It was a mixed bag.
We were in a junior suite that faced the ocean. I don't really have any complaints about the room itself. It appeared to have been recently renovated and was in good condition with tasteful decor. The bed was comfortable (though pillows were very firm, and there were not both soft and firm pillows). The water pressure was solid. The bath products had a pleasant scent. The room's design was functional: good lighting, plenty of outlets, a good sized closet, and storage drawers.
The room featured a large TV unit that spun, so the TV could be viewed from the bed or the small sitting area. This is nice in theory, but the furniture was not well made. There was already a gash in the wood, and the spinning unit was rickety. We spun the TV towards the bed, and it stopped working. This required a call to maintenance, who had to replace a cable. That was all handled with relative speed and professionalism, but the maintenance team mentioned the poor design was causing them lots of problems. I also laughed when the TV unit was opened to reveal a bunch of screws, manuals, and brackets strewn about.
Service was mixed. Staff at registration were very nice. Housekeeping was daily and did a good job. The maintenance staff who helped with the TV issue was courteous and professional.
However, the attendant in the Regency Club was unpleasant (and that is being generous). Instead of greeting guests and assisting with requests, she was scrolling on her phone, offering a loud sigh and an eye roll to guests who dared interrupt her scrolling by asking for assistance. Such assistance was offered with a pointed finger rather than words.
While I suppose it's nice that the hotel has a Regency Club (for those paying for a club room or World of Hyatt Globalists), when so many Hyatt hotels have closed them, the reality is that the club was an awful experience. It's in a tiny space that is way too small for the volume it sees; we attempted to visit for breakfast each morning and the evening service twice and had to abandon it because there were no tables available. The food offering is meager and, on all but one visit, was totally picked over, with staff slow to replenish. The coffee machines were broken on all but one day of the stay, when one was functional. In sum, the space felt tired, cheap, and like a fight-for-food buffet. It reads like a management afterthought, punctuated by the rude attendant.
As you consider whether to book here, consider the hotel experience you want. I would best describe our stay as akin to an experience on a huge cruise boat. Lots of people, a 45-minute (!) wait for a table at the hotel's restaurant, lines for elevators, etc. I was not shocked by this upon receiving, a few days before arrival, a letter from management that very much tried to set expectations, mentioning elevator waits, to expect early or late check out benefits to not be given, etc. While I think staff (save the Regency Club attendant) were generally well-intentioned and doing their best, one should know this is a massive resort hotel that feels like it.
While the room was pleasant, the hotel's public spaces are dated and need work. There is really nowhere to sit and relax in the hotel. The (weirdly dark for its beach location) lobby has two wooden benches. The atrium has a few cheap tables next to the coffee shop. And that's about it. The atrium, which feels like a dated shopping mall from the 70s, has several empty spaces. Any of these could be repurposed into spaces that feel like a modern hotel or spaces that offer solutions for the cramped Regency Club or cramped (though decently equipped) gym. Instead, they sit empty. Oddly, the hotel has a single bar...with about 10 chairs and no view. The missed revenue potential is hard to understand from a business perspective; I have never been to a tropical resort with no attempt at a tropical bar.
The same dated design extends to the utterly depressing pool, a tiny, unheated 1970s rectangle surrounded by uninspired tile and a few rows of chairs. Again: major vibes of a huge, dated cruise ship. While the design of the hotel would make a ground-level pool impossible, why the hotel hasn't spruced-up and expanded its pool area is tough to understand. And it must be noted that, here, the hotel compares poorly to many of its Waikiki competitors (e.g., the Sheraton, the Hilton Hawaiian Village), who offer large pool complexes with lush landscaping.
The location is what you would expect. It's in Waikiki. Yes, across from the beach (though this is by far not the prettiest beach in Oahu--rent a car and drive for secluded and gorgeous beaches along the eastern, northern, or western coasts). It is surrounded by other large hotels, ubiquitous ABC stores, and luxury retail. In that way, it's comparable to other options. But tranquil and relaxing it is not!
