Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani

I visited Halepuna Waikiki back in May and June. I wrote the first part of my review in May and said I’d follow up at the end of my trip — finally getting to it now. My trip started off a little rough, but by the end of my two weeks, I was genuinely glad I chose Halepuna. The price point was the main reason I booked it, but I want to be fair and point out the consistently good things, too. The valet team at Halepuna was amazing — always quick with opening doors, helping with bags, and making sure we felt safe. Even though the hotel sits off an alley, I never felt uncomfortable because the valet guys were always there. And that alley actually ended up being our walkway to the beach in both directions. Our favorite route was going out through the Halepuna valet, walking through the Sheraton, and then cutting through the Royal Hawaiian. Once you walk out of the Royal, you’re basically on the beach right outside the Outrigger. They have chair rentals and Duke’s restaurant, which became our go-to after the beach. If you want front-row chairs, get there early — they go fast. The beach here is perfect: fun waves, but you can walk far out and it’s still only about 5–8 feet deep. There are other routes to the beach, including another Sheraton entrance, but we always preferred the hotel-to-hotel path. Halepuna itself was clean and smelled nice, except around the ice machine areas. The rooftop pool on the 8th floor was one of my favorite parts. Other hotels had beachside pools, but they were crowded and honestly kind of gross from overuse. Ours was peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. The bar doesn’t open until around lunch, so we’d go downstairs to the bakery on the first floor just outside the hotel. One of the best bakeries I’ve ever had — we ate there at least 6 times during my 13-day stay. The sister hotel behind Halepuna is much bigger and, from what I was told, much nicer. We didn’t see the rooms, but the grounds were stunning. They have several popular restaurants, but the prices were high, so we skipped them. That hotel is more than triple what we paid for our room. The front desk frustrated me on day one, but by day two I let it go and refused to let it ruin my trip. For the rest of the stay they were kind, welcoming, and helpful. On my birthday, they even left a bottle of wine — such a sweet touch. My only real complaint: the beds and sheets. By the end of the trip I was very ready to get back to my own bed. They should upgrade the mattress, sheets, and honestly the carpet too — something softer and higher-quality would make a big difference. Overall, I had a wonderful trip with my best friend of 50 years. Thank you to everyone at Halepuna Waikiki who helped make our stay special.

This is about our fifth stay at the Halepuna. We find an equal amount of quality and service at both the Halepuna and Halekulani. When budget doesn't allow, the Halepuna is an excellent choice for value.

I had the best time staying at the Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani. The room was very comfortable and was located close to the beach, shops and restaurants. It quickly felt like home and I look forward to returning soon!

Probably our 5th stay at this property. It is a great option if you are on a tighter budget than a Halekulani stay would offer. Same service and ambiance as the sister property.

The view, service and cleanliness were great. We are Japanese and cannot speak English well, but they were very accommodating.