The following executive summary is based on a comprehensive and impartial AI analysis of guest reviews. Keep in mind that all units are individually owned, and review scores among units can vary considerably.
Travelers consistently love the Ilikai’s location and classic Waikiki vibe. Set at the quieter end of Waikiki by the marina and Hilton lagoon, it’s an easy walk to beaches, Ala Moana Center, shops, restaurants, and tour pick‑ups. Many units have sweeping ocean/marina views from large lanais—perfect for sunsets, Friday-night fireworks, and even watching surfers. Guests appreciate having full kitchens to save on meals, plus thoughtful extras like beach chairs, towels, coolers, and boogie boards. Onsite perks (two pools, coffee shop, market, restaurants including the rooftop Pesca) and generally smooth, responsive host communication round out an easy, family‑friendly stay.
The experience can vary by unit because they’re individually owned. Many condos are renovated, spotless, and well equipped; others feel dated or show wear (tired furnishings, sticky sliders/blinds, limited cookware, or deep‑cleaning needs). Common recurring themes: AC can be noisy or struggle in west‑facing units; pools are smaller and close early; elevators can be slow during busy periods; valet parking is convenient but pricey (marina/self‑parking is a popular alternative). Laundry is usually shared on each floor (not in‑unit), which some guests didn’t expect. Urban realities—traffic noise, pigeons on balconies, occasional construction next door, and rare false fire alarms—come up, and a temporary labor strike at a neighboring property made daytime noise a factor for some recent stays.
Overall sentiment is strongly positive, with many repeat guests who’d “stay again” for the views, walkability, and condo convenience over resort frills. If you’re sensitive to heat or noise, request an updated unit with solid AC and consider a higher floor or lagoon/marina exposure; confirm bed layouts, laundry setup, and parking plans in advance. Corner units with two lanais are especially popular. Expect an iconic, older building with plenty of charm and modern comforts—more “home base with a postcard view” than full‑service luxury—and you’ll likely have a great stay.
This summary is based on a comprehensive analysis of 1000 reviews
Views were great kitchen was an added bonus we cooked breakfast every day and we had all utensils that was needed to make this a successful trip the condo was just as it looked on line so we were excited about that we will definitely stay there again If available! Charles Erica and Robert California and Georgia
Charles M.
October 2025
Amazing views. Comfortable and well equipped. Great location.
Paul L.
October 2025
Furniture and floors needed dusting. Bed was super comfy. Great view! Overall I'd definitely stay here again.
Lavella W.
October 2025
We were initially pleased to see some beach chairs and a beach umbrella but the umbrella was broken and chairs in rough shape. Unfortunately adult pool was closed one entire day for maintenance, unit was well located. Nice to have 2 balconies. Beds were comfortable. Kitchen was well equipped.
Patricia D.
October 2025
We only had one issue and that was air conditioning. It was hot in the hallways and the unit has a window air condition. We’re thinking maybe that’s a Hawaii thing.
Jeanette H.
October 2025
The beach view is perfection!!! Can not get any better, which is exactly what we wanted.
Lisa C.
October 2025
The pictures on Vrbo are beautiful, and in person as well. Close to everything and within walking distance. Trolley passes helped get us around other places. Enjoyed staying there. Owner very attentive to our messages. We enjoyed our stay. Would recommend whenever possible. Fireworks on Friday, we saw outside on the lanai with nothing blocking view.
October 2025
We had a wonderful time at this property. The location is close to the Duke lagoon, beach, shopping, restaurants, Friday fireworks just to name a few. The views are beautiful. You can’t see the actual sunrise or sunset but you can see the gorgeous colors they produce and watch the boating and surfing activity from the balcony. The bed is extremely comfortable. It is a short walk to Magic Island where there is a sea lagoon for learning scuba diving or just snorkeling or swimming. The views there are stunning. And if you want shopping the world’s largest mall is across from the park. We enjoyed learning about the history of the Ilikai and the surrounding areas. People are very friendly and helpful. Would recommend.
Patricia S.
October 2025
The location is great to all the amenities and foods
lawrence l.
October 2025
The condo was great. Like usual the VRBO pictures make it look bigger, but it was perfect for the 2 of us. Maybe a child or two on the pull out would work. Check in was easy. It was warm when we were there, so the AC had to run quite a bit, but it was cool when needed. Valet was a little spendy at 45 a day, but that is not the host call. Valet was quick. Easy to walk just about anywhere for anything. Had a great time for our first time in Hawaii.
robert g.
October 2025
Had everything we needed, close to restaurants and the view was amazing! The photos didn’t do it justice.
Sandy S.
October 2025
![The Ilikai #1629]()
Great communication from the host and property manager before we arrived and upon arrival. No issues getting into the condo even though we arrived in the early morning hours. Keyless entry is very convenient. Condo is small but doable for the 2 of us. Kitchen is wonderful and stocked with everything we needed to get started. King bed was pretty comfortable. Air conditioner worked well. Bathroom was clean but could use a hand towel bar by the sink. Sofa and carpet have some visible stains. I used a towel when sitting on the sofa and wore socks or slippers most of the time inside. Lanai is large with amazing views of the ocean and marina! Table and chairs were comfortable. Beach chairs are provided, which is a bonus. Only complaint about the lanai is lack of privacy due to the shape of the building. You are in full view of others on one side. We rarely kept our curtains open fully (like shown in the picture) because of this. There is a dresser for clothing storage. The only hanging closet is right inside the front door where the vacuum cleaner and mops are also stored. It was adequate for us. The Ilikai building is in a wonderful location within walking distance of several stores and shops. The Ilikai property has a large convenience store with some souvenirs, a separate souvenir shop, awesome coffee shop, and an ice cream shop, among others. There is also a restaurant where we ate several meals. Food was good, but the pigeons are a bit of a nuisance. Overall, great 1st visit!
Susan A.
October 2025
This was a great location with amazing views. Perfect size for a couple. The owner communicated well before and during our stay. More storage, such as a small dresser, would have been nice, although we made it work. Kitchen was nicely stocked but we were unable to locate a cooking sheet. Overall an excellent experience.
Malisa B.
October 2025
Great stay
Joanna D.
October 2025
Great area nearby popular attractions, shops, restaurants, beach in Waikiki!
Marian D.
October 2025
Close to shopping locations. Perfect for watching Friday night fireworks.
Lori
October 2025
Great view very quiet
Sonny B.
October 2025
This was perfect for my husband and me plus our two daughters. One daughter took the sofa bed and said again and again how comfortable it was. The location was perfect. The coffee downstairs was so good we went every day. The room is at the end of the hall, giving us an unobstructed view and privacy. Would come back again.
Jennifer O.
October 2025
It was absolutely relaxing! Ilikai is beautiful. It was an absolute treat!!
Rachel L.
October 2025
Great condo. Clean and spacious. Well stocked with towels, beach chairs and boogie boards. The only downside was we weren’t able to enjoy the large patio. This unit did not have any patio furniture as shown in photos.
Heather W.
October 2025
Beautiful condo with a great coffee shop downstairs.
Jessica H.
October 2025
Would stay here again! Great views! Clean! Much nicer than the rooms at Hilton Hawaiian Village!
Heather & Judson R.
October 2025
Great location. The condo was well appointed but could use some upgrades. New curtains, shower doors, patio doors and locks would go a long way. It’s a nice condo just needs a freshen up.
Rhonda
October 2025
One of the most updated u it’s in the Ilikai. View was great. The room is next to the elevators but you don’t really hear them. Great view of Friday night fireworks and the Hilton luau. Bed and couch were comfortable. Would stay there again.
mari s.
October 2025
This was a nice condo and exactly as listed. We enjoyed our stay and the Ilikai is a great location and has much to offer. Would recommend to others!
Tammy H.
October 2025
Stayed for 7 nights. We liked everything during our stay.
Nyambura M.
October 2025
The place is old and outdated!
John F.
October 2025
Great area
Kathy L.
October 2025
Fantastic! Mahalo!!!
Neil P.
October 2025
We enjoyed our stay at the Ilikai Condo. It had a great view with resturants and shops nearby. The host was easy to reach and always very responsive.
Lupita P.
October 2025
Great location. Beautiful view. Everything was as described. Our only issues were the bedroom air conditioners (small bedroom did not work & room was too hot, master bedroom was too loud every time it came on) & the mattresses were extremely soft on all the beds.
LEIGH A.
October 2025
The location was fine and the bed was comfortable; however, the apartment itself was shabby and neglected-looking. It needed a deep cleaning of the kitchen stove, the shower and the balcony. It lacked a dishwasher, so the dishes and utensils provided were dubiously clean to start. An undersized TV and a ridiculous tangle of wires were the focus of the room. The furniture was sad and the few amenities provided seemed cheap and minimal. Nothing "thoughtful" or personal about this place and no clue how "executive suite" could be used to describe it.
Virginia
October 2025
Beautiful views. Comfortable beds. Close to everything. Had some difficulty communicating with property manager prior to check in. But things got resolved and overall we had a nice stay.
Rita C.
October 2025
A coupleobservations not complaint's. the stove knobs were not marked so you had to guess the temperature of the burner. The blinds needed to be repaired in place's (oddly enough a guy showed up just as we were leaving to replace the blinds. The single head AC system was a bit under sized and struggled to keep the room at a comfortable temp in late afternoon and into early evening but in all it was a truly nice place.
sue p.
October 2025
Condo had everything we needed, very well equipped, clean, comfortable, lovely view. Close to Waikīkī beach, restaurant downstairs very handy. But, having arrived after a long flight, a cuppa would be very welcome Some basic tea coffee and milk sachets and salt and pepper that you need before you have been shopping would be appreciated.
Christine R.
October 2025
Christy is the consummate Hawaiian host who exudes the Aloha spirit from making the reservation, through timely answering of my many questions, and in the personal care she takes with the detailed appointments of the unit. The Ilikai is centrally located to get to Waikiki, Ala Moana, or to drive onto H1. We got a perfect view of the Friday night fireworks from the Lanai. Much Mahalo, RJ
Ray J.
October 2025
Another wonderful stay in this beautiful condo! It's perfectly placed to enjoy gorgeous views of the ocean and see the Friday night fireworks. This was our 3rd visit and we'll be coming back because the condo is ideally loctated for a number of attractions, as well as the beach and the two pools. Your choice - rest or play and have fun. You won't regret staying at Darko's condo!
Tania D.
October 2025
nice, clean
Nicole
October 2025
Great location and view
Pam & Jeff B.
October 2025
The unit was very clean and the view was spectacular! This unit included garage parking under the building which made things extremely easy when going out on adventures around the island and returning. There were more than enough spaces to find adjacent to the elevators.The owner of the unit handles the communications for check in and check out and does so in a timely manner which made the whole process very easy.If I were to return back to Hawaii and the Honolulu area I would most definitely try to utilize this unit again!I had some really great sunset photos but this site won’t let me upload them…..you would think VRBO would have figured it out by now!!
Richard F.
October 2025
Very convenient to the area room was perfect for what we needed.
Joseph T.
October 2025
Fit our needs completely! For a weeks stay or longer, more towels would be helpful. But all in all a lovey place.
vicki t.
October 2025
It was nice to have paid self parking across the street (33/day) and all the eateries coffee, bakery, ice cream, restaurant, wine, grocery and gifts shop all on the lobby floor so convenient. The bathroom and kitchen were not impressed. Tiny bottles of shampoo & conditioner in the bathroom. Pots, pans, coffee maker, utensils not in good shape. No basic kitchen supplies like coffee pot filters, plastic wrap, ziplock or foil. No seasoning or designated spot for seasonings. We bought everything for the kitchen but afraid to leave anything behind for risking extra charges because no designated spot for any kitchen supplies. We would rate higher if the kitchen is stocked with a bit of basic supplies and just salt/seasonings. We stayed 4 nights.
Victoria O.
October 2025
Rating Details:
The property manager was very helpful.
The vacation rental was spotless.
I was very happy with the location.
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
Room was just like in photos. Was a little nervous about being on the 20th floor because of the elevators,but no problem they were fast.Everything in the room is very nice. The only thing I could think of that they could do is update the beach chairs but that was no big deal. The views were amazing.The parking pass make life a lot simpler not having to worry about parking.
DOUG C.
September 2025
Shopping was near by beaches was close to the location
Ray B.
September 2025
We absolutely loved our stay in this location at this facility. The view is incredible from the deck! Our experience with communication with our host were excellent. The only reason we did not give a five star review is that there was an air condition leakage issue that we had to deal with when we got to the condo. We were very tired from traveling, and we ended up missing the entertainment at our facility as well as the Friday night fireworks which we were very much looking forward to since we were leaving the following Friday. I must say, though, our experience with Tom, who is this condo’s cleaner and the air condition repairman were extremely kind and helpful and even shared some thoughts as to the things we should do during our stay. I would definitely recommend staying here for the location, close to shopping and restaurants, the gorgeous view, great beach area, great restaurants on the facility at the Ilikai.And very easy to work with hosts.
Colleen B.
September 2025
Right in the thick of things.. comfortable condo with everything one could need Plenty shops and eats near by as well as in the lobby.
Bryan S.
September 2025
The room was very well equipped; it had everything we needed (cutlery, pots, sun loungers, beach towels, even a beach umbrella). Additionally, they truly care about their guests. After we reported that one wine glass was missing, they delivered four new glasses to us the very same day. We really enjoyed our stay and had a beautiful view from the window. The only thing that slightly disappointed us was the disconnecting Wi-Fi/internet. Highly recommend!
Justyna O.
September 2025
This property is listed as "3 bedroom" but it is one bedroom remodeled into 2 bedroom. The "3rd bedroom" is a couch in the living room. The host said that it is totally fine to misrepresent an appt like that and refused to refund our money. We had to rent another property for the 3rd bedroom at the last moment. Be careful, it is a scam.
Katya
September 2025
Near by beaches & pool were very nice. On site valet is worth the price.
Kola
September 2025