Castle Maile Sky Court

This is what I expect from holiday inn express, value good and rooms fine. Service always good at Honolulu and the location was good because it was parallel to Kuhio Beach, near the beach.

The rooms are small, the walls are paper-thin, and the doors slam loudly. This is an exceptionally noisy hotel, with children seemingly running up and down the corridors, shouting and repeatedly slamming doors with little regard for other guests. A good night’s sleep is difficult to come by. While the location is undoubtedly convenient, the hotel is, in my view, significantly overpriced for the standard it offers. The overall experience felt more in line with a budget hotel than the premium rates being charged. The hotel also seems determined to maximise revenue at every opportunity. In most IHG hotels around the world, guests who choose to forgo housekeeping receive 500 IHG One Rewards points as part of the brand’s environmental initiative. Here, the opposite applies: if you forget to opt out of housekeeping, you’re automatically charged a $50 cleaning fee. That feels less like encouraging sustainability and more like another way to generate revenue. On top of that, there’s a mandatory $35 per night amenity fee, which comes as yet another unwelcome surprise. If you’re looking for a drink or a light meal, you’re better off crossing the street to the Hilton, where you’ll find a much better atmosphere, good cocktails and enjoyable light bites. Perhaps most disappointing of all was the lack of genuine hospitality. At no point during my stay—or even at check-out—did anyone ask how my stay had been or whether everything had met my expectations. It’s the sort of hotel you stay at once… and then never again.

The location is great, and the room is in acceptable condition. However, the window-mounted air conditioner is extremely loud, making it difficult to get a good night's sleep.