Review: Halepuna Waikiki

Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani (formerly Waikiki Parc) is 250+ room hotel located in Waikiki. The hotel has 7 room types that range from studio-style rooms with view of Waikiki and small balconies, to ocean-view rooms with balconies and a few types of suites. It is more of a boutique-style hotel but offers some of the amenities you expect and appreciate from resorts. We stayed at the Halepuna Waikiki for 3 nights in a deluxe ocean-view king room during our most recent trip to Oahu and share details about our stay in this post to help you decide if you want to stay here.

Location 20/20:

The Halepuna is located just beside its iconic sister property, the Halekulani. It is located right where you want to be in Waikiki but is just tucked away far enough from all the noise and activity to feel like you aren’t in Waikiki (no loud traffic noise!). You can walk to the beach in 5 minutes and are also in close vicinity to restaurants and bars.

Bed & Sleep Quality 20/20:

Overall, the bed and linens were high quality and very comfortable. The room also has remote blinds and provided full darkness. Due to the hotel’s location, it was not as noisy as other hotels we’ve stayed at in Waikiki. Overall soundproofing between rooms seemed very good.

Room and room amenities 7/10:

The room was small but modern and comfortable, with a nice view. Generally, it was immaculate and quiet. It has great remote-operated blinds: one set of blinds was sheer to provide privacy and the other one was good to provide darkness. There was some slight wear and tears that were noticeable (ie marks on walls, stains on the carpet). You could hear noise from the nearby hotel (HVAC?), which was slightly bothersome, but understandably not something that the hotel
can control. The balcony was small but had chairs and a small table to enjoy a snack and some drinks. The balcony’s biggest downside is the lack of privacy: we could see our neighbor to the right and we were separated from our other neighbor with a small privacy divider.

Bathroom 7/10:

The bathroom was a tub-shower combo, had one sink, and a Toto toilet. The toiletries are from the Halekulani and really nice. Overall, the water pressure was good but the drainage in the shower could be better. Compared to other hotels we have stayed at in Waikiki, this bathroom was nicely renovated and above-average.

Hotel public areas and amenities 20/20:

We chose the Halepuna as it appeared to offer everything we look for in our accommodations when travelling to Oahu. The ability to book a package that provided certain perks (in our case we chose an upgrade and late check-out) was also extremely valuable to us, especially when we are always faced with late departures from HNL when returning home. We booked a package that included 2 perks from a list and we chose a room upgrade from ocean view to deluxe ocean view and late checkout at 4 pm on our last day. The hotel also does not charge a resort fee: it is built into the nightly rate. They also offer small things, like coffee, juice, and a pastry in the morning in the lobby, water bottles to be refilled with filtered water from their dispenser (you get 2 bottles!).

They also offer scheduled excursions to the KCC Farmer’s Market and Bishop Museum, and more. The hotel has a pool, an indoor/outdoor fitness area, an outdoor deck with natural plants on the 8th floor, free fitness classes, and an area to freshen up for early and late check-ins.

The lobby features natural and refined elements inspired by Halekulani’s subtle, light and airy interiors, with custom light fixtures, teak finishes, vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and artwork in partnership with the Honolulu Museum of Art celebrating the relaxed sensibility of the Hawaiian Islands.

Service and Staff 9/10:

Not an issue but just a general comment – there was no mention of I Prefer Elite status (or any corresponding benefits) at check-in, which is usually common with other loyalty programs. However, the bottle of wine and card waiting in the room was a nice touch and appreciated. We also really appreciated being asked if we enjoyed our stay at check-out, it’s amazing how rare it is to be asked. My wife arrived at the desk after me and the front desk acknowledged her and asked her how her stay was as well – such a small thing but makes a world of difference in making guests feel appreciated.

Overall Value 9/10:

We’ve been to Oahu many times, and have stayed at many properties while trying to find a hotel that offers a good combination of peace & relaxation, while also providing easy access to the beach and everything else that the Honolulu area has to offer. The Halepuna succeeds in providing this, and will now be one of our top choices when returning!

Overall 92/100

Would weleavetoday to go back? YES, in a heartbeat!