Bad news: stays at The Laylow Waikiki an Autograph Collection property are now more expensive. This is because The Laylow Waikiki has instituted a resort fee.
The Laylow Waikiki is my favorite Waikiki hotel at the moment. And while the property may not be a beachfront one, however, it is an excellent boutique property in the heart of Waikiki. Plus, the property’s restaurant is quite good, too.
If I had one gripe about The Laylow, though, it’s the fact that the property’s Marriott Rewards Elite member breakfast is a joke. You can’t really call it breakfast, in my opinion.
Destination Fee
The Laylow Waikiki is not a resort, which is why they do offer their crummy Elite member breakfast. This is in stark contrast to the Waikiki Beach Marriott. However, much like hotels in large cities, The Laylow has decided to institute its own resort fee. Only, they don’t call it a resort fee because they aren’t a resort. Instead, it is a “destination fee.” But it’s all the same to me.
Here at The Laylow, though, the resort fee is $29 per night. That isn’t too bad, but the inclusions are laughable:
- nightly entertainment
- welcome basket
- shave ice
- ukulele lessons
Honestly, this is the worst set of inclusions I’ve seen. They might as well not even provide a list of inclusions. I mean, the welcome basket is nice but isn’t necessary. I consumed almost none of the items in there except for the chips. And while I like the slippers, they didn’t last even six months.
The nightly entertainment… That is a feature of the restaurant. Hell, it’s even advertised as such locally. I’ve never tried the shave ice, but it wasn’t always available during our stay.
The Laylow Waikiki has Instituted a Resort Fee, Final Thoughts
I hate resort fees, though not all fees are created equal. If you’re going to have to pay it, wouldn’t you at least want it to bring you some value? For example, the Waikiki Beach Marriott’s resort fee includes:
- Fitness & cultural classes daily
- High-speed internet access
- 60 minutes of U.S. and International phone calls daily
- Unlimited Blu-Ray or DVD rentals
- Unlimited digital newspaper and magazine downloads
- One introductory scuba or snorkeling lessons
- Macadamia Chocolate amenity on arrival
- Discounts for shops and activity providers around the resort
Not the greatest collection of benefits ever, but I’m sure most will find more use of the above benefits than The Laylow’s laughable list.
Is the resort fee at The Laylow a deal killer for me? Not really. As a local, The Laylow does offer us great kama’aina rates with inclusions that offset the fee. However, should that go away, then I’d think twice about staying here. Especially since the nightly, valet-only parking fee is already $35.
You have to be kidding me this is your favorite hotel in Honolulu ? What did the property do comp you the rooms. This place is a renovated sham much like the Courtyard was how many times did it get refreshed !
And now add a “destination fee” is further proof they are simply fleecing customers thinking they have a real Marriott hotel. Take the flag away and what do you have a “budget” hotel.
It is, though, it was between The Laylow and the Hyatt Centric. I have not, however, stayed at higher-end properties like the Westin Moana Surfrider or the Halekulani, so, for now, The Laylow wins. That being said, all new hotels in Waikiki are conversions, and I’m not counting the Ritz-Carlton or Trump, as both are residences first. And, in my opinion, The Laylow was done MUCH better than the Courtyard, Hyatt Place, etc.
But, yup, the destination fee is a total sham. The inclusions are a complete joke too. At least some properties make an effort to make it sound worth your while, but not The Laylow.
We hate resort fees, too! And we track them for all Hawaii hotels here:
http://travel-hawaii.com/hawaiiresortfees.html
To be “fair”, I confirmed with the Laylow that their “destination fee” offers more than what Marriott’s booking page mentions, namely it includes:
Mobile check-in and check-out; Welcome Amenity Upon Arrival; Daily newspapers; Keyless guest room entry; Pool & Beach towels; In-room high speed Wi-Fi; In-room safe; Resort-wide high speed Wi-Fi; Chaise lounges & pool side cabanas based on availability; Unlimited Local Calls; Nightly live entertainment; Access to the Fitness Center; Daily/weekly events and activities; Refresher and taste of Hawaii welcome upon arrival; Poolside treats – local fruit and infused water; Two Pairs of custom Okina slippahs; One (1) island activity $50 Value.
The “destination fee” is NOT mentioned on any of the Laylow’s hotel web pages. You have to start the booking process to see what Marriott says it includes: “nightly entertainment/welcome basket/shave ice/ukulele lessons” which is pretty bad marketing if you ask me.
Thanks for this, John. But, the “destination fee” is still a joke. Mobile check-in and check-out is just a fact of being part of the Marriott system, while wifi is a benefit of most Marriott Rewards members. No one is really going to use the newspaper and local call feature because of smartphones. The point is, it irritates me that much of what’s listed are standard benefits regardless or useless. The only ones that provide added value are the refresher/taste of Hawaii, poolside treats, slippers, and island activity.