Imperial Hawaii Resort at Waikiki
by the TopOfHotel team
Imperial Hawaii is the best-value pick for multi-night stays — the in-room kitchenette cuts your food bill hard in a city where everything is expensive.
Imperial Hawaii is the best-value pick for multi-night stays — the in-room kitchenette cuts your food bill hard in a city where everything is expensive.
In-Depth Review
Imperial Hawaii Resort at Waikiki is a 3-star hotel on Saratoga Road, at the western end of Waikiki. It scores 8.3/10 on Booking.com and 7.9/10 on Agoda, and its main selling point is simple: most rooms have a kitchenette, which saves you serious money in a city where a meal out runs $23 to $43 a head.
Rooms and decor
Every room comes with a small kitchen — fridge, two-burner electric stove, microwave and basic cookware — which makes this an easy choice if you'd rather buy groceries at Foodland or Whole Foods and cook for yourself. Rooms average about 30 square metres, with Studio and One-Bedroom layouts to choose from. Reviews are honest that the building is older than the newer resorts, but the rooms are clean and the cooking gear works well. Rates start around $157 a night.
Food and amenities
The kitchenette is the whole point here — there's a fridge, stove and microwave in the room rather than a lineup of on-site restaurants. A pool and on-site parking round out the facilities, and guests consistently call out the friendly staff. With supermarkets and ABC Stores close by, self-catering is the realistic way to eat here, and it's where the savings come from.
Location and getting there
Saratoga Road sits right beside Hilton Hawaiian Village, so it's a 5-minute walk to the beach and the lagoon, and 10 to 12 minutes to central Waikiki's shopping. Around the hotel you'll find an ABC Stores and restaurants across a range of prices. Between the in-room kitchen and the nearby supermarkets, a family can knock the food spend for a whole trip down by a meaningful amount.
Things to know before booking
This is an older building and the decor is dated compared with the newer resorts nearby — fine if you came for the kitchen, less so if you want fresh design. It's not on the beach: you walk through Hilton Hawaiian Village to reach the sand. And these are self-catering, apartment-style rooms, so don't expect the restaurants, room service or full resort facilities the bigger names down the street provide.
Our take
This is the value pick for families, anyone staying several nights, and travelers watching the food budget. The in-room kitchen is a real advantage you won't get at the luxury resorts. It's not the choice if you want fresh design or to step straight onto the sand — but for keeping costs down in an expensive city, it's hard to beat.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Most rooms have a kitchenette with fridge, two-burner electric stove and microwave — you can cook your own meals and save a lot in an expensive food city.
- Rates start under $170 a night in Waikiki, which is genuinely hard to find for this location.
- Only a 5-minute walk to the beach and the Hilton Hawaiian Village lagoon.
- A pool and on-site parking are both available, and guests single out the friendly staff.
- Sitting near Hilton Hawaiian Village puts you next to the quieter western stretch of Waikiki, away from the busiest central sand.
- The building is older and the decor is dated compared with the newer resorts down the street.
- It is not on the beach — you walk through Hilton Hawaiian Village to reach the sand.
- These are self-catering apartment-style rooms, not a full resort, so don't expect on-site restaurants, room service or the resort facilities the bigger names offer.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Stock the kitchenette on arrival — Foodland and Whole Foods are the supermarkets to hit, and an ABC Stores near the hotel covers snacks and basics.
- Book a Studio if it's just the two of you; the One-Bedroom layout is worth it for families who want the extra separation.
- Walk through Hilton Hawaiian Village to reach the beach and time it for Friday — the resort's beachfront fireworks are visible from that stretch of sand.