Best Western Aku Tiki Inn

Reviews

• SP

  Shawn Pigg

  3 days ago
  1.0
  My experience at Best Western Aku Tiki Inn and Traders Restaurant & Tiki Lounge in Daytona Beach, Florida I visited Traders Restaurant & Tiki Lounge at the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn in Daytona Beach, Florida, on August 20, 2026. I came in as a paying customer, sat down and ordered dinner. I happened to know one of the employees working there. When I saw her, I greeted her with a brief hello kiss on the lips. To be completely clear, this was simply a greeting between two adults who know each other. It was not sexual behavior, there was no inappropriate touching, and I was not creating a disturbance. Shortly afterward, a manager called the employee into the back. From where I was sitting, I personally heard the situation escalate into yelling, including the employee being told to get out and never come back. When I attempted to understand what was happening, the situation escalated further. In my experience, I was met with profanity and hostility and was threatened with having the police called. Another individual associated with management also confronted me and continued using profanity toward me as I was leaving. I want to be clear about my own conduct: I did not threaten anyone, become violent, or enter this Daytona Beach restaurant looking for a confrontation. I came in to have dinner. I paid for the meal I ordered. Because of how hostile the situation had become, I left without eating the meal or taking it with me. The food remained on the table. I have recordings related to this incident. I was also told that the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn has surveillance cameras that recorded what occurred. I hope that footage is preserved because it can provide an objective record of the interaction. While I was at the property, I also personally heard other people raising concerns and complaints. I am not presenting their statements as facts because those experiences belong to them, but hearing those concerns while dealing with my own experience made the situation even more troubling to me. I also came away with questions about some of the amenities and representations being made to guests regarding the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn. Rather than make claims about experiences I did not personally have, I encourage travelers considering this Daytona Beach hotel to verify exactly which advertised amenities, breakfast offerings, restaurant services and Tiki facilities are currently available before booking. I have spent decades working in the travel and hospitality industry. I understand that misunderstandings happen and managers sometimes have to address difficult situations. What matters is how those situations are handled. Based on what I personally experienced at Traders Restaurant & Tiki Lounge and the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn in Daytona Beach, Florida, I cannot recommend this establishment. My biggest concern is not that there was a disagreement. It is the way I personally witnessed the situation being handled. Customers and employees should be treated professionally, even when management believes there is a problem. If you're researching Best Western Aku Tiki Inn reviews, Traders Restaurant & Tiki Lounge reviews, Daytona Beach hotels, or Daytona Beach restaurants, I recommend reading recent reviews, verifying the amenities important to you, and making your own informed decision. Now the owner is continuously messaging an employee stating that I did not pay that I walked out without paying that I was there for hours when I was actually only there for about 30 minutes. I have it on recording me waiting for my change because I had to pay in cash because the machines were not working I will be contacting corporate office of best Western. I will be putting this property under investigation.. If you plan on staying in Daytona Beach, Florida, do not stay at this property. It is not safe for you or your family. This review represents my personal firsthand experience on August 20, 2026.
• YL

  Yenny Luna

  5 days ago
  1.0
  Unfortunately, our experience at this hotel was disappointing, especially when it came to cleanliness and service. While walking through the hallway on our way to the pool, we saw a roach, which immediately made us question how well the property was being maintained. The pool area was also a major concern. Although there were no leaves or visible trash floating in the water, the pool itself looked very dirty. The walls around the pool, especially near the depth numbers, were covered with black stains and buildup. It looked like the entire pool needed a serious deep cleaning. The shower in our room also looked very old and poorly maintained. The silicone around the walls was cracked and deteriorated, which made the bathroom feel less clean and cared for. Another issue was smoking around the pool. Even though there were clearly posted “No Smoking” signs, several guests were smoking near the pool, including what smelled like marijuana. We were there with our children, and people continued smoking nearby without any consideration. It was disappointing that the hotel staff did not seem to enforce their own no-smoking policy. The service was also frustrating. We are a family of four, yet we were only provided with three small towels. We had to ask multiple times just to get additional towels, which should not have been such a difficult request. Overall, the hotel needs significant improvements in cleanliness, maintenance, customer service, and enforcement of its policies. We expected a much cleaner and more comfortable environment, especially when traveling with children. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we would not choose to stay here again.
• JC

  Juan Cardenas

  5 days ago
  1.0
  Unfortunately, this was a very bad experience for our family. We were staying on the third floor, and the room had serious cleanliness and maintenance issues. The ceiling had visible moisture damage, and the paint was peeling off because of the humidity. There also appeared to be mold in the room, and there was a strong moldy smell. We were traveling with children who have asthma and allergies, and during the night they would not stop sneezing and coughing. This made the stay extremely uncomfortable and concerning for us. The room also did not appear to be properly cleaned, and we found an empty tequila bottle left on the balcony. The manager made the experience even worse. In our experience, she was unprofessional, dismissive, and did not handle our concerns appropriately. Unfortunately, this was a very bad experience for our family. We were staying on the 3rd floor, and the room had serious cleanliness and maintenance issues. The ceiling had visible moisture damage, and the paint was peeling because of the humidity. There also appeared to be mold in the room, and there was a strong moldy smell. We were traveling with children who have asthma and allergies, and during the night they would not stop sneezing and coughing. This made the stay extremely uncomfortable and concerning for us. The room also did not appear to be properly cleaned, and we found an empty tequila bottle left on the balcony. The manager made the experience even worse. In our experience, she was unprofessional, dismissive, and did not handle our concerns appropriately. On top of everything else, there was also an issue with our security deposit. We were told things that we believe were inaccurate in order to justify keeping the deposit, even though we left the room in good condition and did not damage or break anything. Overall, this was a terrible experience. Between the poor cleanliness, moisture damage, peeling ceiling paint, apparent mold, strong odor, the way our concerns were handled, and the issue with the security deposit, we will never stay at this hotel again.
• RC

  Rosmery Cardenas

  5 days ago
  1.0
  We will never stay at this hotel again. Our experience was terrible from the moment we received our rooms. The rooms were handed to us dirty—the shower and bathroom had not been properly cleaned. There were cockroaches in the hotel, what appeared to be smoked marijuana cigarette butts on the balcony, empty alcohol bottles, and one empty 7UP bottle left on the floor inside the room. I do want to point out that most of the employees were amazing, helpful, and respectful. Unfortunately, the manager was the complete opposite. The manager was extremely unprofessional and, in our experience, did not know how to properly treat or communicate with customers. What made the situation even worse was how our security deposit was handled. Statements were made that we believe were false in order to justify keeping our security deposit, even though we left the room in good condition and nothing was broken or damaged by us. Between the dirty room, cockroaches, trash left behind from previous guests, terrible management, and the way our security deposit was handled, we absolutely do not recommend this hotel and will never stay here again.
• DR

  DOLLY RIVERA

  Aug 10, 2026
  1.0
  Extremely concerning experience. I would not recommend this hotel. I made a reservation for the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn through Expedia at approximately 1:00 AM on August 10, 2026, for check-in on August 11 at 4:00 PM. I specifically selected a “Book Now, Pay Later” reservation, and I received an Expedia confirmation stating the same. Later that morning, at approximately 11:45 AM, less than 12 hours after making the reservation and more than 24 hours before check-in, my circumstances changed, so I called the hotel directly to explain the situation and ask about canceling the reservation. What happened during that phone call is the reason for this review. While I was still on the phone explaining the situation, I suddenly received a notification from my credit card company showing that the hotel had charged my card for the FULL amount of the stay. I immediately questioned the employee about the charge because I had not authorized her to process a full payment. She told me that because I was trying to cancel the reservation, she went ahead and processed the full charge. I was shocked. My reservation was supposed to be “Book Now, Pay Later,” and instead of discussing my options with me, the hotel processed the entire charge while I was still on the phone asking for assistance. When I objected and told her I had not authorized that charge, I was then told that if I had a problem, I needed to contact Expedia because they were the booking site. So I contacted Expedia. Expedia attempted to assist me and communicate with the hotel, but the situation was not resolved. Ultimately, I had to contact my credit card provider to report the charge and protect my account. My card issuer has now blocked both my physical and virtual card as a result of this situation. This entire experience was incredibly upsetting and, in my opinion, completely unprofessional. My biggest issue isn't simply that the hotel had a cancellation policy. My issue is that while I was on the phone trying to discuss my reservation, the hotel employee deliberately processed the full charge because I mentioned canceling, and then told me to take the issue up with Expedia. There is a major difference between enforcing a clearly disclosed cancellation policy and charging a customer's card during a phone conversation because they are asking about canceling. I never even made it to the property, and after this experience, I certainly would not feel comfortable staying here. I will not book with this hotel again, and unfortunately, after the way this reservation was handled, I also do not plan to use Expedia again. Potential guests should be extremely careful and keep copies of their reservation terms and payment confirmations.

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