Waikiki Banyan

The Aston Waikiki Banyan is a condominium-style accommodation that offers a full kitchen and spacious rooms at an affordable rate. It claims to be a favorite among locals, but not this one me, nor my family members, of which there are plenty. But, I figured that I'd give them another shot. I mean, things should change over a decade or so, right? Well, things have not changed much. The pictures are beautiful on the website, but the suites are less than desirable in-person. There are unknown stains on the carpet and watermarks on the ceiling. Carpet stains are overlooked and covered by furniture. The decor is durable, yet very old-timey "Hawaiian" themed. The property provides both guests short-term and long-term residential rentals. There are less than pleasant residences that are annoyed by short-term guests. Aston services are a bit confusing when it comes to on-site laundry, maintenance, and security. I am sure there is a reason for confusion and inconsistency between the website, welcome letter, and signs posted on the walls. The location is great, just a couple of blocks from Waikiki, if you like to frolic with other tourists and just want to say, "I have swam at Waikiki Beach." The bed is firm and fits my style of comfort. The bathrooms are very tiny and I feel sorry for those that are taller than 5'11". You would barely fit in the garage, let alone the shower. Recommendations for upgrading rooms and services should be taken for consideration, but since the property is run by a board that is probably made up of long-standing members with no intent of improvements to the property...any recommendation provided will be pushed to the wayside. So, here are recommendations for potential/future guests. Do not stay here, unless you are using this place for location and a place to lay your head. Do not have high expectations for modern decor and services, to include central air. Rent a vehicle that is less than 6 ft tall if you are using the garage. Be prepared for irate residents.

Great location, parking included, beautiful condo, and ample amenities for guests to use. Enjoyed the stay and weather July. No real beach/ocean view, but that's expected from properties that are one block or more away from the beach. Easy access to zoo, Diamond Head, and the east access to Waikiki north-west roads to Waikiki tended to be very busy.

The room was clean and the location is great but very no frills from the management. One of the elevators was wrapped with blankets for some reason my family called it the murder scene elevator the whole trip. You should know the fire station is only about a block away so you will hear sirens regularly. But it's so close to the beach and was very well priced.

Good room, comfortable. We had a unit through airbnb, very easy check-in/out was easy. Older corner unit with some minor renovations. Partial ocean view and view of Diamondhead. Room a/c could only be operated for 6 hours at a time without risk of freezing the a/c unit. Not very convenient for sleeping comfortably though because we set the time for 6 hours to be sure it didn't freeze which meant the unit went off in the early mornings before 4am, causing us to wake up because it was so warm. Not sure if that would be true for all condos in this property. Good amenities, nothing fancy but the basics. Would have been great for a longer stay but we were only there for three nights. We didn't really have any interaction with staff except for security in parking garage. They were helpful and friendly. Location is convenient and easy walking to most Waikiki attractions.

First the downside. Been here 6 nights so far. There have been 4 emergencies! The speaker is in the bathroom. Evacuation down to the street using the stairwells. Do not come here if you want peace and quiet. This has been going on for years! Inexcusable and building owner should be fined for each occurrence until it is resolved. The upside. Inexpensive parking. The staff all work very hard and are dedicated. The room was okay.

Stayed for 2 weeks in Tower 1 on the 33rd floor with beautiful view of Diamond Head and partial ocean view. Room was excellent. Staff was accomadating, 4 elevators, staff in the convience store were not very pleasant and a little pricey. Enjoyed the stay, the walking distance to everything all around was great for first time.Rooms: 4/5

This place was an absolute dump! It almost ruined our vacation. They make it look good in the pictures and then we got there it it was horrible. The carpet was all stained. The beds were hard. It was like staying in a Motel 6 that hadn't been remodeled since the 80's that we payed $279 a night for. I shouldn't have paid more than $100 per night for that dump. What they don't tell you is that it's actually a condo complex where some of the owners rent out their places. I am so angry that I wasted all that money on that place. Then on top of that, I got kicked out of the parking garage because my rental car was an SUV that was to tall. They didn't care that I had to walk over half a mile away to park at a public park parking lot. I hated this place and wish I can get my money back. Don't ever stay here!!!

Room was decent and clean. Only reason it got 4 instead of 5 stars was the bed was like sleeping on rocks and there was not nearly enough bedding. Otherwise it was a nice place to stay. Koko was slow to respond to inquiries, some of that may have been my fault however. Would recommend to travelers on a budget.Rooms: 4/5

I visit Hawaii for extended periods of time multiple times a year, and always stay here at the Waikiki Banyan or at the Waikiki Sunset next door. The prices are reasonable and the location is superb. Just a block away from the beach, and a 5-10 min walk to Central Waikiki. Close enough to be convenient but far enough to be quiet and peaceful. A top benefit here is that most vacation rentals come with parking included. This costs a whopping $50 a night at nearby hotels so the savings here are huge. Having free parking along with what is essentially a 1-bedroom suite, all for the a price CHEAPER than the chain hotel resorts. I don't see why any visitors would want to stay in a Hilton, Marriott, or Hyatt when you can stay here at the Waikiki Banyan. Room quality and service is hit or miss depending on the property managers you book with. Aston the front desk managers is pretty good but by far the best experiences I've had have been with Jong on Airbnb. Highly recommended!

We stayed in a vrbo condo in the building. Great view of Diamond Head from 34th floor but lower floors would have been looking at a building. Still, good location, decent accommodations. We like having a kitchen. Walkable to many stores, coffee shops, beach, etc.Rooms: 4/5