Review: Sheraton Princess Kaiulani – An Affordable Choice in Waikiki

 The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is one of the more affordable hotels in Waikiki, situated just a block from the beach and along popular Kalakaua Avenue.  While a bit dated, it’s perfect for those wanting to be right in the heart of the action and close to the beach without spending an arm and a leg.

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Overview

Location

The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel now stands on what was once the site of the former estate of Princess Victoria Kaiulani.  It is located by the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Kaiulani Avenue, just one block away from the famous Waikiki Beach.

Though not directly beachfront, the hotel does offer spectacular ocean views from some of the tower rooms, and it is just a short walk to the sandy beaches of Waikiki.  Its location on Kalakaua Avenue is perfect as you have so many shopping and dining options at your fingertips.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Address: 120 Kaiulani Avenue

How to get to Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

The hotel is located 11.2 miles from Honolulu International Airport.  Driving time is about 15-35 minutes, depending on traffic.

By Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Airport Shuttle:

If you will only be staying in the Waikiki area then you won’t need a car.  You can book a shuttle from the airport to the hotel and back again.

Two airport shuttle companies recommended by the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani are Fly Shuttle & Tours and Hawaii Island Transport Services.  It is best to book your shuttle online in advance.

Fly Shuttle & Tours costs $37.98 round-trip, including two pieces of luggage, and runs every 60 minutes from 5am-11pm.  Hawaii Island Transport Services costs $20 each way and includes two pieces of luggage.

The thing to keep in mind about shuttles is that they are shared.  Therefore you will have to stop along the way at other hotels so it won’t be as quick and direct as a taxi or Uber.

By Car:

Driving to the hotel from the airport is pretty straightforward.  You’ll need to get on the H-1 East, then take exit 23 for Punahou Street toward Waikiki.  Turn right onto South Beretania Street and then take the next left onto Kalakaua Avenue.  Take Kalakaua Avenue all the way down until you reach Kaiulani Avenue, then turn left to reach the entrance to the hotel.

The thing about taking a car to Waikiki is that parking is limited and expensive.  We’ll discuss more about parking below.

By Uber:

Uber can pick up from the airport at designated pick-up points which are clearly signposted.  Just follow the directions in the app to find them when booking your ride.

A ride from the airport to the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani will cost anywhere from $30-75 depending on the option you choose and time of day.

By Taxi:

Taxis are of course another option to get from the airport to Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.  If you would like to take a taxi, you are better off booking a flat rate taxi in advance.  For example, Charley’s Taxi charges a $33 flat rate (plus taxes and fees).

By Bus:

If you’d like to take the cheapest option, you can take public transit from the airport to Waikiki.  Catch The Bus from the Airport Upper Level.  Take Route 20 headed to Waikiki Beach & Hotels.  The journey will take you about one hour and cost $3.  You can check the up-to-date timetable here.

Parking

The hotel has a multi-story parking structure which you enter from Kaiulani Avenue.  It is located beneath the Ainahau Tower.  Although it does get quite full, we never had an experience where we could not find a spot.  You just need to drive all the way to the top to find empty spots.

Tip: Drive all the way to the very top two floors to park by the elevators if you have luggage!  The lower levels of the parking garage do not have elevator access.

The parking is very convenient if your room is in the Ainahau Tower as the elevator from the parking garage goes straight up to the rooms.

Electric car charging stations are available.

Parking Fee

Parking is an additional $45 per day.  You can leave and enter as many times as you wish.

Just let the front desk know when you check in that you need parking and they will give you a self-parking pass.  When you drive out of the garage, you’ll need to show the attendant your parking ticket AND your parking pass.

The nice thing about the pass is it is valid until midnight of the last day, instead of only until checkout time.

Check-in

The check-in desks are located in the open-air lobby.  A separate line for Bonvoy Elite members is located on the right-hand side.

You’ll need to present your ID and credit card to complete check-in, and let them know if you are parking your car so you can obtain your parking pass.

If you are a Platinum Elite member or higher, you will be offered your welcome amenity.  We chose the breakfast amenity, but since we were checking in after midnight, we were told that our free breakfast certificates would be delivered to us in the morning.

We were given an information sheet with everything we needed to know about the hotel, such as a map, daily activities, restaurant hours, etc, which I found very useful.

Along with our room keys, we were given Towel Cards (one for each guest).  More on this below under pool information.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Check In Time: 3:00pm

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Check Out Time: 11:00am

Rooms

The hotel offers 1140 rooms spread across three buildings: Kaiulani Wing, Princess Wing and Ainahau Tower.  You have the option of a room with one queen, one king, or two doubles, with or without a view.

The best room available is a larger room consisting of a king bed with a sofa and ocean view.  If you’d like an ocean view, opt for rooms in the Ainahau Tower.  No suites are available at this property.

Rooms are overall quite dated, although clean and comfortable, and have an old-school Hawaiian charm.

Room Review: Premier Ocean View Tower Double Room

We booked the cheapest room available, which was the Kaiulani Room Double.  However, upon checking in, we were informed that we were upgraded to the highest room class, the Premier Ocean View Tower Room!  We owe this to having Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.

We were in Room 2957, located on the 29th floor, the very top floor of the Ainahau Tower.

Upon entering the room, we were surprised with a large Happy Birthday balloon, personalized card, and a bag of Hawaiian treats!

We had previously mentioned that it was our daughter’s 4th birthday so this was a lovely gesture from Jasmine, the Guest Experience Manager.

Bedroom

Since we were staying with our daughter, we booked a double room.  The beds were on the smaller side since they were doubles, not queens.  We found them to be comfortable, but wished they were queen sized.  I liked the pillows – not too flat, not too fluffy.

(I apologize that all of our room photos were taken after having already slept in the beds as we arrived past midnight and didn’t have time to take photos before sleeping)

Between the two beds was a bedside table with a lamp, phone, and alarm clock with USB and regular plug-ins.

The room does have air conditioning which you can control on the wall panel.  It did frequently turn on and off which can be a little noisy if you are sensitive to noises.  You can also just turn it off and let the breeze come in from outside, which is quite comfortable as well.

Closet

On the left side of the closet you will find the safe.

On the right side is an iron and ironing board.

Unfortunately no robes or slippers are provided at this Sheraton.

Bathroom

The bathroom was quite small and dated, but clean.  There was a large mirror over the sink with good counter space.

Only a few toiletries were provided: body lotion, conditioning shampoo, and a bar of soap.

The bathtub had an adjustable showerhead with very good water pressure.  There was also a clothes line to dry clothes over the tub.

If you are looking for the hair dryer, you will find it in the closet across from the bathroom, along with some extra toilet paper and tissues.

Coffee and Mini Fridge

Next to the flatscreen TV is a little desk area with complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea.  There was an assortment of TAZO teas available, but no separate kettle to boil water.  The coffee provided was Royal Kona coffee, both regular and decaf.

The mini fridge is located in the closet but there is no minibar inside.  It does come in handy for any leftover food you may have.  Above it you will find an ice bucket and extra cups.

If you need to use a microwave, you will find one all the way down in the basement by the laundry room.

Lanai and View

The view is probably the highlight of this room.  You have the city view in front of you, ocean to the left, and beautiful mountains to the right.  It is lovely watching the sunrise and seeing the surfers down below.  You can also watch the action down below on Kalakaua Avenue.

The lanai (balcony) is quite large and has two chairs and a little table.  We enjoyed sitting out here for morning coffees.

Cons

The one thing that may be a deal breaker for some is the street noise.  Despite being on the 29th floor and having the doors fully closed, the sound from below was very noticeable in our room.  It was so noticeable, in fact, that I kept thinking a window or door was open, but they were not.  The rooms did not seem well-insulated at all.

The noise lasted well into the night as we could hear music and partying down below.  It wasn’t so bad that it kept us awake nor woke us up, but it was slightly hard to fall asleep at first.  If you are a light sleeper, this is something to consider.

Resort Fee

As do many of the hotels in Waikiki, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani charges a daily resort fee.  The resort fee is $38.92 per night (including tax).

What is included in the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Resort Fee:

• One day rental of a Go Pro and Accessories
• Use of a MiFi portable hotspot device for unlimited high speed WiFi around the island
• Wi-Fi Access
• Surfboard Storage
• A Variety of daily activities – more details below

If you are a Bonvoy Elite Member with Gold status or above, you are also entitled to rent two complimentary Tommy Bahama beach chairs per stay.

Activities

The hotel offers a variety of daily complimentary cultural activities, but you must reserve your spot in advance at the front desk or by scanning the QR code on your welcome package.

You will be given a schedule with your welcome package of the activities offered.  Some are offered daily while others only on certain days of the week.

Activities include:

• Ho’ala Sunrise Ceremony
• Daily Yoga
• Yoga Nidra Meditation
• Storytelling with Tutu
• Run Concierge
• Ukulele Lesson
• Hula Lesson
• Historic Tours of the Moana Surfrider Hotel
• Haku Kupe’e Bracelet
• Lauhala Making
• Ribbon Lei Making
• Lei Making

Something neat we noticed was the mail chute by the Ainahau Tower elevators.  We’d never seen something like that before!  It appears to be operating, because a collection time is listed on the main floor mail box.  Would be fun to try out 🙂

Wi-Fi

As part of the resort fee, Wi-Fi is included in your room and throughout the resort.  We found the Wi-Fi worked well and had no issues with connecting nor the speed.

Restaurants

Splash Bar

The hotel only has one restaurant, the Splash Bar, which is an open-air restaurant/bar surrounding the pool area.  It offers breakfast, lunch, Happy Hour, and dinner.

Restaurant Hours: 6:30am-10pm Daily

Partner Restaurants

For more dining options, you can head to the other three Marriott Bonvoy Hotels nearby: Moana Surfrider, Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Waikiki.  All three offer a variety of other restaurants, all of which you can dine at and charge to your room at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

Breakfast

Breakfast is offered at the Splash Bar, with seating around the pool or under the covered area.  As this is a large hotel with over 1000 rooms, the restaurant always seemed quite busy.

The menu is fairly small and pricey, but offers some Hawaiian twists on American classics.  Unless you have Bonvoy Platinum Elite status or higher, you may want to eat elsewhere if you are staying multiple days.

Bonvoy Elite Member Breakfast

If you are a Bonvoy Elite Member with Platinum, Titanium or Ambassador status and have chosen the breakfast amenity, you will receive a Continental Breakfast Coupon for two guests for each day of your stay.

This coupon entitles you to either a Grab & Go box, or you can dine at the Splash Bar with a free continental breakfast or order of a discounted menu.  The coupon includes gratuity.

Grab & Go

If you would like a grab and go box, line up at the bar to choose what you would like.  For drinks, you have a choice of coffee, tea or juice.  We went with the coffee and it was alright, not amazing.

You then get a choice of pastry.  There are muffins, donuts, bagels and croissants.  We liked the ube donuts the best (and they gave us two each!)

A fruit cup and individual yogurt is also placed in your to-go box.  The yogurt I received was mango and was quite good. Let them know if you’d like napkins and cutlery as well.

Dine-In

If you choose to dine in at the Splash Bar, let the server know you will be using your Elite Member Breakfast Coupon.  You will then be given the Elite Member Breakfast Menu.

The menu offers discounted prices off the regular menu, bringing it down to more “normal”, reasonable rates.  For example, the Princess Pancakes are $11, instead of the regular price of $29.

The free offering is a continental plate with a pastry, seasonal fruits, yogurt, and coffee or juice.  We were not given any choice for the pastry, fruit or yogurt.

We both opted for coffee, and were given a whole jug of it, which was nice so we could top up our coffees ourselves.

Service was not very attentive, although I don’t really blame them as the restaurant was quite busy.

Breakfast Hours: 6:30am-10:30am Weekdays, 6:30am-11:30am Weekends

Gym

If you’d like to work on your beach body during your stay, or simply burn off all that delicious local food, you are in luck because the hotel has a complimentary fitness center.  It is open 24 hours per day and all you need is your room key to gain access.

Equipment available includes:

• Ellipticals
• Treadmills
• Exercise Bikes
• Free Weights
• Weight Machines

Pool

The hotel has one pool which is outdoors on the main level.  It is a decent size and is surrounded by lounge chairs and a couple of cabanas.  A lifeguard is on duty.

If you’d like to book a cabana, you can do so online.  The cost is $95 for all day usage up to 5 people, with 5 bottles of water included, usage of a mini fridge, and combination safe.

Towels are available at the Pool Desk by trading in your Towel Card.  Once you are done with your towel, return it to retrieve your Towel Card.  Upon checking out of the hotel, you need to return your Towel Cards otherwise a $15 charge will be added to your room for each towel card not returned.

We never used our Towel Cards, as we opted to go to the beach instead and had our own towels, so this is something we did not realize!  Despite not returning our towel cards, we have luckily not been charged any additional fees (yet).

Pool Hours: 8am-7pm

Beach Access

The hotel is not beachfront, but the beach is just a very short walk away!  Simply walk past the pool and onto Kalakaua Avenue, then cross the street.  You can either walk one block to the left, half a block to the right, or straight through the Moana Surfrider Hotel, and you will be at the beach!

We preferred to walk towards the left, to Kuhio Beach, as the water was calmer for our daughter.  This is where we spent most of our time!

Games Room

Behind the Splash Bar are a number of fun complimentary games.  Play a round of table tennis or foosball!

Laundry

If you are needing to do some laundry, there is a guest laundry room available 24 hours/day in the basement.  However, there is a cost of $5 per load in the washing machine and another $5 for the dryer.  Plus, you’ll need to buy laundry soap as well if you don’t have any on you.

Nearby Attractions

As previously mentioned, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is located right in the heart of Waikiki, close to all the shops, restaurants, and famous hotels.

Some other nearby attractions include:

• Honolulu Zoo (0.6 miles)
• Waikiki Aquarium (0.8 miles)
• Ala Wai Golf Course (0.9 miles)
• Ala Moana Center (1.8 miles)
• Diamond Head (2.7 miles)

Video Room Tour

The Verdict

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. Our room was clean and comfortable, although a bit noisy.  We liked the open-air vibe in the lobby, restaurant and pool area.

Bonvoy Elite Member recognition was good and we greatly appreciated the amazing upgrade to a top floor room with ocean view and the birthday surprise for our daughter.  However, the Elite breakfast was a bit lacking.

Considering the price of this hotel compared to others in the area, it is indeed a good value hotel for the location.  We would stay here again.  However, if celebrating a more special occasion, we may try one of the higher end properties in the Marriott portfolio, such as the Westin or Sheraton Waikiki, or try one of the other beachfront properties in Waikiki.

Booking Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

You can search rates here on Booking.com to book your stay.

If you’d like to use your Marriott Bonvoy points or Free Night Award Certificate, check rates here.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Phone Number: 1-808-922-5811

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Email Address (Guest Experience Manager): Jasmine.Francisco@sheraton.com

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