If you want to live large, yet save a little in Waikiki, look no further than the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel. Centrally located on Kalakaua Avenue and directly across from Waikiki Beach, the hotel features whimsical architecture (designed to resemble a Chinese lantern) and is within walking distance from the Honolulu Zoo, Royal Hawaiian Center, Waikiki Aquarium, and other popular island activities. With an oceanfront location and unbeatable room rates, the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel is a gem in Waikiki.
Old hotel with zero luxuries but prime beach front locale
bosoxpride101
(Fremont, California)
This was the 2nd of our two hotels in Waikiki during our 1 week stay. Hotel #1 (outrigger beachcomber) for its convenience to food & shopping; hotel #2 (Waikiki Circle) strictly for its beach front location. Its an older hotel that offers little in luxuries & comforts but more than made up for it by its prime locale.
We pre-booked the most expensive ocean front room 2 months in advance, but at the check in the gentleman wanted to put us on 4th floor which will only have a tree top view of Waikiki. He offered to put us on upper floor if we pony up extra $25 per night. Why am I always the victim of unscrupulous practices? sigh.... Anyways we decided to pay and was upgrade to 12th floor. There was also a resort fee ($25 + 1.18 + 2.56, daily). For a small hotel without any gym, pool or other facilities I don't think that was justified.
The moment we entered the room we knew it was prob worth the $25/night ransom. From the entrance alone we already had an unobstructed view of the blue Pacific. Perched from the balcony the view was even more stunning: to the south stood the imposing Diamond Head, to the north the iconic Moana Surfrider hotel, Kalakaua ave (Waikiki main strip) was right beneath us. Right in-front of our hotel is the Waikiki beach & Duke's statue, literally a Brady to Gronk TD throw away. Everyday we sat on the balcony and listened to the sounds of the sea, watching surfers riding the waves Sunset was magnificent as we faced almost directly toward the West, even in the morning and during the day the sight and sounds were fabulous. Even if they charged us $50 extra per day we would have gladly oblige, will even throw in our dwarf hamster Sophia on top.
The room was dated and had that 1970's vibe: old decor, small bathroom, tiny shower with lukewarm water & anemic pressure. On the positive side it has a Keurig maker and most importantly a safety box. The queen beds were comfy, pillow were not overly fluffy but adequate . They were low profiles so more ideal for my bad back. Daily newspaper was delivered to the door, beach towels are avail upon request, ice machine down stairs but no water station. There is no lobby, 1 gentleman in the booth next to the elevators handles all transactions & interactions. They are probably the descendants of Mrs Kwok the original founder.
Next door there is McDonald , egg & things is affiliated with hotel but guests enjoy 10% discount by showing hotel card. If you venture 1 block to the east you will find a hidden gem called "Mac", it has no line & far superior food. We ate most of the time in places further up North near our hotel #1, around Inter Market & Royal Hawaiian Center.
Overall we had a pleasant stay & would def consider returning for its prime beach front location.
Love this hotel
kubes11
(Mankato, Minnesota)
Small but nice, clean hotel. Staff very friendly. Right across from the beach. In the process of putting in new glass balconies, which look great. They replaced the blackout drapes with a shuttered slider, which looks nice but doesn't keep out much light. You might want to bring a sleep mask if you don't want to wake up early.
Love the Waikiki Circle!
slj
(Baltimore, Maryland)
I have stayed at this hotel 4 times and I can't wait to return.
An oceanfront room is a view of Heaven. The hotel is very clean, very cute and the staff are friendly and helpful. (Thank you again Shawn!)
The location is amazing. The elevators work great. (after some of the hotels I have stayed at, that does rate a special note)
At night we enjoyed sitting on the lanai and watching the people down on Kalakaua Ave, and listening to the waves crashing across the street.
The parking garage is very small and very limited but 'TheBus' and trolley stop across the street, if you don't have a car.
If you want a foo-foo hotel this isn't it.
If you want a beautiful, clean, comfortable and relaxing hotel with a perfect location, this is for you.
This hotel missed the mark
sophia4230
(New York City, New York)
This property has so much potential - it's in a prime location on Waikiki beach and compared to its neighbors, they offer the best price. But unfortunately, in the time of pandemic (esp the time we visited), we did not feel that our room was cleaned thoroughly. It was a dingy looking room. I wiped everything down myself with sanitizing wipes which I brought. I immediately made a complaint through the front desk and through Expedia and the answer I received was quite a nonchalant one. I requested for 2 extra sheets just so I could place it on top of the bed bec it really felt unsanitary. The next morning I requested to be moved to another room which they did. This room on the 10th floor was definitely better but that NEXT LEVEL clean they speak of - you just don't feel it. Maybe it's the tired looking interiors & carpeting but there is work to do to make this hotel a lot better than what it is now. Last thing, no one ever mentioned renovations happening and one morning, this is all we heard. DRILLING. We literally had to get out of our room to avoid getting a headache from the noise. I have the video documenting the noise level but I can't upload it here. Hotels need to be more transparent about renovations bec this impacts a guest's stay 100%. Regarding the resort fee that all Waikiki hotels charge, theirs may be one of the lowest but it covers nothing like other hotels. Their fee covered wifi, safe & a newspaper - all of which come standard at most hotels (resort or not!).
Awesome place
torrancemom6
Great location , right across from the beach and had a wonderful stay !! Would stay here again . The staff was very friendly and courteous , there is a restaurant eggs n things located on the premises and McDonald’s next door for quickie eats ..
