My friend Brian pointed out to me that a new Marriott hotel would be opening in Waikiki soon. The new property in question will be the first Waikiki Autographic Collection hotel: The ‘Okina, Autograph Collection Hotel.
The ‘Okina Hotel will actually be the first Autographic Collection hotel on Oahu. And though it’s a “new” Marriott property in Waikiki, it’s really just a renovation of an old hotel. The old hotel in question is the Aqua Waikiki Wave Hotel.
The Aqua Waikiki Wave didn’t look like a bad hotel, though the room decor was certainly interesting. Ratings weren’t too bad, either, with an average 3-3.5 star rating on various review sites. Oyster.com, however, complained of loud noise in all rooms. Some rooms are even said to have parking lot views.
Noise issues and rooms with no view are not surprising, however. The property is located in a very dense part of Waikiki, right next to the International Market Place. So yes it might be pretty noisy, but you’r also surrounded by great shopping and dining options. Unfortunately, you’re also about a 10-15 minute walk to the nearest beach. So if a beachfront property is what you want, this property will not be for you.
The hotel will be styled in a retro theme, which seems to be a fad of sorts in Waikiki now. And though the ‘Okina’s interior design isn’t bad, I still prefer the Surfjack Hotel’s retro look.
That being said, the new room design does seem to make better use of the available space. Rooms will start at 328 sq/ft, and will go on up to 515 sq/ft suites. Interestingly the hotel’s page also lists Concierge Level rooms as an option. If the Okina does in-fact have a Concierge Lounge, it’ll be a first for Marriott in Hawaii. Period. And it’s about time, in my opinion. Both Hyatt and Starwood already have properties with lounges in Hawaii.
At any rate, new properties are always exciting, this one especially for me since this is a new Marriott property near home. And as I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of the interior design, but the hotel rooms do look good. But will it be as good as the upcoming Hyatt Centric Waikiki? Probably not.
The Hyatt Centric is likely more upscale. That being said, the Hyatt Centric prices around $300-$400/night (base), while prices at the ‘Okina starts around $250/night. That’s a really close price point if you ask me. Hopefully I’m wrong about the properties being significantly different from each other. That being said, rate being similar, I’d likely choose the Hyatt Centric over the ‘Okina based on currently available information. A Marriott Rewards category has not been determined for the property yet, either. But we’ll see! The ‘Okina Autograph Collection Hotel is scheduled to open in March 2017.
So, which property do you see yourself favoring?
Not an impressive Autograph Collection property or location, if you ask me. Glad to see another Marriott option in Honolulu, of course…but this property just reinforces the fact that Autograph is more about 3-4 star properties than 5 star luxury properties. That’s another reason that Marriott needs to keep most SPG Luxury Collection properties distinct from Autograph Collection.
I agree, Bill. I think Marriott needs to sit down and really think about what the Autograph Collection should represent. There’s too much variation, in my opinion, in the quality of their properties. And this property certainly isn’t all that impressive, especially when compared to its neighbor, the Hyatt Centric Waikiki. It’ll be interesting to see what (if anything) Marriott does with SPG properties going forward, but I do agree the Luxury Collection needs to remain separate. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, after all, is nothing like the ‘Okina Hotel!
Was this a Courtyard in its previous life? Horrible reddish carpeting in the Standard room pics sure looks like it.
Christian, no this property used to be a private label property: the Aqua Waikiki Wave. Aqua is now part of Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and is responsible for properties ranging from the crummy Honolulu Airport Hotel, all the way up to the luxury-ish Modern Honolulu (Waikiki Edition).