Ilima Hotel — Hotel Review Rating: 2.5 Pearls

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Oyster Hotel Review

Reporter: Jessica F.
Updated: October 20, 2009

 Scene

Set on a quiet street at the northern edge of Waikiki, next to the Ala Wai Canal, it's hard not to notice the Ilima Hotel, a 40-year-old, cream-colored, pagoda-inspired structure with Barbie-Dreamhouse-pink trim. The 98-room budget condominium-style property boasts the largest rooms in Waikiki -- studios and suites range from 530 to 770 square feet. It's also among the least expensive properties in town (and one of the few truly affordable hotels with a free parking garage).

With full kitchens in every room or suite, the Ilima caters to families and groups looking to make themselves at home in Waikiki for an extended stay. Though the decor looks to be about a decade behind the times -- only the 32-inch, cable-equipped flat-screen TVs appear to be of recent vintage -- industrious cleaning and maintainance makes the hotel a standout among budget digs.

Original artwork in the well-maintained lobby by local artist Ralph Kagehiro, depicting Hawaiian gods and goddesses, plus a weekly Hawaiian culture and song session, garnered the hotel a much-coveted local Keep it Hawaii award. Koa wood furnishings and fresh Hawaiian floral arrangements give it a further sense of place.

Though guests could blink and easily miss the tiny heated pool, the claustrophobic and poorly equipped fitness room, and the one computer kiosk in the lobby that serves as the "business center", the inexpensive 24-hour laundry room and free parking make the Ilima a great value -- a Hawaiian home away from home.Those who don't mind giving up extended-stay facilities and want newer budget rooms a bit closer to the beach, Hotel Renew is a good option, while the Aqua Waikiki Pearl, about the same distance from the beach, offers newly renovated, up-to-date rooms.

 Service

The friendly staff at this budget property doesn't deliver high-level, individualized service, but it does ably smooth the way for its mostly independent-minded guests. Staffers are helpful when asked, and even try to remember guests' names, but they're much more focused on making sure everything runs smoothly than on being at the beck and call of guests.

• 24-hour front desk
• Daily housekeeping
• Free local phone calls from guest rooms
• Free daily, local newspaper
• Beach towels available at front desk

 Location

Tucked among condo complexes and budget hotels in the lower-profile -- and lower-decibel -- northern stretches of Waikiki, a good 10-minute walk from the beach and next to the Ala Wai Canal, the Ilima is in a decidedly more mellow location than similar properties on Kuhio Avenue, just a block away.

• Ala Wai Canal is a great place for a morning run or for watching the canoes during morning practices.
• Nearby Kuhio Avenue offers convenience stores, souvenir shops, and Waikiki's only pharmacy.
• Two blocks away is Waikiki's main drag, Kalakaua Avenue, a touristy milelong stretch of shops, restaurants, and high-rise hotels.
• Two blocks away is the outdoor International Marketplace, filled with souvenir stands
• Cheap and easy to get around Waikiki via "The Bus" ($2.25 per person to go any distance)
• Honolulu International Airport is a 20-minute, $35 cab ride.

 Rooms

The Ilima has 72 studio-style rooms, 12 one-bedroom suites, and 12 two-bedroom suites -- all with full kitchens. They range from 530 to 770 square feet, larger than others at this price level. Though the Hawaiian decor looks at least a decade old, the rooms are generally clean and well-maintained.

• Price difference between a so-so view and a spectacular one is only about $30 -- worth the upgrade
• Beds look worn and feel like they could use updating.
• New 32-inch flat-screen TVs in all rooms
• Kitchens have full-size fridge, microwave, oven, coffeemaker, plenty of cookware, and utensils
• Clean bathrooms have full-size bath tubs and separate showers
• Extra charge for in-room safes ($2.75 a day)
• Most rooms have private balconies with chairs and table; many have nice views of the Ala Wai Canal.

 Beach

The Ilima Hotel is an easy and colorful 10-minute walk, or three blocks, from Queen's Beach.

Loosely speaking, the entire 1.5-mile stretch of sand alongside Kalakaua Avenue is known as Waikiki Beach. In reality, it's more like three separate beaches, the borders of which vary depending on whom you ask. The Ilima is located three blocks from the section called Queen's Beach, which is the part you see on postcards of Waikiki: manicured, palm tree-dotted lawns leading to a sunny white-sand beach. Children splash about in the shallow water near the shore, while surfers and standup paddle-boarders (the rad new thing to do) patrol the outer waters.

To summarize Queen's Beach in one word: packed. Packed with energy, packed with activity, packed -- most significantly -- with people. Towels carpet the sand like blankets at a sold-out concert. Families with small children, honeymooning couples, even locals taking lunch breaks -- they all merge here, sunning, swimming, and sandcastle-building, all the while doing their best not to kick sand in each other's faces.

• Public beach
• Warm, shallow water -- a decent place to swim, especially for kids
• Sandy, not rocky, ocean bottom -- unlike neighboring Fort DeRussy to the west and Kuhio (aka "the wall") to the east.
• Lifeguards monitor the beach throughout the day.
• Free towels, provided by the hotel
• Umbrellas and lounge chairs must be rented from one of the many Star Beach Boys stands; chairs are $5 an hour, $20 a day; for two chairs and an umbrella, it's $10 an hour, $50 a day.
• Water sports equipment, like surfboards and boogie boards, available for rental at Star Beach Boys stands

 Features

You'll miss Ilima's pool, fitness room, and "business center if you blink your eyes. Yes, they're well maintained, but none of them will keep you on the property very long. The hotel does have free parking in their two level garage, which is not easy to come by in Waikiki. And those looking for a little Hawaiian authenticity will enjoy the "Mohalapua O 'Ilima" Hawaiian culture and music program that meets weekly. The Ilima won the prestigious Keep it Hawaii award in 2007 for the program.

• Free lobby Wi-Fi; free wired connection in rooms
• Free self-parking garage; a rarity in Waikiki
• Small 200-square-foot heated pool; you're better off walking to the beach.
• Tiny fitness room with one stationary bike and treadmill plus a dry-heat sauna (open 6 a.m to 10 p.m.)
• Sundeck overlooks the Ala Wai Canal, though more suited for an evening glass of wine than midday sunbathing.
• "Business center" is really just a single computer with printer in the lobby, and costs 20 cents per minute, 75 cents to print a page; $5 credit card minimum
• 24-hour laundry room ($1 for wash cycle; 75 cents for dry cycle)
• "Mohalapua O 'Ilima" Hawaiian culture and music program meets every Friday at 11:30 a.m.

 Cleanliness

Though the Ilima looks and feels behind the times aesthetically, it's done a good job keeping its facilities clean and well-maintained. The only sign of wear and tear are some shabby spots on carpets and coverlets in the rooms.

 Family

There's nothing particularly kid-focused at the Ilima, but families on a budget who want full kitchens and lots of space to spread out -- and don't mind few amenities and a trek to the beach -- could be happy here.

• Some of the largest studios and suites with full kitchens at this price level
• No organized kids activities
• Very small (200-square-foot) pool
• Three long blocks, or approximately 10 minutes by foot, to beach
• One-bedroom suite holds four (with a pullout couch); two-bedroom suite holds six (with a Murphy bed).
• Cribs and rollaway beds are $10 a night (cribs are free at most hotels).
• Inexpensive self-service laundry facilities on premises
• No on-site restaurant, but lots of kid-friendly dining options nearby

 Food

Tons of eateries -- from casual to upscale -- are within walking distance.

• Plenty of chain eateries on Kuhio Avenue, a block away
• Upscale and chain eateries are three blocks away on Kalakaua Avenue.
• In-room kitchens include a full-size refrigerator, microwave, oven, coffeemaker, cookware, and utensils.
• Convenience stores and supermarkets are within two blocks.

 Bottom Line

Set beside the Ala Moana Canal in a quiet section of Waikiki, the Ilima doesn't pretend to be anything fancy. With authentically kitschy decor and huge rooms with full kitchens, this hotel is great for large parties and families -- though kids will be disappointed by the tiny pool.