A pleasant stay, minus a few things...
I recently stayed at this hotel with my family. We stayed for four nights at the AQUA, and our experience was good, but in some ways could've been better.
First off, this hotel is not ideal for families. This place is good for the younger, 20-something crowd who like nightlife. The AQUA is literally within a "triangle" of nightclubs--one to the left, right, and north of the club. With that being said, it can get loud at nights, especially during the weekend (and most especially during holiday weekends, like the 4th of July). It can be hard to sleep with such noise, and if you walk around at night along Kalakaua, there will be drunkards and chain-smokers all around the entrance. That was not pleasant at all. Also, steer clear of the 7th floor, you get a view of the garage as well as its noise to bother your beauty rest. The nightclubs were a major downside to the AQUA for my stay, though this may be a great location for the younger, club-hopping scene.
However, the hotel's overall location was actually quite nice. Minus the clubs, the hotel is close to a lot of nice stores and restaurants, including the ubiquitous ABC Store, as well as some fast few joints, the moderately price St. Germain bakery, and the well-priced and delicious Seaside Restaurant, which features a $2.99 Breakfast! The hotel was a short walk (5min) to Waikiki, which was nice. There are also a lot of bus stops along the street of the hotel, which take you anywhere from the Iolani Palace to Ala Moana Shopping Center.
This hotel was recently remodeled and the rooms were well sized, maybe not the largest bathroom for two teenage girls, but we got by. There is a TV, DVD player, and Wi-Fi in the room, as well as a microwave and fridge. Take advantage of all those things, they can save you money. The balcony had some cheap plastic furniture, and it was not very spacious, but enough to dry bathing suits and shorts. The beds were comfy, and looked new and fresh. The room was very nice.
Some downsides were the lack of a better view, the relative location of the hotel, & the bathroom size. However, everyone's experience varies, and what may be cons to me may be plusses to others. The hotel was a nice place to kick back to at the end of the day, I'm not sure if I'd go back with my family, but I would recommend it to those who want to be close to some of the nightlife of Honululu.