Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa - Luxury Stay Steps from Ala Moana Center

Beautiful hotel away from Waikiki craziness I picked this hotel because I needed a break from Waikiki but still wanted to be near everything and also wanted a kitchen and washer/dryer. The good: - The hotel and rooms are fantastic. Everything was clean and updated and felt very luxurious. - Loved having water bottle filling stations in the hallway. - The pool deck was beautiful, loved being able to order food there and plenty of places to sit. Very little direct sunlight which was perfect for us so we didn’t have to worry about sunscreen! - Location worked perfectly for us. Loved that we could easily walk to Walmart and Ala Moana. And it was a less than 10 minute uber to/from Waikiki. - Food from the restaurants was delicious and fast. We loved that the room service was brought to us in to-go containers, we didn’t have to worry about trays or dishes afterwards. The not so good: - Valet parking was not the greatest. Those valet drivers were the hardest workers in the entire hotel and never stopped running, but there’s just not much space for cars so sometimes it took a while. - Towels for the pool were annoying, you had to go into the spa to get and return them. I wish we’d just brought our own beach towels with us. We would absolutely stay here again and I recommend it to friends who are looking for someplace outside of Waikiki but still in town.

Deeply Disappointed — Not Up to Marriott Standards I’m a long-time Marriott Titanium Elite member, and I decided to give this new property a chance instead of my usual stay at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, where the staff consistently go out of their way to make guests feel valued. Unfortunately, this hotel has been the opposite experience so far — and I’m only on day two of an eleven-night stay, already seriously considering switching hotels. From the moment I arrived, the tone was off. The front desk attendant was snobby and dismissive, offering no warmth or genuine hospitality. When I asked basic questions, the responses were curt and indifferent — hardly the “Aloha spirit” that Marriott prides itself on. The amenities situation is equally frustrating. Want a normal cup of coffee? Be prepared to pay $8 at the café for a tiny cup. Looking to relax on the beach? Sure — but only if you pay their $45 per day destination fee for a chair. I also asked about heating up leftovers and was told there isn’t a single microwave anywhere on the property. It’s hard to believe a resort of this caliber would make it impossible to do something as simple as warming up food or making a cup of noodles. As a Titanium Elite member, I didn’t receive an upgrade or even an acknowledgment of my status. That, combined with the “oh well” attitude from staff, made the lack of effort especially disappointing. To make matters worse, I couldn’t help but notice how the staff seemed much more enthusiastic toward certain guests, greeting them with cheerful “Aloha!” while giving me sideways glances or avoiding eye contact whenever I passed the front desk. It’s subtle but unmistakable — and it makes the stay feel unwelcoming. At this point, I’m genuinely reconsidering my stay and may move to another Marriott property where guests — especially loyal ones — are treated with respect and appreciation. I really wanted to like this place, but unless things drastically improve, I’ll be checking out early and returning to the Waikiki Beach Marriott, where hospitality is second nature, not an afterthought.

Modern suite, but had to fight nightly to fix wrong charges My family of five stayed nine nights in a one-bedroom mountain-view suite in September 2025. The room was modern, spacious, and had great views, but service and billing problems made the stay stressful. Housekeeping skipped our room for several days despite repeated requests for towels and cleaning. Only after I contacted Marriott corporate did daily service finally begin for the last part of our trip. More troubling were repeated incorrect charges, including a $65 valet-parking fee even though we never used valet and nightly “food credit” charges that were supposed to be complimentary. My husband had to visit the front desk three nights in a row after 9 p.m. to get these charges removed. The property itself is beautiful and conveniently located, but the constant billing mistakes and the need to escalate just to receive basic housekeeping overshadowed the positives. Check your folio and credit card statements carefully before you leave.