Hilton Waikiki Beach

view from across street, showing driveway and front of hotel

This review of the wheelchair accessibility of the Hilton Waikiki Beach is from Fall 2022.

The Hilton Waikiki Beach was a block back from the beach. The lobby is gorgeous, there is a large saltwater pool, and the rooms have balconies that overlook the ocean or mountains. And, my favorite feature, is that the rooms, elevators, and pool deck ALL USE DIGITAL KEYS. So, I could unlock everything from my phone.

Digital keys are a game-changer for accessibility. I no longer need to position myself to work the key and the re-position to open the doors. Rather, I just position myself to open the door and then use my phone to unlock the door. It is a major, major upgrade for accessibility in hotels.

I was happy with the wheelchair accessibility of the Hilton Waikiki Beach. And it was a great launching pad for our Waikiki adventures–everything was within walking/scooting distance.

Wheelchair Accessibility of the Entrance

We used three routes to enter the hotel.

The first route is in the back of the hotel. This is also the pick-up/drop-off spot for wheelchair accessible taxis and shuttles. This entrance has an elevator that goes up to the main lobby.

photo of scooter being lowered on lift out of van

The second route is out the main doors. This route requires the use of a lift platform. The downside of this was the hotel keeps the lift locked, and so I need to call for assistance every time I wanted to use it. The staff were moderate in their response times, so it was not as convenient as I would have liked. Once down, there were power-sliding doors that led to a ramp down to the sidewalk.

photo of lobby, showing two marble pillars and a marble floor

hallway leading to open air elevator lift with controls outside

The third route is the option I (and everyone else) took the most often–out a power-operated door, down the driveway, and to the sidewalk. I was careful to watch for cars, but did not have any issues with traffic–everyone was going slowly and I could make myself visible to them. Be careful, but it was a quick and easy route to the sidewalk in front of the building.

marked-up with arrows view of wheelchair path down driveway to sidewalk

Wheelchair Accessibility of the Room

The room was very functional for my needs. The toilet height was 19″ and the bed was 24-25″. The carpet was an outdoor/weave type of mesh carpet, so it was very water/wear resistant for my scooter. The balcony had a small threshold, which I could easily go over to go outside and see the ocean.

door into wheelchair accessible room

wheelchair accessible bathroom at hyatt waikiki beach showing toilet to the left.

Wheelchair Accessibility of the Pool

The saltwater pool and pool deck worked well. The pool went from 3 feet to 5 feet, and was a refreshing temperature. The lift was charged and positioned where I had plenty of space, and was not in anyone’s way. The lift went higher than my scooter seat, moved quickly, and was steady. There was also an outdoor roll-in shower by the pool.

My only slight issue was that the lift did not go quite deep enough into the water for me–I had to physically lift myself up in the seat while my wife pushed on my knees to push me back into the seat (as opposed to me just being able to float onto the seat if it went 2″ deeper).

I also note that the stairs/floor were slippery. Not a concern for wheelchair users, but a concern for everyone else.

night time photo of wheelchair accessible pool lift at hilton waikiki beach

outdoor roll-in shower by pool