I am 100% convinced that the Park Shore Waikiki is the most accurately named hotel in all of Honolulu.
It is indeed located right next to a park, on the shore, and in the heart of Waikiki.
The rooms? They’re OK. The views? OMG.
Location
You’ll find the Park Shore Waikiki at 2586 Kalākaua Ave. Not only is it located adjacent to the Honolulu Zoo, it’s right on Waikiki Beach. As you can see from this map, it’s one of the best locations for a hotel in all of Waikiki IMHO.
Welcome to the Park Shore Waikiki! Pretty neat that there’s no door to walk through. You basically walk through a crack in the wall (all bug like).This hotel is basically F’d if ever there is a hurricane that blows in off the water. It takes a lot of courage to go doorless!
The lobby (and checking in)
For a hotel located right on the beach, I wasn’t expecting such a casual vibe upon walking into the lobby for the very first time.
That’s the reception desk over there on the right. Not exactly a busy place, is it?
This is not a high end (hoity-toity) hotel in the same category as, say, the Moana Surfrider located just down the street. Think of it more like a slightly more casual / laid back Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.
There’s a lounge here in the lobby (straight ahead) that looks like an awfully good place to hustle a game of pool (should you decide that you’re gonna stay in Hawaii by any means possible).
Checking it was fast and easy at 3pm (there was nobody in line ahead of me). I especially liked how the guy working the desk told me that my room featured the BEST view of any room on the property. Now that’s what I like to hear!
Getting to my room
Having a room on the 17th floor required either a fairly lengthy ride on the elevator, or a heart attack inducing stair climb. I opted for the elevator.
OK yeah, the elevator carpet was a little dirty, but that’s what they get for choosing light colors I guess.The verdict so far? It’s as lonely here in the elevator as it was out there in the main lobby. I do loves me a quiet hotel though.Interesting. I didn’t even realize this hotel was curved until walking through the hallway to my room. Looks pretty square from the outside!It’s moments like this when you start to wonder what else you’ve missed in the past 10 minutes. Maybe there was a really good (and scary) reason for the empty lobby. I don’t know.Room 1707 is mine for the night (and technically the afternoon since it’s only 3 PM).
Room overview
I paid extra for a high floor corner room. Let me tell ya, it was totally worth it. The room itself wasn’t all that great but the view (which I’ll show you in a moment) nearly gave me palpitations.
By the way, there are wide variety of room types available at this property (you can browse them all over on booking.com). I do recommend paying more for a corner room though.
Ok then. I think what we have here is a situation much like I experienced over at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel last year (mediocre room, mind melting view).We’ll get to the views in a moment, but I need to show you the room first. It’s kinda like eating the worst thing on your plate first and saving the best for last.It’s a wee little room, but I appreciate the fact that they managed to stuff a really big bed into it.The desk. The only thing disappointing about this is the fact that I still haven’t achieved my goal of finding a hotel room in Waikiki with a desk shaped like a surfboard. The hunt continues…Here we have the hotel review equivalent of eating your lima beans before you eat the steak. Pictures of the stunning view are coming soon. I promise!
Room amenities
My room included a refrigerator, microwave, a Keurig coffee machine, and complementary bottled water. And a face melting view of course (which I’ll show you in a moment).
Mahalo for the refrigerator. And it didn’t even stink!The microwave was very much appreciated as well. The Keurig machine though? I’m not a coffee drinker, so it was slightly more difficult to appreciate that. I tried my best.Not all that great of a closet for keeping your skeletons in if I’m being honest. But it was fine.
The view
I didn’t think it was even possible to top the view that I had from my room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, but gosh darn it, the Park Shore Waikiki delivered. This view from my 17th floor corner room balcony was the best that I’ve ever had from hotel in Waikiki so far.
Not a bad looking balcony, is it? All of the pics I’m about to show you came from this very spot…THIS is why it was necessary to eat at lima beans first! Diamond Head looms in the distance with the Honolulu Zoo (to the left) and Waikiki Beach (to the right) right beneath me. I’m pretty sure that I’ve already used the “I’m the king of the world!” caption in other hotel reviews, but this kind of applies too. Oh yeah. This is complete and total redemption for the sh*tty view that I had at the Vive Hotel once (a lower priced property located just a few blocks away).Jesus Christ Mother Nature, you didn’t have to try that hard. It was stunningly beautiful even without the rainbow. I wasn’t the only one enjoying the view this evening. The locals seem to like it as well.The expression on his face leads me to believe that he’s ever seen a pasty white mainlander before. The female though? She couldn’t have cared less.
The following are two pictures from the smaller south facing window in my room. This is the only way to see the sunset BTW – you won’t be able to see it from the balcony on the other side.
And this is what it looks like from the balcony at night. Don’t stay up too late though, because the roosters over at the zoo (just across the street) will be making a ruckus in just a few more hours.
The bathroom
The bathroom in my room was just OK. It was small and dark, but clean. Then again, I guess pretty much everything is going look “meh” after having your face melted off from the view.
The bathroom. On a completely unrelated note, why do toilets have that squiggly pipe like that? Wouldn’t it be easier for the poop to go straight down? Just asking questions.Wide angle lens engage! It’s a little cozy in here, eh?If it was a competition, the mirror in the bathroom that I had over at the Waikiki Malia the night before would have mopped at the floor with this one. Easily.Just as the closet wasn’t a good place for keeping your skeletons, this shower doesn’t look like a very good place to wash away your sins. I recommend getting your sh*t in order before arriving.
Pros and cons
The Park Shore Waikiki is an interesting property. The design and decor is indicative of a budget hotel. But the views what I would typically expect to see (and pay for) in a high end hotel.
Pros
The view. Even if there’s nothing else that you like about this property, the view makes it worth it.
Location is pretty much perfect. It’s right on the beach, and you won’t have to stare directly into the windows of another hotel across the street.
It didn’t seem all that busy while I was there. It was a very chill vibe.
Cons
For the price I paid, I was expecting a little more fancy pants.
It’s easy to tell that this is one of Waikiki’s oldest hotels.
The roosters across the street at the zoo are total a**holes. Unless you sleep like the dead, they will wake you up every morning at 4:30 AM.
