We enjoyed staying here. It is a great location with clean rooms, friendly staff, and nice ammenities (fridge, microwave, internet, beach towel and chair checkout). We also stayed 2 years ago and everything was kept up just fine.
We ended up arriving at the hotel at 2am and they held our room and were pleasant and efficient to get us checked in!

I expected to get what we paid for at the Aqau palms... reasonably cheap price in exchange for a clean bed for 5 nights - and that is what we got.
Positives....
* Stephanie on the activities counter - Brilliant! Helped plan our 11 days across Oahu and Big Island...
* Bed was huge and very comfortable
* Location is great - access to everything. Sneak over to the Hilton and make the most of their facilities - and Bar!
* Trolley stops out the front - Very dangerous as my wife spent a fortune at the shops and markets!
* Hire a convertible for the day from Stephanie - very affordable ($25 more than a standard hatch) and you can comfortably do the island (and a few stopovers ie Nth shore, East coast - beautiful towns, Kualoa ranch (1hrs movie tour) etc) all in the one day.
* Housekeeping was very pleasant.

Not so great....
* Unfortunately road works occured every night out the front of the hotel - every night!
* Hotel is getting a little tired - in need of some love.
* Whilst location is terrific for travelling - the road is a little noisy even without the roadworks. We decided not to go with Aqua Wave due to noise complaints on tripadvisor, however in hindsight it made no difference.
* Balcony was filthy. Interior table was also old and in ordinary condition

In summary, great location and you get what you pay for. The following nights we stayed at Kona in the Courtyard King Kamehameha and returned to the Nth Shore of Turtle bay which were both 5 star experiences - but they too come with the higher price. Hope this helps....

My wife & I stayed at the Aqua Palms for 7 days for our holiday. Overall we enjoyed the hotel but a few things were disappointing.

The Good:
Hotel is in a great location, within 10 mins walk of the Ala Moana shopping centre, the main strip and Waikiki beach. Trolley(bus) stops are just outside the hotel too. Receptionists were fairly friendly, but generally very busy. The room on the 11th floor was clean, with a small kitchen area with microwave & fridge. Car parking was decent at $20 a day as we had a hire car.

The average:
The pool & gym are tiny, but we didn't go there to have a work out or swim in a pool! Bathroom whilst modern was tiny, and it was difficult to walk in and close the door behind you! It is impossible to have 2 people standing in there at the same time. The views of the ocean were narrow as it is a couple of blocks back from the beach. No tea bags, sugar or milk in the room either.

The bad:
1. Our room on the 11th floor would stink of cigarette smoke at around 9pm onwards on our last 2 nights. When we complained to the hotel they said it was a vents issue from the private apartment above us and there was nothing they could do. They didn't even offer for us to move rooms! my wife got quite sick when we left hawaii and I'm sure the smoke contributed.
2. The noise! the street outside is very busy with street traffic (Cars and people) and we could hear it from the highest floor at night. For light sleepers this would lead to a very poor night's sleep
3. The lifts. They are old and extremely slow. Be prepared to wait for up to 4 mins for a lift during the mornings and afternoon peak times.

Overall we would go back as the price was very reasonable, but I would have to ask for a room NOT on the 11th floor and away from the street side.

This place was called a "Spa" when I booked it, it isn't. Secondly, the "partial ocean view" rooms are on an incredibly busy street. The noise dampening in the room is terrible. Without the ear plugs there would be no way to sleep.

In talking to other guests, many of them booked the same rooms we did then moved to the other side of the building to non view rooms after the first sleepless night. We got the ear plugs and stayed.

Another issues is the lanai. Some rooms have them, some don't. Make sure you know what you are getting if that is important.

Bed is comfy, the rooms have a refrig and microwave, the bathrooms are small but updated. The location is two blocks to a very good beach. The pool doesn't look like much though.

For full disclosure here, we got a hell of a deal through a wholesaler and did this all on the spur of the moment. We were going to go up to the North Shore for some peace and quiet but changed our minds, this is actually pretty much fun. An urban beach experience.

We've never done it before but may again. Restaurants, shopping and activities are all here. So are zillions of people and a lot of noisy traffic. We'll try to find a quieter place, next time.