The Hostelz.com Review
Seaside Hawaiian Hostel is centrally located in Waikiki. Take any Waikiki bus and get off at Kuhio and Seaside. The bus stops in front of the Trade Center. Cross Kuhio and stay on the righthand side of Seaside. The Seaside Hostel sign is on a yellow surfboard about 200 metres from the corner.
The hostel offers male, female and co-ed dorms. The dorms have six bunkbeds, their own bathroom facilities, and a floor fan. The bunkbeds have privacy curtains and a locker with a combination lock is allocated to every guest. The bathrooms are reasonably clean. Towels and linen are provided.
The courtyard is huge with a big screen TV, several tables and chairs, as well as a rack with surf and boogie boards. The common areas, which include the bar, are well-kept and clean. Spotless fridges are available to store food and water, and laundry facilities and two public phones are available for use.
The common room offers a lot of info on island activities, bus routes, and other hostels. Two Internet computers are available to guests. The password is provided at check-in.
The kitchen is very well-equipped with a microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, and enough dishes, mugs, and cutlery. The hand towels are regularly replaced and the kitchen is a pleasure to use. There are even cookbooks available! Breakfast (toast, eggs, and coffee)is included.
Judy, the manager, is often around. She is not only a hard worker, but also cheerful and very helpful. The hostel has a relaxed atmosphere and most travellers hang out in the nice banyan courtyard or at the computers.
The hostel offers male, female and co-ed dorms. The dorms have six bunkbeds, their own bathroom facilities, and a floor fan. The bunkbeds have privacy curtains and a locker with a combination lock is allocated to every guest. The bathrooms are reasonably clean. Towels and linen are provided.
The courtyard is huge with a big screen TV, several tables and chairs, as well as a rack with surf and boogie boards. The common areas, which include the bar, are well-kept and clean. Spotless fridges are available to store food and water, and laundry facilities and two public phones are available for use.
The common room offers a lot of info on island activities, bus routes, and other hostels. Two Internet computers are available to guests. The password is provided at check-in.
The kitchen is very well-equipped with a microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, and enough dishes, mugs, and cutlery. The hand towels are regularly replaced and the kitchen is a pleasure to use. There are even cookbooks available! Breakfast (toast, eggs, and coffee)is included.
Judy, the manager, is often around. She is not only a hard worker, but also cheerful and very helpful. The hostel has a relaxed atmosphere and most travellers hang out in the nice banyan courtyard or at the computers.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2005
Their Description
Seaside Hawaiian Hostel Waikiki Details
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Bedbugs Bedbugs ... stay away. — Barb and Mel , Canadian (2011-01-25) Definitely the one of the worst in honolulu! This is my fourth trip to Hawaii and i've stayed at all of the Hostels in Waikiki and this one is by the worst. Despite the fact that it's centrally located, it has the dubious distinction of being surrounded by three rundown gay bars and all the trimmings that come with it, including the horrifyingly ugly transvestite hookers that are lurking around as you come out of the hostel driveway onto waikiki. I also witnessed a young male prostitute taking two old men by the very dimly lit garage near the entrance way of the hostel for oral sex. And unlike the lemon road hostels where you come out and turn the corner and there is the beach, this one is a bit of a walk to get to the main beach. The rooms are very dim and shabby looking and this is the only hostel of the bunch where i've seen giant cockroaches. The place also has a lot of those tiny, tiny ants. I think the two staff members that were responsible for cleaning were doing a good job but no matter what they did, the place looked shabby in part because the lighting was really poor especially considering that there are no windows and because of the dreadful drapes that shield the bunk bed for privacy. (privacy is good with the drapes but it severely limits interaction with other guests) This is also the only place where you can't do your own laundry. You have to give it to the staff and pay $4. The office hours really suck too because they're closed from 12 to 4 in the afternoon and closed after 11 p.m. I met a couple of staff members that were really cool but when you're there for a vacation, it only takes one a-hole staff member to ruin everything and believe me this place has one. Oh he had his favorites of course.They also had this one couple working there and i swear i never saw them smile once during my stay. After some social drinking on the patio, we cleaned up because the patio closes at 11 p.m. and this woman that was part of the couple came out and saw a salt shaker left on the table and she yelled out about five times demanding to know who left the salt shaker out. And the owner is a middle aged man who was there everyday and seems nice enough but really didn't want to hear any complaints. The positives were the free internet and the kitchen, which seemed to be kept clean and well organized, but overall you should try the other ones before this place. — michael , usa (2007-09-10) Clean, Friendly, and Fun This was the first hostel we had ever stayed in and we loved it! It was in a perfect location short walking distance to Waikiki Beach, International Market Place, close to great shopping, fabulous restaurants such as Dukes and the Cheesecake Factory, and for the partiers this is the prime location close to many great clubs and bars. The hostel was very safe, clean, and well kept up. The people and staff were all very friendly and helpful. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in cheaply staying in Waikiki. — Liz , US (2007-07-07) Everybody was real and just straight up nice. We enjoyed meeting people from all over the globe that were jammed up in that one room with us. The location of the hostel was very convenient, considering that we were on a mission to explore Honolulu, and Waikiki and that we did. We are going to come back sometime soon. — Cassandra & Aleisha!!!!! (2007-03-06) this was my first experience staying at a hostel and i was quite satisfied with my stay here. the rooms and bathrooms were clean. the staff members were all very helpful and friendly. special thanks to johnny for going out of his way to show my friend and i a great time! i would definitely stay here again. — debbie (2007-01-30) When "they" decided to turn our apartment building into student dorms, I had no place to go. I thought of the hostel as I was crossing Seaside Ave. to the bus stop, and thought why not. It's worth a try. I used to live and work there. I talked to the new owner, Mike, and told him of my predicament. He said to hang on. I waited by the beautiful Banyon tree in the courtyard, and when he returned, he asked me to follow him. We went to the office, and he said that since I used to work there, they felt obligated to bend the rules. Mike said he could only give me two weeks, but they came through for me and really helped me out. I was very pleasantly surprised by all of the changes that they were making and how friendly and helpful the staff was. Thank you Seaside, for helping me out. — Caroline (2006-08-30) I stayed at Seaside during November 2005 for 9 days. It is now owned and operated by Mark. It was kept clean and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. Especially Eileen who was very nice to everyone. For Thanksgiving Mark's mother and the staff cooked 3 turkeys. Also, they cooked patatos, squash, pies, and breads. It was very good and appreciated by everyone. When I visit Waikiki again I will stay at Seaside. — Mike T. (2006-02-10) Mark who is now running the hostel, is good at what he does, I dont agree with some of his rules but hten again it is his business !!
The hostel is not fantastic but what hostel is they are renovating it and it is clean which is a big thing in hostels !
We would come back again we made good freinds and had a great time !!!
THANX GUYS FOR A WICKED TIME HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! — luke rogers (2005-12-30) As a former guest/employee of Seaside Hostel all I have to say is that the entire staff, myself included, tried to tell the managers about Judy. Except for Judy, I loved that job. She is very clever and devious. All of the complaints about her that were sent by guests are true. We as former staff, tried to make it be known that these complaints were valid. They blew it off as comments by disgruntled ex-employees. She hurt a lot of people. I'm very happy now to read all of the positive things about Seaside Hostel. It is a very special place. — Caroline (2005-12-12) I stayed here for one week. It was clean, and I felt safe. The rooms have secure lockers and you can usually buy cheap padlocks from the office. The staff helped me so much when I had to extend my stay. There is free Internet, boogie boards, snorkeling equipment. The new manager, Mark, put on Halloween films and popcorn for us, which was appreciated. The location is convenient for the beach and shops, but in a quiet area for a good night's sleep. I can recommend this to any woman travelling on her own. The dorm I stayed in had six bunks with curtains and a shared bathroom. The staff and other guests were helpful and friendly. There is a good bus service close to the hostel so you can travel around the island by yourself. The laundry is extremely cheap. VIP guests get a discount. — Shelley Cherry, globetrotter (2005-10-31) I stopped by the hostel to get their info for friends travelling, etc. Last year, Nov. 2004, I was very impressed by the look of the place and the friendly way that people talked to me. The year before, the place looked pretty disorganized and not as clean. I certainly recommend it — unless you have a group of four people who can find a good time-share type of apt. for about $100/night. I bet Judy is an excellent manager with real tourism training. Let's hope this place can stay open — truly a great location. — Yearly visitor to Waikiki -age 55 (2005-07-24) This hostel is an Oasis. You cannot beat it. A block from the beach...you figure it out. Judy treated me and all the others with great respect and asked for nothing in return. I met the new owners and they are very humble and trustworthy. Stay at the seaside and see for yourself how great it is. — rod (2005-07-02) I just returned from my second visit to this hostel. I first stayed there on my March 2004 trip to the islands. I can say that even then my stay was very nice, despite the fact that it seemed more like a halfway house for wayward street people. There were quite a few people that seemed to be living at the hostel. They weren't bad people, but you know how it is when you've got people living in a place that is intended to be an exciting fun place for people passing through. They seem to have the idea that the run the show. Well I am glad to report that this is no longer going on. The place looked better than it did a year ago; a lot of improvements have been made. More importantly, it seems to have more life and a much better vibe. And I have only one thing to say about JUDY. I am from North Carolina, and in the South we are known for our Southern hospitality, and I will just say if she even decides to relocate, I'm sure she would be right at home here. — Lamar (2005-06-10) I had an ok time at the Seaside (both May 2003 and May 2000), but apparently they were in serious financial trouble, which may have explained the general rattiness of the upkeep. The place was practically empty, and I didn't think the outside was very inviting. We got cheated out of our shuttle cost (the Web site said that they would reimburse you if you stayed a certain amount of days, which I did), and the only explanation I got was "well, you should be lucky that we're still open." I didn't think I was all THAT lucky. Some of the stuff on the Web site isn't accurate, like the "wake-up call" thing — there are no phones in the rooms. Also, no group sightseeing or activities were offered (the staff had no idea what I was talking about), even though they are offered and pictured on their Web site. Anyway, sounds like it's being renovated, etc., so I will check it out next time I'm in Hawaii. — Jake D (2005-06-05) We have been travelling for nearly a year and stayed in loads of hostels and this one is by far the best! If you are planning a visit to Waikiki you would be mad to not stay here! The staff are all lovely and Judy is a really sweet person and gives a lovely homely feeling to the place. We will definitely be back. Rooms are really clean. — Claire and Daz (2005-05-18)