level," Weinstein said.
He has even arranged to bring back former Trappers manager Mai Tai Sing and several of her bartenders and cocktail waitresses. Singer Jimmy Borges, the Rich Crandall Trio and other musicians will sit in for the jam session.
"To bring back lounges like Trappers would be a great way to bring back the kamaainas," said Scott Kawasaki, the Hyatt's director of public relations and advertising.
Weinstein wants to see Trappers reopen permanently.
"Right now, if somebody invested in it they would own jazz here," he said.
Jazz pianist Betty Loo Taylor is skeptical.
" I don't think it ever will be the same as it was," said Taylor, who performed with Borges at Trappers for a decade and now plays Tuesday through Saturday at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii. Honolulu's jazz revival is not confined to Waikiki.
Gelareh Khoie, who owns a downtown club called thirtyninehotel in Chinatown, presents the Newjass Quartet every Tuesday night in what she describes as a "seedy" environment.
"It's a dark setting with candles and soft couches," she said. "This is where jazz belongs."
Honolulu has perhaps a dozen venues, such as the nondescript Studio 6 at the Musicians Association of Hawaii, that regularly present what purists would consider "true jazz." With so few options, some musicians say it's hard to make a living playing jazz in Honolulu.
"You have to be totally resourceful and you have to be passionate," said two-time Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winning vocalist Azure McCall.
"Our community does not support jazz," she said.
But even a skeptic like McCall is excited by the ideas Weinstein and Shaindlin have hatched to stimulate a jazz revival.
"I'm glad someone is doing something," she said.
Weinstein the promoter has more plans beyond Trappers. Following its Waikiki gig, "Swingtime in Hawaii" will move to the Four Seasons Resort Maui on Saturday, April 2.
In addition, the Summertime Oahu Festival will be held July 29-30 at the Hawaii Theatre, featuring tributes to Ray Charles and Artie Shaw.
Ally at Honolulu Hale
Weinstein, who wants even more jazz activity, has found an ally in Keith Rollman, the city's new economic development director. They're talking about a third jazz festival at Ko Olina.
Rollman, a longtime jazz fan and amateur percussionist, thinks jazz can be an economic driver for the city.
"I think the more sophisticated traveler would be attracted and jazz has an international appeal," he said.
We spent 5 days at the Waikiki Resort Hotel. It is not fancy.. but it's clean.. we had a lousy room looking over an apartment building behind us.. we didn't go to spend time in the room..
The rooms were clean, in need of an update... the staff was extremely friendly the whole time. The manager of the Ilima restaurant gave us free appy's as it was one of our parties birthday...
Pool was on the small side.. but it was wet and cool!
The location was worth a million bucks.. can't beat it.. a small block from the beach... McDonalds on the corner for breakfast..
Overall it was a great stay.. I'd stay there again.. we paid less than 90 dollars a night.. again, it wasn't fancy.. but it was all we needed!
My husband and I stayed in Waikiki as a 2-night stopover to the Big Island. As many of the reviews mention, the Waikiki Resort Hotel has a great location, just a short walk to the beach and a few blocks from the city's bustling tourist center. It is pretty evident the hotel caters mainly to the Korean traveler--especially groups--although they treat all guest with the same friendly manner. There's a hotel store stocked with items labeled in Korean, alongside your usual sundries. There's a Korean restaurant, Seoul Jung (they have karaoke), and an unremarkable cafe, Ilima Cafe, which serves American and Asian fare (neither restaurant appealed to us). Our non-smoking, city-view room, which we paid $85/night, was on the 9th floor. We noticed problems with the elevators. They worked, but were inefficient--one time we waited for several minutes as other guests started to accumulate around us waiting, and by the time it came, only a few of us could get into it. Not a problem unless you are trying to catch a tour bus. The room was your basic budget room. No real extras, but we did have a small lanai. There was a safe in the room, but it was an extra charge of $2/day. Bathroom was very tiny, not uncommon in Waikiki with a shower/bath. But forget about taking a bath, unless you are Mini-Me. We didn't spend much time in the room. There are 2 ABC stores within a couple blocks where you can stock up on anything. Great restaurants are within walking distance. The bus stop is conveniently around the corner. The hotel has a business center, but we couldn't print anything from the Internet. If you want free Internet, there's the Coconut Cafe around the block that offered free Wifi. All in all, we would recommend Waikiki Resort to budget travelers and those who won't be spending much time in the room.
We just came back from Oahu and it was great. March 3 to the 16th 2005. I would stay at the Waikiki Resort again. Very open and great people to deal with. Look for the small costs, coffee maker $3.00 dollars a day and to use the phone, local call .75 cents and up. Take your cell it will be cheaper. The pool was good, needs more plants and trees? I would recommend using the car rental in the hotel, good pricing and very friendly people.
I just got back from a week stay at Waikiki Resort and I must say that this hotel is terrific for anyone who is on a budget! The hotel is only located only a block away from the beach and front desk and all the maids are extremely courteous. The rooms are clean and moderate. I think people forget that this is a 3 star hotel, so you're not going to get 5 star quality, but it is definately above average for a 3 star hotel. The cons of this hotel are the hidden costs for everything...safe, parking, coffee maker, phone, etc. But, the front desks lets you know before you use. I would definately stay here again!!!
This is our fourth year in a row staying at Waikiki Resort. Yes the rooms could use some updating, but who goes to Hawaii to stay in their room? You cannot beat the price for the location. The staff are very friendly and helpful. There are some complaints about a moldy smell from other reviewers, but this is a common problem in many of the other hotels located close to the beach (including the 5 star places). The rooms are clean and the lobby is nice. Which is all you really need when you are basically just using the place to change and sleep. With the money you save on your room, you have money to spend on everything Oahu has to offer. We will definately continue to use this hotel on our yearly trips to Waikiki.
Pros:
Great location, close to the beach
Good price
Cons:
Very small bath tub
Room had no toiletries. We had to call twice before they brought us anything
No hairdryer
Lots of hidden costs for use of (phone, hairdryer, and coffee machine...)
Rooms are old and reak of smoke even when we asked for a non-smoking room
They gave us a room that was supposed to have a mountain view, but we got a view of the apartment next door instead
Dirty carpets
Rooms are dark with white fluorescent lighting
One of the keys/cards to my room didn't even work
Hotel is definately due for a renovation
I just returned from there and stayed at the hotel for the whole two weeks that I was there enjoyed everyday of it the location is great very neutral to everything in waikiki the front desk was always helpfull and cheerfull they were also very accomadating when are friends came to join us putting them on the same floor would definetly stay here again.
I have visited the islands of Oahu and Maui, and would highly recommend Hawaii to anyone, regardless of budget.
I have travelled on a shoestring budget - from taking advantage of my Honolulu stopover upon my return to U.S. from Australia, staying in a hostel and locating the cheapest eats around...to staying at a top Waikiki resort while on a business trip. You will have a fantastic experience no matter what your budget!
The budget trip:
The Waikiki hostel was comfortable and clean, and the location was very convenient. It stands among hotels that go for $250+ a night! We were able to buy bread and sandwich fixings to make our own lunches and used the hostel's shared kitchen for the fridge and meal preparation. We ate out for breakfast and dinner -you can find cafes and all-you-can-eat buffets that are really reasonably priced and serve good food. It is easy to find places that offer breakfast for $3-4 per person and include eggs, toast, juice, and coffee. Most attractions are accessible by walking, moped rental, or public transport. There is a public bus that goes to the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. The Hawaii "superstore", Hilo Hattie, offers free round-trip trolley rides from the Waikiki area - and if you don't buy anything, you can at least get a nice trolley tour of the area, a free shell lei upon arrival to the store, and they have free coffee samples.
The big spender trip:
I stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village during my business trip and this is truly a luxurious resort. There are lovely pools, lots of shops, and excellent restaurants right on the property. We splurged and rented a Mustang convertible to drive up to the North Shore and Waimea Falls.
Red line trolley at Diamond Head
Aloha tower
Runway area after landing
Our Pool
Is the [url=http://www.bigislandlandcompany.com/]real estate[/url] in Hawaii as bad as in Europe and the rest of the world? Bad in a sense that it's way too cheap?
Aloha, Nothing is cheap in Hawaii. Real estate, food, cars, gasoline, entertainment. Are you getting the picture. It's isn't really paradise for locals. The tourist industry is way down, so is the economy. If you find something cheap, buyer beware. Still, all the locals (Kama`ainas) will greet you (Malihinis) with a smile and a big Aloha.
As I know from my friend review, in bigislandlandcompany in Hawaii quality meets price, so it will be better for you to find another place to stay
Living in a Hawaii is almost everybody's dream. But I can say that the cost of living there is really not that affordable or should I say it is expensive. :) You must also consider the residential estates, the foods, education and other necessities when trying to move from a certain place to another. These are human necessities and so therefore, these should come first in mind. And fortunately, these things are quite expensive in Hawaii.
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Address: 130 Liliuokalani Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96815, United States
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