Relaxing and Exploring is Easy. Stay, Go, Eat, Swim, Workout...Do it all
Revised
4/2021
Dear
Polite Traveler,
Ah, Waikiki with its white beaches, iconic hotels, high-end
shops and the aloha spirit. I simply
cannot get enough. So, even though we recently
visited via a cruise, I found we
didn’t have enough land time, necessitating a Waikiki stay in one of our favorite
hotels: Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel.
As full disclosure is everyone’s friend, I must admit my
rabid fandom for Hilton Honors and their various properties. It’s for good reason though, as this post
and many others will affirm. Membership
is free; most room upgrades—based on availability—are free; Free Internet
access, and for many properties, a hot breakfast is included. For this property, as Gold Honors Members, we
were offered a free hot breakfast and an excellent evening appetizer buffet,
which was more of a meal. Coffee, tea,
juice, and soft drinks were available all day.
Please read my Hotel Room Review.
Note: Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting. Always wear your face mask when in public.
 |
| Excellent Service Creates Happy Guests |
Even though our flight was delayed, we still arrived at this
Hilton hours early. As is common with Hilton
properties, but not many others, the front-end staff always does everything
possible to find an available room that will be an upgrade. Love that!
Jamie, the staff member who assisted us, searched and found one, but
didn’t consider it the best room. She
offered us this choice, which was available at the time, or the best choice
near the top of the hotel with an ocean view.
Uh...let me think about that for a second. Obviously, we chose to wait. She gave us a temporary card, allowing entry
to the “executive lounge” so we could wait in comfort—great coffee and
tea. Additionally, she texted us when the room we
ready. Jamie is a gem.
Free Food in the Executive Lounge
As I mentioned above, this Hilton has an Executive Lounge which offers Hilton Honors Gold--and above--Members free soft drinks, coffee and tea 24/7. Additionally, it provides a hot breakfast and evening appetizers, which is more of a light meal. Most evenings, it was our dinner.
How close are we to
the ocean?
Although not directly on the beach, it is an easy two-block
walk to the warm, white sands.
Is there easy-to-use
public transportation?
Renting a car to explore the island is an easy task but finding
parking isn’t always easy and isn’t cheap.
So, public transportation is key.
Staying in this Hilton property is much like being in a transport hub but in a good way. Numerous bus lines
and various trolleys stop just steps from the front doors. These traverse much of the island making this
a great place to begin each day.
What are the hotel
activities and amenities?
Because this is primarily viewed as a business hotel, there
aren't typical Hawaiian hotel activities, like lei-making or hula
lessons. Nevertheless, there is a gym,
executive lounge, pool, gift shop, gardens, multiple bars, and a well-reviewed
restaurant. Get to know, Karin in the LBLE
bar. She is a sweetie with a wonderful sense
of humor.
When they say,
“Anything. Anytime” they mean “Anything.
Anytime.”
M.A.C.
24/7 is a casual restaurant/bar inside the hotel. It is accessible from the street by a
separate entrance as well. This
restaurant is well-known in Hawaii and well-reviewed--known for reasonably
priced, enormous meals.
I learned a
very interesting fact about M.A.C. this visit.
Because they tout “Anything. Anytime.” on their menu, one can order
something from one menu choice and something from another. Or one can order something from the menu and
alter it. For example, what follows is a
choice from their menu.
Kalbi Steak Salad
marinated boneless short ribs, local island greens, Thai basil, mint,
hamakua tomato, locally-grown papaya, avocado, crushed peanuts, fried shallots,
cucumber, cilantro, sesame seed, Thai lime vinaigrette
Now, say I only wanted the short ribs and side-winder
fries—yep, I’m that weird. It would be
possible. The price just may be less
than the entire dish profiled above as well.
Cool, huh.
Please read the post of my full review of M.A.C. 24/7
Please share your
experiences.
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