Anyone else read this TRIPADVISOR review of Aulani...

[pharmlivin]

I know you have to take all reviews with a grain but I have found TRIPADVISOR to be among the better sites for resort evaluations.
I cut and pasted it but you can see it in its original at TRIPADVISOR:


“Dangerous resort”
Reviewed December 24, 2012 NEW
My daughter and husband, along with their 31/2 year old son visited the Aulani in early December.
The day before they were to come home they were lounging by the pool with their son at 4:00 in the afternoon.. Unprovoked, 5 local Hawaiians, 2 males and 3 females attacked them at poolside.. My daughter experienced multiple lacerations,sprains,bruises and chipped teeth, her husband beatin unconscious all while their son was screaming.. Arrests were made and an apology came from the staff.. Needless to say none of us will return..

Stayed December 2012, traveled with family

[Tikihula]

I can see this happening on a local beach that isn't frequented by lots of tourists, but hard to believe it was at Aulani around the pool. Aren't there lifeguards at the pool who would call security immediately? If it really happened, I wonder if it was a gang initiation or something like a dare among teenagers or young adults to see if they could get away with invading a resort and create havoc.
Anybody have any more information on this incident?

[dansdad]

Originally Posted by Tikihula

Anybody have any more information on this incident?

The Kapolei, Oahu Newspaper had nothing on it. I googled Aulani assault and nothing. Looked up recent crime reports for that area and nothing.

[Robbi]

Originally Posted by dansdad

The Kapolei, Oahu Newspaper had nothing on it. I googled Aulani assault and nothing. Looked up recent crime reports for that area and nothing.

Doesn't mean it didn't happen.. Not everything that happens at Disney World is reported either.
Trip advisor though is not known for its honest reviews because anyone can post anything for any reason about a resort.

[brucerob62]

sorry to hear this..I grew up believing just because of one bad experience no matter where it happened..I will never say i will never return..cause if i beleived that way . i would be staying at home and never leaving the house..cause i have bad experiences at restaurants..airports..driving in cars..retail stores..gas stations.. but i still go back..hopefully time will heal..aulani is beautiful im sure this is an isolated incident.

[TDC Nala]

With no corroboration at all I would not let one post on a travel site bother me.

[CanadianGuy]

Either Disney paid them off REAL good.. or it didn't happen.

Cause you better believe if it showed up in a police report, there would be reporters all over it given the prominence of Disney ... etc.

[princessallegra]

I refuse to listen to tripadvisor reviews. I hope this isn't true because it's a horrible thing for any family to go through.

[angelmom27]

Originally Posted by CanadianGuy

Either Disney paid them off REAL good.. or it didn't happen.

Cause you better believe if it showed up in a police report, there would be reporters all over it given the prominence of Disney ... etc.

Totally agree. The report said arrest were made so there has to be a report some where.

I find this very hard to believe that some gang of people are going to attack another couple for no reason. There would be more to the story. Or at least why it was done.

[maggiew]

I can't comment specifically on this review. However, I will say that Aulani is accessible by outsiders because it opens up onto the beach with a public walkway around it. BUT, when we were there it didn't seem like there were many "locals" around. Everyone looked like tourists to me. (I know that is a generalization and I had no way to know that. However everyone I talked to was a visitor.) The resort is in a fairly secluded area. Not much around except the few resorts there. Plus the Paradise Cove luau thing, I guess.

Maggie

[gwynne]

I read the Tripadvisor story several times. I am not for certain that the reviewer was even staying at the hotel. It doesn't appear to me that the writer was present during the "attack". Nothing seems to be written from a first person point of view.

The author states their daughter and family were at the hotel. The writer proceeds to give their take on an alleged crime.
The thing that really sticks out to me the part that alleges a family member being "beaten unconscious." There is no mention of an ambulance, ER transport, hospital stay, or other general details one would expect with something so medically serious. I would think these at least some of these details would be mentioned, but they are not.
On the other hand, there is a specific reference about the supposed ethnicity of the alleged perpetrators.

I'm finding it hard to see credibility in this apparent second hand story. Links to local media with verified story details would be most helpful.

[Carrie in AZ]

Read it and find it so hard to believe. At least at the pool area. When we were there in July, there were LOTS of cast members around. It seems like they would been on the scene pronto. However, my opinion of Aulani is that it is VERY open. You can just walk in there. In fact, I thought to myself at the time, anyone could just walk in here, hop in this lazy river, bring a mug and fill up undetected at the drink station near the pool restrooms.....there was no one manning it. I truly believe you could come there and spend the day if you really wanted to. Maybe you couldn't use the slide or get a towel but you could def hang out. And, it appears people do this. But beating someone unconscience without intervention seems unlikely.

We LOVEDDDDDD our stay at Aulani and cannot wait to return!

[TDC Nala]

when I was in Hawaii (not at Aulani) it was noted that Hawaii doesn't have private beaches. The beaches are entirely open to the public. But it was stated that this attack did not take place on the beach, but poolside at the resort in the middle of the afternoon. I'm sure it's open to allow access for guests to the beach, and they can't restrict the beach.

Sure it could have happened. I'd be interested in seeing the police report though. Attacking a family sitting around a resort pool for no reason (no robbery was alleged as far as the post goes) doesn't make a great deal of sense. Sounds almost like a gang thing...would also want to know if Oahu has gangs.

[Carriemel]

There is a web site that shows all crime in an area :

http://spotcrime.com/#21.339855%2C%20-158.1227

Absolutely nothing for Aulani.

[spiceycat]

went to find it and it seems like it is gone.

when one review is this bad - would definitely look at the other reviews from this person.