Oahu Revealed - W Honolulu Diamond Head

W Honolulu Diamond Head
(877) 946-8357 or (808) 922-1700
2885 Kalakaua Ave.

Aerial View

49 rooms, room service, mini-bar may be emptied upon request, valet parking, conference room, restaurant, hi-speed Internet access in rooms and Web tv. A 12-story tower separated from the ocean by other buildings. All rooms have good Diamond Head views--hence the name. Services are good here, and guest preferences are tracked to keep tabs on what you like. Check-in is much more relaxed than at most resorts. There's a 24-hour concierge. The return rate is high here, and they take good care of repeat customers. The rooms are large, comfortable and nicely appointed. The restaurant is breakfast and dinner only. Parking is $15 (valet only), but local calls are a ridiculous $2 (the highest price we found in all of Waikiki--you can almost hire a messenger for that price!). Some rooms have fax machines, and all are beautifully furnished with down pillows, expensive bedding, stereos, 2-line cordless phones, etc. They clearly spent quite a bit on room amenities. Still the rack rates feel really high to us for a resort that's not on the beach, has no pool and is far from the heart of Waikiki. The ambiance is similar to Bamboo, which is less than half the price. (Though the rooms are nicer here.) Rooms (455 sq. ft.) are $520-$640, penthouse suite (2,544 sq. ft.) is $4,500. You can join the free Starwood Preferred program and may get up to 35% discount off these rates. Overall, it's a very nice place that felt overpriced to us. They seem to get a lot of business travelers.

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