The Service of Hilton Waikiki Beach Staff Was Wonderful!
My mother and I had some reasons, and we happened to spend the memorial day of Japan in Hawaii when the era name changed from Heisei to Reiwa. Please read the page below for the details.
Hilton Waikiki Beach was such a wonderful hotel. If there is anyone who considers staying in this hotel, I truly recommend there! This time, I’d like to tell you about how great this hotel was.
I Contacted the Hotel Beforehand
Since my mother’s legs aren’t good, I always contact the hotel in advance when I stay at a hotel with my mother on a trip. That’s because I want to check whether we can rent a wheelchair at the hotel, conditions of the room, and others. So, I emailed the hotel for this trip, too. This time, the hotel was Hilton, so I thought there might be some kind of benefits if I have a membership. Therefore, before sending an e-mail to the hotel, I became a charge-free member of Hilton Honors. It seemed like I can use a free WiFi and have a guaranteed membership discount.
In the email, I wrote that I got an accommodation voucher from Hilton Grand Vacations, and my membership number of Hilton Honors that I just got. Then, I asked about the following.
- Can we rent a wheelchair?
- We want to stay in a room with a bathtub even if we have to pay an additional fee.
- We’ll arrive at Honolulu Airport at 9 A.M. and go to the hotel directly from there. Could we check-in early around 10 A.M.?
Then, they replied to us promptly with “Aloha!” and “Mahalo!” They were very kind, and they politely answered each of my questions.
- About the wheelchair, they’ll make arrangements with a rental company without any additional charge for the hotel. (Around $40 a day, $75-95 for an electric wheelchair)
- We can reserve a room with a bathtub without any additional fee, and we can borrow a bath chair or other items for bathing assistance.
- About the early check-in, they can accept a request for early check-in, but usually, their check-out time is noon and check-in time is 3 P.M. So, they can’t guarantee whether they can prepare a clean room or not before our arrival due to crowdedness or other reasons. However, we can leave our luggage there, and they can bring them to our room. And if I give them my phone number, they can call us as soon as our room is ready.
After that, the contact person was handed over to the guest service manager Chris from the senior guest service manager, and he kindly answered my questions in detail about choosing the type of wheelchair and the reservation of it. However, on the first day and the third day, I booked an optional sightseeing tour that includes transportation service, and on the second day, I requested a sightseeing guide in Oahu Island by a Japanese person living in Hawaii using a service called “Loco.” I was able to make a plan that there’s no need to walk around so much, and it seemed like I didn’t need to rent a wheelchair. So, I decided to ask for a wheelchair in Hawaii if needed. (After all, we didn’t need to use a wheelchair.) Chris was very kind, and I could feel his warm heart from his words in the email that was not just for contact. I told him my phone number for early check-in, so he sent me a welcome message via SMS before our departure.
Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel
Mountains and City View and Ocean View
When we arrived at the hotel, we were able to check-in early without any problems. Surprisingly, our room was on the 29th floor, and we enjoyed a great view of the mountains and the city. It seemed like it was right after a squall, and a beautiful double-rainbow welcomed us. (It was sunny when we were heading to the hotel from the airport, so maybe it rained while we were checking in.) I heard that they could see a rainbow often in Hawaii.
Enjoyed a grand view of the mountains and the city from the hotel window
When I was checking in, I didn’t call Chris to say hello. Many guests come to the hotel every day, and I didn’t know if Chris is at the front desk at that time. More than that, I was a little afraid of seeing him in a businesslike manner that was not like his email. But I was sure that this wonderful view from the upper floors was Chris’ kindness. It seemed like there was a message on the phone while we were at Waikiki Beach in the evening, but I left it untouched because I didn’t know how to listen to it. But at night, two of the hotel staff each called our room and asked us if the room is OK and told us to call them if there are any concerns. They didn’t say their names, but maybe one of them was Chris. Including Chris, many of the hotel staff took turns and texted us via SMS to check how we were doing, and sent us messages every day. The view of the mountainside at night was magnificent. It seemed like there were many houses built on the steep part of the mountain, and the lights were shining like diamonds.
We enjoyed a terrific night view from the hotel window
But I thought that the oceanside view should also be extremely beautiful. So, I knew that it was a pretty impudent request, but when the staff called us how we were doing, I asked if it was possible to change to the oceanview room. And he kindly said, “Please ask at the front desk tomorrow.”
On the second day, when we came back to the hotel from Oahu Island sightseeing, they already moved our luggage to the new room.
To change our room to the oceanview room on the 27th floor, we only had to pay $30 a day additionally. Also, usually at the resort hotels in Hawaii, we have to pay a resort fee ($20-30 per day) in addition to the accommodation fee, but this hotel doesn’t have a resort fee.
The oceanview room on the 27th floor
The sunset we saw from the room on May 1st, the first day of Reiwa in Japan time was very beautiful.
The sunset from the hotel window on May 1st, the first day of Reiwa in Japan time
The view of the next morning was also gorgeous.
The view from our room
The view from the room in the next morning
Everything Was at the Hotel, and It Was Very Convenient
In the hotel, there was M.A.C. 24/7, a 24-hour operation restaurant that is rare in Hawaii famous for giant pancakes, Starbucks, and a shop and boutique owned by the legend, Emi.
A rare 24-hour operation restaurant in Hawaii, M.A.C. 24/7
Starbucks in the hotel
The legend, Emi’s boutique, Golden Boutique Sundry & Gift
The Location Was Super Convenient
I was able to go to the beach 3 minutes on foot, and the stop for a trolley that goes to one of the biggest shopping centers in the U.S., Ala Moana Shopping Center (Pink Line) and the stop of TheBus right in front of the hotel. It was very convenient.
In front of the hotel, there was ABC Store where there were yogurt and fresh fruits, even souvenirs such as macadamia nuts and others. I was able to go to the shop easily and get some souvenirs ahead of time.
ABC Store was right in front of the hotel
When I asked the hotel to call a taxi to go to Kapiolani Park, which was about 10 minutes by walk from the hotel, they called a long-bodied limousine for us because it was unoccupied. The price was as same as a regular car, and it was about $7, including the chip.
My mother being excited on the long-bodied limousine
The Legend Emi Told Us That There Are Many Japanese Restaurants Within 3 Minutes by Walk from the Hotel
The legend Emi told us, “If you want to have some Japanese food, there is a good grill restaurant, a barbecue restaurant that you can take-out, a seafood bowl restaurant, and a riceball restaurant.”
We had a fillet steak at Jinroku in Hawaii, a famous grill restaurant in Shirokane, Tokyo. It was very delicious!
We had a steak at Jinroku in Hawaii, a famous restaurant in Shirokane, Tokyo
A tuna and seafood rice bowl restaurant on Kuhio Avenue in front of the hotel
Seafood rice bowl menu
A Korean barbecue restaurant located next to the tuna and seafood rice bowl restaurant. I heard that we can also take-out, and they serve a large amount with good taste.
A rice ball restaurant, MUSUBI CAFE
The Hotel Staff Kept Sending Me SMS until Just Before Going Back to Japan and Took Good Care of Us
The service of the hotel staff was excellent and wonderful. Of course, I’d like to stay at Hilton Waikiki Beach again when I come to Hawaii next time.
Translation from Japanese to English by picolisco
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