So far, the Waikiki Malia is the best “budget” hotel that I’ve ever stayed at in Honolulu. It’s a little rough around the edges, but it’s clean and very conveniently located.
The kicker? I am of the opinion that the rooms are just as nice as what you would find in some of the most popular (and most expensive) hotels in Waikiki.
The Waikiki Malia is located at 2211 Kuhio Ave in the heart of Waikiki. It’s not right on the beach, but you won’t have to walk far (it’s about three blocks away).
There are shopping centers, convenience stores, and restaurants within walking distance in every direction. It’s a great spot to set up camp for a few days.
Welcome to the Waikiki Malia! Don’t even worry that “Malia” is basically “Malaria” with a few less letters. I recommend coming at it from the other direction. It’s less scary this way.
The lobby (and checking in)
Not gonna lie – it’ll feel like a budget hotel as soon as you walk through the main entrance. The reception desk is front and center, and there are two lounge areas flanking it on either side.
Whoa. Of course I wasn’t expecting a lobby as grand as what you’d find in the Moana Surfrider just a few blocks away, but I certainly wasn’t expecting something as nice as this either. I take back the malaria comment!The reception desk. One of two things is happening here: they’re either really busy checking that guy in, or they are furiously canceling my reservation because of the disparaging malaria comment (even though I already vowed to take it back).I know! I can’t believe that I’m not being escorted off the premises yet either. Here’s a picture of one of two lounge areas here in the lobby.
In all seriousness, checking in was a breeze. The kind lady who checked me in did it in a way which made me feel like I was checking into a small bed and breakfast somewhere way out in the sticks. Unexpected. And nice.
Getting to my room
Okay. I will admit that the process of getting to my room was a wee less exciting than the process of getting to my room over at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. They had to cut costs somewhere I guess.
Eeny Meeny Miny Moe. Actually, I just took the first elevator that arrived.Wait! Before scrolling past this picture of the hallway leading to my room, I highly recommend taking a moment to appreciate the textured floral pattern in the walls. Proceed when you’re ready.Honestly? I wasn’t ready for neat little design details such as this in a “budget” Waikiki hotel. I’m really regretting the malaria thing now.I have arrived at room 1512. This is it. The moment of truth. Would it be better or worse than the room that I had at the Vive (the least nicest room that I’ve had in Waikiki so far)?
Room overview
I chose a high-floor city view room when making my booking. It ended up being exactly what I was hoping for: simple, clean, and really high up.
Cracking open the door to my room, and… This looks better than better than my room at the Vive. Thank God. I hate to say it, but this looks even better than the room that I had at the Royal Hawaiian last year. For 1/3 of the stinkin’ price!Those of you who have come to Hawaii to make babies will be happy to know that the beds are comfortable (and will probably support complex positions).The rest of the furniture though? Pretty basic stuff, and probably not a very comfortable place to rest between baby making sessions.This chair looks a little nicer. And because this is a lower cost hotel, I’m not even going to mention the fact that it doesn’t match the style and design of anything else in this room.The positioning is a little awkward too. But I’m not mentioning it!
Room amenities
Despite being one of the lower priced hotel options in Waikiki, you can expect amenities such as complementary bottled water and an in-room refrigerator.
Nice to see aluminum instead of plastic for the complementary water bottles. You’ll get two for free (one of which I consumed within the first three minutes of stepping into the room).An in-room refrigerator exists, and it will be cold. Free of pubic hairs as well (unlike what I experienced in my room over at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani once).
I especially liked the fact that the TV had Chromecast built-in. That made it easy to stream YouTube and Netflix from my phone directly to the TV.
The charging port and electrical outlet situation in this room is pretty good. There were multiples of these USB / 110 V charging ports located throughout.The closet. With a free surfboard!
The view
The nice thing about Waikiki is that it’s a pretty nice view in all directions. Even with this city view room, there was a lot interesting things to see from my balcony.
Not bad for a “city” view, eh? FYI, pretty much all of the city view rooms in this hotel face the Marriott across the street. I highly advise closing the blinds before you start digging out the sand from your nether regions (unless your goal is for everyone over at the Marriott see it).Tiny balcony? Who cares. It’s private! Except to everyone over at the Marriott of course.“ta-daaaaa!”While waiting for the elevator on the 15th floor, I took this picture from a window facing the beach. I guess this is what you’re going to see from the “ocean view” rooms. Meh.
The bathroom
One look at the bathroom in my room is all it takes to reaffirm the “budget hotel” thing. It was fine. Perfectly clean. It even smelled nice. It was just very basic that’s all.
The bathroom. It’s not all that exciting, but I’m going to show it to you anyway.Those of you who have a habit of washing your underwear in hotel bathroom sinks might not like this one. I reckon it’s too shallow (and too small) to do the job properly.A mirror? Or a ring light? It’s both!A shower? Or a tub? The multitasking in this bathroom is on point. Number one? Or number two? OK, I’ll end that bit here…The shower head situation. A little crusty, but it was fine.
