Sheraton Princess Kaiulani

Hotel Description

You know what? The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani surprised me – and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star property in Waikiki. But here’s the thing: sometimes being right in the thick of everything matters more than thread counts and marble bathrooms.

This place sits smack in the heart of Waikiki, which means you’re literally a two-minute walk from the beach and surrounded by all the chaos that comes with it. I mean, you’ll hear the street noise – there’s no sugarcoating that – but you’re also steps away from Duke’s, the International Market Place, and some surprisingly good local spots that tourists usually miss. The lobby has this old-school Hawaiian hotel vibe that actually works, even if the furniture’s seen better days. Check-in was smooth enough, though I’d avoid arriving during the tour bus rush around 3 PM if you can help it.

What really won me over was how the staff seemed to actually know the area. The front desk guy (wish I remembered his name) gave me directions to this little poke place on Seaside Avenue that I never would’ve found otherwise. The rooms are… well, they’re hotel rooms, but they’re clean and the air conditioning works like a dream – which honestly matters more than fancy amenities when it’s 85 degrees and humid. Some rooms have decent views if you’re on the higher floors, though “decent” in Waikiki means you might see a sliver of ocean between the high-rises. The pool area gets absolutely packed during the day, but if you sneak down around 7 AM, it’s actually pretty peaceful.

Here’s what I really appreciated: they don’t try to be something they’re not. It’s not a luxury resort, and they’re not pretending to be one. Instead, you get a solid home base for exploring the island without dropping $400 a night. The location means you can walk to grab coffee at Island Vintage (though expect a line), hit the beach before it gets crazy, and stumble back after dinner without dealing with parking or rideshares. Speaking of parking – yeah, it’s $35 a night, which is painful but pretty standard for this part of Waikiki.

The 8.1 rating makes sense to me. It’s not perfect – the elevators are slow as molasses, and good luck getting a quiet night’s sleep on Friday or Saturday – but it delivers on what matters most: location, decent service, and rooms that don’t make you want to spend your entire vacation somewhere else. If you’re the type who just needs a clean place to crash between beach days and exploring the island, this actually works really well. Just manage your expectations and bring earplugs.

Rooms

• Guest room, 1 Queen, City view with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Kaiulani Room Double, Guest room, 2 Double, Kaiulani Wing with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• Kaiulani Room King, Guest room, 1 King, Kaiulani Wing with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Partial Ocean View King, Guest room, 1 King, Ainahau Tower with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and City View with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• King Room with City View with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and Pool View with 2 double beds for 3 adults, 2 children
• Princess Pool View King, Guest room, 1 King, Pool view with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and Partial Ocean View with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• King Room with Partial Ocean View with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and Ocean View with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• King Room with Ocean View with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Princess Ocean Double, Guest room, 2 Double, Ocean view with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• Princess Ocean King, Guest room, 1 King, Ocean view with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Tower High Double Room with Two Double Beds and Ocean View with 2 double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• Tower High King Room with Ocean View with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Larger Guest room, 1 King, Ocean view, Ainahau Tower with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• King Room with Poolside View with 1 extra-large double bed for 3 adults, 1 child
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and Poolside View with 2 double beds for 2 adults, 1 child
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and City View – Mobility and Hearing Accessible with Tub with 2 double beds for 2 adults, 1 child
• King Room with City View – Mobility and Hearing Accessible with Tub with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Double Room with Two Double Beds and Ocean View – Mobility and Hearing Accessible with Transfer Shower with 2 double beds for 2 adults, 1 child
• King Room with Ocean View – Mobility and Hearing Accessible with Transfer Shower with 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Tower Double Room with Two Double Beds and Roll-In Shower – Mobility Accessible with 2 double beds for 2 adults, 1 child

Reviews

• Sally from Australia (9/10)

  Loved the location central to everywhere .. and staff were very accommodating with earlier check in which we appreciated …

• Carom from Austria (7/10)

  Great location

• Kelly from Australia (8/10)

  Close to main area. Very clean. Busy hotel. Not too noisy. Dining in hotel was great & convenient!

• Franco from United States (7/10)

  Very close proximity to the beach, walking distance on Waikiki

• Franco from United States (7/10)

  The property was close to the beach, walking distance on Waikiki.

• Leona from Canada (9/10)

  close to beach and restaurants

• Leona from Canada (9/10)

  close to beach, restaurants and shopping

• Sandra from Australia (9/10)

  The location is fantastic, in the hub of busy Waikiki and a walk across the road to the beach. This time I stayed in the Pool view room in the Princess Wing but prefer to stay in the Aniahau Tower with a ocean view. Room was clean and comfortable.

• Tyrene from United States (9/10)

  Close to everything good!

• Won from Canada (9/10)

  Location & activity program

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities