The Polynesian Residences

This hotel is so convenient when it comes to walking distance to pretty much everything in Waikiki! I would definitely stay here again because everyone here is so nice and very helpful. Having a car is very useful for the overall trip going outside of this area but if you plan on staying around here majority of the trip, this hotel is great. It's walking distance to so many bars/restaurants, convenience stores, coffee, shopping, the beach etc.. there's so much to do.Checking in and checking out was smooth. Great customer service. The hotel seems older but for the price wasn't bad. The only "issue" is that they do not have a parking garage of their own but parking is available across the street! Just let the front desk know that you have a car and they give you a parking pass (charge per day, of course). The walk isn't far either. We were SO nervous when circling around for looking for parking but luckily they do offer a parking pass!! I wouldn't have known until looking at yelp and saw another review mentioning this so tysm for that reviewer!! Would recommend if you're not looking for anything luxurious and just looking for a place to stay.

BED BUGS. **PSA to check your beds regardless of hotel. Know how to check, and what to look for**I work really hard to support the local businesses and community wherever I go. If there is an issue, I always give people an opportunity to work with me to resolve it. I stayed at this location for a week and will not be returning. The photos in the other reviews are very accurate in terms of the lack of cleanliness and presence of mold throughout. My biggest issue is that I wound up sleeping on bed bug ridden beds for 3 days without knowing, then once we found them (walking across the sheets) and notified staff, we were shrugged off and told there are no bed bugs and told to go back to our room (after they went and simply remade the beds for us). After requesting to speak to the manager for more than 30 minutes and finally being put in touch with her, I was told I would not be reimbursed for sleeping on bed bugs and they would just move me rooms to get me to stop complaining. By this time the bed bugs had taken over my suitcases and everything inside. After many hours of back and forth, showing photos and video, the manager finally listened to me and had her maintenance guy throw everything we owned into a dryer or took a "blow dryer" (his words not mine) to our things to "treat them". They did reimburse us only for the 3 nights we slept on bed bugs. The overall experience at this hotel was very bad. The staff treated us as if we were the problem. The beds had 4-5 mattress covers on them (obviously showing they are aware of the problem and simply slapping more covers to try and contain). There were at least 4 generations of bed bugs in that room. I was there for a Pest Control Conference, so I knew what I was talking about. I do not appreciate being treated the way I was, being made to feel guilty for inconveniencing the hotel because I did not want to sleep with bed bugs. The cleanliness issue and mold is one thing, the lack of customer care is another.

We've stayed here before without any problems, however this time was different and not as pleasant. Every time we opened the door there was a very unpleasant odor. Once in the room it wasn't as bad. The biggest problem was that our allergies went crazy whenever we were in the room. Not sure the cause, but the fact that the A/C unit showed the word "FILTER" on it makes us think the air filters were dirty.

I discovered the "The Polynesian Residences" during my last visit in May 2022. As I was walking along Kalakaua and Beachwalk, I noticed people with luggage coming out of the foyer. The entrance to this hotel is discrete, and it gets lost amongst the street level storefronts of this building.This establishment markets itself as a boutique hotel. There are a total of 59 rooms; and there are five different room configurations. (If you visit the hotel's website--www*polynesianresidences*com, you can see various room options, and amenities. However, I booked my room using a travel aggregation website.)As Waikiki is a major tourist destination, the hotel rooms see a constant turnover of guests. However, my room had modern décor and was reasonably well maintained--although there were some bumps and bruises. The carpet was clean. The bed was comfortable, and the sheets were crisp. The TV was newer and operated well. The Wi-Fi was reliable, and I was able to access the internet with my laptop and make calls over Wi-Fi using my cell phone. My room also had a small balcony overlooking the swimming pool.This complex is quiet, and as long as the slider was closed, I didn't hear any city noise or commotion from the pool deck below. This hotel is within easy walking distance to the beach. And its situs allows you to access all parts of the Waikiki tourist zone's restaurants and shopping options. If you don't want to walk too far, there are plenty of restaurants, with a variety of price points, within yards of this hotel. Long's Drug and ABC stores are across the street and provide a "one-stop-shop" for most needs. But before you buy, check with the hotel's front desk. In addition to beach towels, the hotel has items such as beach chairs, beach umbrellas, etc. which you can borrow.If there is a downside, it is the issue of parking.The hotel does not have its own parking facility. If you need to park a car, the hotel has a cooperative arrangement with a parking lot 0.10 miles away--about a 5-minute walk. There is an additional daily fee for parking. But there is also no "street parking" either.When I asked the front desk if there was a "loading zone" in close proximity to load luggage, I was told that I could park briefly in the loading zone in front of the Tommy Bahama store. In the short time it took me to leave the car and fetch my luggage, I received a parking ticket. (Specifically, parking in a loading zone without a loading permit. I guess the loading zone is intended for commercial vehicles making deliveries to the local businesses.)If you need to park for a short duration, such as to check-in to the hotel, I suggest that you go to the US Post Office on Saratoga. (It's the next street over.) That parking lot has parking for post office business, and a kiosk for a small number of public parking spots.

The Polynesian Residences is marketed as a boutique hotel, but I'd recommend avoiding this place at all costs. My partner and I booked this stay towards the tailend of our trip to Oahu and were excited, since the prices were fairly reasonable compared to the other hotels in the Waikiki area. However, with the plethora of low-rated reviews on Yelp, it's all starting to make sense. The Polynesian Residences has that facade of looking like a nice boutique hotel, but it has its cracks and bruises. The hotel staff are rude and dismissive, and the room has its own issues. The beds in our room were pretty questionable. Stains on the bedding, yellowing pillowcases, sheets that feel like scratchy napkins, and a bathroom that constantly smells like urine with a deteriorating shower. Overall, I did not enjoy my time here and felt very belittled by the hotel staff whenever I'd encounter them.

We booked this hotel for our honeymoon. My wife and I both lived in Hawai'i for years and were so excited to go back to the place where we met. Don't let the pictures fool you. You think you're getting a charming boutique hotel but what you're really getting is a hotel that started making upgrades but (maybe) never finished its renovation. We booked with a travel agency and we were promised a one bedroom suite with kitchenette. Now when I think of that, I think of bedroom with a separate living room/kitchenette space. What we actually got was a bedroom with a kitchenette. I can't fault the hotel for not being what the travel agency promised so we're taking that up with them and my review isn't based on that I thought I was getting a suite. Buckle up folks, here we go. There was nowhere to sit other than the bed and a rickety chair. The furniture was mismatched and some pieces were starting to fall apart. The safe was broken/ had no instructions. The mini fridge was certainly not what you'd expect from a room with a kitchenette (think of the smallest dorm room fridge you've ever seen). The room had air fresheners in every corner and two car clip fresheners on the AC unit. Without all of the air fresheners making the place smell like a Bath and Body, it reeked of wet dog. There was one outlet behind the bed and the other had a lamp and the router plugged in so you can choose between internet and light. The only other outlet was a massive power bar mounted to the desk. There were holes all over the walls as if something had been hung and they never repaired the walls after. There was black mold in the bathroom. BUT! They do have a bidet! Having never experienced that, I'd say that's where my sole star is coming from. I will say, though, that the lobby is small and always smells like oranges and looks clean and tidy so that was nice to walk in to every time. Before the hotel responds to this (if they do) I will also mention that after we complained about our room, they moved us to another (after sending staff members up to decipher if they could smell the funky smells we were smelling... surprise! They acted like they had no idea what we were talking about). The difference in the two rooms was that there were no holes in the walls from decorations (just an outlet sized one near the outlet) and no air fresheners (hence the dog smell and sometimes a bit of sewage). I spoke with my booking company and they said I'd have to speak with the manager. When I did she, quite rudely, asked what I wanted since they already moved us into a different room. Then she offered to refund our first $20 a night resort fee or we could check out by 11am (it was already 10am and we had a tour booked for 12noon across the island). Due to circumstances with the travel agency, we agreed to stay because they (the agency) were only going to refund us a fraction of what we paid to stay there. So we made do with what we had and just did our best to be there as little as possible. All of that said... the cherry on top happened during checkout. The manager had the audacity to sarcastically say to my wife... "oh! I thought you were going to check out" with such a big doodoo eating grin. So there's that. I also spoke with guests from two other rooms and they were all dissatisfied with their rooms but also had decided to make the best of a crappy situation... How can you continue to be mad in paradise right?

This hotel is low key prestigious to me! This is where me and my husband stay last month when we came to visit Hawaii for the first time! It's located at the center surrounding the shops, the beach and a few meters away from Hard Rock Cafe and the ramen place downstairs is the best!!! This place is not very expensive and not crowded and its modern design still feels homey. The pool is clear blue clean and water temperature is perfect! The bathroom has bidet toilet bowl which is the best! I love the lightings and they give new towels everyday too! I simply love the simpleness and cleanliness of this hotel! And oh, the staff are extremely helpful, courteous & welcoming! Definitely coming back and bring my family & friends!

The only drawbacks of this hotel is no parking or safe place in front of hotel for pick up. Quit clean and comfy beds. Friendly helpful staff. Easy walk to good eats. We would definitely stay here again if we ever go back to over priced hot humid crowded Oahu

So no place is perfect. But to have a super front desk person like Bonnie be unreservedly friendly and helpful while resolving issues was what turned what could have been a suboptimal stay to a totally satisfactory experience. Would stay there again. Thanks Bonnie!

The service here is exceptional! All the staff members, especially Binny the front desk attendant, provided such great service! Very caring, friendly, and accommodating. Great hospitality, awesome pool, only minutes away from Waikiki beach! Thanks for making it such a great stay