The Hostelz.com Review
This hostel has a fun and relaxed vibe, perfectly fitting for a laid-back beach holiday in the heart of a bustling tourist mecca.
The Location
By far and away the best feature of this hostel is the location. Dwarfed in all directions by hotel accommodation at four times the price, the hostel is located one street back from Kalakaua Avenue, the main beach road that hugs the world famous Waikiki beach. It's only a short walk to the beachfront (where swimming, snorkeling, surfing, and sunburn await), miles of shopping, a wealth of restaurants, and the beloved ABC stores that populate the area, providing all the essential items a cheesy tourist could need. It is also only a few minutes' walk to the bus system, an economical $2 ride to see the entire island of Oahu for the traveler with time on his hands. Reception can provide you with a full list of bus routes to all major attractions and discounted tour offers. You have to present an out-of-town ID. There's no curfew so you can come and go as you please -- whether this is abused is up to your roommates.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Reasonably priced, large dorms of six to eight people and small dorms are available, as are female-only dorms -- however, some of rooms have no air-conditioning. Semi-private rooms are available, but these share kitchen and bathroom facilities with the adjoining dorms and although there are balconies in all rooms, dorms with an occupied private room attached won't be able to access them. Basic linen sheets are provided and are all that you'll need in the year-round, humid weather in Hawaii. Rooms are cleaned daily, however sometimes this appears to be quite superficial -- looking under the beds is not recommended. Free local calls are an added bonus in all rooms. Don't get taken in by the free cable TV in each room -- go get a surf lesson instead in the easy beginner waves right outside!
The just-renovated, full-sized kitchens are clean, spacious, and well set up for cooking your own meals if the cost of groceries in Waikiki doesn't put you off first. A wide variety of cooking utensils are included while basic cups appear to have been lost/broken/stolen over time and may be harder to come across. The bathrooms are another story -- generally, they are in dire need of repairs and have various complaints such as blocked drains; a vast collection of old, crusty toiletries; and half-hearted attempts at fixing broken shower curtain rods and peeling laminate are evident everywhere. They are definitely on the lower end of the hosteling scale and not for the faint-hearted.
Common Spaces
An undercover, open-air common space with plenty of seating is located next to reception which for some baffling reason features three sixty-one-inch television screens side by side, all tuned to the same channel. Smoking is not allowed on the premises, but drinking within reason is -- as long as you are over the legal drinking age of twenty-one! One of the greatest aspects of this hostel is the very international and diverse group of travelers it attracts -- anyone from stop-overs to surfers to the military and everything in-between so you'll have no trouble finding a few like-minded individuals to share a rent-a-car to the North Shore. Noise from the street (and at times, the common room) does filter into the rooms at night so ear-plugs may be advisable for light sleepers. There is also an for-pay internet café open twenty-four hours.
Summary
Relatively cheap secure parking is available, but spaces sell out by evening during peak season, so book early in the day. Travelers on a budget will appreciate the free breakfast served from 9 to 10 daily (consisting of toast, jam, peanut butter, and tea or coffee) and the free Wi-Fi access from the common area and some of the lower rooms. With on-site facilities including an ATM, vending machines, cheap body board, surfboard and snorkel rentals, twenty-four-hour front desk, laundry, a storage room, lockers and phone cards, this hostel is well set up for everything you're likely to need during your stay. This hostel is consistently rated the best hostel in Hawaii and appears to be the most fun and safe option of the three hostels located in this exceptional position. Provided that you aren't particular about some of the rundown facilities and a permanent hum of noise reflective of the general atmosphere of Waikiki, it is well worth a visit for your budget Hawaiian holiday.
The Location
By far and away the best feature of this hostel is the location. Dwarfed in all directions by hotel accommodation at four times the price, the hostel is located one street back from Kalakaua Avenue, the main beach road that hugs the world famous Waikiki beach. It's only a short walk to the beachfront (where swimming, snorkeling, surfing, and sunburn await), miles of shopping, a wealth of restaurants, and the beloved ABC stores that populate the area, providing all the essential items a cheesy tourist could need. It is also only a few minutes' walk to the bus system, an economical $2 ride to see the entire island of Oahu for the traveler with time on his hands. Reception can provide you with a full list of bus routes to all major attractions and discounted tour offers. You have to present an out-of-town ID. There's no curfew so you can come and go as you please -- whether this is abused is up to your roommates.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Reasonably priced, large dorms of six to eight people and small dorms are available, as are female-only dorms -- however, some of rooms have no air-conditioning. Semi-private rooms are available, but these share kitchen and bathroom facilities with the adjoining dorms and although there are balconies in all rooms, dorms with an occupied private room attached won't be able to access them. Basic linen sheets are provided and are all that you'll need in the year-round, humid weather in Hawaii. Rooms are cleaned daily, however sometimes this appears to be quite superficial -- looking under the beds is not recommended. Free local calls are an added bonus in all rooms. Don't get taken in by the free cable TV in each room -- go get a surf lesson instead in the easy beginner waves right outside!
The just-renovated, full-sized kitchens are clean, spacious, and well set up for cooking your own meals if the cost of groceries in Waikiki doesn't put you off first. A wide variety of cooking utensils are included while basic cups appear to have been lost/broken/stolen over time and may be harder to come across. The bathrooms are another story -- generally, they are in dire need of repairs and have various complaints such as blocked drains; a vast collection of old, crusty toiletries; and half-hearted attempts at fixing broken shower curtain rods and peeling laminate are evident everywhere. They are definitely on the lower end of the hosteling scale and not for the faint-hearted.
Common Spaces
An undercover, open-air common space with plenty of seating is located next to reception which for some baffling reason features three sixty-one-inch television screens side by side, all tuned to the same channel. Smoking is not allowed on the premises, but drinking within reason is -- as long as you are over the legal drinking age of twenty-one! One of the greatest aspects of this hostel is the very international and diverse group of travelers it attracts -- anyone from stop-overs to surfers to the military and everything in-between so you'll have no trouble finding a few like-minded individuals to share a rent-a-car to the North Shore. Noise from the street (and at times, the common room) does filter into the rooms at night so ear-plugs may be advisable for light sleepers. There is also an for-pay internet café open twenty-four hours.
Summary
Relatively cheap secure parking is available, but spaces sell out by evening during peak season, so book early in the day. Travelers on a budget will appreciate the free breakfast served from 9 to 10 daily (consisting of toast, jam, peanut butter, and tea or coffee) and the free Wi-Fi access from the common area and some of the lower rooms. With on-site facilities including an ATM, vending machines, cheap body board, surfboard and snorkel rentals, twenty-four-hour front desk, laundry, a storage room, lockers and phone cards, this hostel is well set up for everything you're likely to need during your stay. This hostel is consistently rated the best hostel in Hawaii and appears to be the most fun and safe option of the three hostels located in this exceptional position. Provided that you aren't particular about some of the rundown facilities and a permanent hum of noise reflective of the general atmosphere of Waikiki, it is well worth a visit for your budget Hawaiian holiday.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2007
Their Description
Beachside Hostel Waikiki Details
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Beachside Hostel Waikiki Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
It was great! First hostel experience and im very glad i stayed here! I was traveling alone and I met people from all over the world and was never bored. The "breakfast" is literally a box of donut holes and crappy coffee but dinner is only $4 for a BBQ of steak/burgers/chicken so its a great deal. every room i stayed in was just fine. (and ive stayed in 4 star hotels my whole life.) However; i did stay in female only rooms so maybe this is why. It can be a bit loud so not a great place if you're looking for a nice quiet vacation. a younger atmosphere, staff is great, you will not regret staying here! — Jessica , Alaskan (2010-03-19) It is what it is -- a Hostel. No more, no less. I stayed there for ten days in early September and had a good experience. I'm forty-three years old guy who has an adventurous heart. I rented a car so I needed parking, which worked out great. Always had a parking place and easy to get in and out. Rented the four-person room and worked out great. There were guys from all over the world staying in the room but everyone was pretty cool; I did hear of bad situations though. They offer clean sheets every day, if you wish but I stayed with the same ones my whole stay. The rooms have a refrigerator, oven, stove and microwave so I went to Costco or supermarket to get food for the ten days. The employees were very nice (except the old guy who works late at night) and they got me whatever I needed. Everything gets pretty quiet after 11 p.m. but don't expect to sleep in. There are delivery trucks coming and going early in the morning for the hotels that surround the hostel. Their free breakfast is toast with some spread and watered down OJ. I have to say, it was so nice to come back from a long hike and then walk two minutes to a beautiful beach, from the hostel. I would for sure stay there again. Again, it is what it is. — Ray Cowan , Southern California, USA (2009-12-01) Fun party atmosphere, not the cleanest, most employees were great It's a two minute walk to Waikiki beach which is fantastic (although I only went there a few times). It is a party atmosphere in the lounge and in the rooms. Most of the employees were very pleasant. Breakfast consisted of toast, peanut butter, jelly, tea, and coffee (not too extensive but enough for a filling meal). However, we had an issue with bed bugs in our room. The manager assured us that this was common on any tropical island. They fumigated the room and let us wash our clothes for free. They tried to make it right, but only after asking them. If you want a fun party place, this is it. If you are looking for something quiet, this is not the place for you. — CS , USA (2009-05-08) Reconsider staying here. When I arrived at the front there was a congregation of about fifteen people standing around smoking and doing nothing. Whenever people are standing around the front of a hotel, generally they are waiting for transfers or tours to start. Not here. When you're unemployed or homeless and using the hostel as a halfway house what else are you going to do all day. Certainly not look for employment or even sit on the beach. Should have just kept going at this point. I had booked a semi-private room and was required to pay the first nights rate as a deposit when making the booking. Very smart strategy by the hostel. Upon collecting my key I made my way to my room. For the record semi-private rooms i've stayed in before have been small rooms on their own but with a communal bathroom in the hallway. Not here. Sliding the key into the door was like checking to a prison cell. It opened into a tiny room with two beds, filthy kitchen and I didn't even bother looking at the bathroom. Two people were sitting on the beds talking about tattoos, which shouldn't have surprised me given the whole head to toe tattoos look they had going on. At first I though there had ben a mistake. No. This semi-private room was in fact just a room via door off the area where the other beds were. This should be more clearly articulated on the website. The semi-private room was protected by the smallest of door handle locks and given that the door frame had clearly been forced previously, I wasn't confident that unless every single possession of mine was bolted to the floor they'd survive twenty-four hours. The room had two single beds and you were given clean linen at the desk. At his point with the type of people who were in the room outside my door, the apparent lack of security and privacy, I legged it straight back to the front desk. To be fair they did offer to move me into a room with no one staying in the main part of the room but my mind was made up. I had to forfeit the first nights accommodation deposit of $USD75 however was refunded the $USD300 which I'd paid on checking in for the remaining four nights. Bottom line was that even if they'd offered to let me stay there for free I wold have declined. I felt unsafe, it was dirty, room security was minimal, and I simply wouldn't want to spend my holiday in the company of people using the hostel as a halfway house. The reason I felt compelled to write this is that I don't know how it was rated the best in Waikiki and the description of a semi-private room my be technically correct but it certainly isn't like I've experienced in other hostels -- even in cities like NYC and London. The question you should ask is that if you are looking for a private room in Waikiki, know that in the current economic climate you can check into a three- or four-star hotel on the beach for under $USD100 per night. Don't think that by saving $25 you are only forgoing the use of a private bathroom. It could cost you a lot more than that. — PH , Australia (2009-05-03) Rude office day staff, no compassion for stolen clothes Do not stay here! I paid $85 for a semi-private room. My clothes were stolen from the closet. The night attendant did call the police and a report was filed -- but the day staff were rude, and could have cared less. They stated that they were very surprised that it had happened, but the night attendant stated to me that thefts were common there. All that was really expected was, we are so sorry, but what I got was (something to the sort) that's what you get when you share a room. — Bethany , US (2009-03-13) Ok Staff was pretty cool and helpful. Other backpackers were friendly and cool. The rooms/beds were kind of dirty and the place was loud all the time. Bring earplugs. Free Wi-Fi and pb-and-jelly sandwiches for breakfast. Located really close to the "beach." — Star , USA (2009-01-04) Didn't enjoy stay People were up at all hours of of the night on Sat night drinking and puking and making a racket -- a horrible group of disgusting people -- some out-of-control party in one of the dorm rooms. Staff did nothing about this -- is this typical on a Sat night in HI. This went on until around 3 a.m. -- utterly no security at the hostel at all. Just one person working the front desk on a Sat night. And on movie night, they were showing Hostel 2 -- a graphic horror film showing people getting chopped into pieces. This was not how I wanted to start my HI journey -- not peaceful, nor relaxing. I do not recommend this or any of the hostels on Lemon street -- many unsavory characters there and lots of drug dealing and criminal activity going on also. — pablopaul , usa (2008-11-19) Absolutely Amazing I stayed at this hostel for the first three nights of my trip and must stay two months after that this has been my favourite hostel so far. The Staff were really friendly and helped make the stay more enjoyable. a special mention to Travis who initiated the fun for the most part, with crazy drinking games and showed us all the good places to go out. $3 pitchers at the Red Lion, you cant beat that! Probably the best american guy you will ever meet, unless it's Bruce Willis. The hostel is located perfectly, not too far from the beach and obviously attracts a good variety of travelers with a zest for life. The rooms are quite comfortable to stay in, equipped with en-suites, TV, and kitchen. i encourage all young people looking to travel to Hawaii to stay at this hostel if you want to have the best time you can ever imagine and making it as memorable as possible! — Andy R , Australia (2008-08-08) A nice and clean place with the best location in Waikiki! the airline lost my luggage and the staff at the waikiki beachside hostel were the most helpful people ever, letting me use their phones, not minding me standing at the reception for hours, asking for my luggage every thirty minutes, and always being supportive! they have the booze cruise which is a great thing to do, free wi-fi, and free breakfast! the rooms have their own kitchen, a fan, and own TV plus a private bathroom. just around the corner from food stores and the beach but not too noisy so you can catch some sleep during the night! Had a great time there! — Annemarie Conrath , German (2008-03-09) Absolutely dreadful Where do I begin? I booked my twenty-eight-day stay at this hostel based on their website. Everything sounded amazing on their website. However, when you check in, you find out their website is completely chock full of lies and misleadings. For example, they say they offer free wireless internet service in the lobby. However, the "free" wireless internet they provide is signals from other buildings. they do not actually provide wireless service. They also have the worst front desk staff ever! While I was there, I saw one of their housekeeping staff get arrested by the police on their property! The front desk staff is quite rude, save for the bald guy at night. He actually was quite helpful with information. I asked one girl at the front desk how to catch the local tram, and I immediately got an icy stare because I was interrupting her text messaging! She threw a bus schedule at me and went back to her cell phone! Quite rude! They also stated that they rent mopeds, however, they merely rent space out to a different company who actually rents the mopeds. The hostel does not. Their website says they offer free airport shuttle pickups, yet they told me upon arrival at the airport that the service has been discontinued for over a year! The place is horribly filthy, cockroaches everywhere, the parking area looks like a salvage yard. If I wasn't attending a conference a block away, I would have went back to U.K. I will never stay there again, and I am telling all my mates the same. This place is quite dreadful. Avoid it like the plague. — Marco , UK (2007-05-25) I am twenty-two years old and I stayed here in April. It was tidy. Nothing amazing. It is really close to the beach and the zoo is like right there. You can walk to Diamond Head as well if you're keen. It's not that "party party" but we met some cool people and had drinks with some of the other people staying there. It's nice to be able to cook in your bedroom but the utensils and crockery are minimal. — Lydia , New Zealand (2007-05-22) In all honesty, it's definitely not the cleanest hostel ever, but it could have been worse. With some good roommates, its livable, and damn cheap. Around the corner from an ABC store (what in Waikiki isn't?), it's also a quick jaunt to the beach and not far from a lot of the bars and nightclubs. If you've come to Hawaii to chill and keep it cool, don't go to the Hokondo. But it's a great place to meet people and have an awesome time staying out until 2 a.m. drinking. If you are a light sleeper, you will need earplugs. People wander in at all hours and if you get inconsiderate roommates, it will make your life a living hell. The noise curfew of 10 p.m. is enforced during the week, but they seem to be more lax with it on Friday and Saturday nights, with people sitting in the lounge past midnight. But it's a great place to meet people and I might actually go back. — Archduke (2007-03-11) clean and affordable for waikiki. a five-minute walk from a very populated beach. met some awesome people here. the rooms were like mini apartments. not for someone expecting something super classy, just a good hostel. quiet time at 10 not strictly enforced but it was cool because who comes to waikiki for anything but surfing and partying? would recommend a different city or island for those who want something less touristy. stayed in jan 07. — amanda (2007-01-23) This place is awful if you're on Oahu to do anything other than drink and get stoned. Despite claims on the website that a return ticket and out-of-state identification are required to stay at the Hokondo, they do not ask for either. Many of the guests are actually residents, and have made a big mess of the place. This hostel is basically a twenty-four-hour a day party, and if you're on the island to explore, you will hate it there. I wound up booking a local hotel at great expense on the third day of my visit because I was tired of the partying, noise, and drunks at the Hokondo. Parking was a bit of rip-off for $5 per day -- the parking spaces were too small to comfortably fit a mid-size into. My rental had to be left in the back, boxed in by two other cars that wouldn't fit into the spaces. I would not stay here again if it were free. — Kevin (2006-11-15) If you want a stinky party hostel than stay here. The crowd is very young and with TVs in the dorm rooms you'll never get any sleep. The night I stayed someone watched TV till 3 a.m. and the door never stopped opening/closing. Guess it all depends on who your roommates are. One person in the dorm had been staying there for three months and was working in a hotel. His stuff was everywhere and he ran the place. Having a passport and return ticket doesn't seem to be enforced here. If you want to party, get drunk, and make lots of room then stay here. — Matt (2006-11-12)