I'd like to preface my comments by saying I've stayed at this property about 5 or 6 different times over the years on vacation. I'll always consider coming back, but I'll be prepared for less the next time.

Here are some of the little extras that went bye bye .....

We checked in on Thanksgiving day. We arrived at 1:45 pm (check in is officially 3pm) .... I asked if my room was ready. The front desk said it was not. I checked back at 2:30, again, no, room is not ready. At 3pm I checked in. When I got to my room I saw the cleaning crew in the hall. Curiously I asked them ... "did you just finish this room?" They responded ... "nope, that room was vacant last night - no need to clean it." OK, really? How much trouble would it really be to let us check in one hour early? It was just a front desk clerk who wasn't going to budge on the check in time. (ps ... I'm a platinum member with about 100 nights per year staying in Marriott properties) .....

The platinum gift I received in 2010 was a beautiful fruit tray. In 2012 it was a small can of nuts and two bottles of water.

Not that this matters to me, but it did to my wife .... the tropical soaps and lotions they used to have are now replaced by the standard issue soap and lotion you find at all their properties.

The room key used to have Hawaiian themes on them, now the room key is the "standard issue grey" used in all properties.

Notepads in the room used to have tropical design ... nope ... standard issue now.

None of these things would make me consider staying elsewhere, but its a combination of the company cutting out the "little niceties" they used to offer & making the property as un-special as possible.

I will say again .... the staff is nice, the pools are nice, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, the proximity to the ocean can't be beat.

I realize some people stay at this hotel on business, but the majority stay as a Hawaiian Vacation .. bring back some of the little touches that made the property feel like a resort (and not just a hotel).

Fortunately for me, we used point + cash for the room, so we only paid $100 per night, and I didn't have to pay the resort fee (thankfully) .... The resort fee is $25 ... I asked what it covers ... you get discounts at some of their restaurants, you get X minutes of international calling, you get to fax X amount of pages per day ..... really? Like that is a perk? Again ... most people are on vacation. Who's faxing? The phone calls .... can you name anyone who doesn't have a cell phone in this day and age. What the $25 fee amounts to is bottom line dollars for Marriott .... you do not get near that value for that fee. Parking is $37 per day + tax. Paid more to park than for the rental car itself.

I'm done beating this property up, but know this. This is a business hotel that tries hard to be a resort. I'm not saying it isn't nice. But how many Hawaiian vacations do you take a year (or in a lifetime for that matter)? For some it may be a one-time thing. Do your homework!!!!!