Last updated on January 16th, 2017 at 07:37 am
Lately Waikiki has been an ever-changing landscape. Old hotels have been converted into “new” ones or timeshare units, while some new hotels have sprung up, too. However, some hotel owners don’t always play by the rules. And sometimes these poor decisions causes government actions. In the latest of these “scandals” guests ordered to leave Waikiki hotel by State Regulators this past Tuesday.
Recognize this property? Me neither. I had no idea this building is a hotel! But there it’s been all along, the Polynesian Plaza. By the looks of the photos on TripAdvisor, this place was kind of a dump. Sure staying here would have been a way to stay in Waikiki on the cheap, but was it really worth it? I don’t think so.
However, the Polynesian Plaza was recently acquired by L.A. Koreana Inc., which does business as YHB Hospitality Group. It is the California-based subsidiary of the Seoul-based Koreana Hotels & Resorts. YHB purchased the Polynesian Plaza about a year ago, and a few months ago, began renovating the 56 room property.
The first rooms to be renovated were the one-bedroom suites. Above is a photo of the freshly renovated rooms. Looks a lot better, but still not great, especially considering the hotel’s nightly rates range from $130 to $307/night.
The hotel, as it turns out, is still under renovation though. And there’s where the trouble lies. According to news reports, not only is the hotel still a construction zone, but the fire alarm system doesn’t work. Further, contractors are using the fire exit stairwells as storage, partially blocking them. Guests have reported that the elevator, which was recently refurbished, doesn’t work either.
Fortunately, guests are reporting that the hotel is paying for their new accommodations. Still, that must be an incredible hassle, especially since management reportedly made no mention of the situation to guests. At the very least, management should apologize for inconveniencing the guests and provide compensation beyond a new room.