White Sands Hotel

The only reason why I’m giving this hotel 2 stars is because The staff was extremely nice, especially Brandon. If it wasn’t because of this, this «hotel» deserves zero stars.
First of all, legally this place shouldn’t be able to advertise as a hotel. This is a motel. I’ve been in much cleaner Motel 6.
Three levels, no elevators or luggage assistance. We had a reservation for two queen beds and we were put in a room with three twin beds. Oh man, that room was filthy! Any college room would look more decent than this room.
In general, the room was old, with a sticky kitchen and bathroom. I wouldn’t dare to have a shower without protection (meaning sandals).
The safe was locked and we couldn’t use it. We had to hide stuff under our mattresses.
There is a little balcony, but two things to remember… First, it’s so hard to slide that door, that be careful, or you will pull a muscle in no time. And second, it’s so close to the other building that you can literally walk over the neighbor and have dinner together.
If you are on the second or third floor, avoid all the odds numbers: 203, 205, 207, 309, 311… Those have views to your neighbor. Get an even number because those are facing the pool.
We only used the room to sleep and didn’t spend much time inside so it wasn’t horrible.
Beds seemed clean every day. I was afraid to look at the actual mattress, but the carpet had stains and was sticky, the wall had water damage, the bathroom had soap and other «fluids» in the shower wall that won’t even go away with bleach.
Definitely a room with history. I think that for $ 150 per night, plus resort fee daily with no breakfast, no parking and no wifi in your room they should drop those prices quickly.
The hotel has access through two streets. The back entrance is much easier and more safe. There is a bar right next door by the main entrance with really bad looking people. They hang out around the parking lot so if you leave your car there, watch out for them. If you use the main entrance at night, you will have to walk across these people, and believe me, they look scary.
They have a small parking lot for like 12 cars and they charge $ 25 per night to use it. You can park by the canal almost daily with minimum restrictions.
The design of the patio is good. Pool and jacuzzi looked clean and renovated. Wifi is only available in the lobby which makes no sense.
I won’t be back at this motel. That’s for sure. Also, if you have a reservation made through the hotel system you will have to prepaid all your nights upon arrival.

This hotel is by no means a luxury hotel. It is NOT fancy.
It’s old and original, people need to get their facts straight.
What you are getting is a GREAT price for a hotel that is literally only one block away from the major shopping strip, two blocks away from the beach, and surrounded by tons of restaurants and businesses in every direction. This hotel is made for non high maintenance customers who simply need a place to sleep and shower. Besides, it’s Hawaii, you should be out exploring rather than staying in your hotel most of the day.
Christieann, one of the front desk women, is absolutely amazing. She is the most friendliest concierge I’ve ever encountered. Not only was she polite, but she was always smiling and laughing. Very welcoming and warm. And she always called me by «Ms. Tran».
The only thing that truly sucks about this hotel is the parking fee.
Parking is $ 25 A DAY. Total rip off, i’d say but it’s like that for the majority of the hotels in Waikiki because parking really is difficult to find.
I had the one queen bedroom with kitchenette with city view but Christeann was wonderful by upgrading our room to the pool view. And surprisingly it was better, because it’s not much of a view of the city since the hotel is so short, all you would see is the parking lot and streets really. It was better to have a pool view, and it was even better to have the bottom floor with a patio.
They do not have any elevators so if you have an upstairs room, you will have to walk up stairs.
Our room was surprisingly quite spacious. I was worried it might be cramped but it definitely wasn’t. When you first walk in, there is a small area with a dining table. Then a bed and another space for the kitchenette. Then another room for the sink, closet, toilet and shower. The shower was very small unfortunately and not good for claustrophobic people, but at least I can say that there was ALWAYS hot water which was great.
The kitchenette was equipped with an oven, stove, microwave, coffee maker, fridge, and all cooking/​eating utensils. And even some dish washing soap. Unfortunately we were too busy to cook anything but it was nice to know that we have everything if we needed to.
I can also say that the bed was very soft and comfortable. The most comfortable bed i’ve ever had in a «ghetto» hotel. I slept well.
They do have air conditioning, but it’s one of those old «mount on the window» type air conditioners, it works really great but is super loud. I had to turn it off to watch movies since it was right next to the tv.
WIFI is only available in the lobby and pool area.
And I also loved that there was room service everyday. Every night when we come back, the bed was always made, we received fresh towels, and new toiletries.
And I also loved that they offered UNLIMITED movie rentals!!! They have a movie box similar to a red box where you can rent movies all for free during your stay! I got to watch the new Maze Runner and the Martian movie which was awesome.
I do have to mention that we did have a flatscreen tv but it was very small and hung up on the wall on the side instead of on the wall that is located at the end of the bed which was weird. But it also came with a playstation 3 that you use to either watch movies or even play games!
The swimming pool is small, but there are plenty of tables and lounge chairs. They also have a waterfall and bbq grills that you are welcome to use at any time.
They also have a laundry room where you can wash your clothes but you have to get quarters to use it and also buy detergent available there.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone because it is really the BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. Cheap, easy, and most importantly conveniently located in the CENTER of Waikiki.

Very pleasantly surprised compared to some reviews we read. Clean, spacious room; very friendly and helpful staff; short walk to beach & all the best hotels and restaurants, with money to spend enjoying ourselves instead of on higher priced hotels. Lovely courtyard and pool. Yes it’s older, but who comes to Hawaii to stay in room for long!!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. We were transferred to here from another hotel because they were booked when we got there. I feel like the room was very clean and I didn’t get the «grossed out» feeling i normally get while staying at the lower priced hotels. For the price, i think this is an AWESOME deal. I will definitely book here next time.

What a waste of money! So not worth it, everything in the room was so ghetto. Everything in the room was illegal with OSHA! Doors, toilet outlets, closet, balcony and shower (that was so small you barley could turn around in it, it was like 3 feet off the ground. Local lady at the front desk if you ain’t working shut your mouth. So much for PONO especially kama’aina. No elevator, parking is tiny, janitors outside are not friendly or courteous. It sucks, it should shut down immediately kinda like staying with homeless under a bridge. Wouldn’t go back, wouldn’t recommend it. They charge $ 19.97 everyday on top of the room. $ 25.00/day for parking-​they say it’s free parking on the street… hello there are meters. $ 203.08 was just my room charge. $ 293.02 total shish I would of spent it on something more better or spend more for happiness.

This hotel is severly run down, and dirty. Water damage on the ceilings, and walls, and the rooms have an unusual smell. Walls have dirt and make-​up on them, and the jacuzzi doesn’t work.

Check in day was terrible. We were on the 3^rd floor. No elevators. Carrying luggage up 3 flights of stairs. After we settled in, we went back out for late lunch. Came back to out door key not working. Usually when you stick the plastic door key in the card slot it’ll light up and let you in the room. It didn’t work. But the door pushed right on open. Come to figure out, it’s broken, the maintenance guy said to go to the front desk and change my room. So I did. That was terrible. What if someone broke in and went through our belongings when we were away? The room opened fine the first time. Why not this time? Oh my!
The second room we got was on the bottom floor right next to the lobby and right across the snack vending machine and DVD rental machine. People just look at you as soon as you open the door. The room was really outdated and the kitchen area was unwelcoming to touch. I got on my phone and googled for another hotel. I checked out within the next 10min. Never again will I try a cheap hotel like this, it’s like a hostel setting. I’ll spend the extra 20 bux on a better hotel with free parking. $ 25 bux for parking at this hotel is rip off.

CHECK-​IN:
Christieann and Kathy were amazing concierges. We got here with a party of 4, my party of 2 checked in without problems and payed for 4 nights of parking. It was 25 $ a night (expensive!) but worth it since parking is not that easy to find. One of the people we were with lost their wallet so they had no ID but Kathy was very understanding and let him check in while we figured out how to locate the wallet.
LOCATION:
Location was great! Walking distance from everything you’d like. About a block from the beach, within a block from many delicious restaurants and shops. Public transportation accessible, near a park/​golf park that is beautiful to go for a run around. It’s located near the freeway so makes it easy to get around to by car. The Waikiki beach nearby was calm and great to go snorkeling in. There is also a live free Hula show in the evenings.
AMENITIES:
All of the usual stuff a hotel would provide and then some (towels, soap, dishes, nice kitchenette, table, pots, knifes, cups, wine glasses, openers, fully stocked with dishes and dish soap). The room was very clean and the AC worked perfectly. The balcony view to the pool wasn’t that special but a nice place to have breakfast or just sit and enjoy the weather. The pool area was well kept and clean and they had pool towels offered. There was nice vegetation around the pool and the jacuzzi. They even had a grilling area! Wifi in lobby and pool area was weak, specially if there were a few ppl using it. Complimentary DVDS and PS3 games (PS3 in room with one remote).
STAFF:
Wonderful, just great and friendly customer service!!! Very friendly, approachable and always happy to help. Both Kathy and Christieann had a very lovely demeanor and always upbeat with a good sense of humor. They were also great with directions and good advice on which places to hit up. They help out with event reservations and tips on where to get cheaper stuff.
OVERALL:
Good price for a good experience. We mainly used the place to shower and sleep since we were always up and about. We would definitely recommend and will use again in the future.

2 star hotel. Staff is friendly but it is a very small hotel. We reserved a room with queen bed and got a room with twin beds. Hotel is not ADA compliant and has no elevator or sprinkler system. There is an unadvertised $ 26 resorte fee and they require a $ 50 deposit while you stay.

Small hotel but hospitality is excellent. I was waiting for my friends from Japan this morning. What a nice ppl working here. You feel welcome, kindness and aloha.

Beware… i choose this hotel because i was going to be in waikiki for 2 days and it was cheap… but if i could go back id spend the extra money for a good hotel… ive read the other bad reviews and thought the hotel cant be that bad… but i was wrong … 1^st is when we ckd in we were not given a room key… we were told that if you need to get in the room just let front desk know and that they will have security open the door… when we asked for our room to be open the front desk told us that he will be waiting for us up at the room, when we got up to the room he had the wrong room opened up…2^nd the rooms are so old, and the shower was even older it looked like the showers were built for disabled elderly people (thats all i thought about) .3^rd the parking is extremely small and if your planning on walking around be careful there is a raunchy bar next door and the patrons from there hangout at the entrance of the parking lot .we walked by 1 night and there was some guys going to fight the the 3 guys chased 1 guy dwn the street… i will definitely spend the extra cash for a nicer and safer hotel next time… hope this helps

I am a twice a year visitor. Great staff. Many thanks to cliff, christie ann, beverly, kalvi, blake, jennifer. They remembered me from last time and greeted me like ohana. Great hotel .Cozy clean and quiet. Good location.VERY peaceful and relaxing stay. Do yourself a favor and stay here. Will be back in december. Am looking forward to it .From STERLING IN LAS VEGAS.

This has to be the worst place I ever stayed in my life.
Parking is an additional $ 25.00 and the place is a dump. They only have about 15 spaces that are very close. When spaces or taken you have to park 2 to 3 blocks away for $ 20.00. Jacuzzi was broken might as well sit in a hot tub… oh yea no tub only step up shower.
Required to leave a $ 50.00 deposit for DVD’s and we only got one. When checking out we asked to have some of deposit returned and they said it was a service charge. WTH service charge for what only service was typical like getting room cleaned. No elevators and kitchen was not updated. Towels were not clean. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

I always enjoy my stay here. It’s not a fancy hotel by no means, but it has always served the purpose. First of all, I am all about customer service, and this hotel has it for miles! I’ve come there with $ 100 in my pocket with my son and told them I had nowhere to go, and with story about why, and they helped out with Kama’aina and we had a place to go. Since then, I have been back several times, sometimes up to a week at a time. We have always been treated with the same exceptional customer service, no matter if needing help or just there for staycation. The rooms are very decent size and clean, most with kitchenettes that have dishes in them! I am always satisfied with the cleanliness and extra compliments on the free water in the lobby. I’ve never had issues with much noise, it’s relatively quiet for Waikiki. Very close to everything. They have a pool which they keep very maintained and there is a computer and printer in case you need them. I had an issue once because my son locked the bathroom door and then shut it, they were very prompt and gave me no hassle at all. They laughed with me and said kids do that kind of stuff. Only thing that I don’t like is no tubs in the rooms, but that’s because I love me up a hot bath when I stay in hotels or at least a sit in the jacuzzi but they do not have a jacuzzi either. Otherwise, I love this hotel. Also, you can find tons of deals online for this hotel.

I dont like to leave bad reviews on Unilocal but this is a must to help save other people from disaster…
CUSTOMER SERVICE: * * * * * They DO GO above and beyond what they are required to do to keep us happy, cant say enough about the customer service.
WI-​FI:* * Wifi is available at this hotel but is only available in the Lobby of the hotel, very in-​convinient to come all the way down to the lobby.
PARKING: * Parking is above what you pay for your hotel room and is 25.00 per day, the parking lot is so small you have to get out of it in reverse onto Nohonani Street, It is so small that the front end of our rental charger was swiped and the hotel takes no responcibility for it.
LOCATION: * * * * * its a great location and within walking distance of Wakiki Beach, the Canal, Shoping, Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Beach and 9 ABC stores.
THE ROOM: * * dont expect to get a view of anything from the room, most likley you will be facing another hotel 100 feet away, the room is definatley aged, the Air conditioner poured out water, plug outlets are scarce, The Bed was very comfy, Free Movies from the lobby, Maids do a great job cleaning.
Bottom Line is if you want a cheap hotel and really get what you pay for, than this is the hotel for you, other than the customer service which is wonderful, if you stay at this hotel, dont rent a car because it will be expencive to park, there are other lots that charge less per 24 hours but it is a couple of blocks away.

The White Sands leaves everything to be desired.
The White Sands is an ultra cheap hotel in the middle of Honolulu that is reasonably close to the beach. It isn’t a high rise or anything — more like one of those squat, three story hotel joints that’s like a Hawaiian motel. Prices seem to float around $ 100/​night.
We stopped here as a quick and cheap option before an early AM flight to Maui and were rather disappointed. The front desk was incredibly nice, but virtually everything else sucked. The rooms were FILTHY — dust on the floor, a huge crack in the sink, filthy grimey tile in the bathroom, visibly worn and hole-​filled walls, etc. The beds were clean feeling, but I didn’t check for bedbugs for the sake of my own sanity. The room had a TV and PS3, but the controllers had not been sanitized at all — that’s particularly awful, given that those tend to be the most germ-​y in any hotel. Lots of mold in the bathroom as well. There was even leftover soap from the last tenant in the shower (Eww)! To top it off, there is no wifi anywhere but the lounge… even though the hotel seems to advertise free wifi in every room on certain websites.
I really feel like this place has promise — the people running it seemed to be super nice. It just unfortunately needs a LOT of work. Maybe a remodel is in order?

If I could give this zero stars, I would. Bed bugs, mold, and roaches. Oh my! This is possibly the most vile establishment I have ever been in (mind you, I frequented fraternity basements for 5 years of my young adult life). Within 15 minutes of checking in, I saw 3 roaches by the pool. After settling into our room, we found that there were unexplainably moist sheets, toothpaste still in the sink, and bed bugs clearly present in the mattress. We alerted the desk and no one seemed to care. We actually checked out that day and forfeited our non-​refundable room fee, and took a $ 100 cab home just to avoid sleeping there. I can’t believe places like this exist and have not been shut down already for sanitary reasons. The fact that anyone has ever given the White Sands more than one star it’s truly terrifying.
Aside from the hepatitis I may have contracted from just stepping foot in this hotel, I have to comment on the security. It is such a shame that people who are supposed to protect you are the ones who are the most threat. The security guard made multiple unwanted advances, leaving me and my friends feeling scared to even be in the room alone. His profanity and sexually explicit comments were not only upsetting, but slightly traumatizing. Our night actually ended with a visit from HPD due to his lack of tact.
Bottom line: This hotel should be condemned. And John, the security guard, should be arrested.

I don’t understand all of the negative reviews. This is a BUDGET hotel IN WAIKĪKĪ people! It’s not a 5-​star resort, nor they pretend to be one. If you want resort-​type amenities, you need to pay the resort-​type prices. Yes, it’s a little threadbare in spots, but management has acknowledged this & is working on upgrades bit by bit (I am sure there will now be those who will complain that they were «disturbed» by the necessary work that will need to be done… sigh)
Anyway, check-​in was a breeze. I just wanted to see if they could hold my bags until the «real» check-​in time of 3pm & the nice guy at the front desk (Jason?, Justin? sadly I can’t remember his name) let me check-​in a couple hours early because, well, because I was there early. I still had my car from staying on the windward side of the island & even tho parking is $ 25/​day, he said I could leave the car in the lot until 2pm-​no charge, which was perfect since it was due back at 2 anyway. (That means about 4 hours free parking in Waikīkī, which ain’t cheap!)
I had a decent room, the bed was comfortable; there was a small sofa off to the side, with coffee table to spread my stuff out. EVERYTHING WAS CLEAN. Some previous guests had complained how filthy the rug/​floors were, but that honestly was not my experience. I repeat EVERYTHING WAS CLEAN. As for the noise factor others had mentioned, I never heard any of the other guests — never (unless perhaps i was one of those noisy ones?) I would suggest you request a room with a pool view and one not facing the street — it’s probably quieter & wouldn’t you rather look at a nicely landscaped pool than cars, etc on the street?
In-​room, there is a playstation/​DVD player attached to the TV & you can rent DVDs in the lobby, if you are so inclined. No, there is no in-​room wifi, but I don’t come to Hawaii to be in the internet — isn’t that what home is for? There was a small kitchenette that included a 2-​burner cooktop, small sink, mini fridge, coffee maker & microwave, as well as pots, dishes, flatware. They even provided dish soap, dishrag/​towel & scrubber. For those who complained about having to wash their own dishes, get over yourselves — if you want the convenience of having a kitchenette & the attendant amenities, then be prepared for a little cleanup. And hey, they provide the tools for you to do that! (As mentioned above, dish soap, dish cloth & towel, pot scrubber.) As with any other hotel, their housekeeping services include making your bed, taking out the trash, changing your towels. If you object that much to cleaning up after cooking/​eating, use paper plates or eat out. The AC was already on when I got there so the room was already nice & cool — and stayed that way my entire stay. I didn’t have to constantly fiddle with it to keep comfortable — it was not blasting cold, it was never «kind of warm» either.
Each room has their own lanai (patio) and there is a nice pool area (nicely landscaped) with tables, umbrellas and lounge chairs, and towels are provided. There is a little waterfall toward the back and several benches if you prefer shade and a little privacy — keep in mind it is still a public area, so privacy is a relative term. They even have a propane grill for guests to use. Cold (drinking) water is provided from a dispenser near the front desk.
True, there are no elevators, but if that poses a problem for you, request a ground floor room!
You can take the local girl out of Hawaii, but you can’t take HawaiI out of the local girl. The White Sands reminds me of older Hawaii, when I was growing up, which is why they may not have all the bells & whistles of a newer establishment {neither do I :-) }, but I would recommend this hotel to anyone! (Anyone not expecting to stay at a resort, that is.)

We were comped a few nights here, and payed to extend our trip before reading reviews. I was skeptical. I’d stayed closer to the beach on Every previous trip. I was certain I’d be disappointed about the location. Cut to the chase… I fell in love with the place; but I’m grateful I asserted myself, otherwise I wouldn’t have. I just adore the landscape, and the waterfall and pond are tranquil.
Here are the details: So we arrived on a Sunday night. Pretty late. Fortunately we were on 1^st floor. My husband had a recent surgery and we came here for his rehabilitation. He can’t climb a lot of stairs, and there is no elevator. Our room was at the end of the hall, across from laundry room. We laughed at the microwave stacked on the small fridge, and the coffee pot stacked on the microwave. It was just so laid back. As previously mentioned, the towels were worn, but clean. Nice couch, good TV and a little table. unfortunately, There was a big gap under the door, and it really let light and noise in room. It bugged my hubby, as he’s been restless at night when in bed. I wished I’d booked a room with 2 beds.
Once the line behind the check out desk cleared, I inquired about changing rooms. The woman was so nice, and really wanted to be accommodating. She had us check out, and stored our suitcases in a locked closet for a few hours until the 3:00 check in. Our new room was in a quieter location and 2 beds worked well for us. We enjoyed the little kitchenette.
We paid extra to use the room safe, and WiFi only works around the pool — but it was quaint. In all my trips to Hawaii, I’ve never rented a car overnight because of parking. It turns out the location was fine. Easy walk to beach and nearby the middle class restaurants and mom and pop shops and boutiques.
Would stay here again. Good value for the price. Friendly, accommodating staff.

2.5 stars.
For the price, it’s awesome. You’re right in the middle of all the action; the beach, food, shopping and other attractions.
It’s an older property so it’s not as luxurious or flashy, but their rooms come with a kitchenette which was awesome to be able to store leftovers in the mini-​fridge, then heat up on the stove or in the microwave.
It’s not so old that you have to rely on the trade winds to cool the room down. There’s a air conditioning unit that works, but is really loud. It’s not central air, they’re the window mounted variety.
It’s old enough that the insulation doesn’t keep out the noise very well. You could hear traffic, people from a nearby bar as well as in the courtyard, where there is a small pool. There was a hot tub, but it wasn’t working, or so it seemed as it was covered up during my stay.
The staff is awesome which is why I rounded up with my rating. They seemed to key in on the fact that I was a local, and gave me deals on parking and wifi. Parking is normally $ 25 a day. They were helpful and friendly not just with me, but everyone I saw them interact with. They even came banging on my door one morning as I asked for a wake up call, but didn’t hear the phone ringing because I had already woken up and was in the shower. They wanted to make sure I was awake.
Overall, I’ve stayed in much nicer hotels but for this trip, this place served its purpose.