Waikiki is filled with many resorts and hotels but you don’t have to break the bank to stay at a quality hotel.
One property that will offer you a quality experience without too steep of a price is the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach. (It can also be a great place to stay when using points or free nights certificates.)
In this review article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Hyatt Place Waikiki based on our recent stay.
Table of Contents
Booking Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
We used a free night certificate to book one free night at the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach.
It’s a category three property so we could have used the free night on a higher category but from the value perspective it was still a great redemption considering that rooms were going for around $200+ w/taxes and fees.
Related: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort Review
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!
Location Overview
The Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach is located on the southern part of Waikiki. It’s just a couple of blocks from Kūhiō Beach and it’s also very close to the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium.
You’ll have an ABC store right next to you for your every day needs and potentially some snacks souvenirs.
You also have a number of highly rated restaurants nearby (Mami’s Empanadas, JR Gourmet Franks & Links, d.k Steak House) and some cool places like a food cart that serves up ice cream rolls.
Related: Using Turo in Hawaii (Prices & Tips)
Something interesting about the property is that there is a Domino’s Pizza connected to the lobby so it doesn’t get more convenient than that for your pizza needs.
Check out: Using Uber at HNL Guide (Tips & Photos)
Check-in
Check-in went smoothly and we were able to utilize early check-in which was great. We decided to simply valet our rental vehicle which would run $45 a night.
That’s a pretty steep price but it is in line with the other hotels and resorts in Waikiki.
Related: Hawaiian Airlines First Class Guide
As part of our welcome gifts, we received a special Hyatt Place branded mask and water bottle.
I think these are items paid for by the resort fee (or “destination fee”) but since we booked our points we did not have to pay it.
The room
The first thing that stuck out to me at this property was the size of the room. Having stayed at the Holiday Inn Express about a week prior to this stay, this two queen bed room was considerably more spacious!
Our stay at this property came at the very end of a 10 night trip so it was very refreshing to have so much room to relax in. The room and all of the furniture also felt pretty modern, clean, and kept up very well. I was pretty impressed.
Across from the bed is the workstation which also contains the coffee maker and all of the teas, coffees, and cups.
There’s also a decently sized flatscreen TV. It sits atop a dresser which is where you can also find the mini fridge.
Then there is the sofa in the corner with an ottoman for you to relax on.
The bathroom was very basic but clean which is all that really matters to me at a property like this.
There was a single sink with a fair amount of counter space.
The shower was very standard and maybe a little bit cramped but just about what I would expect.
The other thing I really liked about this room that was better than the Holiday Inn Express was that they had a nice balcony. On the balcony, you’ll find a couple of chairs and a small table which allow you to relax and take in the view.
The side walls of the balcony protrude out far so it’s a very private feel.
They do have rooms with ocean views but I believe we were given a city view.
It still gave us a nice view of Diamondhead whenever we looked off to the side.
Check out: Jurassic World & Fallen Kingdom Filming Sites & Tours (Hawaii Guide)
Breakfast/pool area
The pandemic rules were still in effect during our visit so we had to experience the pandemic version of their breakfast.
Basically, you wait in line and then tell the servers what you would like included in your breakfast and then they stuff a container for you.
I never really look forward to these type of breakfasts but sometimes there are certain menu items that I find edible like bacon or maybe a muffin. In this case, they had some pretty decent French toast.
Check out: How to (Legally) Bring Pineapples From Hawaii to the Mainland
They had a variety of teas and a lineup of coffee.
You could also find orange juice and apple juice.
They had a decent set up on a rooftop terrace which is also where the pool was located. We arrived at breakfast very early since we had plans and it felt great out on the terrace, maybe even a little bit chilly.
The pool area and rooftop terrace was not as nice as at the Holiday Inn Express where you also have miniature golf and different activities along with bigger pools. Still, at least you have a pool to enjoy on a rooftop in Hawaii.
The hotel gym is also located on this terrace and it actually looks out to the eating area.
It’s kind of odd but while you are chowing down on the French toast you can watch people burning hundreds of calories during their cardio session.
We roamed around the property and checked out some other areas. It’s worth pointing out that they do have a laundry room with a few different machines.
Down on the main floor of the lobby, they have a little market station where you can purchase some cold food items, desserts, and pick up water bottles, juice, soda, etc.
They also have a little bar area.
And you’ll find a decent amount of areas to set up for work or lounging around.
Finally, I also noticed a couple of gift shops on the main floor.
Final word
I really enjoyed my stay at the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach.
The free night redemption was great value and the hotel felt very well-kept and I loved the spacious room. Considering all the jumping around we had been doing over the past 10 days this was a perfect hotel to finish up the trip.
It’s interesting comparing it to the Holiday Inn Express because I liked the rooms here way better but it was nice having a better pool area and rooftop terrace at the Holiday Inn Express.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
