SUMMARY: If you’re looking for a practical and economical stay and don’t mind nighttime noise and a smaller room, this suite will serve you pretty well. I was in town for a wedding and didn’t want to break the bank, so this met my needs. However, if you need more space (especially in the shower) and need peace and quiet to sleep, I would spend more to stay elsewhere.
LOCATION: Perfect for the shopping fanatic. The Airbnb is located at the Waikiki Grand, which is in the heart of downtown Waikiki across the street from the zoo. It’s a short walk to the (very busy) beach, bus and trolley stops, and plenty of shopping. Just keep in mind that it’s a downtown area, so you’ll come across many different personalities and some homeless folks.
VIEW: Not much. You’ll need to go to the sundeck (mentioned later) or just walk 2 minutes to the beach to get a nice view.
PERSONNEL: The front desk folks aren’t necessarily responsible for Airbnb guests, but everyone does have to check in with them. One of the receptionists was a little brusque to me at one point, but our interaction was short and that receptionist and the others were pretty friendly at other times. The Airbnb host, Mark, is very responsive and usually replied to my messages within a few hours.
AMENITIES: There’s a pool (I never used it but it looked nice), and on the 10th floor there’s a sundeck with a lovely view of Diamond Head and Waikiki. Hula’s bar is right across the hall if you need a mai-tai (never went, but heard the mai-tais are good although this place was likely responsible for the noise described later). I couldn’t find a USB port (mentioned in the listing) in the room, so you may need to ask about that. You are responsible for cleaning your dishes and taking out your trash before you leave—there are a recycle bin and trash cans on the 10th floor and trash chutes with limited hours on every floor, I think.
SIZE/CONDITION: As previously mentioned, it’s small, so it suits an economical trip but may not be ideal for someone who wants a spacious vacation stay. The shower is about the size of a phone booth, and the full-size (smaller than a queen) bed wouldn’t suit someone taller than 5’ 7”. The blinds don’t cover the rectangular spot of window next to the A/C . Some of the fixtures (e.g. the toilet paper holder) were a bit loose. The room was pretty clean, although some spots (like the TV) were dusty.
SUPPLIES: We were missing some items that were promised, including wine glasses, shower gel, and a beach umbrella. Guests are responsible for cleaning the dishes, so I’d clean the dishes before using them...
NOISE: The listing mentions the room’s proximity to Hula’s bar, and friends, do not doubt it! I was prepared for noise after reading the listing, but unfortunately it was noisier at night than anticipated. At night the music blared through their closed doors and my room, some colorful personalities decided to scream at numerous points like kids wanting attention, and somebody even knocked on my (or my neighbor’s) door in the wee hours for some mysterious reason. The blessed A/C provided me with some white noise that helped me get a little sleep. If you stay here, I strongly recommend investing in some industrial-grade ear plugs...
I’d recommend this stay if you can handle the noise and want a less-expensive place close to shopping and activities.