Skip to main content

Hotel Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki

View from our room at night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki

Old, Odd but Friendly

Revised 4/2021

Dear Polite Traveler,

After a half-day of air travel that began early in the morning, we arrived at the DoubleTree in Waikiki. From the outside, the hotel didn’t impress.  It looked dingy, small, and old.  To be honest, it is small (ish) compared to so many in Waikiki, but somewhat cozy. Old?   Yes, even though its website mentioned being recently updated.  Still, it was adequate, especially when receiving a deal not easy to pass up. 

Note: Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.  

Upgraded Again! 

Upon reaching the welcome desk, we were greeted by more than a friendly face.  Rebecca automatically upgraded our “deal room” to a suite.  Gotta love that!  And, besides sharing the same name as me, she shares my love of tea.  Subsequently, she made sure I had plenty for our in-room electric tea kettle that awaited us in our upgraded suite—yep upgraded, again, from a regular room to a suite. Within our 10-day stay, she was always ready to ensure we were comfortable. 

Did You Say, “Free?”

Due to our upgrade, we received a free breakfast.  It wasn’t the best hotel breakfast but included the typical boiled eggs, fruit, pastries, cereal, and waffles.  Typical.  Of course, I loved the teas. 

I Think I’ll Have the Cheeseburgers in Paradise, Please.

At night, the breakfast room converts into Trees Restaurant & Bar, located on the Main Lobby Level.  Hours are 4:30 to 10 pm.    The menu was simple, but adequate including burgers, steak, salads, and pizzas.  It appeared that these entrees were cooked downstairs in their Hiking Hawaii Café—hours 7 am – 3 pm.   I found the meals to be pedestrian and overpriced, but what can a person expect from a hotel restaurant.  Plus, the ambiance was cold and somewhat unpleasant.

We ate most of our dinners at the nearby Cheeseburger in Paradise: 1945 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815.  I could probably live on their fries and their house wine isn’t bad either.  Good prices for good food. 

Bottom Line

For the price and proximity to Hilton Hawaiian Village—one of my favs—I might consider staying at this DoubleTree again.  However, there are so many other interesting hotels, I plan on trying another.  The hotel wasn’t the best and, if not at the Village, I’d rather be nearer the center of Waikiki.

Polite Traveler Suggestion: to enhance your trip and elevated it to excellent from mediocre, connect with those around you, especially those who serve you.  Rebecca at the welcome desk shared stories about her family, most restaurant workers, including those in Starbucks, became friends.  Connecting with others helps bind our communities and just may give someone in despair hope for the future.

Please share your experiences! 

Please Read

Review: Room 818 DoubleTree by Hilton in Waikiki

Restaurant Review: M.A.C. 24/7, Waikiki

Activity Review: Waikīkī Aquarium

 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki

  Why We Might Not Return: Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki My dear polite travelers, Imagine waiting three years to revisit a pleasant memory.  You’d probably be thrilled to be on that journey.  Right?  Well, I am, and ...well, I’m lukewarm to some aspects of it, especially our room: #1537.  But the Ocean is Right There! In our room, #1537, we have the ocean view and the fresh breezes associated with it.  Still, due to the central, otherwise excellent location, it’s noisy—very noisy.  Thus, those breezes remain outside all night.  Darn.  The pleasant sweet-ocean-air-in-our-room-memory I dream of often eluded us on this trip.  Now, it’s just sad. The Good & the Weird Beyond the noise, it is a comfortable room—especially the shower—but there’s not enough counter space.  Instead of a long counter or desk, the hotel designer thought a long built-in seat would be a clever idea??  Hint.  It’s not.  We can only ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hotel Review: Comfort Inn Downtown Morro Bay, CA

Old, Needs Update, but Perfectly Located Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, I’ve always wanted to visit our central coast, an ocean town known for its big rock.  Staying in a hotel one block from the coast...dreamy.  The Comfort Inn Downtown is central to just about everything and overlooks a majestic bay with, yes, a huge rock.  This hotel is adequate, and the staff is accommodating .  Most importantly, it is inexpensive for this area, especially considering the view.  Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   Also, during the pandemic, some amenities may not be available.  Please remember, this is only temporary. The Positives Proximity to the shore, the wharf, and Morro Rock Fitness center/gym equipped with up-to-date machine Guest laundry Free hot breakfast: limited Free WIFI Free on-site parking Interior corridors—excellent for cold weather C...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sonoma, California: DoubleTree Sonoma

Updated 4/2021 Our Stay in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Sonoma Wine Country in California As over-worked small business owners, we decided to play hooky traveling through Sonoma County for a couple of days.  Since we recently experience excellent service on our last stay in a DoubleTree, we booked a room at their Sonoma Wine Country property in Rohnert Park. Our Journey Through Sonoma County Our drive from our home in Davis pleasant with light traffic.  We chose a slightly longer route through Sonoma so we could take in the beauty of the Glen Ellen area vineyards.  The vineyards here are quite beautiful with green rolling hills as a backdrop.  Arriving at the DoubleTree As we arrived, I mentioned to my husband that since this trip would focus on cheese tasting, it would be perfect if we were given a free upgrade to a room with a refrigerator.  The hotel appeared fully booked, so I assumed that was impossible.   As...
8 comments
Read more