Stopped by Heyday restaurant in White Sands hotel and the dinner was amazing! I heard that the chef here won the James Beard award and it shows!! Mason made me the best Mai Tai I’ve had here too! The ambiance is perfect for Waikiki. I will definitely be back.

The White Sands took us in when there was an emergency & we had nowhere else to go. Nohonani St was closed for police activity & our hotel next door only has one entrance, so we couldn't get back in. Lucky for us the White Sands has TWO entrances/exits so we were able to wait out a good portion of the 12-hour standoff at the BEST bar on Oahu. I think our bartender’s name was Mason (apologies if that's wrong) & he made amazing cocktails, the best we had the entire week (trust me, we went to every hotel bar on Waikiki). It was the first bar on the island I was able to get drunk at… all the other resorts/bars served overpriced, mediocre giggle-water. Order their Rum’s the Word - perfection in a glass! Since we were there for a long time, we also tried numerous dishes off the food menu, again, all delicious.

The best part of our refugee stay was by far the staff. Our bartender was very understanding & went above & beyond the normal duties of a bartender. He inquired about any available rooms for us in case we couldn’t make it back. We didn’t even ask, he just did it! Wade Takano, operations manager, was also so nice; allowing us to stay, use the bathroom, providing updates, etc. Yes, we were buying drinks/food the entire time, but they could have asked us to leave since we weren’t guests of the hotel. Instead, they choose to be understanding & accommodating in an unusual situation & for that, I'm forever grateful. I know exactly where I’m staying the next time I go to Oahu!

This hotel is awesome! It is super cute and charming. It is an older property, so know that if you are the type that cannot handle an older property and its quirks. I found it a great alternative to the Marriotts and Hilton corporate hotels that tend to be crowded with lots of people and slow elevators. This is a breath of fresh air! Yes, you have to walk up stairs to get to the second and third floors but I didn't find that a problem. My views were not great from my balcony but that is fine I knew that going in and was not there for the pool or ocean view. The beach is a short walk and you can get chairs and boogie boards at the front desk included in your resort fee. I loved that they have a great bar and restaurant on property and they shut it down at 9-930 pm so that their guests can get some sleep, I loved that. Food and beverages were top notch, we loved the cocktails! The live music was always fun - the vibe was great at night. Be aware that on certain Sundays they have a pool party that takes over the pool area from afternoon to early evening but we were informed at check in so we took that day to drive around to other areas of Oahu and enjoy the island.

My room was super cute and clean - housekeeping will clean your room once in seven days and that was just fine with me. You can always change out your towels whenever you need to. I loved the kitchenette, it was perfect for making your own breakfast and coffee in the room. WIFI works great. The housekeeping staff is wonderful and very friendly. The whole staff we met, from the front desk to the bartenders were all super nice and made us feel at home. I loved that split AC - you can really control it and it worked really well, better than most hotel HVAC systems. The ceiling fan was also a great touch you don't usually see in most hotels. The room had everything I needed, I had a desk so that I could get work done and there is also an in room safe. I had no issues with my bathroom, it was great to have all that counter space and the shower is small but we never had an issue with it, it was perfectly functional. The large closet was a plus!

As for the safety issues you see in other reviews, there is a slightly sketchy hotel next door to the property but we never felt unsafe, it is mostly people that are hanging out in front of the dive bar in that hotel minding their own business. We would walk by at all hours to get to Kuhio Ave and it was never a bad vibe, just big city life. Waikiki is part of a large metropolitan area.

Parking is tricky- you need to reserve it when checking in. They do direct you to a lot across the street at the same price if they don't have parking for you so parking is not a problem, just reserve it if you need it when you arrive.

If you are looking for a sweet hotel that feels less corporate and more charming and old Hawaii you will love it at at White Sands! I cannot wait to return!