I joined Midori for a Sunday workshop at the hotel she was such a sweet heart. Me and my mom mad Lei and she taught us how to do it, she even told us about other experiences the hotel is hosting. I totally loved it
Pulled together plans to visit Oahu again and stay at The Laylow since we had a great stay 9 months before. Booked via CostcoTravel a Corner Suite - One King Bed and One Twin Day Bed and One Queen Day Bed Waikiki Promotion, and a Deluxe Room - Two King Beds Waikiki Promotion. Had a request with the reservation for (a) high floor and (b) same floor for the two rooms. My TripAdvisor review from our first stay noted that we were not happy with the room on the 9th floor and were lucky to be able to change to a room on the 12th floor. THE SUPER - We arrived at The Laylow front desk at 12:15 pm and both rooms were available for early check-in with no charge. I had called the day before asking for early check-in. - The E Komo Mai Basket which is essentially a welcome gift basket in each room with various goodies. On this visit, the basket had flip-flops which were actually both pretty & comfy - along with bottled water, wipes & chocolate. This is a really nice touch & the person in charge gets a star! - Our reservation included resort credit so we made a point of going to The Hideout which is The Laylow's cafe, bar & restaurant. Great service. One night we were seated next to the kitchen which was noisy so we left. Another evening, we got seated on the open patio & enjoyed drinks & live music. - Housekeeping service was excellent. We recognized one of the housekeeping staff from our previous visit. It's nice when staff remembers you. - On this visit, we again had to ask for a room change because we were not happy with the assignment. We were able to move to the same 12th floor room as we had on the previous visit & it was waaaaaaaaaaaay better than what we had first went into on the 8th floor (comments on the 8th floor room later). The 12th floor room overlooking Kuhio Avenue has relaxing views & lots of daylight to brighten the room. The room was furnished essentially the same as for the first visit except for the addition of pink cushions which added to the comfort. THE GOOD - We grabbed the poolside shave ice a couple of times. It's a basic shave ice, but still welcomingly refreshing. - It was easy getting towels for our trips to the beach. THE WISH-IT-WAS-BETTER - When we checked in, I noticed quickly that we were going to get rooms on the 5th floor which to me is way too low & close to street level. We were told this is what was assigned so our two rooms could be on the same floor. I asked what was available on a higher floor...and not facing the International Marketplace parking structure. Our Corner Suite was changed to one on the 8th floor (kind of) facing Waikiki Beach and overlooking International Marketplace. The Deluxe Room was changed to the 4th floor overlooking Duke's Lane...but facing directly a parking structure. The views from both rooms were awful & depressing. - Later that day, I decided to check with the front desk & mention how we were not happy with the 8th floor Corner Suite room because the view was seriously lacking & there was noise from the air-conditioning units on the International Marketplace rooftop. I had planned to finish writing a book during this trip & felt emotionally deflated by the 8th floor room. - Fortunately, for us, Sheila at the Front Desk found me a room on a higher floor that we could move to the next day. This was another 180° turn-around just like we had during our first stay at The Laylow. Turns out we were able to get the same fabulous room on the 12th floor for both stays. - I didn't ask for a change of the 4th floor room since I figured we could spend family time in the larger Corner Suite room & functionally, the Deluxe Room was just for cleaning up & sleeping. VIVE LA DIFFÉRENCE! - There were a few differences between the 8th floor & 12th floor Corner Suites worth mentioning. - Yes, there is the view which I have already mentioned. If you care about the view, get higher than the 8th floor. - The 8th floor Corner Suite had quite a few pink cushions. There were none on our first The Laylow visit, and there were a few in the 12th floor room this visit. Not sure if there is a certain number of cushions there are supposed to be in the rooms. - The 8th floor Corner Suite did not have a ukelele while the 12th floor Corner Suite did have one. If you stay here & don't see a ukelele - and want to play with one - you might ask for one. - The shower flow in the 8th floor Corner Suite was kind of weak whereas it was nice & strong in the 12th floor bathroom. - The air-conditioning rattled quite a bit in the 12th floor room whereas it ran quietly in the 8th floor room (which is maybe why I could notice the noisy air-con units outside). - It's just a guess, but we may have had the 5th floor room assignments because we booked through CostcoTravel & it was on a "Waikiki Special" - maybe this is code for "least desirable rooms." I wonder if this also made it challenging to request a much better room during first check-in. Was the room assignments coordinator limited in what could be made available to us? Overall, we really enjoyed the stay & I may have made too much of a fuss over the room assignments. To my first TripAdvisor review from November, the General Manager left a note "We hope you will visit us again...for another five-star getaway..." We returned...and we did have another 5-star experience...but I really am apprehensive to want to come back again & possibly go through another rollercoaster ride in getting a room that presents The Laylow's best side. This was our family's 5th visit to Honolulu & the other hotels that we have stayed at delighted us at check-in with great room assignments.…
Enjoyed an evening drink here before our dinner - service was friendly and quick, drinks were delicious. Came back the next morning for breakfast and had a wonderful time. Our server Chris was so great and attentive. We enjoyed a full brunch with Bloody Mary’s, lattes, the breakfast sandwich and short rib skillet - could not have been happier!
Great location..Excellent room with balcony...Valet Parking is convenient. Share rides have difficulty-being on a bit busy street..Bar can stay open until midnight!! Marriott at its best for services..
We haven’t even been here a full day and I’m already writing a review because it has been a 10/10 experience. The hideout is an absolute must for breakfast. Make sure you request Chris as your server! He was incredibly welcoming and gave us the best recommendations and tips. Vibes are 10/10, service is 10/10, food is 10/10. We are already planning our next trip!
We had the best experience at Hideout! Chris paid extreme detail to our request. Additionally, Chris had an upbeat attitude. He truly made my 40th birthday breakfast a joy. Much appreciated Chris! You’re an amazing human being!
The laylow is a great hotel and staff is awesome. The Hideout is awesome at all times, breakfast, happy hour, dinner!!! Specifically Chris at the hideout was super friendly, courteous and accommodating, excellent server!!!
We are wrapping up our month long Island hopping trip. Spent the last 2 nights at the Laylow and it is perfectly located in the city. Surrounded by great restaurants. The Hideout is a great restaurant at the Laylow, great breakfast and great happy hour. The nicest staff you could hope for.
Shawn at the front desk saved the day! I had booked a room at another hotel I often stay at for work; that hotel messed up the reservation and I had to search for a new hotel at the last minute. Shawn helped me find a great room, he even took us up to see it to make sure the view was what we were looking for. The hotel has a fun mid century vibe with great design details, Hideaway restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and the food was superb (crab dumplings were my favorite) and the entire staff at the Laylow is super friendly. Although it’s a large hotel and part of a big chain, it has a boutique hotel feeling, which I prefer.
My husband and I came here every day for breakfast on our honeymoon while we stayed at the Laylow- really delicious food and such a relaxing ambiance. One of our servers, Chris, served us with such a positive attitude and was very accommodating. Highly recommend The Hideout during your stay in Waikiki Beach!
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