Holiday Inn Express Waikiki by IHG

Reviews

• BL

  Billy Love

  3 days ago
  5.0
  I need IHG corporate, hotel management, and honestly the entire island of Oʻahu to understand that Teresa and I did not simply “check into a hotel” here. We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express Waikiki by IHG at 2058 Kūhiō Avenue in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and somehow entered a higher plane of hospitality. First off, the setup of this place is actually super cool. You walk up into the open-air lobby area instead of going through some giant enclosed front entrance, and instantly you’re hit with warm air, palm trees, island energy, and the feeling that your stress has officially been left on the mainland. Then we got upstairs and realized we somehow ended up with a FABULOUS ocean view that immediately made us start questioning whether we should ever return home. But the real MVP of this experience is Kali at the front desk. Kali didn’t just check us in. Kali activated vacation mode. Friendly, hilarious, welcoming, calm, insanely professional, and somehow able to handle everything effortlessly while making guests feel genuinely important. Teresa and I were laughing afterward because this woman has the kind of energy that makes you feel like you just got upgraded to celebrity status even when you absolutely did not. Management: this is the employee people remember years later. Give Kali a raise. Give her employee of the month. Give her ownership shares. Put her on the IHG training videos. I would trust this woman to coordinate a moon landing, direct Waikiki traffic, and still somehow remember everyone’s room number. The hotel itself has been awesome: incredible Waikiki location easy walk to Waikiki Beach beautiful ocean views clean rooms fun atmosphere genuinely friendly staff But customer service is what makes people write reviews, and Kali absolutely made this stay memorable for Teresa and me. IHG, if you’re reading this:protect Kali at all costs. Absolute legend!!! 🏝️
• AO

  A Odom

  4 days ago
  5.0
  We stayed one night here and the location was great. I hate that they charged so much for amentities that we never used. I wish there was a way that hotels could charge those wanting to use the amenties a fee and give them a special bracelet to get into those area, but I guess it is what it is and most hotels seem to charge for those things. The room was nice and clean and the beds were comfortable. The air conditioning worked well. We only stayed one night at this hotel so it was fine for us and for what we needed it for. We chose not to eat at the hotel breakfast so I cannot speak to that. I was worried that we would not be able to find hotel parking after reading the reviews so I asked about parking when we checked in. We were told that they try to keep a close eye on when the garage becomes full and will put a sign out and if that were to happen that we could come back to the front desk and they would refund us the parking fee and help us to find parking at one of their partner hotels near by. Fortunately, we were able to find parking even when coming back from our luau late that night. The hotel met all of our needs so we would return.
• MM

  Matt Moran

  Apr 28, 2026
  5.0
  Great hotel for our group needs (43 students and 5 adult chaperones). The rooms are somewhat small, but packed with the amenities of some of the larger sister hotels and properties! Hip height refrigerator, coffee maker, closet to hang clothes, tv, etc. The views were great...overlooking both the canal, the street, the pool (5th floor), and the surrounding downtown area! The rooms were exceptionally clean and the service was wonderful. The front desk was able to process all our rooms expeditiously! (A must when traveling with a school group!) The breakfast was the typical: breads, muffins, some fruit, milk, juices, yogurt, eggs, some protein choices, and cereals to mention a few options/choices for patrons. The dining area was large and could host guests both inside and outside along a small patio seating area. Minutes from all the shopping and food areas! Small 10 minute walk to Waikiki Beach.
• BT

  Brendan Tully

  Apr 28, 2026
  5.0
  Amazing stay at Holiday Inn! From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, making us feel right at home. Having onsite parking was such a huge plus and made everything so convenient. The 5th floor was a favorite for our family — the kids absolutely loved the pool and games area, which made downtime after our daily adventures so much fun. Breakfast was also amazing with plenty of great options to start the day right. If you’re traveling with kids, this is especially a perfect place to stay. It’s the ideal spot to relax, unwind, and enjoy family time after a full day of activities. Highly recommend!
• DH

  Din Huang

  Apr 26, 2026
  1.0
  We stayed at Holiday Inn Express Waikiki in March 2026 with our 14-month-old son. During the complimentary breakfast service, milk served directly from the breakfast buffet was visibly spoiled. Our son consumed it before we noticed. We returned the carton to the front desk, and the on-duty manager documented the incident in writing. Our son developed a fever the same night that continued through our international travel day home and the day after. He recovered after about two days of home care. The hotel reversed certain related charges, which we appreciated. However, when we asked what investigation had been conducted into how spoiled milk reached the breakfast service of a major hotel brand — and what would be done to prevent it from reaching another child — we received no substantive answer. The hotel referred the matter to its insurer (Gallagher Bassett), which closed the claim without investigation, citing the absence of medical receipts. We had not taken our son to a doctor because the fever began the night before our return international flight and was manageable at home; the absence of a clinical receipt is a function of travel logistics, not severity. IHG corporate guest relations was notified and did not respond. The staff was friendly and the room was fine. The reason for this review is the food safety incident itself and the way it was handled afterward — billing was addressed, but the underlying food safety question and accountability were avoided across three separate channels (hotel, insurer, brand corporate). Posting this so that other parents traveling with young children have the information when choosing where to stay.

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