I stayed at this location for 8 nights. What a wonderful experience, staff is excellent and location is very clean! Mahalos to the entire staff at The Equus!!! read more

The room was okay but the staff was horrible. And by horrible, I mean mentally ill to the point of melting down in front of guests. I feel bad for them, but they really should not be dealing with the public. read more

Visited friends who were staying at the hotel. Met everyone at the outdoor, intimate bar atmosphere. I must say, we had a very lovely time and our bartender, Yulia, was pleasant, professional, and attentive. read more

Can only give two stars on this property. See my previous review. Not really sure if this is the Equuss that shown on the website or just a piece of the actual hotel. Kind of disappointing stay. read more

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The room was old and in need of some TLC. The deck had bird poop on it and old grungy chairs that was never cleaned our whole stay. The bed was old so both of us rolled to the middle, I asked other guests at the free Mai Tai day, and they said their bed did that also. They serve free Mai Tais on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-6pm they don't have much rum but it's nice to talk with other guests that are there. The elevator is super slow and was down for maintenance one day so we had to take the stairs with our stroller and baby and stuff we had brought for the day. They also don't have an elevator to the ground level it starts on the second floor so have them go get your luggage instead of hauling it up a flight of stairs by yourself. read more

If I could give less than 1 star, I would. We checked in, it was late. There was absolutely zero parking accommodations. Nor did they have any parking for the overflow of cars that belonged to the guests. I had 2 children with me, one was in a stroller, and nowhere on the website I booked with did it say that there was no stroller or wheelchair access. We had to carry our stroller up a long flight of stairs just to check in. That would had been fine once we were able to relax in our room, but once we got to our room and settled down, the bathroom smelled like urine and the a/c unit did not work. The "kitchenette" which it shouldn't even be called, for it's just a fridge and a Keurig, had leftover crumbs from the previous guests. My husband went downstairs to speak with the front desk about fixing the a/c or changing our room, there was nobody at the front desk, because the only person working that night had to go help another guest find parking because they had nowhere to park, just like us. Overall, this place has terrible customer service and obviously terrible housekeeping if our bathroom smelled like bodily fluids. I'm thoroughly disappointed in this hotel. I've stayed at lots of small hotels in Honolulu and this is the only hotel that has disgusted and disappointed me like this. I would have NEVER booked this hotel if the website had stated that there was no stroller access to begin with. UPDATE: Look at all of these 1 star reviews that Yelp has filtered out! This is a terrible hotel that deserves a visit from the health inspector and the BBB. read more

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Yes,yes,yes!The Only place to stay. Great location,Amazing staff, so nice to have a place that cares about the customers, treats everyone as family. Referred us to great car rentals,saved us $$, great restaurants and attractions, including beaches and malls all within walking distance! Love this place! read more

I stayed at the Equus from Nov 17-23 and my stay was great. The level of hospitality and service you get from the staff is unmatched. I see a lot of reviews complaining about the cleaning service but BE AWARE that the paper they give when you check in SAYS that because of COVID-19, staff won't come in as often to change your sheets/do a full clean UNLESS you go downstairs to ask for that! I was fine with just receiving fresh towels everyday, but it's frustrating to see that people don't carefully read the paper and complain about the cleaning services, especially when everything else about the hotel is great, the staff is amazing, and the hotel is one of the last family and locally-owned hotels in Waikiki. To show how great the staff is: I wanted to extend my stay by one day because my flight was at 11:30 PM but check out was at 12. Lincoln helped me with my request and even offered to give me a discount, so that I wouldn't have to pay the price I was seeing on my phone when booking through a third party website (Hotwire). When I checked out later that day, the staff even offered me a partial refund since I didn't use the full day since I checked out early. It's great to see staff who really try to save you money! I don't mind paying whatever price because of how sweet the staff was. Even when the elevator was out for repairs on the day I arrived, the woman who was at the desk (who was on the older side) offered to carry my heavy luggage to the 5th floor (we ended up holding one side each because I felt bad). Yes the rooms are not the most up-to-date or the most fancy, but I don't think that's necessary when you're traveling to Hawaii and just need a place to put down your things, shower, and sleep. The hotel itself is located in a very convenience location, and I was able to walk to beaches on Waikiki and to the Ala Moana shopping center in under 30 minutes. If you're someone who's looking for an affordable place that is comfortable and convenient, then I'd highly recommend the Equus. read more

I feel like you can always find negative reviews from bitter people. It's a lovey hotel with amazing staff. Very clean and cozy. Would definitely stay here again, not to mention it's not a franchise or this huge hotel it's a local family owned property. I was in early morning my check in time wasn't until late afternoon. They offered to hold my bags for me and even got me in earlier then my check in time, even offered to hold them here after my check in time so I didn't have to lug them around. They were good about parking our rental! Matt is an awesome bartender! They made our bed everyday, which was nice to come to after a long day of walking and hanging out on the beach! They kept our coffee and hygiene products full, new fresh towels daily. They own a polo field and that's something you'll have to go check out! The beds are SO cozy. Normally in hotels the beds are hard in my opinion these are so comfy!!! Very clean, very nice, and in a good spot. I like the area, our first visit we were in downtown Waikiki, I enjoyed being a walk away from all the crowds. read more

Fantastic boutique hotel. Friendly service. The Panola bar / Cafe attached- super friendly- Ben and the gentleman the night before. Right in the heart! Walking distance to everything. Stayed in the Queen room with beautiful bamboo frame. Can't fault it Lincoln was super helpful with my booking too. Definitely will be back one day read more

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I'm so grateful to have DJed a special party at the Equus on April 8th, 2019. It was a tribute to the 1995 cult classic film, Empire Records. "Rex Manning Day" is celebrated every April 8th and Hawaii's first annual Rex Manning Day was held at the Equus with a special appearance by one of the actors in the film, Coyote Shivers who also sang and wrote the song Sugar High. He performed the Hawaiian version of this song, live at the Equus which was quite memorable. I just want to say that I'm impressed with the Equus Hotel, a hidden gem right on Hawaii's main strip on Ala Moana Blvd. This beautiful boutique hotel, newly renovated with a horse country theme has a very cozy, warm, friendly ambiance . The hotel is one of the last locally owned businesses in Waikiki which ran for generations of hard work and endurance. You can see the passion and love that management has put into the property. They have a coffee bar that offers specialty coffee and pastries. The Bar of the hotel called the Paniolo Bar opens at 3pm for great drinks. The decor takes you back to Hawaiian history of the horses and the Paniolo lifestyle of the 1800s. The staff -friendly and accommodating gave me the feeling of "Obana" meaning family in Hawaiian from the moment I got there. It's no wonder it was voted best lifestyle Boutique Hotel in 2018. It's conveniently located in Waikiki/Ala Moana Blvd which means you can easily take a promenade to Ala Moana Shopping Center or cross the street for easy access to Hawaii's beautiful beaches, capture the daily sunsets or sunrises or walk the opposite direction to Waikiki. It is also walking distance to restaurants and Hawaii's newest neighborhood, Kakaako. I'm definitely returning to the Equus. Support local business! read more

Well this is a super late review. (I was here 3 months ago) But since I will be coming back to Hawaii for a new trip, I couldn't help but remember my stay here at the Equus. It was awful. It's cheap. So I guess you get what you pay for.. but couldn't they have at least cleaned the rooms correctly or at all. My family and I stayed for almost two long weeks here. We booked with a third party website thinking it was gonna be amazing. Not! We tried to dispute and get our money back as we had my small nieces and nephews with us and had activities planned, but all it did was make the situation worse. They were not willing to give us our money back they said we had to call the website in which we booked. Nobody in the dispute department ever got back to us. This was our first time coming to Hawaii. We just accepted our situation. But none of us were ok with it. Upon reading some of the reviews here, I guess we are not alone. Yes. The hallways are dark at night. Yes. The staff seems really careless about the customers here Yes. They don't clean the rooms properly or give you new clean bed sheets Yes . Sometimes the bathrooms smelled like Urine. Idk how tf that's possible Yes we complained when we were there. They never did anything Yes the parking is awful! $29 a day and it's literally the smallest space to park in. You don't even want to park in there. Yes the elevator breaks down, and no they don't have another option or an apology. Take the stairs Yes- there are pests Yes. The real life hotel is way way uglier and dirtier than online pictures. Im just glad we almost were never there --only at night. or take showers. We had to disinfect and clean the bathrooms ourselves. Gross! Please DONT stay here. Just pay for something better. read more

Amazing staff. Seriously great. The room we booked had issues so they set us up and really took care of us. Hanging out with people and talking story was also a great thing. Knowledgeable staff about goings on near here. I will never stay accurate else. That strike, generic corporate crap is not my style. The Equus is. Especially Because Ben in the cafe mornings and Lincoln. Young guy who was super fun to chat with when he had time. Be back soon. read more

This place is not what is seems like. The pictures are misleading and the place is not nearly as it would suggest. There is no house keeping. The biggest issue is that it's super noisy. There's like a large HVAC unit outside and it's just buzzing and running at all times. There's a lot of options out there for this price point. HOWEVER, the staff is super nice and friendly. Like out of their way friendly. read more

Very friendly, accommodating & fun place to stay. Bar is right down in lobby and super cozy environment with affordable drinks. Blake is our favorite guy, who has so much energy & helpful throughout our entire trip. It's kids friendly and our 2.5 years old love Equus read more

The Equus - We could walk to the beach and Ala Moana mall in minutes - Hotels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Chad made everything a wonderful experience!! The cocktails were awesome and the munchies excellent!! Mahalo A Hoi Hou Lori read more

Everyone is super helpful from housekeeping to front desk. At night the in-house bar is like "Cheers". Matt can mix anything.

Doesn't mention parking charge, but you'll be hit with $29 per day parking plus $25 resort fee. That's a lot for the low class hotel. The two people that were very unhelpful were Cher and Ursula. If you get these two, you have no luck of any sympathy or mercy in your charges. As, Kamaaina , I will spread this word as long as I am alive, and I still have a long way before I pass. read more

Amazing staff, super cute place! Very clean, nice rooms. Definitely hit up their bar as well! Highly recommend!

Amazing staff, clean facility, and great service. This is my first visit to Hawaii and I have been so far impressed by the service, culture, and atmosphere of this hotel. Big thanks to Lincoln, the lovely Anita, and the rest of the Equus staff. I will see y'all again. read more

Loved my stay at the Equus! The location was perfect and the staff makes you feel like ohana. The owners have decorated beautifully with vintage photos all around so you feel like you're a part of the history of Waikiki and Hawaii. It was an experience! Can't recommend the Equus enough! read more

The Equus - The gorgeous lobby - Hotels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Very friendly and helpful staff. A great bargain! Clean comfortable room. Restocked daily. Nice that they let us borrow towels for the beach. Very glad we stayed here as we were very comfortable. Great view, we could see the ocean. Clean quiet room. Nice location read more

I have to admit that I was a little disappointment when I saw how small the hotel was when I walked up to it. I guess maybe their hotels.com photos made it seem bigger than it was, but overall, the hotel wasn't that bad. The front desk is small, but the staff is very friendly and accommodating. They had their free Mai Thai session the day we first checked in, which we thought was pretty cool and allows you to chat it up with other hotel guests. The room itself was average... the best part is the free WiFi and the bed. Hands down, their bed was THEE most comfortable hotel bed I've EVER slept in. However, their A/C was definitely the worst I've ever dealt with. Even with the temp down as low as it could go, it wasn't cold at all. I eventually found that a cover lid on the unit seemed to be restricting air from coming into the room so I took two coffee cups and stuck them in between to help it stay up. Not the best solution, but it helped quite a bit. Also... I'm not sure if it's all the hotels nearby too, but the sliding glass doors are original and they let in A LOT of street noise. Aside from that, I would say another plus for staying here is the location. It's within walking distance of the mall, the beach, and was two minutes from where our friend's who were getting married lived. If you're on a budget, this place is a decent value for what you can get. However, if you want properly working A/C, I would definitely look elsewhere. read more

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Stayed here as a last minute booking through Hotwire due to the reviews and the price. I've stayed at numerous boutique hotels and this really doesn't seem like one. To me it was a apartment complex turned into a mini hotel. Parking: Much like other reviewers, you have to drive really slow, I put my hazards on while looking for the very small valet entrance. The valet service was pleasant and they helped me with my bags. Very small area and yes they charge per night. The stairs to the entrance are not for those that have bad knees or the elderly carrying luggage. Check in: Walking in you immediately view the bar area. This tiny lobby had a small desk and a high chair to sit at while checking in. True that you were greeted by a complimentary drink. Nice touch. Room: The elevator was small but no issues. Headed to the 3rd floor it reminded me of an older outdoor apartment complex. The room was an older room with older style furnishings which was fine for us. I felt comfortable enough to sleep in the polo decor room. Had a nice size flat screen tv, refrigerator, keurig, wall AC that you had a remote control for. It actually was too chilly for me. Another yelper mentioned the smell in the room. Yes there was an overpowering room freshener which to me was too much. It did not disappear either. Not much sunlight since the Paniolo at Equus is situated between two other taller structures. I was able to sleep even with some traffic noise. I was satisfied with the bedroom but what I did not find comfortable was the .... Bathroom: One of the more important parts of selecting a hotel room is bathroom cleanliness, how it's maintained and if you feel comfortable. I did not. It was just very dated. The bathroom was tile and the grout was dirty/moldy. I think if the entire bathroom/shower area was remodeled and had lighter colors it would make a difference. I put down towels everywhere because I felt "icky" walking around. I felt the same way taking a shower. I would have rather stayed at a Best Western for the price. read more

Last owner operator hotel in Waikiki! Everyone there was very welcoming and made us feel like they appreciated us there. The staff was friendly from front desk, bartender, and housekeeping. The rooms were very spacious even if it was small. The bed was so comfortable and it was queen sized read more

My husband and I recently stayed at Paniolo at the Equus hotel while our apartment was under construction. This is the only remaining locally owned hotel on O'ahu and that alone made us feel really good to patron this establishment. Lovely Renee was the associate that checked us in on our arrival day. She is truly a treasure providing true local hospitality, we immediately felt her warmth and are grateful for all the days we got to see her during our stay! We had extremely positive experiences with each of the staff members we encountered. Gulia (sorry if I'm misspelling) was our barista several of the mornings at the coffee bar near the lobby, she was super fun and an expert at her craft. Also very notable is Blake, he was super helpful and kind. There was another young lady working a couple of the mornings, we didn't catch her name but she was wonderful as well. The hotel itself is perfect for a staycation and visitors alike. The location is so perfect, you can walk anywhere from the hotel. We walked to Ala Moana for dinner a couple times. This isn't a big fancy resort, it's a quaint, clean and safe boutique hotel and it was just perfect for our stay! read more

Came here in May 2021 and the service is amazing. Please come here, because it's the few places that are LOCALLY OWNED, and has been here forever. The satff here are so friendly and we need to support them. Renne is the best! They also have a bar down stairs and what is dope they use metal straws. read more

Enjoyed our 5 day stay. The hotel itself is small and quaint, but don't let that deter you from this gem. Our first room had a mechanical issue with the air conditioner, and staff was quick to find another suitable room. The rooms are welcoming, clean and comfortable and the little downstairs lounge/snack area is great to hang out and enjoy music. We would definitely return! read more

My friends and I were here for total 5 days straight last week; before we booked this hotel, their listing pictures were so nice and totally different from what we actually saw in person. This is the FIRST hotel I have seen that has no bath tube! PLEASE! Even Motel 6 has it alright?! And their parking log is WAY TOO SMALL and NARROW! Come on, only 10 parking spaces for one building? The staff there were pretty friendly and nice, three stars go to their customer services. read more

Stayed there recently and if you want a convenient cozy hotel near pretty much everything, I highly recommend it. Comfy bed, great friendly staff, cute little bar at the entrance. It's family owned and they are working on soundproofing the place. You are at walking distance to Ala Moana Mall, the beach, the bus is every 15 min if you're on a budget, and many restaurants nearby. And it's very affordable compared to the hotels around. Mahalo Paniolo for the fun stay, we shall come back soon! read more

There's a good hotel in here, somewhere. And it COULD be; maybe they're simply doing the best within the confines of the building itself. But... -As another reviewer mentioned, no elevator on the ground floor. So, even if you don't have luggage, it's not handicapped accessible. If you DO have luggage (chances are it's cumbersome because, well, you just flew to Hawaii) be prepared for the workout! It's about a flight and a half (approx) -The breakfast buffet (at least in my stay there) was rolls and juice. Nice, better than nothing, but you'd better get there early! Little was left 30 minutes into the 60 minute breakfast. Not completely their fault, either. -We had no hot water in our room...not even lukewarm. The solution (we were told this by the front desk) was to wait, and then we could shower while the maid was cleaning another room. Keep these things in mind...because the staff is very friendly and polite. In all of these situations, the staff was sympathetic but also kind of threw their hands up in the air. And maybe, in a way, they're right. You're in Waikiki! What are you doing in your room? Go outside! If they're right, and they probably are, shouldn't they cut the price of the room in half? Of course they wouldn't, so I'd only advise this hotel if you need to be in this location, can get a deal, and don't mind bumps in the road such as those above. read more

You get what you pay for. Price is decent for the area. Located close to Ala Moana park. Outside structure is outdated and dingy looking. parking and resort fees apply. Parking is limited and the entrance is hidden. Hotel is close to the beach and convention center/ shopping. Rooms do look like the website photos but not as bright and shiny in person. Room i stayed in was clean but carpets were old, probably haven't been cleaned in a long time. Mattress was decent but looking closely under the zippered cover could see some stains. They have small throw pillows and it didn't look like the cases could be removed to be sanitized. Rooms on 1st level and street facing are noisy/Thin walls. Towels and linens appeared to be clean and there was plenty. Mini fridge, keurig mini with limited coffee supplies in room. AC works great. I did see one roach skitter across the wall so if there's one there's probably more. There is an elevator but it's a bit slow. Pool area small but bar area seemed decent size . Saw a lot of guests at the bar. You get a couple of drink tickets at check in. I didn't use the bar so can't review service. Lastly the staff- everyone I talked to were really nice and friendly. Would i stay there again? Nope. read more

I made a reservation for the 'Marina Tower Waikiki' hotel, which turned out to be the Equus. Very loud (street noise), at a very indifferent location, and not worthy for its price. Room cleaning at bare minimum every day (they didn't even make my bed today) and overall not the calming, friendly, hospitable Hawaii experience I expected. I couldn't even open the blinds in my room (no curtains) as they were facing at apartments, so there was no privacy. Very claustrophobic and dark. Furthermore, there are no coffee shops or restaurants in or around the hotel, so one would have to go out of one's way even for breakfast. Certainly not worth the price; I was paying a little more than $200/night through bookings.com, and that's before taxes. A definite no. read more

The Equus - Half-made bed when I came back from my conference this evening. Very disappointing housekeeping. - Hotels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

If I could give lower than one star I would. Their system would not allow my boyfriend to pay for the room since I made the reservation. Then, the first room they gave us, we walked in and it was occupied. The second room they gave us the television didn't work finally the third room it was OK but it's five floors lower than the original room so we now have no view. Also, cockroaches in the bathroom. I would not stay here again if they paid me. read more

I came here just for the night and stayed in a 1-bedroom. All I did was just go to the front desk and he got me a room within 5 minutes. It was only $120, but the rates fluctuate--like all hotels. It smells really nice downstairs, like fresh flowers and the lighting is beautiful at night. All the workers are friendly, but I'll be honest, some of them got an... peculiar vibe.. However, if you're above 6 feet, you'll be fucking your head often, this hotel isn't meant for tall people. And the bed sheets aren't thick, they're thin. But my entire room was clean and the entire hotel seemed empty, I guess everyone just stayed quiet. But at night, the halls are super dark.. as if lights are obsolete here. The rooms don't have a microwave, but they do have a small fridge and coffee maker. And when I checked out, the lady was very nice and kind, she wanted me to have this hotel as my go-to place whenever I'm in the area. read more

My family stayed at Equus our favorite hotel on Oahu again. As a family that lives on island we have the opportunity to stay in Waikiki once a month. This is an amazing boutique hotel. We know the staff and feel like family when we stay. Rene greeted us this last time and warmly insured we were settled. When we need some assistance Yoshi was there on the spot to fix it. The new Paniolo bar is charming and makes great cocktails and coffee. Love the complimentary drink per guest policy. If you want a more intimate setting instead of a 1000 room bustling resort, located ideally near shopping, dining and the beach at great prices try this hotel. You won't be sorry. read more

I'm giving this place 5 stars because it cost me $113 after taxes for a clean room right in the heart of WAIKIKI. That is awesome. The reviews on Yelp scared me...I was expecting roaches, a dirty room and unpleasant staff. I got the EXACT OPPOSITE! Everyone was friendly and accommodating. My room was clean, shower was working, and not a single pest in sight! I was room 803. I'd definitely come back here again! read more

I would give no stars if I could. This was one of the most uncomfortable disgusting stays I've ever had at a hotel. We checked in and did not even stay for more than 12 hours as soon as it got dark cockroaches started coming out of the refrigerator and all over our room they even got into our luggage when we called down to the front desk to notify them the lady said there's nothing that she could do until the morning they did not offer to switch us rooms. Myself and my boyfriend had to take shifts sleeping to make sure that they wouldn't get close enough to our bed. I feel that this hotel does understand and does know how big of a problem it is because when we came down we said cockroach once and they immediately knew what we were talking about. We are thankful that they did not hassle us and give us a full refund but still it really put a damper into our vacation I had to go and book another hotel. All of this on vacation was off to a rocky start within 10 hours we landed we checked into our hotel and immediately started to see pest. When I went on Google and yelp to look at the reviews for this hotel there was also other people who experience the same thing this hotel is aware of the past issue and doesn't seem to take care of it. If I would have saw a review like mine I would have never booked this hotel. read more

The Equus - Hotels Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Cool hotel in Waikiki. I try to stay here whenever I am in town as they are affordable, friendly and low key. If you looking for super upscale... not your place... If your looking for comfortable, affordable and excellent service... This is for you. read more

We enjoyed our stay at this boutique hotel in Waikiki. The staff is very friendly and helpful, especially Kollett at the front desk who gave us lots of Hawaiian momma love. We really appreciate her as she made us feel at home and taken care of. Parking is limited but they found a way to accommodate when the lot was full. Our room was clean and we had all the essentials. We will definitely be back. Thank you so much! read more