Sheraton Waikiki – Hotel Review

An ice cream parlour. Jets of water for little ones to jump around in. Foosball tables and arcade games. Maybe even a visit from a Disney princess. Sheraton Waikiki gets kids. Read on for the full review.

This waterfront resort, angled to take in views of Diamond Head, is a behemoth with almost 1700 rooms and suites, four eateries (including a nightclub) and boutiques, meaning it plays to a fairly diverse crowd – but families are a main focus. (It also means you should keep the map you’re handed at check-in.) Need a break from the little ones? Check them into the on-site childcare, Poppins, while you check out the adults-only infinity pool. 

Where is Sheraton Waikiki?

Set away from the main strip on the water’s edge (and behind the popular Royal Hawaiian Center), the hotel can be reached in around half an hour if travelling by car from the airport. 

What’s near Sheraton Waikiki?

Fort Derussy Beach Park is minutes away as is a beachfront pedestrian track – great for a morning run. The real star of Sheraton's stellar location is the sand of Waikiki Beach, accessible in mere footsteps from the hotel. 

Room types

At over 30 storeys high, this hotel has a room or suite to suit every traveller and offering just about any view you desire – ocean, mountain or city. The oceanfront double rooms benefit from a recent renovation, now rendered in calming neutral tones with blonde wood accents and dividers to separate the sleeping and bathroom areas. The double beds are supremely comfortable (that’d be the work of pillow top mattresses).

Restaurants and bars

There are four eateries within the hotel from the family-friendly Kai Market – a relaxed space serving breakfast and dinner that’s popular with locals for its buffet – to the slick, club-like RumFire, which has you covered from lunch until well after dark (it closes at midnight) with its Asian-fusion menu. Go here for share plates of tacos and poke. There’s also a small Italian outlet – Hapa’s Pizza – for when you need a quick and casual meal with the kids and the poolside Edge of Waikiki, serving crowd-friendly bar bites best enjoyed with a Mai Tai.

Travel for work

As well as having two computers at lobby level for guest use, the hotel has a business centre with copying and laminating services. Meeting spaces are extensive here – ranging from intimate boardrooms with waterviews to massive ballrooms that can accommodate up to 3700 people. All up there are 19 event spaces.

Gym, spa and pool

The hotel’s fitness centre, open 24 hours, offers the usual equipment – bikes, treadmills, weights – as well as ample space for pre- and post-workout stretches. If you’re after a massage, head to Spa Khakara – Lomi Lomi treatments are a Hawaiian specialty and this retreat offers a menu of different kinds including one that’s suitable during pregnancy.

What you need to know

Young and old queue up for the waterslide into the pool – but be prepared: it has some force behind it! 

SEE ALSO: The Best Beach Resorts in Waikiki