Polynesian Hostel Beach Club

Accommodation is expensive in Waikiki -- one of the cheapest hostels is the Polynesian Hostel Beach Club. Located on Lemon Rd, it's next to three other well known budget accommodations. The location is awesome -- barely a block from the famous Waikiki Beach. There's also an ABC shop close by, great for self-catering options.

The building is showing its age, but is generally clean and tidy inside. Wooden floors make the building feel more open and less stuffy. Like most of the other hostels the common areas are open air and located on ground level. Which is great when the weather is fine, but when it's not you can hide away in the TV room. There's hammocks, wooden benches, cheap internet facilities, and a kitchen. You can also borrow the body boards, lilacs, and beach towels for the day.

Dorm rooms are four-bed or ten-bed and have one toilet and shower in each (located in the same room). The water pressure is good and you're guaranteed a steaming hot shower, which is a rarity in large dorms. While not completely spotless, the bathroom is large and there is ample space to get changed. Although in some rooms, the ceiling fan in the bathroom is old and noisy, which is annoying if you have someone getting up to use the bathroom lots during the night. They have air conditioning in every room (which is rarely used), and there's also several large portable fans. The only downside is that lockers are absent and you'll have to resort to chaining your items to the bed or storing them downstairs in the small room with other bags piled on top. There are also no blinds in the dorm rooms, which might be a pain if you can't handle sleeping during the day without them if you need a day room.

The Polynesian Hostel is a good budget option for Waikiki. While not completely spotless, the hostel makes up for its negatives with the price and friendly social atmosphere. It's Waikiki anyway, so it's not like you'll be indoors all day! Cheap (and sometimes free) events are organised every day for guests, ranging from harbour cruises to $1 drink nights, BBQs and even dodgeball in the backyard. The hostel is well known and you can hire Roberts Buses from the airport -- they'll drop you off out the front. The hostel charges an extra dollar for credit card payments and you're required to give them a small key deposit.

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