Honolulu Travel Guide
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Hyatt Place Heads to The Beach With New Waikiki Hotel
We're big fans of Hyatt Place hotels mainly because of their free WiFi, spacious rooms, geeky tech panels and wallet-friendly room rates but now Hyatt Place is even more appealing thanks to the opening of their first hotel in Hawaii.
Formerly the Ocean Resort Hotel, the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is comprised of two towers, the first of which, the Pali Tower, is now open. This tower has 191 rooms, all with balconies and views of the Waikiki Beach neighborhood.
Waikiki beach is a "three-minute walk" away, according to Hyatt Place, and the Hawaii Convention Center is just two miles away, making it a good spot for either business or pleasure guests, or both.
Hotel Woes / Edition Waikiki Takeover / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Honolulu Hotels / → All Tags
Is the Surfboard at The Modern Honolulu in Danger?
The other day we saw that the hotel formerly known as the Waikiki Edition but currently known as The Modern Honolulu was offering some amazing rates for next month--starting at just $195 a night. Then we saw rates of $155 on Jetsetter.com.
This was a steep drop from Edition's high of $375 making us extremely excited about a possible trip to Honolulu, especially since it seemed like Aqua hadn't changed a thing. But again, nothing is as it seems here.
We've got a tip that the management has already started to take apart the crazy cool Wrecktangles surf board installation behind the front desk because "they keep bumping into it." Very sad. And a little sacrilegious no? Don't you just take it down instead of removing pieces?
Hotel Opening Rates / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Honolulu Hotels / Edition Hotels / → All Tags
The Modern Honolulu is Keeping Rates Low at $195 a Night
It's been about a month since the Edition Waikiki was kicked out of their own hotel and The Modern Honolulu ushered in but the dust from the fracas has just about settled down. More importantly, the Modern Honolulu has a real deal website now.
The site is chock-full of gorgeous photos, taken when the hotel was still an Edition, and while it lacks the sophistication of the old Edition site, the new site definitely feels more approachable with big easy to read fonts and exciting copy. (Ok, some of it does feel a little too cheerleader peppy.)
But perhaps the biggest improvement here is the room rate for the month of October. Rates at the Modern are just $195 a night all next month for city view rooms. Interestingly, that's how much the Edition offered as its special opening rate a year ago before jumping up to $375 a night. So, um...anyone up for a trip to Hawaii next month? If you are, just be prepared for some awkward employee interactions.
Edition Hotels / Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Facebook / Hotel Woes / → All Tags
The Save Waikiki Edition Team is Keeping Score on Facebook
We mentioned last week that even though the Waikiki Edition has been unceremoniously replaced by The Modern Honolulu, employees were still holding out hope that Edition would one day rise again by creating a Facebook page.
And judging from this recent update, it looks like quite a few people are holding out hope that Edition will rise again. About 525 now to be exact. Compared to 59 for Modern Honolulu, an Aqua Hotels and Resorts property.
Sadly, we're not so sure when or even if this will ever happen. The hotel owners M Waikiki LLC filed for bankruptcy late last week which actually protected them from having to turn the hotel back over to Edition's parent company, Marriott, despite a New York judge's ruling to do so. Sigh. It could be a really long time before all this gets sorted out and we're just afraid the damage to Edition is probably already done.
Let's hope the upcoming Editions--Bangkok, London, Mexico City and South Beach--fare much better.
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Hotel Takeovers / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Edition Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Hotel Employees / Honolulu Hotels / → All Tags
It Turns Out The Edition Waikiki Was 'Just a Job' to Some
We all had a three-day weekend thanks to the Labor Day holiday but down at the Waikiki Edition (or Edition Waikiki or Modern Honolulu, whatever team/side you're on), the employees were still working--both to serve guests and to fight against their new bosses, Aqua Hotels and Resorts.
As far as we know, Aqua is still running the hotel as the Modern Honolulu and Marriott is begrudgingly respecting the hotel owners, M Waikiki's recent bankruptcy filing. In the meantime, Marriott plans to sue M Waikiki up the wazoo, or for tens of millions of dollars in damages for breaking the management contract. As for the guests, Marriott is now urging them to call the Marriott reservations center and make reservations at other nearby Marriott hotels.
On the bright side, even though there are miserable employees on the property, the booze is free. The hotel is no longer selling alcoholic drinks because it needs to apply for a new liquor license in Aqua's name as the old one belonged to Marriott. That sounds crappy but reports say they are giving away the alcohol. Whee!!
Now onward with the next chapter in this story..
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Hotel News / Edition Hotels / Aqua Hotels / Honolulu Hotels / Hotel Woes / → All Tags
What It's Like For a Guest at The Waikiki Edition aka Modern Honolulu Hotel
It's not so peaceful here anymore.
All this week, we've been watching the drama of the Waikiki Edition Takeover unfold at a rapid pace. The hotel owners, M Waikiki LLC, fired the first shot by dumping the Edition brand and anyone affiliated with Marriott Hotels overnight on Saturday and installing a new brand, Aqua Hotels and Resorts to run the place with a new name, The Modern Honolulu.
Marriott struck back by winning an injunction from a New York court to reinstall their Edition brand. But so far no changes have been made. Except that M Waikiki filed for bankruptcy yesterday making it harder for Marriott to take any further legal action against them.
All week long we've been posting commentary from the hotel's Edition employees who were forced to sign with Aqua Hotels or else be fired. Needless to say it's not a happy place there. (The employee have also set up a Facebook Page called Save the Waikiki Edition. 347 likes and counting!
But today, we have a different perspective to share with you--that of a longterm guest at the hotel who has stayed nearly 110 nights at the hotel this year alone. They write:
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Aqua Hotels / Hotel Takeovers / Honolulu Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Employees / Hotel Woes / → All Tags
Here's The Latest Edition on The Waikiki Edition
The takeover and the takeback of the Waikiki Editionis moving so fast that we're finding it hard to keep up with all the developments especially as we're attending a work conference in Vegas (for realz! and we are actually sober!) So we're sitting here trying to recap all that we can as we get the time. Fortunately, it's only 12:30pm in Hawaii right now so we're not too late!
First off BANKRUPTCY! M Waikiki LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today. No doubt they blame Marriott for their financial woes but the filing also prevents Marriott from filing any countersuits against them. Tricky! Marriott, meanwhile, has called the move "desperate." As it stands right now, the hotel is now an Aqua Hotels and Resorts-run place called The Modern Honolulu. But given the craziness of the past few days, who knows how long that will last.
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Edition Hotels / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Hotel Lawsuits / Hotel Employees / Hotel Takeovers / → All Tags
The Waikiki is Now The Waikiki Edition Once Again (But For How Long?)
Some late-breaking news yesterday--a New York judge has ordered M Waikiki LLC, the owners of the The Waikiki Edition who dumped the brand in favor of The Modern Honolulu, to reinstall the Edition team which is owned by Marriott Hotels.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
On Wednesday, a New York state judge issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that stated that Marriott should be allowed to return to its management role at the hotel by 2:30 p.m. local time, replacing Aqua Hotels & Resorts, the management company installed by the owners on Sunday, according to a copy of the judge's order.
But despite the ruling, the WSJ said that by late Wednesday Aqua was still in place and that a bunch of Marriott executives had arrived but then later left the hotel.
Still Marriott says they are accepting reservations for the hotel through Marriott.com and over the phone as well as through "numerous online and other travel providers." (Also of note; anyone who booked a spa deal through PlayHawaii.com are welcome back as well.) But will it still be a Marriott/Edition hotel when you get there? That remains to be seen.
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Edition Hotels / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Hotel Employees / → All Tags
More Edition Employees Talk About 'Invasion Day'
It looks like the takeover of the Edition Waikiki is not quite the "peaceful coup" the hotel owners has boasted about to the Wall Street Journal.
Just days after the owners locked out Edition's parent company, Marriott, and installed Aqua Hotels and Resorts as well as gave the hotel a new name, The Modern Honolulu, more employees are telling HotelChatter what's really going on behind the scenes.
We're keeping their names anonymous because while they might not like the new changes, they can't afford to lose their jobs either, which drives home the real frustration of this takeover situation.
Now, here's what an employee working the night the switch was made had to say:
First off I just want to say, is Hang in there Edition...
I was working the night when Aqua decided to come in and take over. It was such a shock to all the employees, and they had no information as to what was going on. All they told us was that it's under new management and if we didn't sign we would not be given our jobs back. So I signed on and was not happy about it, and told new management the guest deserve to have the same great service no matter who is running the hotel now..
To all my fellow coworkers and managers. Hang in there and never forget what you did for the hotel and the hotel did for all of us.. And to never forget your ETHOS!!
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Marriott Hotels / Edition Hotels / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Hotel Employees / Hotel News / → All Tags
Edition Waikiki Employees are Holding Strong During These 'Modern' Times
The fallout from the Edition Waikiki/Modern Honolulu switcheroo continues today with a moving testimony from an actual employee at the hotel. There's no need for any further commentary so let's just get right into it:
I work for Edition. The employees here are more than that, we are a tight knit family. We built that place, we are the face of Edition. We are proud to be part of the Marriott family. We are loyal to Marriott. We said no to the union coming in. It takes quite a bit for employees to trust a company, and turn away union representation. So this situation has really brought us that much closer.
Every day we are meeting up, and talking, waiting to see what is going to happen. This group, Aqua, can't come in and try to ride out what we worked so hard for. We won't just move on, and work our hotel job like nothing happened. WE are Editon. We were trained by the best of the best, and the reviews reflect that.
Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Hotel Websites / Aqua Hotels Hawaii / Edition Hotels / Honolulu Hotels / Twitter / → All Tags
The Edition Waikiki, Er, Modern Honolulu Now Has a New Website
Yesterday, after we digested the shocking news about the Edition Waikiki, a savvy commenter pointed out that the Edition Waikiki The Modern Honolulu did have a website up and running although another commented mentioned that reservations were not working yet. But lo and behold, they are working today!
We found a city view room available on September 20th for just $299 a night which is about $80 less than what the Edition had been charging earlier this summer. An ocean view one-bedroom suite was going for $799 if you wanted to splash out.
Hotel Drama / Hotel News / Hotel Lawsuits / Edition Waikiki Lawsuit / Honolulu Hotels / Edition Hotels / → All Tags
Marriott's Edition Hotels is Locked Out in Waikiki
This used to be a happy place.
Uhoh. Remember that Edition Waikiki Lawsuit that the owners of the Edition Waikiki filed against Edition's parent company Marriott Hotels and visionary Ian Schrager a few months ago? Well things have just gotten really nasty.
The Wall Street Journal reports that over Saturday night, the owners changed the locks on the hotel doors, effectively shutting out Marriott.
In a dramatic move, the owners of the Waikiki Edition in Hawaii said Sunday that in the early morning hours they installed new management and changed the signs and locks on the hotel to reflect a new name, the Modern Honolulu. The changes were made in spite of a contract that allows Marriott to run the hotel as an Edition for 30 years.
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