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Reviews of Holiday Surf Hotel

2.5 out of 5
Holiday Surf Hotel
2303 Ala Wai Blvd, Honolulu, HI

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 15 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 13 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 66 reviews" "

6.6/10

Cleanliness

6.6/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

5.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Angellica

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excelente service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very spacy. Bad side no pool. Beach is far away not walking distance. Great place to stay if your doin a concert and need a place to stay the night to avoid a dui. Definitely will stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect set up for the loner.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

Malissa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
You get what you pay for
Last minute booking so was happy to get in, but WIFI was very spotty and requested supplies not provided.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

XF

Traveled with family
I booked a family suite but was given a standard room instead.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hard no go
unfriendly staff, dirty and smelly room, just go and look for another place
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

6/10 Okay

Julie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Great people, dissapointing room
At first I was upset that the room was not what expected. Later, I decided not to let my initial disappointment ruin my vacation, so I never pursued my complaints. So I don't know how helpful they would have been (the hotel was booked so I don't think they could have given us a different room). Positives: front desk was friendly, as were the neighbors! Got towel service when needed. No cockroaches (huge plus in Hawaii). Negatives: The room we got was not the one we reserved. We reserved the refurbished Studio Suite that looked really cute in the pictures. When we checked in, we were "upgraded" to a One-Bedroom place, which was old-looking and had two twin beds in the main room with a queen bed in a separate bedroom. I didn't appreciate the separate bedroom because it was less cozy than a studio, and the TV was out in the main room instead of in the bedroom. There were no shades over the windows (the window liners were sort of see-through). Their paid parking is ridiculous, we used it the first night but found better free parking all the other nights. Lots of things were broken or missing that would have been easy to fix to make the place nicer-- closet door was hanging on by one hinge, dresser leg was broken, broken coffee pot, no DVD player, Queen bed and pillows were really stiff. Hotel was cheap and close to the main strip of Waikiki- we got what we paid for! Had a great time with no regrets, but would definitely pay $3 more to try their competitor next time.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Holiday Surf Hotel (not exactly a Hotel though)
By far one of the worst hotels I have every booked, and I stay in hotels more than 60 nights a year. First off this isn't exactly a hotel, it is a converted apartment complex (being rented as both.) The parking garage is 6 spots under the building. They have 2 seperate buildings you might be in 2 blocks away. If you get the buidling 2 blocks away and need something you have to go back to the other building this would include if you want to have a remote for the TV. Had about 6-8 cockroaches in the room, one was dead on the counter, they cleaned to room, but never cleaned it up. Shower looked as if it was never cleaned (I used shower shoes as I refused to touch the shower floor). Had parking issue after paying the $12 per day fee, and there wasn't a spot, they asked if I could park on the street. first there are no spot anywhere near the building open and secondly I paid for a spot. There customer service skills are horrible, I expressed my concern about the cockroaches and they just shrugged it off as it was nothing. They have no care since they already got there money. I was almost slept in my car because it was so gross. PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!

6/10 Okay

Randall, Durham, NC

Liked: Staff & service
Holiday Surf
For the price hotel was good. Stayed in a corner room with Ali Wai on the front and Nohonana to the side, great view and breeze. Did not need to use the a/c. Property could use a little tlc

4/10 Poor

gregori, norway

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
dont trust the photos
well all in all the room comfort was not what was displayed in the photos, the singel bed looked like it was the only surviving bed after the pearl harbor attack. the cleaning of the rooms was not good, it was just them taking the superfishal trash and not cleaning anything spesial of flores ect. at the end of the week there was so much dust in the room it actualy looked like it was alive

6/10 Okay

Annie

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Okay for one night.
This hotel was just fine for one night, but I wouldn't book a long stay. It was old, a little worn, but had some character in the decor that showed the staff cared. Unfortunately the beds were very thin, springy and uncomfortable, the walls were thin enough for the barking dogs in the next room to be a nuisance, and the toilet bowl wasn't as clean as one would like. It was hard to relax and we checked out as early as possible. I will say that the staff were thoughtful and friendly, and therefore I hate to hurt their feelings with my review.

4/10 Poor

Chris, Vacouver, Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well below expectation
When we checked in a very poorly trained young man greeted us. He was very confused, especially when he told us our room was not what we had reserved and paid for, but that they had an alternative room at an apartment two blocks away. When we saw the "apartment" is was very poor, old, smelly and with no AC. We decided to stay somehwre else that night and returned to the hotel the following morning. The rooms are old, tired and other than the beds, floor and bathroom not clean at all. Management ckearly does not check the Housekeeprs work as old food splashes were up the sides of the fridge. fridge seals were aweful, phone handset was dirty etc etc. Housekeeprs themselves were very friendly and always greeted you with a genuine smile.

6/10 Okay

Milena, Italy

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
only if you are desperate!!!
Great location but very noises!!! rooms are clean but terrible forniture old and used!!! no free wifi and no breackfast. personaly the next time I will visit Hawaii I will choose an other hotel!!!

8/10 Good

Janet, Stanwood, Washington

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Holiday Surf Hotel has th Aloha Spirit !
Personally when I go to Hawaii, I never plan on spending much time in a hotel room. Holiday Surf is an older, no frills, clean, reasonably priced hotel. The Shower was large and had great water pressure! There is a full sized kitchen with stove, full sized refrig. microwave,all utensils you need, which is very handy. The TV came with a DVD player in it. This hotel is very centrally located. There is limited parking but there is a public lot across the street for overnight parking for a reasonable price. There is a car rental across the street, a market half-way down the block, and one block down on Kuhio there are public buses that can take you all around the island. The hotel is a block and a half from the International Market, three blocks from the beach and right on the canal. I was traveling alone and felt very comfortable staying here. Alot of the old ALOHA!

6/10 Okay

Emma, Cerritos, CA

Liked: Room comfort
Not impressed.
For the price it was okay. The housekeeping staff were nice. I didn't have a working phone in my room during my 23 day stay. This was a major inconvenience as I was depending on friends to pick me up everyday and needed to know when and where.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

6/10 Okay

Gordon, Mobile, AL

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Economical hotel stay
I would recommend this hotel for those seeking a less expensive stay in Hawaii esp. if that stay may be extended. The hotel is no frills ie. complimentary coffee in room on 1st day only, one bar of soap provided, one bottle shampoo,etc. Linen was clean and changed daily. We had a kitchenette and fixed some meals in our room to cut down on expenses at restaurants. Remember, you won't be spending that much time in your room anyway.

4/10 Poor

Daniel, ATL

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It's cheap and if you don't have high standards, it is ok
The Hotel is very cheap.I was a little disappointed about the quality of the room we stayed in. The furniture was very simple and used. However the view we had was good. We did not stay in the Hotel very much because we were only on Oahu for a week and wanted to see as much as possible. So we pretty much were at the hotel to sleep only / during the evening

10/10 Excellent

Leonor, Los Angeles, Ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Happy Vacationer
This place isn't the Ritz Carlton, but it's a great place to stay if you're on a budget. It's only three blocks away from Waikiki, and is around great bars and eateries. The money that you save on the stay you can spend it on getting to know O'ahu, and believe me that exploring O'ahu is worth it. The staff is also very nice, on my next trip I'll be staying here again.

4/10 Poor

Jack, Orange County, CA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pretty Run Down
This hotel is pretty run down. I knew it wasn't going to be that good going into this but it was still less than expected. Very uncomfortable bed, and the couch bed thing was a disaster. Air conditioner in the bedroom, but not the other room. If people are sleeping in there they could be warm. The appliances were old, but worked and we were able to cook some meals in the room. Was able to park there every night and that was a plus. The staff were great. The bottom line is this: if you are going to Hawaii on a budget and this is your only option, then it is fine. Just know that this place is pretty beat up. If you can afford better lodging, get it. We could barely afford to go and this freed up some spending cash for island fun. I would not stay there again.

2/10 Terrible

Ruth, Bellevue, NE

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nightmare Experience!!!
The hotel is a living nightmare! I do not reccommend this hotel to anyone who wishes to have a decent shower, a good night sleep and good air conditioning. The restroom is horrible lighting is extremely dim, its very hard to see. The beds are in bad shape, and the headboards bang against the wall. The air conditioning is horrible! The hotel room was very hot and unpleasant.

10/10 Excellent

J, Pago Pago, American Samoa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Retro Waikiki
Holiday Surf was a great experience. Although somewhat retro and a little worn, their studios have an equipped kitchenette with microwave, fridge, stove and appliances; a double or king size bed; a spacious closet with ironing; t.v, phone, radio; table and chairs, armchairs, nightstand and dresser; and showertub restroom. The balcony had a nice view of the Ala Wai Lagoon Golfcouse, the Mountain Suburbs of Honolulu, part of Diamond Head crater and the Ko'olau Mountains skyline. Internet, parking, hotel services,etc. were also available. Would recommend this place to anyone with time to enjoy Oahu Island.

2/10 Terrible

Tiffany, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worst Place I have Ever Been To In My Entire Life
The hotel overall was horrible. The shower inside the hotel room had tile falling off the shower walls and off the floor. To enter the hotel you have to ring and wait for someone to open the door for you, which was for security purposes. But the two main doors on each floor stayed open day and night the two nights we stayed there. We ended up leaving on the second night when we were supposed to stay a total of 6 nights and only got refunded for one night. There was broken glass in the hotel room and we were forced to wear shoes in the hotel room the days we stayed there. They were not very friendly to us and when I asked them if I could borrow a sweeper to sweep the broken glass out of the carpet the receptionist said that they would sweep it in the morning. We left the morning after and came back to the hotel around 7pm and the glass was still all through the hotel room. The hotel was the worst part of our vacation to Hawaii.

4/10 Poor

Mark, Gilbert, AZ

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Poeple were very nice but hotel is more of a 1 star instead of a 2 star.
I thought I traveled back to the 70's. The bed was from the 70's too. The people were really sweet so it is difficult to really rip them. But, the hotel was below average and we as a family are veterans of staying in 2 star hotels.

2/10 Terrible

runicka, NY

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Will not recommend this hotel
The rooms were not very clean. The only mirror in the kids room was the bathroom mirror. The first thing we notice was the roach on the wall. There was not complimentery soap, or shampoo. Had to go down to front desk and ask for soap. There was two towels for 3 guest. We asked for extra towels, but never got any. Ended up purchasing towel. My room had a broken toilet seat that pinches everytime you use the toilet. Most of the staff was friendly. Paid for parking, but apparently the hotel does not have enough parking for its guests. there is about 8 parking spots for about 30 guest. There was not dusting or vaccuming or cleaning of the bathrooms regularly. Too much uncleandiness for a hotel catering to visitors. I would not stay here or recommend this hotel to

10/10 Excellent

sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The location, accomodations, and staff were beyond reproach! Staff is friendly, helpful,& polite!
Room & staff were great!

10/10 Excellent

David, Los Angeles,CA

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Not the hilton, not the Marriot but, The Surf Hotel met our needs.
All in all, my family and I were pleased with the service at the Holiday Surf Hotel. Although the parking situation was a bit different at first, we worked with management due to the hotels lack of parking space availability. Sharon was very helpful as were all other staff. We felt very comfortable and secure there. I was impressed on how convenient our room was so we basically had breakfast there during our stay in Oahu. We found everything we needed in the kitchen to stir up a meal. For the price we paid, for our stay and all things considered it was great. We were more than satisfied with our stay.

6/10 Okay

Liz, Anchorage, Alaska

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well, I got what I paid for
The staff was extremely nice. And the price is fantastically low. Aside from that, there is really not much to recommend this hotel. Consider yourself warned that it really is cheap for a reason. There were numerous things broken in my room, some were fixed while I was there and some weren't. The windows are those glass slats and some of them didn't close completely - I mean some of the entire section didn't. It was very noisy at night along the Canal, and when it was windy the whistling was pretty loud. It had a kitchenette which was nice, and a stove is great except that it has push-buttons on the front where a toddler can easily push (which I had with me!) Again, it was a very cheap place to stay and for that reason I'd go back, especially because everyone was so nice. But it was not a high quality place and I was initially quite surprised by the state of the room. Oh, one more thing: NO ramp to the front / main door. There is an elevator inside, but you have to go up about 10 steps to get into the main lobby of the hotel -- wheelchairs or baby strollers, could be a deal breaker!

10/10 Excellent

Irina, Moscow Russia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My best holidays
Many thanks to staff of Holiday Surf Hotel. I visited it 17-27 May I'm Irina from Moscow Russia. I have my great holiday there. The staff ware nice and very helpful people. The Hotel is situated very good near the ocean, different markets, cafe and restorants. You have got a kitchenette in room and you can prepare food on your own. You can see a beautiful landscape from yor windows

8/10 Good

celeste, CA

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Good for the buck
Good experience

6/10 Okay

Ashley

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cheap for a reason
Hotel was much more run down than expected based on the pictures and other reviews. Very old furniture and decor, uncomfortable bed and pillows, and very thin walls did not make for a pleasant stay. We did not plan to stay in the hotel much, but I was still disappointed with this hotel. Staff was friendly, but the hotel condition was simply deplorable.

10/10 Excellent

Joel, St. Paul, MN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The place to stay!--Holiday Surf Hotel!!
This was a very nice place to stay. I was upgraded into a single bedroom room from a studio. The location and neighborhood were both good as well. It was within walking distance from the beach, shopping, groceries, etc. The rooms include a kitchen (sink, stove, oven, microwave, fridge, etc...) Have already recommended to friends and hope to stay here again when I come back to Hawaii.

8/10 Good

George, Japan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Not top end but for the price good location
The hotel was clean and the staff was pleasant. The hotel was in a convenient central location in the Waikiki tourist area. There is kitchen in the room however, everything was old and barely working, like the fridge. They have newer rooms, and from hearsay all the rooms are to be renovated. Meantime for this price for a very good location in Waikiki, you can't say much unless you are spending all day in the room- in which case going somewhere else is advised. Personal note for animal lovers- don't go to the Eurohut, a shop down the street on Kuhio Blvd. There was a pigeon dying in their front display window and they couldn't care less; even when several customers brought it to their attention.

4/10 Poor

Sam, Phila, PA

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Jersey Shore in Oahu
Don't get me wrong, the hotel was clean and the staff was pleasant. The hotel was in a convenient central location in the Waikiki tourist area. True we did have a kitchen in our room but that meant that the stove was literally two feet from my bed. Pretty much everything was old and barely working, like the fridge. The staff was pleasant and helpful for the most part until it came time to inquire about late check-out. On this issue we got three different sets of answers from people trying to charge us three different rates. In the end we decided not to pay the extra money because it was twice the amount we were originally quoted. I think that this was one of the lower end hotels in the area, it was definitely one of the smallest so it didn't have any of the amenities that the larger hotels had, a pool, a restaurant etc. If you can find something better, even if you have to pay a little more, I would recommend choosing another hotel, I know that when I go back to Oahu, I will not be staying at the Holiday Surf Hotel.

8/10 Good

Raffaele, San Francisco, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cheap hotel in a good location!
This hotel is perfect, just to have a room in which you can put your stuff and you can sleep in. Within 5minutes on foot you're in the middle of Waikiki, after 7minutes on the Waikiki beach. Location is in that case great and not noisy. Room was everytime very clean.

8/10 Good

Shaun, Seattle

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best You Can Get for What you Pay For
The staff was very friendly. Rooms had everything you need, but weren't the cleanest. However, you get what you pay for and for this price, I can't complain.

8/10 Good

Faron, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great value for the money
Great basic hotel that is good value for the money.

2/10 Terrible

Deborah, Southfield, MI.

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A scary place to stay, not at all worth the savings!!
This hotel resembled a motel environment with extended stay guests who appear to have fallen on hard times. I was very nervous and uncomfortable during the one night I had to stay until I could get another place to stay. When I expressed my concerns the night desk person go really offensive and hostile! This hotel should be removed from the possible choices, its just that bad internally. The plumbling and appliances havent been updated since they were installed decades ago. There was mold in the non- defrost free refrig. Please don't waste your money by staying here, please!

6/10 Okay

cheryl, saskatchewan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
clean place to eat and sleep
wasn't sure what to expect the reviews didn't sound so good for this place , so i was relieved when we got there sure its an old place but it was very clean. the room we had ,had been redone (new flooring ,fridge,curtains) the a/c went and the owner put a new one in right away.The only beef i had with the place is that there was no pool (no biggy) . Our overall stay here was good. Would i stay again? Well if they got a pool i would.

10/10 Excellent

tim, portland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
a hidden gem
i loved this hotel, the front could use some flowers but the building exterior has a new blue paint job.the rooms are very clean,seemed like brand new tile in the shower and the carpet looked new .the bed was very comfortable. although my 5th floor room looked directly at some apartments it faced south and gave me a view of the ala wai canal and ala wai golf course. the morning sun glistenning off the waters of the canal and the leaves of the palm trees made for nice mornings with coffee on the lanai. i found this hotel very charming, great service, nice staff and very quiet. there is noise from the street below but none of the loud busses and garbage trucks that you here at some hotels in waikiki. for the price i think its a great value. i will be coming back to this place. if you are looking for a resort hotel this isnt the place for you but if you want a clean room just one block from kuhio street and a 5 minute walk to the beach try this place.

10/10 Excellent

Wally, West Virginia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed with friends
We chose this hotel for two reasons: 1. We have a friend who was staying there for three months. 2. Low Expedia price and central location The staff was very friendly, particularly with an introduction by our friend. Location is convenient for The Bus services, Roberts airport shuttle, restaurants etc. in all price categories. One downside: traffic on the street is 24 hours, but that's part of life on Waikiki. If we ever return to Waikiki, I will definitely consider booking there again.

10/10 Excellent

Laura, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would Happily Return
This hotel is perfect for anyone on a budget. It's perfectly nice, the staff is very friendly and helpful. Bring earplugs as pigeons like to coo loudly in the morning, and in case someone is loud next door. Tends to be very quiet, though. No complaints. Leave a tip for the housekeepers - they generally get shafted (I used to be one). The beach is not really 2 blocks away - it's two block down, and about 3-4 blocks to the left. You have to walk past all the hotels to get there, unless you sneak through other hotels. Keep that in mind, if you want very quick access to the beach. That was the only drawback.

10/10 Excellent

Carlos, California, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Holiday Surf a wonderful Hotel
The Hotel & the people whom work there was a great experience. The only issue I had was the noise from the street. The value for the location was great.

10/10 Excellent

David, Salwa, Kuwait

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay in Wakiki
After reading the reviews, I was a bit anxious about the hotel. After check in, I was pleasantly surprised. The hotel is very convenient to all downtown Wakiki sites and bus lines. Many restaurants and stores to choose from including the international market. I had a great time. I turned on the ventilation fan to circulate the air in the room and to help drown out the outside noise. The smooth white noise lulled me to sleep and provided the best combination of moving air and temperature control. I had a great time and wish everyone could visit for at least a few days

10/10 Excellent

Shelby, Colorado

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Price is Right!
Overall It was an awesome stay. Our towels and sheets were changed out everyday, they even did our dishes. We were given a better room for no extra charge. Very friendly staff, good location. I definitly recommend it for a young couple. This place isn't for you if your looking for a 5 star hotel, but you're in Hawaii, who needs a 5 star hotel right?

4/10 Poor

Yue, Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Poor maintenance and room services
I do not recommend this hotel, though the location is good. We stayed there for 8 days. The shower room's drainage was a problem. The shower head leaked. It did not get fixed until the day before we left. During 8 days the bed sheet changed once. There was no free Wi-fi.

4/10 Poor

Monique, Massachusetts

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Booooooo...
This hotel was rather poorly set up, with no room service, hard pillows, the windows were placed to face other buildings instead of the canal... in short, it was very bland and unsatisfying. The rooms were well kept, but the blankets and sheets were kind of stiff, the pillows were hard and uncomfortable, and don't even get me started on the parking. It costs ten dollars a day to try to squeeze your car in to one of about ten spaces, for the entire hotel, and they were all surrounded by concrete walls. It looked like something out of Austin Powers trying to park in the spots, if there even was one available. I was lucky if I could get the car in there with anything less than a ten point turn, and I had to have my boyfriend get out and give directions from the ground so I didnt hit anything. In short, needs work.

8/10 Good

Rick, La Mesa, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Good for what you pay
Keeping in mind that this hotel is a 5 minute walk from Waikiki beach, it's a GOOD value. Especially with a little balcony, two twin beds and a refrigerator, microwave and small kitchen. The furniture is decades old and so is the plumbing, but at least it's a clean place to stay. You pay for parking if you want it, and the parking stalls are smaaall.