Hyatt Place Waikiki Hotel Review by UntoldMiles
Note: The information in this review is current as of my most recent stay in February of 2023. I was not paid nor compensated for this review. The information I share here is solely based on my personal experience. The photos below may contain photos that are owned by Hyatt and or the property.
Table of Contents:
Location
The Hyatt Place Waikiki is located on the southeast side of the island of Oahu in the district of Waikiki. From the Honolulu (HNL) airport to the hotel, it is only about a 20 minute drive. It’s nestled in the district of Waikiki amongst many other hotels in the area. Of the three Hyatt properties on Oahu, it’s the furthest one from the heart of Waikiki. But don’t let that fool you, it’s still only a 5 minute walk to the hustle and bustle of the nearby streets.
It’s not beach front but the Hyatt Place Waikiki is only two blocks from the beach. It’s a very easy and short 3-5 minute walk to the iconic Waikiki Beach. Although this property is not beach front, some of the rooms have a great view of the beach as well as amazing views of Diamond Head.
Note: If you’re renting a car and are driving from the airport to the Hyatt Place Waikiki, your navigation might take you to the property BUT you won’t be able to pull up into the property due to the one way streets. You’ll just have to go around one street over. Please make note of the many one way streets in Waikiki.
About the Hyatt Place Waikiki
The Hyatt Place brand caters to the needs of both business and family travelers alike. With over 400 Hyatt Place properties worldwide, it is a staple within the Hyatt brand.
The Hyatt Place Waikiki brings great value for those who are looking for a clean, well-maintained, and safe location to stay at. With over 400 rooms, you’d be surprised at how often they’re at capacity, and for good reason.
As of the writing of this review, the entire property is going through a full property renovation. That includes every room, the gym, the pool, lobby, and more. I had the opportunity to check out one of their refreshed rooms during my stay and I was impressed! More on this below.
In terms of value, the Hyatt Place Waikiki brings huge value since all guests who are World of Hyatt members (free to sign up) get to have hot breakfast for free. There are also nice amenities such as a gym, a pool, on-site laundry, a bar, free coffee and tea, and more.
In terms of using credit card points for this property, it’s one of my favorite budget options for Oahu. You can’t beat 12,000 points per night for standard room that can easily go for over $450 per night (including taxes and fees). When you pay with points, you have to pay resort fees or taxes. Globalist members even get free valet parking when redeeming points for your stay here.
For those who have stayed at other Hyatt brands such as the Grand Hyatt, Andaz, or Hyatt Regency, just keep in mind that this is a Hyatt Place and to tune your expectation to the brand. Hyatt Place properties are not a high-end brand within the Hyatt portfolio but should not be overlooked due to the great value they can bring.
Arrival and Parking
Navigating my way from the Honolulu airport to the Hyatt Place Waikiki was a breeze. Within the district of Waikiki, you’ll find many one way streets which you should make note of. Again, if you’re using navigation on your phone or the car, it may take you to the Hyatt Place Waikiki via Kūhiō Ave. but it may not take you down Paoakalani Ave. which is where you can pull your car up into the property. You’ll want to drive up Kalākaua Ave. and then turn left on to Paoakalani Ave. to be able to pull up into the valet area of the property to unload your stuff.
Photo by World of Hyatt
Once you pull up to the Hyatt Place Waikiki, you’ll drive up a steep one way driveway where bellmen and valet drivers are located. Here, you’ll be directed on where to park, get help with your bags, and be directed to where the check-in desk is. Jeff and Ryan are two great people who took care of us.
There are two options when it comes to parking at the Hyatt Place Waikiki. The free option is going to be street parking, which can be found along the street surrounding the property. These are very very limited and can be hard to find. Make sure you follow street signs and not block any drive ways or you will be towed.
Paid parking is available on-site. For valet parking, it’ll cost you $55.50 to $78.53 per night (varies based on your car type). This sounds expansive but this price is pretty common in Waikiki. If you’re a World of Hyatt Globalist and you redeemed points to stay here, you get valet parking for free. Just let the bellmen and staff at check-in know. More info on parking and transportation.
Checking-in and First Impressions
Photo by World of Hyatt
After unloading your car or being dropped off by rideshare/taxi, you’ll make your way into the lobby where you’ll find a check-in desk. The open design of the lobby gives it a nice and relaxed feel. You’ll notice an area of bags that are being held for guests who are waiting to check-in or are checking out, a small water feature on the wall, and Hyatt employees who are eager to help you. During check-in, the employees will go over your room type, an events calendar, and answer any questions you have about the property or even nearby recommendations.
From the very first interaction with employees at this property to the second I got my room keys, I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the property looked, the organization of the lobby, and the smooth check-in process. The lobby, and entire hotel, does not have that traditional dark wood style that many other properties in Hawaii have. This really gives it a clean and neat feel. For a Hyatt Place, it really didn’t feel like a “budget” option even though the property hasn’t completed their refresh yet.
Our Room - Specialty Ocean View with Two Queen Beds
With 426 rooms and 9 different types, there are plenty of options to meet your needs. There are no suites at this property but World of Hyatt members with elite status can get upgraded to rooms with nicer views.
The room that we got was a Specialty Ocean View with Two Queen Beds and a sofa bed. It was located on the 19th floor of the Pali tower. To get to our room from the lobby, we took one of the two elevators by the lobby to the 19th floor. Be aware that the wait time for the elevator may vary based on how busy the property is.
The Specialty Ocean View with Two Queen Beds layout offered us a ton of space, which we needed since we were traveling with kids. It even has a pull out sofa bed to give even more sleeping space. Per the Hyatt website, this room is about 427 to 496 sq ft. and comes with the standard amenities that you’ll find in many other hotels such as free Wi-Fi, huge TV with Chromecast, skin and hair products, coffee and tea maker, alarm clock/radio, work desk, room phone, mini fridge, toilet bidet, dresser, and room safe. You’ll also have a thermostat that controls the temperature for the entire room (which only goes down to about 68F).
Our room (number 1932) also had a small balcony which faced Waikiki Beach and even has a small table and two chairs for you to enjoy the breeze or the views. The sliding glass door for lanai (balcony) comes with an additional hook lock which we really appreciated since our kids are pretty capable and any additional safety features come in handy and gives us some peace of mind.
The bathroom is everything you’d expect it to be. It’s clean, plenty of space for 1 to 2 people to move around in at the same time, and well stocked with all the basic hotel bathroom amenities. Your shower supplies, shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash, do not come in small individual use containers. They are instead made up of three large containers which are secured from tampering, for your safety. The toilet comes with a bidet with wall mounted controls, which some guests love.
Across from the sink area is your closet which houses extra sleeping items such as a pillow and small blanket, a room safe, hangers, and an ironing board.
Overall, the room was very spacious, clean, and well stocked for our needs. We would absolutely stay at this property/this room again. The only two complaints I had were that the Chromecast did not work well (wouldn’t let me reconnect after I left the room and came back) and that there were very little outlets in the room to charge your electronics with.
For the Chromecast system, their IT guy gave us a number to call where an agent helped us un-sync our devices, which was a temporary fix that then allowed us to reconnect. This may be just a one off issue so you may not run (or care about) into this issue. I’ve stayed at plenty of Hyatt properties and have never had an issue with Chromecast.
The lack of outlets was addressed by their employees as a supply chain issue. They do plan on adding more outlets in the future when the order comes in.
Free Breakfast
One of my favorite things about Hyatt Place properties is that most of them offer Free Breakfast to all guests. Technically you have to be a World of Hyatt member but it is free to make an account and sign up. Free breakfast can be a huge money saver, especially while on vacation, and it is really convenient when you have kids or have early plans.
Now, you have to keep in mind that this hotel has 426 rooms and they’re proving a free breakfast buffet to guests daily so the variety may not be what you can expect from more luxury Hyatt brands such as Andaz, Hyatt Regency, and Grand Hyatt (which only provides free breakfast to Globalist members).
Breakfast is located on the third floor, outside by the pool deck. It is served from 6:30am to 9:30am Monday to Friday and from 6:30am to 10am Saturday and Sundays. There is plenty of seating for those that want to enjoy the sunrise. If you want to eat in private, there is a food tray in your room that you can take down to grab some food and head back and eat in your room.
For the free breakfast buffet, you can find the usual staples such as scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausages, French Toast Sticks, cereals, milk, juices, hot coffee, various breads, bagels, oatmeal, yogurt, granola, and any fixings that come with the foods mentioned above. Offerings may vary from day to day.
A unique breakfast item you will run into in Hawaii is white rice, miso soup, and toppings such as kimchee, pickled vegetables, and hardboiled eggs.
Note: As of the writing of this article, this Hyatt Place offers two types of breakfasts. Only on Monday and Thursdays, you’ll have three types of prepackaged breakfast sandwiches to choose from instead of the normal scrambled eggs and sausage. Everything else will still be there. This may no longer be available in the future.
A variety of hot coffees and fixings for your early mornings.
Amenities and Facilities
Note: The property is going through a refresh so these facilities may look different at the time of your visit. To access your floor and any facility on this property, you must have your room key with you.
Fitness Center
The 24 hour fitness center is located on the third floor, between the laundry room and the pool deck/outside seating area. It houses plenty of cardio machines which includes treadmills, ellipticals, and recumbent stationary bikes. It is keep at a cool 70F and there are plenty of clean towels and sanitary wipes for you to use during and after your workout to help keep the fitness center clean.
In addition to the cardio machines, there are a set of free-weights that go up to 50lbs as well as two adjustable benches. As for a bathroom, there is a very clean bathroom and water refill station in the corner of the fitness center, by the free-weights.
Laundry
Having access to laundry machines is HUGE for us, especially since we’re traveling with kids. Doing laundry at least once during our trip allows us to pack just a little less and overall improves our quality of life.
At the Hyatt Place Waikiki, there are 3 self serve washers and 3 dryers for all guests to use. It’s located on the 3rd floor, next to the fitness center and is available 24 hours a day. If you don’t feel like packing your own detergent or dryer sheets, you can purchase these items in the little dispenser on the wall for just $2 each.
The washing machines and dryers cost $4 per cycle. $4 per cycle is a great deal since many laundry services in Waikiki cost a lot more and charge by the pound. They accept credit cards, mobile pay, and coins. There is not a machine to exchange your bills for coins though so keep that in mind. The dryers work bests if you dry in smaller loads or else you’d be spending more money rerunning the dryer 2-3x to dry everything.
Located opposite the washing machine and dryers is a table for you to organize or fold your laundry as well. Need a bag to transport your laundry? Check your closet for a laundry bag!
Pool
The pool at the Hyatt Place Waikiki is very minimal. It’s also located on the third floor, outside the exit door or via the fitness center. There are not bells and whistles about it and is as barebones as you can get. However, it is kept very clean and it is outdoors so you can enjoy the nice fresh air. There are additional seating areas and lounge chairs around the pool for you to use. You can get towels for the pool or the beach from the front desk. The pool hours are from 8am to 8pm per the welcome information given to me at check-in.
On-Site Eats and Drinks
Photo by World of Hyatt
The Placery
Located on the first floor by the check-in desk is the Placery and the Market. These are the only two on-site places where you can find food, drinks, and snacks (outside of their free breakfast). During our stay, we were told that we had a daily $5 credit which we can use at the Placery or the Market. It’s a daily credit so if you don’t use it, you loose it!
The Placery has some light eats such as a burger, Chicken Caesar Salad, or Turkey Pesto Sandwich. The Placery hours are from 6am to midnight but their late night menu is available 24/7.
The Market
The Market is more of a drinks and snack bar with a wide variety of drinks and sweets. You can see “The Market” in the photo above which houses the drinks and snacks in the glass display. There is free coffee and tea here until 6pm daily.
Make sure you bill all of these to your room so you can earn additional points!
Final Thoughts
The Hyatt Place Waikiki is definitely a property that I would recommend and personally stay at again. This property’s location is great for those who want to be on the quieter side of Waikiki while staying close to the shops, eats, and beach. It’s a very clean and family friendly hotel with all the basic amenities you and your family will need to have a great trip. I can’t wait to see what this property has in store once they finish their entire refresh.
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