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14 reviews for Aqua Bamboo & Spa
In a nutshell: The rooms here are small, but elegant, dressed with a contemporary asian flair. I just used up all my buzz words. :(
As with any hotel, there are pros and cons. In no particular order: It's in the heart of Waikiki, the "cool" (touristy) part of Honolulu. The parking lot is tiny - I had to use all my mad parking skills to get into a space, and then some. The service is very friendly. Their idea of breakfast is juice, coffee, and some muffins. If I ever come back to Honolulu (and I hope I do), I would not hesitate to stay here again.
This being my first visit to Hawaii EVER, I was pretty pleased with my choice of hotel! My boyfriend and I stayed in April of 2009 about mid-month right before high season so it wasn't 100% booked and not too crazy.
I booked a moderate studio room with a partial city view through an online booking agency - when I arrived, they had automatically upgraded my room to a kitchenette with 2 double beds!!! The front desk staff in the middle of the night weren't especially friendly when we came to check in, but got the job done. Christina (one of the girls at the front desk) however, was always exceptionally sweet! She always was smiling and pretty much embodied the Aloha spirit. :) The guys at the door were always pretty friendly as well.
The room was very clean and the cleaning staff did an excellent job throughout my short stay (though they didn't replace the yummy smelling pineapple, noni and papaya body lotion I used every single day). There was plenty of space and the furniture (beds, dining table, etc.) looked new. OMG -- the beds were AMAZING...very comfortable and soft and a dream to sleep in. We were on the 8th floor and could hear some of the noise on the street below (the air conditioning units allow noise to leak into the room) but it never deterred us from getting a good night's rest! The bathroom was a bit small and the hot water knob almost fell off when I turned it, but all in all, it served its purpose.
What I was most happy about was NO BUGS. Not a single tiny bug despite the fact that we had a kitchenette. We did take extra precautions to keep food sealed up so that might be the key to keeping any bugs away.
The location was PERFECT. Right across the street from the bus stop and only a 2 minute walk to the beach! We didn't have a car for our trip so it was nice to be within walking distance of everything! We walked to Diamond Head, Zippy's, The Waikiki Aquarium, the International Market etc. no problem.
All in all, I would definitely stay at the Aqua Bamboo & Spa again during my next visit. (We never used the spa, but it looks like it'd be nice...) I like the fact that it's a smaller hotel with lots of charm and a great location. My bf and I actually looked forward to coming back to the hotel after a long day out on the beach since it was so comfortable and easily accessible. The price was just right (if not a steal with the room we got) and worth every penny. Much aloha and Mahalo to the Aqua Bamboo!!!
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My husband and I stayed here last month for our honeymoon. I echo other reviewers' opinions that the price and location of this boutique hotel were great. But I honestly don't think I'll stay here again if I come back to Oahu. While my room was clean and nicely decorated, it was VERY cramped. My solid 6'1" husband felt closed in, and I (at a slim 5'6") couldn't help but feel a little claustrophobic myself with all the tightly squeezed in furnishings. And this is coming from people who were upgraded to a 1-bedroom suite with kitchenette! I can't imagine how we would have felt if we were given our originally booked accomodations, the studio kitchenette.
You should also be warned that the hotel staff is small and therefore not as fast/efficient as those of larger hotels, the elevators are slow, and valet parking is no longer offered, so good luck finding a space in their tiny underground parking lot late at night.
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Commenting on my experience at the spa only.
This is not one of your swanky spas with all the amenities, but it is hands down the best massage I've gotten ever at any price. The fact that the second time I went it was only $64 for a 50 minute massage made it even better. I had the same therapist both times despite my visits being about a year apart and both times were great. I think her name was Yukiko. Another testament to how relaxing the massages is that everyone I know has fallen asleep. I never fall asleep during massages, but if it weren't for my friend's snoring I might have on both occasions.
Only downfalls are that since the room for the massages are right next to the pool, you can hear the people outside, so if there are loud screaming kids, you hear that during your relaxing massages. Also, they only have 1 room so you either have to be cool with going with a buddy or plan to have you appointments back to back.
Next time I'm in Honolulu, I'm definitely getting another massage there.
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Ok... so I have to be honest here. I'm a cheap guy when it comes to finding a place to stay in Oahu. I'm just coming here to lay on the beach and eat my heart out... not stay in my hotel the entire day.
The prices here were definitely great, but don't book a room thinking that they will look anything like they do on their website or on any third party website (Orbitz, Priceline, Expedia, etc). When you look at those photos, you might wind up disappointed if you expect that in person. Having been here already, I know what to expect and it's definitely not the worst option in Oahu. It's actually not bad when you consider the price and the fact that there is a spa on site. You also wind up being a very short walk from the beach, which is always a plus.
The staff was friendly and made plenty of recommendations the last time I stayed here on everything from the closest car rental to the best places to get a package deal on hikes and other island attractions. The housekeeping ladies were great and we always had fresh linens and towels everyday. The place was clean and didn't have any lingering smells as some people have noticed during their stays here.
We stayed in a suite with a full kitchen, but it was definitely showing it's age. I've heard that they've remodeled recently; but definitely expect only a solid 2 star or an iffy 3 star, if the renovation was a success. If you're planning on parking your rental, I would recommend a midsize at the largest. The parking garage is pretty tight, so I can't imagine parking a huge SUV or a full size car in there easily.
Review is based on investment potential, not as a hotel guest.
I considered buying a unit here for a vacation rental/use, but the right unit never became available. I had seen one of the units with the 3 lanais and a kitchen and I immediately liked it. It has potential. Of course I didn't notice any of that moldy smell in the unit I looked at. The lobby and pool/spa areas are nicely decorated and would make me want to lounge around there when you want peace and quiet. Parking can be scarce here though. The Aqua chain is a fairly good property management company that has at least a 80% booking success, which can mean good rental income. Alas, until the right unit opens up, I'll hold off.
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For the price (less than $80), it was perfect. Throw in the following: 1) $1.00 laundry machines; 2) internet in every room (wireless in the lobby/pool area); limited parking ($18 extra a day), and the spa was decent.
The bed definitely puts your back to the test. HDTV in my room was huge... an unexpected bonus. Location is really primary as well.
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For the price, I am extremely satisfied with the quality of the rooms and service at this hotel. My room was clean, with three lanai, a full-size closet, a flat-screen TV, a mini fridge, and a microwave. The front-desk staff are really friendly and helpful. The housekeeping staff do a great job, daily, and they are around until 4:30 PM each day, which means you can sleep in!
The spa is really tiny, housing two people that know each other comfortably. We did fit about five people at once, but we were touching knees and elbows, and it was v. strange. The pool area itself is a great place to lay out and read; it's quiet and enclosed by greenery.
The breakfast is not worth getting up early for: muffins, orange juice, and coffee.
The walk to the beach takes less than ten minutes, and the hotel is located v. close to a grocery store, a nail salon, and variously priced eateries.
This hotel is recommended for the mid-range budget traveler looking for a few extra amenities (like the flat-screen TV and lanai facing the ocean) and a good location.
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2 stars for the location, charming pool, and free wireless connection (downstairs)... but overall my stay was not a pleasant one.
I had a wedding to go to in Honolulu but didn't feel like dishing out $500/nite to stay at the Mandarin Oriental where the wedding was held... so I improvised! For $175/nite I got an old, moldy room with damp carpeting and an AC unit that buzzed and burped all night long.
Room was on the smaller size, but that wasn't the issue.. it was the strange moldy smell in the room, the wet carpets (the bathtub was all messed up so every time I took a shower water went EVERYWHERE), they were doing termite bombs (odorless... thank you) all weekend, and the super thin bed sheets that looked grossly dingy so I decided to sleep on top of my own towels all weekend long. I also refused to walk barefoot in the room out of fear that I would have caught fungus!
The place reminded me of the hostels I stayed in during college while traveling Europe: bare bones minimum but only $20/nite.
Their only saving grace was the small pool area they have- very peaceful away from the hustle bustle: but even then they do not have enough lounge chairs to comfortably accommodate even 1/4 of the guests, so you better hustle down there pronto.
The hotels customer service was good, though, and I could tell that they were trying... and to be fair, I don't know of any hotels in that downtown area that are nice.. it seems like most of the Waikiki hotels (Sheraton Surf Moana Loa, Outriggers, etc) all looked nice from the outside but were sketchy once you got inside. The only nice one I saw was the Mandarin Oriental, but that was $500+/nite.
For the price (less than $120) and location(2 blocks from the beach), a pretty good deal. But keep in mind this is only a solid 2 star accommodation. Think Days Inn, Best Western.
The decor in the lobby and the room we stayed in needed updating. Old tile floors, walls with peeling paint and cracks. the light fixtures were rusted. our mattress sank in the middle and you could feel the old springs. dingy bedding. initial impression: depressing.
However, the nice flat-screen TV, bath products, free internet, decent breakfast, coin laundry eventually won me over. The other Aqua hotels may be nicer.
Its clean and nice and remodeled. Its very walkable to the beach. Only problem is there is a club at the bottom and it is really loud at night. But who wants to sleep at night in Hawaii anyways.
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The website made the hotel seem very fancy, and indeed the lobby and the pool areas are very well landscaped and decorated. You almost forget that there's a ugly garage on the other side of the fence. Unfortunately, our room did not share the same flair. In fact, our room did not look anything like the rooms in their pictures. We had booked a room with a double bed and got two twin beds. They told us to push the beds together because they didn't have any other rooms available. The appliances were dusty and sticky, there were ants and a fly in the room, and mold in the tub area. They also left the previous tenant's alarm on, so we got a 4 o'clock wake-up call. The room desperately needed a new housekeeper and a fresh coat of paint.
On the other hand, the rooms are decently priced, especially for how close Waikiki Beach and everything else is. The staff is also very nice. Don't check in expecting much more than a motel and you'll be happy. Besides, you'll barely be in your room anyway. Go enjoy the beach; it's only two blocks away!
I agree with others that the hotel's website exaggerates the amenities and decor. The location is great with the exception of the noise from the traffic (heard even on the 12th floor). The staff are friendly and responsive. Beware, the price is an average of $185/night over the Christmas holidays...not a bargain. A visit to Chris, the massage therapist, is a great way to begin your vacation.
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[POSTED OCTOBER 19, 2007]
The Aqua Bamboo is on a very busy and noisy street. It is nice, overall, and you can get discounts to about $75 per night. Just search on-line.
We are staying in a privately-owned condo in the hotel (owned by Linda Lee, room 302) and would not recommend this to anyone. The carpet is stained and smelly, the AC leaks all over the Lanai, and the bathroom sink is plugged up. The owner doesn't take a lot of care with cleaning, and the refrigerator was not working when we got in for our month-long stay. We are paying $1,875 for the month. Linda Le did drop off a new dorm-style refrigerator within three days of us letting her know that the built-in one wasn't working, but she HAD to have known that it was not operational before we started our month stay.
The location of the hotel is only a block from the beach (and to the Duke webcam that you can find on the Internet.) The bus runs right up the street and there is a lot to do within walking distance.
Besides being somewhat old, the hotel is in good condition and if you stay up in the higher floors, I imagine the road noise is not so bad.
They have one hour free happy hour on Thursdays that is not so bad!
And, the staff seems friendly.
The hotel seems to be full on Fridays and Saturdays, but has open rooms during the week.
Oh, and they have high-speed Internet access, basic cable and a ground-level pool and small hot tub (only big enough for one couple at a time.
