Aston Aloha Beach Hotel

We stayed five nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay. The location was excellent, but the hotel itself felt rundown. There was a smell of damp in parts of the building and peeling paint in the corridor. On arrival, we were given the room we had booked and paid for. It was small, had no balcony and fell below the standard we have come to expect from Hilton. My husband’s Lifetime Diamond status was not acknowledged, and no upgrade was offered. We asked whether a room with a balcony was available and pointed out the ground-floor rooms with outdoor space. The manager on duty kindly moved us to a ground-floor suite with a patio, which we appreciated. Even the suite had worn furniture, broken bedside-table runners and a dated bathroom that could have been cleaner. The outside seating area was tatty. Parking was another frustration. We struggled to find a space in the designated Diamond area. On our final day, cars were double-parked and we took the last available space in the car park. We counted ten vehicles in the Diamond area without parking vouchers displayed. Reception told us security checks the car park, but our experience left us questioning how effectively parking was managed. The facilities felt inadequate for a 216-room hotel. There is one small swimming pool and an even smaller dipping pool, with approximately 33 loungers across the two areas from what we could see. Seating was particularly hard to find in the afternoon when guests arrived back from their outings . Mamahune’s is described as a poolside tiki bar and restaurant offering contemporary Hawaiian cuisine and picturesque bay views. That description gave us a much grander impression than the limited evening dining setup we found: a small bar with little seating, which was also the hotel’s only place for an evening meal. During our visits, it appeared to have one bartender and one chef working from a small grill. Drinks at the bar were served in flimsy disposable plastic cups. Other places we visited used sturdy, reusable plastic glasses, which made the choice here particularly disappointing. In the room, hot drinks required paper cups individually wrapped in plastic, while thin disposable plastic cups were provided for cold drinks. There were no tea bags. This reliance on disposable cups and packaging seemed at odds with Hilton’s sustainability commitments. We visited neighbouring hotels during our stay, including Kauai Shores, where we ate several times. Compared with the facilities we saw nearby, those at the Hilton Garden Inn felt poor. The helpful manager and excellent location were highlights, but the property needs attention.

Our room smelled of mold and mildew. We should have asked for another right away but we wanted the ground-floor room with the patio and feared that perhaps all of those were in the same condition. A/C helped a little. Until Hurricane Lowell wiped that out. Then we had to keep the patio door open at all times. Yet, I like the hotel's location, right by Lydgate Beach, and their response to the storm was OUTSTANDING. They were well prepared, they kept us fed, and they did it all with a smile.

I would give this hotel ZERO STARS if I could. This was by far the worst Hilton experience my family and I have ever had. From the moment we arrived, the experience was unacceptable. We waited almost TWO HOURS past the scheduled check-in time for our room to be ready, and my nephew experienced the same issue with his room. What made it even more frustrating was that after waiting for so long, I had to make the effort myself to call and ask whether our room was finally ready because I was tired of waiting. There was no proactive communication or update from the hotel regarding the delay. Guests should not have to chase down the hotel just to find out whether their room is ready nearly two hours after check-in time. After waiting that long, we expected to at least receive a clean and comfortable room. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The bedding was rough and scratchy, the bathtub had visible stains and what appeared to be mold, and the room had a strong musty, mold-like smell. These are basic cleanliness and comfort standards that guests should not have to complain about, especially at a Hilton property. To make matters worse, I was CHARGED TWICE for my stay. Having to deal with a duplicate charge on top of the delayed check-in and unacceptable room conditions made an already frustrating experience even worse. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I was also extremely disappointed that my Diamond member benefits were not honored. I have remained loyal to Hilton because I expect a certain level of service and hospitality, but there was very little recognition of that loyalty during this stay. The customer service was probably the most disappointing part of the entire experience. The manager spoke to my sister disrespectfully and, when addressing her concerns, responded with a smirk, “You are only here for one night.” That comment was incredibly dismissive and unprofessional. Whether someone stays for ONE NIGHT or an entire week, they are still a paying guest and deserve the same level of respect and customer service. This property needs serious attention from Hilton Corporate. Between waiting almost two hours past check-in, having to personally call the hotel to find out whether my room was finally ready, my nephew experiencing the same check-in issue, the unacceptable room conditions, possible mold, musty odor, duplicate charge, Diamond benefits not being honored, and the disrespectful treatment from management, this experience fell far below the standards I expect from Hilton. I would not recommend this property, and I would not stay here again. Hilton Corporate should seriously review the management, customer service, cleanliness, billing practices, and overall condition of this property.