LIVING ON THE EDGE
THE BRIEF
Many of my readers know that I’ve been staying at the ROYAL HAWAIIAN when I visit Waikiki for quite some time now. This year of the COVID pandemic made things different in many respects and that included accommodations. The Royal was still closed when I returned so the folks put me up in the SHERATON WAIKIKI. The hotel has been completely renovated over the last 2 years and is now modern and updated.
Over my many years of flying, travelling, and staying in hotels, I developed a distaste for the Sheraton product. I tended to shy away from them in North America if I could. This Sheraton has changed that long-held view. It’s one of the nicest properties you will ever stay at.
This hotel is superbly managed by some of the best people in the business. It’s the location at the edge of the sea and surf that’s a huge draw. Being right in the heart of Waikiki doesn’t hurt either. In a normal year, it would be packed with people attending business meetings. Of course, this being the year of the COVID has cancelled all that.
Folks on vacation, as well as those just taking a weekend break, flocked here. As I write this, things are very slowly improving. The spring breakers are just starting to arrive and the beach is starting to fill up again. On arrival, you will be greeted by the Sea Turtles statue at the large, airy, front entrance.
After making your way past some shops the large, bright, Lobby area will appear. On the right is the check-in counters. To your left will be the games and lounge area. There are rocking chairs out by the Koi Pond adjacent to this section.
Past the check-in section, you will find the Rum Fire bar and restaurant. Finally, at the back of the hotel, right on the ocean, is the edge pool and bar. There are other shops and restaurants which are currently closed as a result of the pandemic.
It’s all about the spectacular views from most of the rooms available here and my first room, a standard King bed, was no exception. The hotel has 31 stories and 1,636 suites of various sizes.
The room is rather small at roughly 240sq. ft. but adequate none the less. It’s fully equipped and has new furnishing throughout. I found the wi-fi to actually be high speed.
Since I was doing a long term stay this trip the management decided to upgrade me to a one-bedroom suite. It has about 900 square feet, a separate bedroom, two balconies plus a dining area and living room. There was lots of closet space as well in this one. Very comfortable!
DIAMOND HEAD VIEW FROM THE ONE BEDROOM SUITE
THE AMENITIES
An oceanfront adults-only Edge Infinity Pool and family-friendly Helumoa Playground pool are offered for relaxing the day away. The Helumoa pool features a waterslide, two large whirlpools, an interactive fountain area, luxury poolside cabanas, and poolside food and beverage service. Pools are currently open 9 am – 6 pm and require reservations.
Reservations for complimentary pool chairs can be made at the pool desks from 8:30 am for two-hour time blocks. The pool desks close at 5 pm. Cabanas can be reserved ahead of time on https://sheraton.umbrella-finder.com/. The Helumoa whirlpool spa is closed until further notice. Face coverings are required at all times unless seated at your pool, beach chair or cabana, or while in the water. Maintaining 6 feet of social distance from individuals who are not members of your household, living unit, or residence is required.
There is a large, fully-equipped fitness centre on the 4th-floor which I wrote about on the ROYAL HAWAIIAN REVIEW. It features a full rack of free weights, an assortment of cardio machines, and a large number of treadmills as well as stationary bikes. Reservations are currently required to access the fitness centre and you can do that through guest services.
The Rumfire, as of this 2021 writing, is the only restaurant available. It offers only the dine-in option. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7 am to 8 pm and features live music each evening from 6-8 pm. I’ve sampled breakfast and dinner here and can be confident in saying the food is very good. There are a new chef and MENU featured here now as well as a change in atmosphere which is very refreshing.
THE DEBRIEF
It was a refreshing change to stay at the Sheraton Waikiki. Management and Staff went all out on making me feel right at home. One of the nice things about staying here is being able to take advantage of the amenities like the MAI TAI BAR next door or the Veranda at the MOANA SURFRIDER. Being just steps away from everything in Waikiki is a definite advantage. The refurbished and modern rooms with Ocean view Lanai’s are wonderful to come home to and relax.
