The Equus- An Aqua Boutique Hotel Honolulu

Booked online at the last minute for mid-January; arrived as they were taking down the "Hawaii Polo Inn" nameplate on the front of the hotel and putting up an "Aqua Equus" sign.

Best price I could find was booking one of their specials directly through the Aqua website. I was placed in one of what previous reviewers have described as the newly-renovated rooms.

The good:

The room itself was sparkling new and well-appointed. The flat-screen TV showcased NFL playoff highlights from earlier in the day, equestrian-themes art decorated the walls, and a fairly large lanai contained a table and a couple of chairs. The king bed was very comfortable -- similar to the Hampton Inn chain's Cloud Nine beds, but a little firmer and a more comfortable top layer of linens. Also a mini-fridge.

High-speed Internet access in the room was available either through a direct Ethernet cable or through a wireless hub located underneath the television. The wireless signal easily reached to the lanai. For those who might not be bringing their computers to Oahu, the lobby is outfitted with a couple of $0.15/minute workstations and a printer.

Good bathroom toiletries -- an ample supply of soft towels and extra shampoos and soaps provided. Quite useful for taking two or three showers a day! Had plenty of hot water on all occasions.

Service was excellent and very hospitable. Had nice chats with several of the folks in the lobby, and they were quite enthusiastic and welcoming.

Finally, the location is terrific. Right across the street from the Hawaii Prince, which means you do have to cross the street to get to the beach. But you have easy access to Ala Moana beach park (less crowded, more locals) as well as Waikiki. Easy parking with full in and out privileges, but it does cost $15/day. The location is pretty good if you're driving, as you don't have to fight the Waikiki mess to get downtown, out of town, or to the airport.

The not-so-good:

Road and parking lot noise from below definitely drifted into the room. The management would do well to invest in better-fitting, and better sound-insulating, doors and windows to the lanais. In the meantime, perhaps a higher floor would be helpful, although the single elevator is pretty slow.

Finding the right driveway for the hotel the first time was difficult, and the staff of the adjacent Aqua property directed me into their parking garage, for which the Equus staff didn't have a remote control to let me out. Once I got into the Equus parking lot, there was no problem.

Although the website promises an in-room safe, my room was lacking one. And I was told that they are small safes, that wouldn't hold a laptop computer in any case. Folks, if you're going to advertise in-room Internet access and be a "boutique," you're going to attract business travelers extending their stay, and you need to have a way for them to secure their laptops.

The mixed:

Breakfast. Although the fresh oranges were fabulous, the orange juice was not so good. Coffee was good, but the mix of baked goods was always short on muffins (very popular), so much of the time the only choices were croissants (without jam or butter to top) or blueberry rolls (look better than they taste).

The hotel has a pool, but I was too busy at the beach, touring the island, and visiting friends to check it out. Maybe next time...

what can i say i was simply blown away, I'm irish and we know about hospitality and a bit about trying to keep things authentic. The hawaii polo inn was a real revelation, i found a real sense of hawaiian culture and hospitality the staff were all so friendly and warm. the rooms were also magnificent, the attention to detail was fantastic. With the newly renovated rooms i felt like i was getting a 5 star room for the price of a 2 star. It passed all of my tests and if i ever go back to honolulu the polo inn will be the only stop for me.

I am a returning guest who has repeatedly staye with the Hawaii Polo in due to it's great hospitality and affordability. I had never expected more for my money then the most simple accomodation and fantastic location, but they really have surpassed themselves!! They are just finishing a renovation and a name change to the Hotel Equus, which is rather stunning. I was shocked to see that such brillant accomodation could come with such awesome friendly service and customer care. This hotel is truly a gem, never will you experience hawaii until you have met the colorful, caring and lovely staff and witnessed the magnificent makeover of this once simple hotel!! The new rooms are simply incredible with flat screen TV's, a wonderful newly finished bathroom, and large wonderful beds filled with pillows. They also allow you to use the tennis courts and pool adjoined with another hotel. It may be a five minute walk to the beach, but you can access all of waikiki as well as the ala moana shopping center in 5 min. everything is quite convenient and within an easy walk. I truly enjoyed my stay and I am very impressed with the improvement, you even get breakfast included, served in the lobby with the company of the friendly staff to 'talk story' with. I hope that anyone looking for a personal touch and a true hawaii feel will take this advice and come experience the splendor and alohas of the Equus!

My travel agent says she checked and the rental car parking was free. It is not. The Hawaii Polo website mentions the safe fee but no mention of the hefty parking charges.Several outdated review web sites also list parking as free. Lots of street noise after midnight garbage trucks, backup alarms bring earplugs. Definitely not a five star but they do not claim to be. Would not recommend.

It's a Jeckle and Hyde inn. The older rooms are what I would expect to find on skid row.

The newly renovated rooms are fantastic...thoroughly modern. They are $50 more though. We chose to upgrade to the better room.

It's a little noisy if you are near the main street. Walking distance to two very nice beaches. 5 minute walk to a huge upscale mall.

I have had the opportunity to see the hotel during its facelift. The rooms are beautiful and the atmosphere altho always very warm and inviting is much more so now. For anyone that has stayed there in the past and has had a great experience I know they are going to be pleased with all the improvements and for those that may have not had such a great experience I would strongly suggest that they give the hotel another try. For location and costs of the rooms and service The Equus, formly the Hawaii Polo Inn is a property well worth staying at in Honolulu.

The best deal in Waikiki! We could never have dreamed of finding a better price or value. With the Inn's low price and convenient location within walking distance of all the attractions of Waikiki, we saved a fortune by not having to rent a car while we were visiting O'ahu!

What really sets the Inn apart is its kama'aina feel--this is definitely not your typical tourist hotel and everything about the place from its decor to its Hawai'ian hospitality were completely authentic.

The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful during our stay--they really went out of their way to make us feel welcome and help us make the most of our short time in Hawai'i. I would especially like to thank Gary, Puka, Joone, and Renee for making our stay so special and making us feel like part of the ohana.

Hawaii Polo Inn is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. The balcony door in our room would not lock which made it hard to get a restful nights sleep. We later discovered upon trying to shower that there was no hot water! The hotel is also incredibly noising being on a major road. In addition to these issues we were charged $20 to park our car, when the hotel advertises parking as included in their room rates.

I would pitch a tent before staying at the Hawaii Polo Inn again.