Island Colony - A Marc Suite Honolulu

I have been living in the Island Colony since last August. While it isn't a luxury hotel, it is far better than many of the places I have seen in Waikiki! There is an excellent pool, hottub, and sun deck (only drawback is it closes at 9pm). Also has a laundry facility, a sauna (which I've never used), and a convenience store, although I would recommend going elsewhere unless all you are interested in is a soda and a paper. The rest of the stuff in there is pretty gross. Elevators are usually pretty fast, unless one breaks down, which doesnt happen too often. Security is 24 hours, which is always nice, and there are security cameras everywhere. I can't speak for parking, because I don't have a car... however, this hotel is in a perfect location for NOT renting a car, with the bus stop at the corner of the street, and walking distance to the beach!

The rooms in the Island Colony are decent sized, and all have kitchenettes at the very least. The balconies are large and spacious, and the rooms on the higher floors have probably one of the best views in Waikiki without actually being on the beach (I live on the 14th floor and I have a great view still). All ofthe units I have been in are reasonably clean, and we have never (knock on wood) had a problem with cockaroaches (they are very common in Hawaii- like NYC!). They spray for bugs bi-monthly, and we have never had any problems, even when we keep our doors open all day!

Keep in mind that about half of the people in this hotel LIVE here, which can be good and bad. Contrary to popular belief, people who live in Hawaii are not always 100% sunshine and cheery. Don't go to Hawaii thinking that!!!!! It may be hawaii, but people still have to pay bills, work at underpaid jobs (and most in HI are), and still are in a rush to get to work on time. Not all of us are on vacation! But residents are always willing to help answer questions, give recommendations, and provide directions. Hotel security is also very friendly. It's okay to start a conversation with someone in the elevator... chances are, they'll be very friendly and talkative, but remember, everyone has their bad days. The hot tub is a great place to relax and meet people from all over the world. Overall, I would recommend staying here if you are on a budget and dont want to spend a million dollars on a beachfront hotel. You can get some really excellent deals through private vacation realtors (a lot of the units are privately owned). You could probably stay here for $400 for 7 nights, plus tax, through these realtors. (depending on whether you want studio or 1-bedroom.)

Stayed for a week with the family. Rented a room with kitchenette. Pretty nice view out the lanai (Ala Wai Canal). Room was big enough ( what do you do in Hawaii,stay-in the whole day?),clean and cleaned daily.A/C was strong although who needs it with the great Hawaii breeze ?

Never had a problem with parking although we were always back at the hotel by 6pm. Elevators were average speed or fast. Front desk crew were friendly and courteous. Security was 24/7.

All in all,we'd stay there again.

I was in Waikiki for Christmas & New Year (20.12.04 - 05.01.05) with my mum to visit my sister. We stayed at the Castle Island for the 1st week of the holiday before moving onto another hotel (The Waikiki Resort). The Castle Island was rated as a 2 star at the time & the other hotel a 3 star so we weren't expecting much. We were really pleasantly surprised, the room was very clean, the lanai (balcony) was the largest I have seen & much better than the other hotel as it had enough space for a large table & chairs & even though I'm scared of heights I didn't feel unsafe 25 floors up! We had lovely views of Diamond Head & the Golf Course and could just spot the sea to our right. The room was cleaned regularly and the staff were very friendly & efficient. There was a pool & sauna with shops but we didn't use them as we were out all the time - they looked very good though.

All in all it was far better than the 3 star hotel which wanted to charge you for everything (i.e. $3 a day for a coffee maker!!). The castle island hotel had a great size fridge so we were able to buy breakfast foods & make ice! They provided plates, glasses & cutlery and overall it was a great base. My fiancee and myself are returning to Waikiki in July & I'm definately returning to this hotel.

I chose this hotel after reading mixed reviews about it on TripAdvisor but decided to try it out anyway. I spent six wonderful nights (Feb 17-22) of my honeymoon here and was never disappointed. Upon check in we were automatically given a room upgrade (taking us from the 15th floor to the 40th). With a very nicely spaced balcony facing Diamond head we were able to see the sun rise above it each morning, the golf course and Ala Wai Canal to our left and the gorgeous blues and greens of the Pacific ocean to our right. The hotel staff was very friendly and was extrememly helpful in helping us plan our days with various information on tours and the near by attractions. The hotel is within three blocks of the beach and there are three outdoor shopping centers with great bargins if you are looking for trinkets to take back home. It's in a great location and there are always a daily updated book of coupons awaiting you in the lobby when you want to go out. Mind you the hotel also has four working elevators and I never had to wait longer than 5-7 minutes at any given time to get to my room. The hotel also garners a Natural Medicine Center (they give the best 60 minute back massages), an outdoor pool on the 6th floor with a hot tub and sauna (if being out in the heat isn't enough for you). We are already planning a return trip to bring our son with us for next year. Word of Advice: Don't take everything you read in a review for face value. We saw some low reviews but once seeing it for ourselves we knew we made the right choice.

We were very disappointed in this hotel. It does not match the photos or write-up. If you want to stay in a run down dorm while in paradise, this is it. Curtains had holes in them, the mattress was crooked and the whole place smelled like curry or some kind of other oriental spice. There were no amenties like a gift & sundries shop, and the sole person working the lobby was too overworked to be friendly. The parking, operated by a separate company, was scary. I also didn't feel very safe walking around the hotel at night (inside or outside). If you want good memories of paradise, I'd spend a little more money and find another place to stay.

My loved one and I stayed at the Island Colony from Nov. 10th-12th, 2004. We stayed in two different rooms during our stay. The first night an efficiency and the second night a one bedroom for a few dollars more. The views are great and the hotel is always clean along with the pool area. The one bedrooms are huge, and the lanais in both rooms were large. This hotel is definitely worth the price I paid and I would reccommend it to anyone on a budget. The staff was very friendly as well. We had flown overnight to Hawai'i and got on the island in the morning. When we went by the hotel at 11:30am they had our room ready and they let us check-in early at no extra charge. Not to mention they have their own little store on the 6th floor near the pool with everything you could possibly need and it is open late. Check out the Seaside Bar and Grill right around the corner for a great breakfast and an even better dinner.

We stayed here from October 6th - October 9th. We stayed on the 33rd floor and view was great. We could see the mountains, ocean and the city from our lanai. The hotel staff is very friendly and the hotel while older, is well taken care of. The hotel is right around the corner from the International Marketplace and a short walk from the beach. Great place for someone on a budget. Well worth the money! I recommend visiting the Natural Medical Clinic on the 6th floor for an awesome massage from the friendly staff! Very relaxing and worth the money!

In my earlier review "Spectacular View".....I mentioned that we would definately stay here again. Well, we did and we were just as happy as before. This time we were on the 36th floor. Our room was nice and we enjoyed the view from our balcony. Loved the full sized fridge. We had leftovers from the Cheesecake Factory so the fridge came in real handy along with our soda's, water and fruit drinks. We asked if we could have a microwave delivered to our room so we could heat up those leftovers and we had it within 15 min. The front desk staff were very friendly. The maintenance crew were nice too. We needed our tub stopper fixed and they came the same day to fix it. Housekeeping always greeted us with a smile. We will definately stay here again.

we just got back from oahu saturday. stayed at the castle island colony, booked through expedia.com. room was very adequate for our family (including three boys). my husband and i are both diabetics, so it's better for us not to eat out continuously. very convenient to be able to just grocery shop and cook in the apartment. our room overlooked the pool area, also convenient to stay in contact with each other and the kids. only downfall was inadequate air conditioning, but definitely okay due to the excellent breeze. pool area closes too early for a resort, but laundry facilities and convenience store really made the trip a breeze. front desk very helpful, friendly, quick response to any request. when they say only 3 blocks from international marketplace and waikiki beach, this is an understatement. 6 minute walk to marketplace, 8 minutes to beach. my suggestion - rent a car, drive around entire island, definitely snorkel at sharks cove. also, don't miss the hike through a tropical rainforest to see manoa falls. just past the arboretum. about a 10 minute drive from the hotel. definitely pick up a street index map book. we got ours at matsumoto's on the north shore ($11), "TMK street & condo map book". web site hawaiitmk@aol.com. the tour guides will try to suck you into paying them to take you everywhere. we did it all on our own for about $40 in gas. also, check out sherwood forest located on the windward side. gas is cheapest in wahiawa. be prepared to find a lot of places by instinct or accident. many streets have no street signs. looking for an inexpensive place to stay so you can fully enjoy your trip, definitely check out the castle island colony. not luxurious, but down-to-earth.

We had an incredible view on the 43rd floor & a very nice experience at the hotel. New towels, and clean room, although don't expect 4 stars. Rooms have large balcony with table and chairs to enjoy drinks on the lanai, especially while baby was sleeping. This is our first time taveling with our daughter, that just turned one and wanted a kitchenette. We recieved a rice maker, burners and utensils, everything needed to cook at home. Saved alot by only eating out twice in 6 days! Bad news if parking. You must pay cash and have tickets and reciept everytime you come and go! Very inconvienent! They do NOT charge to the room! Overall nice condo and beautiful views!