Debuting as The Waikiki EDITION under Marriott, this property has had the most tumultuous existence in Hawaii’s tourism industry’s history – at least as far as I know. And it’s undergoing a major change yet again, as The Modern Honolulu rebrands, though we knew this was going to happen for a while now.
Way back in 2018, we learned that timeshare operator, Diamond Resorts, would be acquiring the floundering boutique hotel, The Modern Honolulu. We subsequently learned that, unsurprisingly, the hotel would become a timeshare resort. Then, in the depths of the pandemic, Hilton Grand Vacations announced that they’d be acquiring Diamond Resorts. Given this, it was pretty easy to predict what would happen next, and it finally did.
The Modern Honolulu Rebrands
On October 16, Pacific Business News reports that The Modern Honolulu rebrands. Somewhat disappointingly, the property’s new name is Hilton Grand Vacation Club The Modern Honolulu. But, let’s be really, the name isn’t important, right? What’s important is that the hotel is now under the Hilton banner, meaning you can earn and redeem Hilton Honors points for stay at the property.
That said, I wouldn’t redeem points at the hotel, at least right now. For the moment, pricing is the lowest I’ve ever seen at The Modern Honolulu. As of October 17, 2023, pricing for a standard king room is as low as $155/night for Hilton Honors members and $159/night for non-members. Unfortunately, there is a $35 resort fee, so that, plus Honolulu’s transient accommodations tax, means that the $155/night rate actually comes out to just over $225/night. Parking is an additional $35/night.
Stupidly, the resort fee includes a 10% discount on self-parking. Wut? If the resort fee is mandatory, why not just have an overnight guest rate that reflects that to begin with? Other inclusions include internet access, two bottles of water per day, fitness and cultural activities, 25% off daybed rentals (again, why not just lower the rate?), and one select appetizer with the purchase of an entree at the hotel’s restaurant.
In case you’re wondering, the base points rate at The Modern Honolulu, at least for now, is 67,000 points per night. If you agree with the generally accepted valuation of $0.005/per point for Hilton Honors points, then the value of those points comes out to $335. That’s still way more than the all-in cash rate they’re currently charging. No thanks.
Final Thoughts
The Modern Honolulu rebrands, and aside from now being part of the Hilton ecosystem, that’s about all that’s changed. The rooms, public spaces, amenities, etc. are all the same as before. In fact, the rooms haven’t changed much since The Waikiki EDITION opened, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but is incredibly minimalist. Me? I’ve never stayed. I could never justify the pricing, especially after it fell from its more luxurious former self. But I wouldn’t mind checking them out.