Well, that was unexpected. Never in a million years would I have thought that the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Waikiki would end up being one of my favorite hotels in Honolulu.
I mean, it looks a bit dated if I’m being honest. And I’ve never been a fan of Hyatt hotels in general. They always seem a bit soulless to me.
However, despite not even taking advantage of any of the resort and spa features during my stay, it was one of the most pleasant (and convenient) hotel experiences I’ve ever had in Waikiki. It’s amazing what a good view will do to my brain.
Location
If proximity to Waikiki Beach is your number one priority, it’s hard to beat the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa (not to be confused with the Hyatt Place Waikiki located several blocks away).
Welcome to the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort and Spa! You know you’re in for a good time when there’s an ABC Store right at the base of it. IYKYK.
This hotel is located right on the beach. Well, technically it’s located right across the street from the beach, but close enough. It’s centrally located in Waikiki, within easy walking distance to everything.
Yeah, you could go through the main entrance, but you’ll miss out the opportunity to load up on Doritos, Mountain Dew, and hemorrhoid cream if you don’t enter through the ABC Store on the other side.I was good on hemorrhoid cream, so I chose the main entrance today. The ABC Store is to the left, and the lobby is up one level (accessible by those escalators just ahead).“It’s gonna be a long walk back for Doritos and Mountain Dew I reckon.”
The lobby (and checking in)
The entire bottom floor of this hotel is essentially a shopping mall. This is also where you’ll find the spa, which I did not take advantage of on this trip. Maybe next time.
Whoa. It’s like a straight up shopping mall in here! Doesn’t matter though. I’m an ABC Store guy through and through.
The reception desk is located on the second level, accessible via stairs, escalator, or elevator. The escalator was by far the most convenient.
I have arrived. The “FRONT DESK” signage might seem unnecessary at first, but trust me, it’ll make sense (and seem very helpful) once you’re there. It took a lot of walking and escalator riding to get to this point.
I checked in at approximately 3:30 PM on a Tuesday afternoon. There were only a few people ahead of me, and I had my room key within 10 minutes.
Getting to my room
It wasn’t until I started making the walk to the elevators that I realized what the ‘resort’ thing was all about. Everything you could possibly need for your Hawaiian vacation is located on property. You’ll pass all sorts of restaurants, shops, travel agencies, etc. on your way to the elevators.
What’s better than a hotel than an ABC Store built right into it? A hotel with elevators that won’t let you forget that you’re in freakin’ Hawaii.Uh-oh. I’m starting to forget. Where am I again?Oh that’s right. According to this angled door configuration (mine is the one on the right), I’m mere moments away from what could be one of the best hotel rooms I’ve ever had in Waikiki.Room 3008 is mine for the night. Even if it ain’t the best, it’s still gonna be the best considering the whole ABC Store situation downstairs.
High-floor ocean view room overview
I booked a standard high-floor ocean room for this one-night stay. I got lucky during the check-in process and was upgraded to a slightly larger room (still with an amazing ocean view). Woo hoo!
Interesting. This is an awfully boxy room considering how angled the door was. Looks nice though.The bed. As weird as it sounds, I will never not be able to look at a bed in a hotel room in Hawaii and wonder how many people of this earth have been conceived in it. Those sheets better be clean, y’all.A look back from the other side while doing the basic calculations in my head. “A 50 year-old hotel averaging approximately 250 guests per room per year…holy crap that’s a lot of babies.”Interesting. Just as how it is when 19-inch wheels look tiny on a big SUV, 72-inch TVs look tiny in a big hotel room. I had no idea.Panning to the right a bit, becoming excited thinking about how much Mountain Dew and Doritos that desk will hold.All of the babies conceived on this chaise lounge probably turned out a little weird. This doesn’t look comfortable IMHO.Yes! There are refrigerators in these rooms! My advice is to go easy down at the ABC Store however, because they ain’t that big.Unlimited bottled water is complementary. The catch being that you have to go downstairs to the lobby to refill these bottles. And if you’re gonna be in the lobby anyway, good luck being unable to resist popping into the ABC store for another bag of Doritos.The Cuisinart coffee maker / hot water machine. Have I mentioned that there’s an ABC store right downstairs? You’re gonna get much better coffee and tea down there.The pillow situation. Large, fluffy, but maybe not firm enough to “persuade” your travel companion to run downstairs to get you a proper cup of coffee.The closet. Nothing ever exciting happens in the closet.
The view
Easily the best part about my entire experience at this hotel was the view that I had from my room. It was a very commanding (and stunning) view of Waikiki Beach.
Oh. There’s a window in this room. With a patio. And a view of the ocean. I almost forgot!The balcony (with proper balcony furniture). This table and chair set up sure got lucky ending up here on the 30th floor of the Hyatt Regency, didn’t it? I wonder if they even bother keeping in touch with their less-lucky relatives at The Inverness Denver?
The view wasn’t quite as good as the one that I had from my room at the Park Shore Waikiki, but stunning nonetheless. Honestly? I’d say it was on par with the view that I had from my room at the Royal Hawaiian not too long ago, which blew me away at the time.
That view tho. I’m only on the 30th floor, but I don’t believe I’ve ever stood this high above Waikiki before.I don’t believe I’ve ever been sunburned this quickly before either. Pro tip: add sunscreen to your ABC Store shopping list.The view is even better at night IMHO. No sunscreen required.Looking down at my favorite hotel in all of Waikiki (The Moana Surfrider). I wondered if any of them were feeling envious looking up at me, but then I remembered that one does not feel envious while staying at the Moana Surfrider. It’s that kind of joint.Of course there were fireworks at 9 PM. Why wouldn’t there be?
The bathroom
I’ve stayed at enough hotels in Waikiki to know the bathrooms are never going to be all that impressive. This one was basic, but clean enough.
Like many places in Hawaii, most of the bathroom is “open air.” Don’t do anything here at the vanity that you wouldn’t want your travel companion to see.Being discreet will be difficult however, because they give you all the tools for goin’ in deep. Soaps, lotions, towel towels, tissues, oh my!The bath towel situation. Meh. The beach towels they provide downstairs are bigger. But then again, you may be tempted by the whole “another bag of Doritos” thing if you go down there, so maybe these will be good enough.This is where you’re free to do the really disgusting stuff. Go ahead. Have at it. Nobody is going to see you do it.Love to see a Japanese style toilet with highly adjustable undercarriage rinses and sprays. What the toilet can’t reach, this tub (with associated showerhead) can. BTW, is there a reason why you’re still reading this review? I’ve obviously run out of constructive things to say.One last pic of said showerhead (for those of you with very difficult-to-clean derrieres). Thanks for reading.
Pros and cons of staying at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa Waikiki
I’ve always been apprehensive about staying at resort-style hotels in Hawaii, but it’s my experience at the Hilton Hawaiian Village that pushed me over the edge. I just don’t like the chaos (and size) of hotels that try to be everything. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue here at the Hyatt Regency.
Pros
A location that is hard to beat. Everything Waikiki has to offer is within easy walking distance.
The views from the upper-floor rooms are stunning. Private balconies too!
Having all the shops and restaurants downstairs (right on property) is especially convenient.
Scott has been traveling the world since 1997, and is the founder and author of SleepAndReview.com. He never had any aspirations of being a hotel reviewer, but one thing let to another, and...well...here we are.
