Jul 26, 2010

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Sheraton Waikiki Hotel

Where to stay in Waikiki ~ Sheraton Waikiki Hotel 

Sheraton Waikiki Hotel General description:

• The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel is 26 floors high; it is ocean front and was built in 1970. When it was first built was a marvel in design, after 4 decades the design has become somewhat outdated even though several renovations have been performed on the property. The common areas are elegant, with a spacious lobby, shops, restaurants and bars, the present owners have are investing in a multimillion dollar upgrade that includes a redesign of it’s 2 (small) pools, one of which it shares with the Royal Hawaiian Hotel next door and also a Sheraton property. There was a lot of expectation here at some point regarding the outcome of the second pool that promised to be especially nice but it turned out to be nicer than before but way below everybody’s expectations.
• This major renovation that involves all 4 Sheratons in the Waikiki area should end in 2011.
• The property belongs to a Japanese company and is managed by Sheraton Hotels.

What we like about the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel:

• It does not get any more central than this, it is one of the most “clicked” number in our map and no doubt about it, it is because of the location.
• The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel is on the water and has the service that you have come to expect from a Sheraton Hotel.

What you may not like about the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel:

• One the main ideas to stay at an oceanfront hotel like the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, is to be able to enjoy the beach in front of it, unfortunately there is almost no sand on that area as it is evident in the above picture.
• The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel is one of the only 4 star hotel with a somewhat better beach in front of it is the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The big problem with the Hilton Hawaiian Village is that is not central, If you want to be in the center of Waikiki (and there are very good reasons for that since most people like to stay in the center of Waikiki) you may very well look for a hotel on the other side of Kalakaua and save the money.
• The Sheraton Waikiki Hotel was built almost 40 years ago, if this was Las Vegas, it would be long gone by now, despite the massive amount of money that was spent in this hotel over the years, is still an old design, not old as “charming old” like the Royal Hawaiian or the Moana Surfrider, but old as outdated. Normally for the kind of money that these rooms sell for, people expect a better product.
• There are several areas that may be affected by the renovation project, some are finished and some not, you may want to stay away from this property until all renovations are completed hopefully by 2011.