Waikiki Beachside Hostel

Hostel · Diamond Head

Waikiki Beachside Hostel

Hostel · Diamond Head
2556 Lemon Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815

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Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null
Waikiki Beachside Hostel by null

Highlights

Just a block from the lively Waikiki Beach, this sociable hostel blends comfort and community with air-conditioned rooms, free breakfast, and fun activities.  

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2556 Lemon Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815 Get directions

waikikibeachsidehostel.com
@waikikibeachsidehostel

Information

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2556 Lemon Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815 Get directions

+1 808 923 9566
waikikibeachsidehostel.com
@waikikibeachsidehostel

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Last updated

Mar 8, 2025

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H. Barnes

Google
Great place to stay for solo traveler or traveling with friends. Great layout with gym, open floor plan, luggage room and hangout spaces by the beach. Felt very comfortable as each room has its own fridge and balcony. Very nice. The staff were the best part and could see the strong effort put in the space to make a community feel for all different types of traveller's. Very noteworthy. Would highly recommend staying here. Thank you.

Aleksander Machnik

Google
AMAAAAZING place. Very well equipped and maintained rooms. Cleaned every day. Very safe. But most important... the Staff It's people who work here that make this place so good. Very friendly and helpful. Organizing fun activities, there are things for everyone, sports, dancing, karaoke, board games, music instruments, books. You won't get bored in this place. Location is great, 2 minutes walk to the beach. Thank you guys for this great month. Alex

Lorrie Dysinger

Google
First time at a hostel, very nice, exceptional for being a shared room. Felt very comfortable and secure. Cleaned daily and my stuff was safe, option to lock it up, didn't feel the need Highly Recommend

RACHEL

Google
This was my first Hostel experience and thus place was great! The water proof wristband as the key was great so I could swim and not worry about losing my key. The beach is a block away and the Free tour with Hi5 they offered while I was there was amazing. I have already recommended this place to my friends and family and looking at dates to return. The staff was friendly and helpful when I asked for recommendations for food and the bus. The rooms are cleaned daily by housekeeping and they offered bed sheets and a pillow. Also 2 towels, One to wash and one for the beach.

Júlia Souto

Google
It was nice experience! The place is really nice, they have a lot of stuffs at the hostel that you can take to the beach. The activities are also really fun and a good opportunity to make friends. The beds are not the best, cause it’s gonna be moving when you move. But it’s comfortable.

Wei Wei

Google
Great accommodation for anyone visiting Hawaii on a budget. Great location that you can walk to Waikiki Beach, the main shopping street, etc. There is also 2-wheel vehicles shop and ABC store next to this hostel. Enjoyed the Sunday free tour with Hi5 too. My bunk bed was at a worrying level of unstable wobbliness but it didn’t fall apart so all good. Don’t expect anything fancy with the affordable price but overall cleanliness is there.

Annie Leiter

Google
Excellent!! For $45 for a dorm bed you really can't beat the convenience and location. They saved me so much money on parking by telling me where I could park on the street for free. Also they were very accommodating with my late check-in. The rooms are nice, there were two sets of bunk beds in the women's dorm I stayed in and it had its own bathroom and kitchen. Beds are comfortable and you're walking distance from the beach and downtown Waikiki. I would definitely recommend this place!

Mariana Mathias

Google
This hostel is located one block from Waikiki beach, that is a very popular area, during the day beach activities and by night many bars and parties. I stayed at the 6 bed girl dorm with kitchen and everything was very good, I have no complaints about bed situation and/or pillows. Kitchen was well equipped with everything to cook. Staff was probably one of my favorite parts of hostel, they were all very friendly and helpful. Every night there are social activities in the hostel, which really helps solo travelers to meet new people and make connections. Hawaii by itself is already really charming but this place made it even better. Highly recommended

Glystin B.

Yelp
The staff is SO kind, we had the best time with people around our hostel and the people outside. they had activities every night, it's very close to the beach, restaurants and shops! the rooms were very clean and room keeping comes each day!! the process of checking in and out was very smooth!

Steve A.

Yelp
Easily the most affordable option for this beach. It may be a hostel but it's cheap and convenient. Waikiki Beachside Hostel is exactly as the name says. Close to the beach and other attractions like Diamond Head. This is also in an area close to restaurants and fun things. A convenient location for staying and getting around. It's located within walking distance to Diamond Head. There's also a bus stop outside for tours. As for the hostel itself, it's got plenty to like about it. They have activities to participate in like games and stuff. Our room was big enough and had quite a few amenities. There's a pantry. As others have already mentioned, the air conditioning can be loud. The good thing is they offer ear plugs. Get booked at this hostel for a more affordable option while staying around here. It's located on Lemon Road. There's a few other hostels around it but this is the best option it seems.

Abrianna A.

Yelp
Horrible place we paid and the people that were there told us to leave the hole room smelled like smoke shut the door on our face don't waste your money !

Veronica G.

Yelp
Stayed here a long while ago, only now getting to review it! This place was an absolute gem! It's so close to the beach, you can't beat the price. I met so many really interesting people here, staff was great, the parties! The hostel parties were full of fun, laughter, and all around Aloha! I'm not sure if the Wongs still own the place but they we're doing it right. I'll forever have fond island memories of my youth here! Thank you hokondo beachside hostel for great times!

Mel C.

Yelp
It should get three stars because it's close to the beach but it has no, I repeat, no social area to gather and have coffee. This use to be the World's most fun place to stay, now it's only good for showers and a little rest. You have no view and the day staff 06/23/2023 was like a scene from some nightmare.

Alex V.

Yelp
great, not expensive hostel. 3 minutes walk to the beach! shops nearby! The only thing I didn't like was that the beds creaked a lot and there was no laundry! And so, in general, a good place. I recommend!

Fabian M.

Yelp
It is summer, 2017 and i have stayed here for 5 nights, so far. At this point im already traveling through canada and the u.s. for about 9 months. That is why i have already seen a couple of hostels, what makes it easy to compare. To be honest, im kind of upset about how things are going at this one. For me it is, without doubt the dirtiest i have stayed in so far. At the second day i spottet a dead cockroach beside the toilet in my room. It wasnt removed for over 24 hours. After a while little insects started to surround and eat it. They come in through the bathroom window and are living in there permanently. All in all there are just too many things i want to mention, which is why im just gonna write it in a list. Cons: -didnt tell me about possible bus connection (so i had to take an uber for 60 bucks) -pests -dirty rooms (+bad house keeping) -immense noise harassment (no closeable windows) -bad quality breakfast ( only toast, jam and panutbutter) -dumped my shoes without asking me Pros: -very central

Samantha S.

Yelp
I had a pleasant stay at Waikiki Beachside Hostel. A friend and I stayed two nights in a semi-private room and had no issues with either the room or the staffing. The room was equipped with a full sized fridge and a kitchenette with a stove and oven and simple cooking equipment. We mostly made drinks though. When we checked in we were told we had to wait for them to call for us. Realizing after 20 minutes this didn't make any sense, I went back inside and saw they were processing other check-ins so I got in line. When we got to our room we saw our beds were occupied by two girls who should have been in the "private room." The staff were super accommodating and came up and quickly moved the girls stuff so we could get settled in. The room has small lockers you have to use quarters (no return) to lock, but there is a coin machine downstairs. Other highlights include the breakfast, which is a simple toast, coffee/tea, and PB&J, and butter. It was perfect, really. There was also a live two-man band on Wednesday night so that was really fun. This hostel is walking distance to the beach (less than .3 miles) and there's a lot of food around. I'd stay here again if I wanted to be in Waikiki.

Desiree D.

Yelp
Nasty. Black mold inside the shower head and trash and dirt all over the floor of our room. I've stayed in other hostels before and never have I stayed in such a s***hole. I will most definitely be bleaching my entire body when I get home.

Shirley M. F.

Yelp
I have been frequently visiting this hostel since 2004 because it is very conveniently located just 1 1/2 blocks away from Waikiki Beach and just steps away from sumptuous restaurants, fantastic shops and services! This hostel boasts great hostel rental pricing-especially for the location, security card keys for all hostel guests, washer and dryers, Internet, petite breakfast, lockers, air-conditioned and very clean women's dorm rooms, and a well-equipped kitchen with a huge refrigerator with freezer in each of the dorm rooms I have had the pleasure staying since 2004. I cannot thank this hostel enough for all the great ammenities this hostel possesses, so I consider this hostel surely as my home away from my home!

Sharon M.

Yelp
Staff and guest were friendly. The room-a four guest suite was dirty, dirty, DUR TEE. those dust balls at the edge of cabinets started collecting monthes ago. Same for the air conditioner filter that was covered in al thick layer of dust. What were those stains on the mattress cover? As for a star rating-- do you have a minus rating?

Sergio D.

Yelp
The room was decent yet it doesn't provide towels and the beds are not comfortable. I was hoping forsomething better. It's close to the beach and has 4 floors with no elevators. There is also no car parking lot to this location, so good luck finding street parking. The housekeepers do a good jobs cleansing though. The hotel also has a bunch of stores near by so I would say check it out for yourself. It's cool.

Kelly M.

Yelp
I had never been to a hostle before this and was nervous it was going to be shady, but no!!! I absolutely love hostles now, thanks to this place. It's like a whole style of traveling and this place is awesome! I made so many friends from all over the world that I'm still keeping in touch with and the staff is so friendly. The rooms were clean, and there's a whole room with stuff you can borrow (beach chairs, snorkel gear, etc). It's super close to the beach and I just really loved staying here. Like one block away from the beach!! Amazing!!!!!

Ren N.

Yelp
For a hostel in Waikiki, it can sure do a lot better. It's not even that cheap, $33 per person for a twin size bed in a room that feels like a jail cell. Yes there is bathroom and a fridge and sink, but the environment is dingy, dark, dirty looking. At least the sheets are brand new ish, or looks that way. The semi privates are only $4 more and you get to stay in a king size (put together by two beds) bed with a balcony and behind closed door. However you can still hear everything that goes on outside where the other two people are staying. For the price It's not worth it, there are other hostels that give you better private rooms than this place Disregard the first pic, that was an uploaded mistake

Mailoha A.

Yelp
Pro: Each dorm room has its own bathroom. Con: The dorm rooms (rooms, bathrooms, etc.) and the hostel itself isn't all that clean. Pro: Breakfast is included. Con: Breakfast only includes coffee, bread, peanut butter, and jelly. Con: Beds aren't assigned. First come first serve. If you are on the top bunk, good luck finding an outlet to charge up on. Con: No AC and no fan in room. Tip: Make sure your windows are open. Pro: Free Wifi. Con: Checking in took forever. They require a deposit for parking and room key. Pro: Onsite parking. Con: Parking onsite is not included in room fee and is not free. Overall: I have experienced much better.

Timo S.

Yelp
I stayed here for four nights in August 2018, and I would never go there again. I had specially booked a room with four beds instead of eight, but didn't even have lockers in the room and only a very small fridge. It was really dirty, and the instant smell in the room was pretty disgusting. Besides, there are many creepy people staying at the hostel, and also in my room. I had a couple of encounters that weren't so nice. The only positive thing with the hostel is its affordability as well as its location close to the beach. I stayed at the hostel prior to my semester abroad in Honolulu and I met some other students also having the same issues I had. Even though it might be the cheapest place to stay in Waikīkī, I would never suggest going there.

Emily S.

Yelp
We stayed at the Waikiki Beachside Hostel in Jan of 2013 and booked a semi private room which is shared with two other people. (four people total) The semi private room sleeps two, and outside of that room sleeps another two people. What I like about the Waikiki Beachside Hostel is that it is about a block from the beach so you could easily walk there. In addition to that, it's right at the end of Kalakaua Avenue which is probably the main strip of street that everyone in Waikiki visits and walks on. There are tons of things on that street from Honolulu Cookie Company to a bunch of other stores. Everyone's out on that street. Even the Duke Kahanamoku Statue and the Waikiki Aquarium is near this hostel! Also, right near this hostel is another good bar/breakfast place with a great view (Lulu's Waikiki). The first day we got to the hostel we told them we had a car so they gave us the key to open the gate to get into the parking spaces. This hostel only has about four or five parking spaces so I was always worried every night when we came home about getting a parking space since it is a first come first serve availability. Lucky for us, it was never a problem. There is a $25 deposit you leave for getting the gate key but you get it back when you check out and is $7 a day to park. When we checked in, they gave us some sheets and gave us bracelets keys that scanned us into our rooms. The bracelet keys were neat! Anyway we got to our room and had to put the sheets in our bed ourselves which wasn't a problem. The room was nice and it was a bonus that the flat screen TV was in our room. That and it also had AC! The room is also lockable so you don't have to worry about anything being stolen. The bathroom was shared with two other people who were in the room with us. There were always different people in the room so people only stayed there for a few days before they checked out and traveled to another city. The bathrooms were not bad except for the broken blinds on the windows so you were worried about people seeing you naked in the bathroom depending on where you stood. O.O If you're standing directly under the shower you should be fine and they won't be able to see you. I liked my stay at the Waikiki Beachside Hostel. It was nice that there was a laundry machine here to wash our clothes since we were there for a week. And, we had no problems staying here. No bed bugs either. I would recommend this place to friends and would stay here again if I'm ever in Waikiki.

Vivian T.

Yelp
For the price and location, I'd stay here again! It's not your typical resort/hotel. Cleaners come in and basically just take out the trash and clean the restroom a little. And you have to be mindful and conscious to your bunk mates. But it's nothing some civility and politeness can't overcome and fix. The beds aren't really cleaned after a person leaves and it's first come first serve for the bunks. Sheets and a pillow case are provided to put over the mattress and that's basically as clean as it's going to get. You have to bring your own towels (or pay $2 or something like that for a towel to be provided). If you get cold, you also have to provide your own blanket, but with the weather in Hawaii, that wasn't needed for us. There are small lockers in the rooms to lock up anything valuable for 25 cents (I think? I didn't use them but saw them in passing). I'm not sure if this is every room but there weren't any screens on the windows. Luckily, there were no bug or mosquito issues. You definitely have to keep the windows open or it gets super stuffy in the rooms. A few of the bunks were extremely wobbly. The first night, I was on the top bunk and I thought i was going to break it going up and down on it. It's walking distance from the beach and several touristy locations. You can also request to stay with whoever you come with (although not guaranteed but they were accommodating for my friend and I). Front desk people are super nice and try to do as much as they can to help out. We stayed in a room of 8 and shared one bathroom. I thought that was going to be an issue but it actually was quite easy to manage. It may be because we got lucky with who we stayed with as well. But it worked out! We were there from Wednesday until Monday for $50 a night and were able to use points to book the place as well. If you're okay with sharing space with 7 other people and being a little cramped, I'd say to give this place a try.

Don K.

Yelp
I love this place, the best in Oahu hands down. A lot of people will try to say bad things because they expect hotel status. Then only pay $29 for super saver rates It's a hostel, everything is shared, almost everything. They do have options for private studios, Wich is same price as a hotel. The only good difference it's a full kitchen. Hotels don't usually offer that for that price. On top of that you can meet all types of people from around the world. I've never had so much fun staying anywhere else. Surfboard rental, moped shop next door, and super good and cheap tours. Not to mention the $14 shuttle to the airport. Word of advice, to get some good sleep, book a 4 person dorm. Luckily you will get a renovated room for a couple bucks more. Ashley, Danny, and Hardie are probably the ones you wanna talk to for anything to do around the island. The house keepers are extremely helpful to. I hope to go back after this COVID stuff goes away. They are pretty much closed right now for April. Can't wait for Summer though

Diamond W.

Yelp
If I can give this place negative 5 I would hot ass hell. All the a/c are busted staff is fucking rude

A B.

Yelp
I was a little nervous/unsure what to expect when I booked 4 nights in a 4bed female dorm but at ONLY $33/night IN WAIKIKI and to have a single bed/not having to sleep in a bunk bed I thought it was worth a try. As a single girl, I felt comfortable & safe. The 3 other girls in my dorm (from Japan, Korea & Australia) were friendly & considerate roommates. I am so glad I stayed here, I had no problems/a great stay & it was SO much better than I had anticipated!!!! :) LOCATION - a block from beach, closer to the diamond head end of Waikiki(near the zoo) with easy access to transit and lots of shops & restaurants nearby. WRISTBAND ACCESS - so much better than keycards! STAFF - both the front desk & housekeeping were friendly & helpful. MISC: Much cleaner & quieter than expected...I'd heard the lemon road hostels were dirty & loud but this hostel is a notable & refreshing exception. My dorm didn't have AC but I'm not a huge fan if AC anyways...it did have a great ceiling fan & another plug in fan that kept the air circulating our dorm was cool & comfortable. FREE WiFi you can even access in dorm! 12pm check- out, but if you need luggage storage its $5/day. Large TV & tables/seating in common area where they serve free pb&j each morning from 9-10am. Inexpensive cafe, scooter/bike rental outside hostel. Vending machines & Coin Laundry on site. IN SUMMATION: if you are expecting a 4* resort there have lots of them in Hawaii, upwards of $250/night + resort fees & taxes... but for less than the price of that single night - you can stay here for a week. So if you are planning to spend more time outside your room anyways and don't mind a basic accommodations/amenities, then save some $$$ &/or stay here longer. If you welcome the opportunity to meet/share your space with travelers from all over the world then I encourage you try Waikiki Beachside Hostel.

Mila G.

Yelp
Overall decent hostel. Very large complex. Seemed to be a lot of long term residents. Room was somewhat clean (for a hostel) and common area was well kept. Good for college age to older adults. Wide range of age groups here. Breakfast included: toast, water, coffee, and oatmeal.

Jonathan W.

Yelp
3 stars seems appropriate, though this is biased towards the affirmative due to the fact that I somehow scored a bunk right next to the AC unit - otherwise, the unit was absolutely burning, so I lucked out. Breakfast consisted of toast, peanut butter, jelly and butter, with coffee being available as well - lacking but I'm not sure what I expected. Secure storage is severely lacking, and facilities are nothing to write home about. A fellow traveler that I become friends with let me know about another hostel in the vicinity with significantly better accommodations, but for the same price - I didn't stay there, so I can't confirm or refute that - just be sure to do your research.

Kirstyn M.

Yelp
Stay was great. Good location and clean comfy room and had a full kitchen. Thought I had received the best price for my booking. When I arrived to the hotel I was charged and didn't realize I had already paid on hotels.com. I was charged over $100 LESS by the hotel compared to the hotels.com price. I wrote Hotels.com and received less than caring responses. They did not compensate the difference and not offer a future discount for the discrepancy. Why bother booking with them if you can get a better price direct from the hotel? Use their service to find hotels and contact the hotel directly. Then you ensure you're getting the absolute best deal and helping the hotel owner receive a better income rather than this useless site.

Terry K.

Yelp
First; I've never used a Hostel before. That being said, I wasn't too sure on what to expect during my 8 night stay. For me, check-in was quick and I was given a couple sheets and instructed to find a bed in my room and place my confirmation sheet on the clipboard at the end of the bed. So I located a bed, verified with the front desk that the person on the old confirmation sheet was no longer there, and made up the bed leaving my bag on top. Later, I came back on find my bag had been moved and someone sleeping in that bed. He didn't speak English so, that was a loss for me. That put me on the top bunk right in front of the small wall AC unit in the back room (the front room beds had to deal with the downstairs noise). I slept with ear plugs to muffle the noise. The unit also made it too cold for me to sleep...so I blocked most of the air with my backpack...but at least the room still had some cooling. The room was messier than I expected to find. There was stuff, clothes, suit cases here and there...but usually around a bed. The refrigerator (old) was about the same...impossible to tell what food belonged to who. The floor looked dirty (it was) and the bathroom was also pretty messy (at the end of the day, I guess that is what it should look like after guests are hitting the beach and then returning to clean up). It almost appeared as though there was no housekeeping services...but I later saw that there was a daily service. So apparently, we were messing up the place that quick! There are lockers in the room (takes US quarters only), but only one worked as the other 3 had foreign coins jammed in them. I was on the 4th floor so the free WiFi wasn't very good due to range. The bathroom definitely needed to be renovated. So these were a few negatives for me. There's no smoking anywhere on the property per a local law. But a couple of my roommates went on the patio any way to smoke...one of the other roommates complained to the front desk. They put up no smoking signs all over the hostel including inside our room. I had a rental car so I was really popular with my roommates. I parked on the street and usually had to walk a little ways for free parking. But never too far (at least for a jogger). You are located just a block from the beach and the Honolulu zoo. Also, this place is located at the end of the "tourist strip" of stores and restaurants....so walk up one side of the street as far as you wanted...then back on the other side. So these are definite pluses to picking this hostel. I did a short 5 mile jog around Diamond Head every day...usually in the morning, but a couple runs were in the afternoon. Going clockwise, I was in city for the first couple miles...but the second half was all along the ocean side where there was some awesome views. This again is another plus in my book. Now the water coming out of both the kitchen and bathroom faucets had a foul smell too it. To me, it smelled like something rotten or dead. I dreaded brushing my teeth..yuck! I mentioned this to the front desk and the hostel manager said he looked into it, but didn't notice it. So on check out, we both checked it out together. He agreed there was a weird smell to the water coming out of the bathroom faucet. So this is a negative to this place. I have no idea if anything was actually done to resolve this but suspect some effort was made based. There are only 3 washing machines and 4 dryers (US $1 each). When I went to use them, the housekeeping staff were using all but one of each. Why aren't they using the hostel industrial washers/dryers?...I later found out they don't have any. The rule is they leave at least one washer and one dryer open at all times. That is good in theory, but if more than one guest wants to do clothes at the same time, it doesn't work. So this was a negative. Breakfast: toast, coffee, water, peanut butter & jelly...no juice. I don't usually eat breakfast so I this goes down as a neutral rating cause I couldn't honestly rate a free breakfast...if that is what it really is. There's a big screen TV down stairs and some charging stations. Lots of people would hang out here depending on the time of day. I met people of all ages from everywhere around the world here. So overall, I don't know how to rate this place..compared to a hotel, it wasn't even close...but it's not supposed to be...you're sharing! I asked a lot of the other wayward travelers staying at this hostel how it compared to others they've stayed at...most said it was about average. Some have had better and some had stayed at much worse. So overall, I feel the place was a little run down and needs some updating. But it is manageable. The price is tough to beat. It's been years since I last visited Oahu..I was extremely disappointed in what I found due to growth and tourism. I probably won't ever be back to this island for vacation...that being said, it is not because of this hostel. Reference other reviews for better advice on this place.

Signey H.

Yelp
I've stayed here before and my last stay was last month (Dec 2016). I did not have any bad experience this time or in the other 3 times I've stayed here since 2013, but in making a fair comparison with the other hostels that I've been in the area (on Lemon Rd and Cartwright Rd), I can't give them 5 stars. I stayed at the Semi-Private room this time with my niece who met with me in Waikiki, but I have stayed in the Mixed-4 shared room in the past, which is basically the same unit but in the outside beds. The rooms are fairly clean and someone does come in daily to sweep and do light cleaning. Depending on your roommates, the experience will vary, as it did last month because our roommates on the outside room in the 4-bed mixed room always left a mess of clothes all over the floor, dirty dishes in the sink and empty beer bottles on the common table. Pros: Daily rates, even for the Semi-Private room, are competitive for Waikiki, although a little high compared to other similar places around the world (but hey, it's Hawaii, U.S.A.) - Shared kitchen and refrigerator in the room. - Fairly clean bathroom - Single beds versus bunk beds (outside 2 beds in the 4 bed mixed rooms) - Nice check in staff - Breakfast (only toast, coffee and tea but better than nothing) - A/C in the Semi-Private room - Wristband with electronic key, which takes away the possibility of losing keys when going out to hike or the beach - Nice common area with a large TV and plenty of seating Cons: - no free lockers in the room (25 cents PER use, where in other area hostels, they are free) - There is a ceiling and an additional floor/table fan in the room (on the outside area of the mixed 4-bed rooms) and it gets pretty warm sometimes, windows don't help much with air flow. - Although Wi-Fi was free, it was very weak on the higher floors - Noise from the mopeds that are constantly been driven in later in the evening (even after 10pm) to be parked at the hostel. A better way would be to ask the guests to shut off and push their mopeds into the parking area after 10 pm).

Chris F.

Yelp
AMAZING location just a couple blocks from the beach, can't beat staying in this area for the price. The front desk service is excellent and they kindly offer a breakfast of coffee and toast (butter, PB, jam) from 9-10 am. For a more substantial breakfast there is a small grill area adjacent to the check in area where they serve typical breakfast fare for a low price. There are also several laundry machines available to use in the lounge and one night while we were there they had a musician singing and playing the guitar. Amenities in the rooms are fairly slim, they provide bedsheets and pillows with pillowcases, as well as toilet paper. Towels can be purchased from the front desk for $4. They do not provide other toiletries, when we arrived there was half a bar of soap for the bathroom sink, but it soon ran out and wasn't replaced so that may have been someone's that they brought with them. They replace the small floor towel outside the shower from time to time when it gets dirty so that's a plus. The fridge/freezer is large and works great and the beds seemed clean and were comfy enough, but everything else was a bit dirty. The toilet was clean but the shower tub was in need of some updating. While we were there the shower drain got clogged up with sand but they were very speedy in fixing it. Also the floors get a little sandy with people tracking it in, but you can tell they make a good effort at cleaning them often. I give them props for keeping it as clean as it was with 8 rotating guests in some of the rooms. I would say that the beds need some oiling, they squeak a TON. For suites with two rooms, four beds each, definitely try to sleep in the room with the air conditioner, it gets very hot at night in the airless room. They offer coed and separated gender suites; we stayed in a coed one and everybody was more than respectful of each other's space and privacy. I can't speak for the other rooms but the coin activated safes in our room didn't work, but we had no issues with people touching our things (although we didn't bring many valuables). The front desk will also offer to hold any valuables you aren't comfortable keeping in your room. The room keys are rubber bracelets that activate by touch on the door keys (they're also waterproof). At check in they charge $20 per key refundable at the end of your visit. I made my reservation on Hostelworld and this expense was built into the price they estimated for me. Quiet hours in the hostel start at 10 pm and people are generally very respectful and quiet. I would say overall that this is a great hostel for young people who want the beachside experience but don't want to pay the beachside hotel price. In a nice way, the minimalism of this hostel encourages you to get out and experience Oahu.

Jeremy S.

Yelp
I've stayed here twice now when traveling alone to Hawaii on business. I'm just going to go back and forth on some pros and cons for the place: Pro: Cheap. Con: Did not provide a towel. Pro: Suggested a way I could grab a towel from the neighboring hotel. Con: My assigned room didn't have a bed for me. Pro: They graciously gave me a different room. Con: Last time I stayed here, my roommate had just been released from prison. Pro: This time that was not the case. Con: My roommate ditched me at dinner for a group of frat boys. Pro: I made new friends. Better Friends. Brazilian friends. Con: Their English Pro: Their looks Con: A couple of old creepy guys lurking at various tables during dinner Pro: At 27, I wasn't one of them...yet. Con: I ended up knowing way too much about who was sleeping with whom. (pro?) Pro: $6 Chicken Curry and live music Con: No Vegetarian option Pro: Traded business cards with a fantastic web design entrepreneur Con: Possibly agreed to let some people crash on my couch in LA Pro: 2 hours of singing in the street together Con: We were kicked out of the common area at 11 Pro: After 11 the guests didn't have to listen to annoying drunks in the common area Con: We were also kicked out of the lobby. And the front stoop. Pro: Ended up heading to the beach as a group. Con: Others had a far racier night then I did. Far racier...I tried. I swear I did. Pro: We got back at two, just in time to head out with another group. Con: I had to catch a plane at 5:30 the next morning Pro: I was keeping my roommate up and not the other way around Con: Had to leave before the free breakfast Pro: Almost ended up with exactly the night I was looking for Con: Almost There's two types of hostels. The type where almost everyone's a recent college grad, everyone hangs out in some central area, you can buy weed from just about anyone there, and the sexual tension in the place is higher than a hotel room after prom. The other type is a collection of people with nowhere else to go, having spent the last 5 months in the place, with no job, nothing to do, and nowhere to turn. One is amazing, and the other awful, so if I'm staying at a hostel, I try to do as much research as possible. I know I'm taking a risk. Fortunately, this fits squarely into the first category.

Jan P.

Yelp
I rescheduled my flight to a day early to Hawaii to have an extra day vacation. My check-in for the Trump in Waikiki isn't until the next day, so I had to find a place to spend one night somewhere. I was suggested to stay here from the airport information center and I went with it. The rates are $33-something to share with 8 ppl or extra $4 to share only with 4 ppl. I had the 4 ppl semi-private room for one night. You will be asked to put down a $20 deposit fee (but you will get it back once you check-out). I received a key bracelet that you scan on the door lock to your room, which was pretty cool. It's also waterproof! You will be handed out with sheets to cover up your bed and pillow. Okay - straight to the point, when I got in... I wasn't impressed with the room because it seems grimy and dirty, but I didn't' care because it was only $30 for one night until I get to relocated into a 5-star luxury hotel the next day. I felt like a prison here sometimes. The bathroom is really nasty and unsanitary. During the middle of putting in bed sheets, two workers came into my room to clean the mess and throw garbage. Uh, is there a courtesy? I would prefer to have the room READY & CLEAN before I receive the key, not have the check-in ready and then I come into my room then have Cinderellas barge in my room in the middle of my unpacking. It was just weird but I didn't care at all. At least I didn't have to sleep at a beach with my luggage, right? During my whole night here, I was relieved that I didn't share the room with anyone, only me! I was afraid that if I share with people I don't know might have steal my stuff.. Oh well, at least nothing was taken away from me. Despite how dirty the hostel room is, this place is great if you need a cheap stay. It almost feels like going to a church camp when I was in high school or something, lol. Breaktfast (slice of bread and strawberry jam/butter) and coffee are provided at 9AM in the morning. Lastly, this hostel is okay. I like the fact that it's only a block away to Waikiki Beach and many shops around.

Nathan M.

Yelp
Get it straight. This is a Hostel, not a Hotel. People come here for the inexpensive lodging, the location and the experience. The Waikiki Beachside Hostel is located on Lemon Road, literally a block from Waikiki Beach. The hostel is located conveniently next to a few ABC stores and a Moped Rentals and tour business. In terms of pricing, it is on the cheaper side for most hostels that I have stayed in. The rooms are adequate enough and are all equipped with kitchens and bathrooms. Downstairs is the outdoor lounge area where everyone chills out at night before getting ready for whatever it is they are doing next. If you are looking to come to Hawaii to be pampered and sit in your air conditioned room all day, this is not the place for you. Hostels are communal in nature and this hostel has had a more friendly community then most I have been at before. If this hostel was the same price a night as another leading hotel here in Waikiki, I would still stay here at the Beachside Hostel. I came to Hawaii to enjoy the sun, sand, surf, drink and make some new friends. Mission accomplished and its all thanks to this place.

Kari n.

Yelp
Listen up... this ain't no 5 star hotel here on Waikiki. You're not going to get room service. You will probably be sleeping in a room with jam packed people and if you're lucky enough to wake up between 9-10 they will serve you a breakfast that consists on peanut butter (smooth or chunky) and grape jelly. all in all... I enjoyed my stay here at beachside. The location in Waikiki is perfect! I mean, what else can you ask for other than an ABC store right around the corner... and other corner and other corner?! the staff was very friendly and helpful. the people who stayed there are very sociable and come from all over the world. next door they have car/scooter rentals available which comes in handy if your trying to get up to the north shore for a little exploration. best of all... NO BED BUGS =)

Bekki D.

Yelp
Pleasant people but no air conditioning and years of built up grime in the rooms. It's fine for the cost and location but too hot and outside area is noisy early. Safe and roommates were all nice.

Inna B.

Yelp
Let me preface this by saying that I never hostel hopped around Europe after college & that this was my first (and possibly last hostel experience) of my life. I went to Waikiki with a couple friends and they thought it would be fun to stay at a hostel in the beginning of the trip to mingle with some fun locals and tourists. Although, I was skeptical about staying in a hostel in Hawaii (since most people go to Hawaii to be pampered), I was a team player and went along with it. That is until we actually arrived at the hostel... The hostel is located in what seemed to be a sketchy part of Waikiki. The man who checked us in was perfectly nice, but when he handed me the sheets to make my own bed, I felt like I had just arrived at a mimimum security prison. When we got to the room, it just got worse and worse. I was travelling with 2 other girls, and we got put into a four person room with an additional roommate. The "roommate" was a really creepy older woman who seemed to be using the hostel as long-term stay housing. Her stuff was all over the place, and for some reason she had dozens of bananas taking up all the space in the fridge. She kept talking about how much she liked our "spirit" and I'm pretty sure she would have made lamp shades of us if we had actually stayed in the room. Other people that I saw walking around were all carrying 48 packs of beer and seemed to be underage...I'm sure that it gets quiet rambunctious at this hostel at night. The room itself was disgusting (I will post pics.) There was mold on the pillows and mattress, the furniture was falling apart and the windows had bars on them, contributing to the jail house feel. The bed looked like a cot you would take on a camping trip. In the end, we decided to eat the sunk cost and stay elsewhere!

Malia M.

Yelp
I write this as a frequent hostelee with my fair share of experience in hostels all over the world. Hands down, no joke, this is the STRANGEST hostel I've ever stayed in. Well, I should clarify that, it has the strangest group of people I've ever stayed in a hostel with. To be clear, this does not include the staff, whom I found absolutely delightful. Most of us that commonly stay in hostels when traveling know that we are going to typically find 20 something wander lusty traveler types just like ourselves when we stay somewhere. However, this hostel included several elderly people, a couple middle aged divorcees who seemed to think I cared about their spouses "evil ways", and even a couple of french chicks who seemed to think they weren't nearing 40 (news flash, you are ladies)... Aside from the strange people, it was definitely the least well kept hostel I've stayed in...it rivals the communist barracks turned dorm turned hostel at a Budapest location that I was less than impressed with. Now granted, you're in Hawaii...you're going to have sand and stuff. But the bathroom ceiling had so much black mold I thought I needed to call hazmat control. The last straw was that the storage was coin operated. I'm sorry what?! Maybe I've always just chosen my hostels more wisely, but I have NEVER had to pay for storage before. This was after paying what I consider to be a little high for a hostel ($29/night)... Basically, what it comes down to is that I wasn't disgusted, but I've stayed in better for sure. And if I head back to Waikiki, I'll be finding myself a new hostel.

Nick R.

Yelp
Certainly the most "hostelly" hostel I can ever remember staying in. Eight person rooms with a lot of relatively longterm guests from diverse backgrounds made this place very social. Everyone was pretty laid back and you would have no trouble finding a ride to the North Shore, job prospects, friends to bar hop with, recreational chemicals, or hookups depending on what you're looking for. Not the best place if you're looking for something quiet and peaceful, but if thats what you wanted, you probably wouldn't be staying in Waikiki anyway. I came here after weeks of near solitude and found it a little difficult to adjust to being social again, but i can think of no better way to work my way back into the world of humans.

Kelsey R.

Yelp
My best friend and I went to Honolulu last summer. We were staying 3 nights in a hotel and decided to stay 1 night at a hostel because we thought we could meet some fun, young people to hang out while we were there. We were wrong. Our roomies hated us. They were serious about getting up early to surf and sight see. They looked at us like we were crazy when we asked "Where are the good places to go out?". Three of them had been there over a month...you haven't had one crazy night and a single pina colada? The room was what one should expect of a hostel. Bunk beds, a shared dingy bathroom, sheets made of sandpaper, dirty kitchen etc...If I was staying here with 8 of my friends it would have been a lot of fun in a share-house kind of way. The worst part of this place was the people working there. My friend and I had different flights. She checked in earlier than I did and had paid for the rental fee for both of our sheet sets. When I went to check in she explained she paid for and gotten my stuff when she checked in and the guy told her to be quiet!! He rolled his eyes and snapped at both of us multiple times! I couldn't believe it!! Customer Service doesn't exist here. For $25/person a night I guess you really can't expect much.

Sierra D.

Yelp
NO FREE LOCKERS. Unbelievable... I had to put in a dollar's worth of coins each time I wanted to take my laptop out. What, did they expect me to leave it in the room with a bunch of strangers? There aren't strict rules to enforce so the room was dirty and messy. My small room was seriously cramped - with 2 bunk beds in the front room and 2 bunk beds in the back. I was always in someone else's way. If you request for them to hold your stuff until your flight leaves after checkout. it's another 5 bucks. Oh, and there was dried blood on my pillow and above me where the upper mattress lay. GROSS. Regardless, the workers were nice and they have a prime location. Go to the seaside hostel - clean, and you get a huge locker to store your stuff for free.

Jenny B.

Yelp
Only spent one night here for a layover / seeing some friends, but was not sad about leaving after one night either.. I know it is a hostel and yes I'm probably totally spoild from my hostel trip to Costa Rica but anyway... Pros: - great for solo travelers - location - price - friendly staff cons: - LOUD!!! (even with ear plugs!) - could be cleaner - you got to pay .25$ each time you open your locker, no self locker storage; - the rooms are super hot

Jill G.

Yelp
Seriously! If you are a student you go for the cheapest accommodation option and this is definitely "Waikiki Beachside Hostel". Especially in O'ahu were the rates are generally high we paid for a mixed dorm not more than $20 p/night. The hostel is literally just ONE block away from the famous Waikiki Beach!! What do you want more? OK, it's a hostel and not "The royal Hawaiian Hotel (famous pink hotel)", so don't put your expectations too high. We booked a mixed dorm for 10 people. We basically let the hostel staff know before that we would like to have a dorm for ourself. And we got it! Even though two guys slept in the room next door, which wasn't a big deal. We had our small open kitchen, with a big fridge and microwave....and a small bathroom. For breakfast they had the usual stuff (bread with either marmalade, peanut butter, tea, coffee and more i cant remember) if you were still hungry you went to one of those ABC stores (watch out they are expensive). That was by the way the first hostel were the breakfast was outside, there is no breakfast room. You are basically sitting right under the building (ground floor is an open area). Even the washing machine and dryers were outside. The staff were welcoming and very helpful. Nothing really happened were I could say "OMG, that was soo disgusting, horrible or whatsoever..." as soon as you are in hawaii you mood changes from bad to good anyways :)

Erin P.

Yelp
I spent one night at this hostel and promptly left the next morning. I knew what I was getting into because of these Yelp reviews (dirty, bugs in cabinets, LOUD even with earplugs in, hot as hell in the rooms), but I overestimated my desire, as a solo traveler, to meet new people. I think this place is great for the under 25 crowd (there were a few free-spirited older folks, 60+), but after a night of little sleep, I hightailed it to a high-rise condo a few blocks away. OMG air conditioning and the sound of my inner monologue! I can't give the place a terrible review. The lady I checked out with apologized profusely (even though I told her it wasn't their fault, I'm just turning into an old lady and couldn't handle it). I was refunded for the rest of my trip (8 nights) and went on my merry way. Pros: Location Price for Waikiki Social atmosphere, if you're into beer pong Wifi worked great in my room The bed wasn't the worst Cons: Dirty Hot, one box fan in the entire room Loud (quiet hours are a joke)

Jamie G.

Yelp
Stay away from here. If you are like me and often stay in hostels, you realize that it's just a place to sleep. But myself and two of my friends stayed here for two nights (was supposed to be three but we checked out early), had such a miserable time here. The bathrooms may be private to the 8 person room, but they're dirty. They don't even have soap on the walls or extra toilet paper. There was one air conditioner, it was against the wall, so the person who was lucky to sleep next to it was comfortable. To top it all off, they make you sign this waiver saying everyone staying there must be registered, and a person in our room was having LOUD SEX in the bunk below one of our friends. People are loud, smoking, and disrespectful. There are no wall chargers to charge while you're asleep so you better trust those in your hostel.

Jeffrey C.

Yelp
I stayed here for one week in a 4-bed dorm. The room was better than I expected due to there being no bunk beds as only single beds were present. Seeing a bathroom in the room was a nice touch and definitely better than other hostels that I've stayed at. I heard that the larger dorm rooms have a kitchen in the room which would have been nice. The communal lounge downstairs was a great way to meet some people! There is a lot of open space and a fine opportunity to have some drinks with new acquaintances. They also offer wireless internet mostly in the lounge which I found to be pretty good although it's limited to a certain range. Sometimes it does get quite loud at night but they try to enforce a curfew at 10:30 PM. Being a hostel it doesn't always work out - though it's great to see that they try to make an effort. Location is one of the biggest upsides to staying here. The ABC Store is right next door which is very convenient to buy food and drinks. Also the location is quite good for Waikiki with it being walking distances to the beach and many restaurants/shops.

Matt H.

Yelp
I was scheduled to stay here for 8 nights during my Waikiki Beach vacation. I knew what I was getting into since it is a hostel. The price is cheap and it's one of you get what you pay for spots. There was a lot of in and out of different people during the actual 7 nights that I wound up staying there for. One day you would see one person and they would be gone the next. It seemed like it was more of a resting place for everyone. The community area downstairs was a lot of fun and I met a lot of great new friends. The first Friday that I was there the noise down there was a bit intolerable since it went late. After that it seemed to have a 10pm cutoff time by the front desk which is a good idea. If you want a quieter stay then grab a bunk in the back half of the room. You'd be surprised how much difference this makes with the noise. The housekeeping seemed to be pretty non existent. This was the only thing that I really missed about having a traditional hotel. It really made me value a clean room. I stayed at a different place on the last night and it felt so much better to be in a regular hotel room. Hostel life isn't for everyone but this place is worth the price.

Amanda L.

Yelp
To start this is a hostel so I didn't anticipate it would be quiet or clean and in the end it was just as I expected, kinda dirty and real loud. My bed, pillow and linens were clean. I fortunately snagged a bottom bunk and was able to turn my second sheet into a curtain to give myself some privacy because I was in a bed in the kitchen area right in front of the front door which was often left open because they air conditioners don't work and are only in the back room. Staff range in politeness, the day time people are ok a couple are rude, the dread lock guy in the afternoon is AWESOME and hilarious and then there is Ted at night, being a captain of silence he will come to your room if your are loud as well as kick you off the front stoop at night with and threaten to kick you out of the hostel, we just took our party to the beach when this happened, no big deal but he could have been a wee more polite and slightly less threatening with his approach. Housekeeping literally only changes the bathroom floor towel and dumps the trashes so it is messy unless someone in your room is committed to cleaning the place. Since rooms almost always have people in them they are probably never given a proper cleaning. Our room was mostly full the whole time and most of the girls were awesome, some didn't really talk to anyone but were polite. You get the odd weirdo, we had a lady come in literally just to sleep the night and did so with her vagina hanging out for all to see...that was a bid weird, thank god she vacated by the time I woke up in the morning! Free toast, PB and J in the morning, and the internet cafe sells some decent $3-$5 breakfast. Overall it is what it is, the hostel is laid out in a way that all the sound echoes between the two rows of rooms and up from the lobby on ground level. This place it LOUD but if you're tired enough you'll sleep through it and they shut people up as best they can after 10 to 11 at night...sometimes it didn't quiet down until about 1am though. Very close to the beach, shopping and dining. It's noisy but an excellent area to stay for about $25 a night.

Stephanie H.

Yelp
This place is gross. You wouldn't know it coming in (the lobby is clean and well-decorated), but the rooms were nasty. We couldn't even use all the provided sheets because some came with arbitrary yellow stains. There wasn't a garbage can in the room that we could find, and it didn't seem like anyone had cleaned in a few weeks. The only upside to this place is that it puts a roof over your head for less than $100 a night. However, I wasn't sure we wouldn't have been better off camping. Probably would have been equally clean.

Gary C.

Yelp
Do Not Stay Here!!! I made a reservation for a weeks stay here and got done dirty. The blonde/chubby/older lady that works nights decided that even though I had paid and had a reservation, she didn't want me to stay. I showed up that day and was told to return in a few hours. They held my luggage and gave me a few tickets to retrieve them. When I returned, the old lady threw an attitude with me for no reason at all. Even threatened to call the police. She tried to kick me out without my belongings when she was the only one escalating the conflict. I told her I would leave if she wanted me to, she said she did, so I went outside and called the Police. When the police arrived, they easily verified my case to her as she was claiming that there was some sort or fraud or something even though I offered every proof otherwise. Long story short, she decided to discriminate against me because I am brown and she didn't like being wrong about the issue. She kicked a vacationer out on the street at 9pm. I had no other reservations. I had to pay $200 for a single night at a hotel down the street just because this lady was having a bad day at work and doesn't like brown people. amazing that racism still exists. Save your money for a place that respects people and that will honor your reservation. I traveled 3000 miles from the Bay Area just to get put out on the street like a bum. It was embarrassing and demeaning. She should be fired and this place a dump.

Lera F.

Yelp
Omg..*love*..I'd give 6 stars if I could. 1) 1 block from the beach. Seriously the Banana Bungalow hostel in Maui is awesome but..this one is 1 block from the beach 2) In Waikiki (so toootally walkable to every club and bar!) 3) Awesome people (best part! ;))

stacie t.

Yelp
I've stayed in hostels and guesthouses around the world and....let's just say. I wouldn't walk around barefoot around the room or shower. Davis was super nice and helpful on the phone. Some of the front desk staff looked completely overwhelmed and frustrated at times. I had one guy who didn't even stay at the front desk to help me with my question, just grabbed his lunch and I said, "Hey, can you help me?" He said, "I usually work the night shift, so I don't know how to help you." I said, "OK, go on your lunch break then (nicely)." And he did. Pros: Close to Waikiki The single beds were actually quite firm Cons: Too big for their britches...can't run a hostel with overwhelmed employees Dirty Super noisy (thank God for earplugs and unisom) The bunk beds were kind of wobbly With so many long term vacationers, they were using the lockers as their own storage cabinets (shampoo, etc.) and not locking them I have stayed at hostels where the staff acted as if they were working in a real hotel, super customer service oriented. I did not feel this way at this hostel. They could have stepped up their game considerably. I stayed at Polynesian Hostel before (twice), just down the street, and had absolutely no complaints. Just sayin...

Miranda M.

Yelp
Stayed in the semi private room with 4 people for 4 nights. It is really close to the beach and shopping which was nice. The staff was friendly and helpful as well. The room itself was clean but very run down. The sliding glass door to the back patio couldn't be shut all the way, the fan barely worked, there were holes in the front door, the window couldn't be opened or closed, and the blinds were missing panels making it impossible to shut all the way, leaving no privacy for the person in the bed nearest the window from people walking by. This also let in a lot of light and it was never remotely dark in the room. The worst part though was the noise. The thin walls and windows let in a lot of noise. The building on the east side is very noisy blasting music all night every night making it hard to sleep. The rooms that don't face this building are probably much quieter. I would not stay here again.