Ok this is going to be a very detailed review as when I was shopping hotels, I would have loved a review that was in depth, so here it goes.
My husband found a insanely priced flight via Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu during a random week in March. My son and I were available and ready for travel so we happily accepted the idea of a short Hawaii stay! Using my Hyatt Diamond Status, we booked the Hyatt Regency Honolulu.
 |
| Beach Rebuilding |
Diamond Tier Perks: As a Diamond tier Member I got to check off a few in-room deliveries. I chose a bottle of chardonnay and a goat cheese and fig tart. It showed up late in the afternoon and was lovely. I didn’t drink the wine right away, but had to repeatedly ask housekeeping to keep it on ice. At the time, I didn't realize I could opt out for points instead as they didn't offer it. Beginner status mistake....however, I did REALLY enjoy the food!
The Bad Parts: The beach was getting a facelift at the time. The first morning, bulldozers were directly on the breakwall beach area right in front of the hotel. The noise on the 38th floor was very loud…so I can only imagine what it was like on a lower floor. On the 38th floor, the traffic on the street is constant. You will not fall asleep listening to the lull of the ocean…you will typically hear the hum of people, cars, trucks, and a background of some waves. It will not be a quiet beach sound by any stretch of the imagination. So just prepare for that. Considering I had not had a beach vacation in forever, I was still happy! By mid-day the construction had moved down a block or so…but there is a barge out in the ocean with a “pipeline” visable in the water to refurbish the sand on the beach. I am glad that they work so hard to keep the beaches, so I can’t complain….but it was a little bit of a let down to look off my balcony and see a ton of that going on. Too bad for the immediate travelers but good for the beach and hotel long term! It did not ruin my trip. As a detail, I did a room change mid-trip and moved to the 30th floor,direct ocean front, and the noise did not seem as bad.
 |
| View from our Balcony |
Regency Club: Breakfast is the main deal at the RC. 4 juices, an excellent coffee machine with lattes and specialty coffees, and a handful of soft drinks in a fridge. A very limited cereal selection, more so for adults. Usually there is something fun for kids, but not here. There was a McMuffin style sandwich available one day, a quiche the next, some kind of egg dish the next…. Daily offers are hard boiled eggs, scones, muffins, bagels, and toast, some cheeses and fruit. They give you some 50% off buffet tickets for SHORE Restaurant, but I can’t imagine going and paying for breakfast when you can fill up reasonably here. But honestly, after a few days of the exact same offerings, the buffet begins to look more appealing. You have to walk through the buffet to get to the Club and I often wanted to snag a few pancakes from there and take them into the club. Lol.
The mid-afternoon time slot had some really awkward food choices….several cooked, but room temp or cold vegetables with odd flavors, 2 cheeses, crackers, and usually one entrée item ranging from Garlic Chicken (C+), Italian Meatballs (C-) . There was always this tasteless offering a room-temperature, slimy vegetables out. It was just weird. Now I will say, I was in a minority here as an American. Most of the clients in this hotel were Asian and I believe the foods, rightly so, were moreso for their tastes. The last food round of the day at the RC was the dessert time. Foods ranged from a bland macadamia nut pies to a similarly contructed guava cake and an apple cobbler on different nights. There were not any other offerings. During the “off” hours they leave out apples, bananas, and oranges as well as 3 glass containers of chocolate chip cookies and 2 other “bar” cookies. Sadly, these containers were 1/3 full of crumbs (I kid you not) They looked like they had not emptied them in months. My feeling about the RC overall was average. The actual space is beautiful and convenient. The workers were nice, but none of them ever said much of anything to me or my son except for an occasional hello, although they definately seemed to speak in depth to the other guests...not a huge deal, just an observance. Overall, it is worth it. But it would be nice to change it up a little bit here and there!
Concierge: I went down to talk to the Concierge regarding some discounts or activities for my 4 year old….He barely spoke to me and when I asked about if they had any coupons or where I might find a discount coupon for the aquarium or zoo….He shrugged his shoulders and said “maybe some of the publications on the way there”. That was it. You are the concierge. Come on man…..be helpful. I don’t know why he was even behind the desk. I would have appreciated a little more help.
Front Desk: Lovely and kind to speak to....They were great. Even after receiving a poorly written email stating that I would not get an early check-in, I was greeted at 7:30AM and easily checked in to my room by 7:45 in the morning which was amazing! There are several parrots on-site which is rather neat. The hotel is set upon 2 stories of stores. Nothing exceptional to speak of...mostly Hawaiian odds and ends. There are ABC stores with everything you could possibly need on the 1st floor.
Pool: Yes, it’s tiny. And if you have read these Hyatt Honolulu reviews, and people are correct. When the pool area is crowded, the pool looks so awkward. With it being on the third floor, I know they likely didn’t have a ton of building options, but it’s almost not worth it. The lounge chairs almost encroach on the pool too much and make it feel even smaller. My suggestion to the hotel is give the pool some breathing room. You have hundreds of chairs up there, take the row encircling the immediate pool away. It will make it not feel so tight. By 2pm, the pool is at capacity, so I recommend getting out there early for chairs. It is completely shaded until 1-2pm FYI so plan on spending the morning hours at he beach if you want sun.
I spent a few hours at the pool on 3 different days and was ignored by the staff the entire time. I was never offered a drink or any services. I later went to one of the umbrella tables immediately outside of the bar. I sat with my son for 15 minutes before I finally got the wait staff’s attention. The quesadilla was soggy and not something that I would ever order again. The drink was fair. Pool towel guys were always nice and kind to my son.
Rooms- I was first given a room on the 38th floor, with an ocean view and a view of Diamondhead volcano. This was a Regency Club level and there are amenities there that the standard rooms do not have. There was a nicer entryway, bathrobes, slippers, heated toilet seats with cleaning mechanisms, free bottled water, etc. The layout of the king room was huge and I was extremely comfortable. It took awhile to get my luggage and finally had to call downstairs to get it.
Midway through my trip, I wanted to be able to get some sun on my balcony as my volcano-facing room never got any direct sunlight. I called down to the front desk to see if they had an oceanfront room available. They offered me what they would typically call a parlor room I believe with a queen size bed. Although it lacked some of the upgrades that my former room had, I was happy with the sunning abilities and frankly, it was fun to have a slightly different view. I could lay in my bed and look directly into the ocean without turning my head.
 |
| Less than exciting Parlor room, but with an amazing view! |
Lastly as I was leaving on my final night after check-out, I asked for a hospitality suite to freshen up in. They gave me keys to room 561, which was directly by the elevators. What people have written is true, stay away from rooms by the elevators, It was really loud. This was a VERY small city view room that overlooked the roof of the main hotel and had a view of the city if you want to call it that. All in all, I would say when in doubt, spring for the ocean view or at least a partial ocean view on something above the 15th floor. You won't be disappointed!
General Area: It’s in the middle of a lot of action. I do think this is a fabulous hotel location for families and kids. The Zoo and Aquarium are easy walking distance as well as reasonable food choices. The Duke statue is literally right out the front of the hotel. It takes maybe a minute or two to get to the beach. It’s easy to get around from here and I was thrilled with the location.
Nearby Attractions: Being with my 4-year old son, we did lots of “kids” activities, listed below:
Aquarium-$9 for adults….I would pass on this one. You can walk through the whole thing in a matter of minutes. The employees were kind and passionate about their jobs, but there just isn’t enough there to draw people in. The poor seals looked miserable in their dingy water. This place is in bad shape. Skip it.
Honolulu Zoo- This was a pleasant surprise as I had read bad reviews. I actually enjoyed it…particularly the foliage and greenery! The animals were hit or miss…but there are lots of nice photo opps and some nice exhibits. Yes, I have been to much better zoos, but I did enjoy this.
Teddy Bear World-A kids museum with animatronic attractions. Kind of pricey as you could run through it in 10 minutes if you wanted….but it made my son happy. There has to be a coupon for this place somewhere. 
There are several luau shows during the week taking place on the grassy area as well as numerous street performers, artists, etc up and down the main street as well as the Hawaiian Marketplace nearby.
Other Restaurants We Visited:
Duke's - A Great lunch staple-Great calamari, great burgers. Good for families
Hula Grill -Just upstairs from Duke's-I recommend the Happy Hour as the burgers are nearly $4 cheaper. Great menu from 4:30-6.
Crepe Shop-just down the street from Hyatt-Had an amazing fruit crepe here. So Good!
Eggs N Things-Strange set up with ordering and whatnot and there is often a huge line. My son and I went for pancakes for dinner. We ordered the chocolate chip pancakes and one serving was easily enough for 2 people. The coconut syrup was unusual and amazing all at the same time.
Hawaiian Cookie Company-They are everywhere and although, not a restaurant, it's hard to go in there and not buy a box of cookies!
All in all, it was a fabulous trip. My details above should not read as negative at all, I am only trying to be as descriptive as possible regarding some of the things that I wished I had known. I would stay again in a heartbeat! I just got back this morning and I am so missing my vacation already! As a new Hyatt Diamond Member, I was pleased with the overall service and the hotel amenities. Thank you Hyatt for giving my son and I a beautiful background to make wonderful vacation memories!
