Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki

My husband and I stayed here for our Hawaiian vacation. We booked through an Air B and B. My husband and I stayed in room 510... a corner room, wonderful views. We loved waking up and watching the sunrise. (We're from Chicago and we are 5 hours ahead of Hawaii, so 5am here is 10am Chicago, we never really adjusted to the time change lol). I read previous reviews about the air conditioning in the building not getting extremely cold, so when ours did the same, it wasn't a deal breaker. Our host provided a fan so it was fine. Our room was in walking distance (3 minute walk) of the Waikīkī market and ABC store which sells alcohol, snacks, souvenirs, etc., across the street from a coffee shop and restaurant. The beach is probably a 5 minute walk.Our hosts were wonderful, if we needed them, they were a phone call or an app message away. A few things our room needed, get the ac checked so it can get the room extremely cold not just cool, bigger garbage can for the kitchen, the one provided is perfect for a bathroom, but 2 water bottles completely filled the garbage can. More toilet paper, 3 rolls for 2 adults for 7 days is not enough same for paper towels. They provided a pot and a skillet, but no tongs or spatula. Couldn't make pancakes. Made spaghetti, but no strainer. We also only had 1 hand towel. We had 2 bath towels and 2 face towels, but only 1 hand towel.These things are not deal breakers, We would definitely stay here again. We had a wonderful trip. It was our first time visiting Hawaii and it won't be our last.Mahalo

Call me crazy. I spent months planning my Hawaii vacation since last May. I booked my room at Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki Hotel just weeks prior. I guess the hotel prices increase early December. The room price doesn't matter. It's the final cost after the surcharges etc. I learned from most of reviews to understand what everyone is talking about. There is a $35 service charge per day (plus taxes). I only found out about it upon checking out. I booked through MemberDeals.com, a third-party vendor through Govx.com, which I found it reliable and better than AARP Travel Center. After I got my confirmation info, I emailed [email protected] to triple confirm my reservation. I don't want to be a victim of fake reservations. I prepaid my reservation $747.58 including taxes with a 72-hour cancellation policy. I got a superior room because of the bed type.When my friend and I arrived at the hotel, the front desk agents were busy. While I waited, I began to enjoying the climate and open air at the lobby. After I put my credit card to pay for incidental charges, she handed both of us shell leis. How lovely. There are some perks like free Bishop Museum admission for staying there. But we were too busy with the schedule. I didn't get a chance to enjoy them. We had our takeout dinner on the lanai. My friend and I enjoyed the breeze from Manoa Valley. I didn't get to see the fabulous view until next morning. Because of time zone difference, we woke up before sunrise and watched the sun slowly peeking through the mountain. I can't remember if we could see the ocean from the lanai. But the views of high-rise buildings were sufficient. There was a short walking distance to the beach. But I walked up and down Ala Wai Blvd for morning exercise instead. The hotel guests were cordial and housekeeping staff was friendly. I was very happy to use the laundry facility at the basement. I bought detergent at ABC Store, which was same price as at the front desk. It costed me $4.75 for washing and drying. I just swiped them with my credit card. I rented a car one day for a circle-island tour. Parking was easy at the side lot or in the basement. I just had to register the car at the front desk and pay $35. It gave me in and out privileges. Street parking is very limited. I rarely see opening.I didn't get a chance to lay at the pool. Because it was cold in February. I checked several times a day for the sun to hit the lounge chairs, but it never happened. I decided to walk around Kuhio Avenue in the sun instead.Room amenities were very efficient. There was a coffeemaker with coffee packs above microwave oven. I have to go to front desk to ask for tea bags. The refrigerator is hidden in the TV cabinet. It worked too well. My fruits came out frozen next day. Hahaha. I bought a gallon size drinking water from the store and got my refill of filtered water from the lobby, along with ice cubes. I don't know why but I felt so relaxed. Everything is within reach. Hot water came out so quick and pressure was strong. It didn't take long to complete a shower as the soap and shampoo dispensers were installed on the wall. Washing sink being outside of the enclosed bathroom was a plus. I wish there was a small table for eating. I grabbed the outdoor chair as table instead.We really enjoyed our stay at Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki. Check-out process was quick. I shall return. p.s. I uploaded 61 photos to accompany with this review. You can view them by going to the Yelp website on a computer https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aqua-aloha-surf-waikiki-waikiki-beach?userid=jwPVqdHpVHCBfAe4pZBbgA

Honestly, I wouldn't book again. The first room we got smelled horrible right when we walked into the room. Smelled like mildew/wet dog. Started getting itchy while sitting on the couch and beds. You get what you pay for. If I could redo this, I would've booked a refundable room. The asian man at the front desk was extremely rude and not helpful at all.

I stayed at the Aqua Aloha Surf, but I believe their practices are deceptive. I booked my stay on the Capitol One portal, and I thought I had a good deal, but I noticed that my taxes and fees were HIGHER than my ENTIRE stay for 6 nights. After some back and forth with them and Capitol One reaching out to Aqua Aloha Surf, they provided me with the breakdown of the charges, which included:* Room Occupancy Tax: $74.35* Room General Excise: $34.22* County TA Tax: $21.78* Accidental Damage Waiver Fee: $47.12* Reservation Fee: $35.33* Check-Out & Cleaning Fee: $176.94Total: $389.74Now, here's the dilemma. When I checked into the Aqua Aloha Surf, they charged me additional fees for the above items, despite my initial payment. I informed them that I contacted my credit card company, but they said they don't work with credit card companies, only third-party bookings. I even showed them my booking confirmation, but the front desk insisted on charging me and advised me to dispute it with my credit card company, which took up a few hours of my vacation. I don't want to blame the front desk because, for most of my stay, they were friendly. However, I believe they only followed their training to charge all customers with the extra taxes and fees.Additionally, I booked the Superior room, which they listed as 344 sqft, but when we got the room, it was smaller, more like 280 sqft. Or maybe I'm mistaken, and 344 sqft is that small. I checked with the front desk, and they confirmed it was the Superior room. I was fine with it since we didn't plan on staying in the room much. However, had I known the room was that small, I might have opted for the next level up for a bit more comfort, as I initially intended. Or if I had known the total cost, I might have spent a bit more on a higher-level hotel closer to the beach. The distance from this hotel to the beach isn't bad; it's only a 5-minute walk, which is a plus, but the next-level hotel I was planning to book was only 2-3 minutes away.The room already had limited outlets, and one of them didn't work, so I was glad I always carry extra outlets when I travel. Lastly, there was a baby roach in the bathroom on our first night. For late-night snacks or early morning breakfast, I would grab instant noodles from their vending machine. However, the noodles from the foam cup had a lot of micro ants in them. The front desk said it was the vending machine company, separate from the hotel, that restocks them. The gentleman at the front desk was friendly and refunded me.Overall, if everything had been clarified at booking, I might have been fine with the fees, but I felt everything was a mess. If you're looking for a boutique hotel and don't plan on staying in the hotel much, this may be the hotel for you. As for me, would I book this hotel again the next time I'm in Waikiki? I would say it's unlikely.

All residents, guests, and staffs are super kind at this hotel. If you're looking for a budget saver for your trip I would highly recommend this hotel, because it's super reasonably priced, decent and super close to Waikiki beach and all major bus transits.I booked this on Hotels.com and had no troubles checking in. I was aware of the $150 service or cleaning fee, but wasn't aware of the $100 deposit.*** Important to know: if you're staying for less than 7 days, there is no room cleaning unless requested at the front desk!! I stayed for 8 days and had one room cleaning mid week. And if you stay over 8 or 9 days they will do room cleaning accordingly. This also meant that we had some trash piling up that we just waited till the cleaning ladies came. I noticed the other reviews had bed bugs, but I never had that issue, but I did have some ants near the sink in the bathroom.Checking out was easy. They had a contactless check out where you just text them. But I ended up returning all the cards at the front desk where they handed me a paper telling me they have returned my deposit.Pros- water and ice stations downstairs in lobby- get to borrow beach towels- get to rent movies, tv and ps3 in room- 24hr front desk- in room microwave and fridge and also came with some eating utensils and some plates and bowls- I believe you can get access to certain museums, but I never used this as I found out on the last few daysCons- cleaning service charge- have to request for room cleaning besides the schedule cleaning days depending on how long you stayed- had some ant problem

Overall, this is a good place for a budget stay. The elevator is slow and there is only one so please don't be in a rush to go anywhere, ever.Parking is tight in the lot below (35 bucks per night for hotel guests) but finding street parking is challenging at best (and almost impossible on a week day) so we went with it and paid. Caution on this tho -- they keep tabs on what cars are down there and almost overcharged me $100+ in parking fees because they had duplicate charges on my receipt. I did not pay, I asked nicely and questioned why I had so many parking charges when I only stayed 4 nights with 1 car and was somehow charged 7 times smh.The pool is in a shaded area and was cold, there were bugs in the water. It doesn't seem like a popular place for guests. We used it once. Meh. But whatever's cuz it's Hawaii and we can just hit up the beach nearby anyway.The rooms, especially for the price, are very decent. Yeah, the bathroom sink would fill up grossly and desperately needs to be snaked, but I can overlook that because for a hundred bucks a night, my kids each had their own bed and the balcony was really nice.The AC barely worked and some nights were a bit uncomfortable in room 1505, but again, not too big of a deal. They do need to get that fixed eventually though because that's going to suck come summer.I like the location and the staff, although a bit not too bright, we're friendly. We will definitely be back and will forever more scour our receipts for the mistakes that are surely to be found. Aloooooohaaaaa!

traveling on a budget? here you go. Best use the lobby filtered water dispenser, small pool, they provides beach or pool towels. parking is difficult, try to park near the canal. It's free. Walking distance to Waikiki beach.There is ants, so remember to seal all your foods.

Alright, it's not a glamorous resort, however if you're a family or small group, traveling on a budget, this may be your destination because the two bedroom rooms are spacious and include a fold out couch, so technically you could sleep 4 comfortably. Each room is privately owned and the hotel manages them on behalf of the owners. The lobby has a filtered water dispenser that also saved us a lot in bottled water purchases. Pool, but we never used it. The hotel also provides beach or pool towels. There's free 2 hr visitor parking, after that it's $20. 24 hr guest parking is $35. You are also conveniently located, less than a block, to International Marketplace, cafes, convenience stores, bars, and restaurants. Walking distance to anything in Waikiki.

they kicked us out, just because we looked homeless. It is crazy how they did that because we did nothing but js tried to look for a room.

Toom was ok not great. The a/c unit was obnoxiously loud! I took out my hearing aids and inserted ear plugs and put 2 pillows over my head! And still the noise was bothersome!The outlet situation was not good. Luckily I brought an extra outlet device to accommodate the chargers I needed. I will never use a third party booking service again. The final rate for one night grew by 25% compared to the rate advertised by booking.com, even though I prepaid. When I booked I clicked on "pay at the hotel". still it did not happen that way!!!!God I hate that crap!!!