Need help from anyone at Aulani now.

[Airb330]

So your DH's phone was there and the police refused to give it back to him? The find my phone app proves it is there and I would have gone through the kids pockets and bags myself to get it all back. How very odd of the police! It is reasonable to search a theft suspect, that is a reasonable thing to do.

I guess because the eyewitness from the pool wasn't there, they wouldn't search them? It's not reasonable to drag around a stranger from the pool all day to ID people. If the phone was on, I believe a loud alarm can be set to go off but by then I bet they shut the iPhone off. The phones will be blacklisted and mostly useless for the criminals at least. I'm so sorry the police didn't seem to care.

I was just at Aulani and we left our things out everyday. We even laughed at my father in law when he said, "you shouldn't leave your things out." We too observed the gates were always open, I thought they were rather pointless if that won't be enforced. I never saw the beach access locked 11-2 to 11-5, we even hung out on the loungers by the grotto pool to 2 am one night (security did stop by, ask our room #, and said to keep an eye out for a drunk elderly Japanese man. We were quiet so he didn't ask us to leave), and the gates weren't locked then either.

 

[Mackysmycat]

Just back from Aulani yesterday. I actually read this post while I was there and I'm glad I did, as it was a good reminder to be careful. I actually showed your post to a cast member we were chatting with around the pool deck and she hadn't heard of it happening. I mentioned to her that I thought those gates should be locked so you can only get in with your room key and that will also being going in my feedback notes.

One tip that I picked up on a few years ago was I bring my computer and camera cord with me and leave in the room, and every day or every other day when I'm back in the room at night, I download all my pics. That way if my phone or camera goes missing, I at least have those precious pictures that can NOT be replaced.

So sorry this happened to you.

 

[Neraj]

I think a lot of the reasoning behind not locking the beach gate (which I don't think is even there anymore) is to maintaining a welcoming atmosphere to non-overnight guests who would like to enjoy a meal or just experience Aulani in general. Unfortunately there are crappy people anywhere you go.

 

[Mackysmycat]

It's there, just always propped open.

They should have a path that leads through to the front of the hotel area for those who would like to go inside. Yes, they could still get in, but it wouldn't be as easy to pop right in and out along the beach.

 

[cmstpierre]

We are here now, and I looked for this gate between the beach and the pool. I can see the sign post where it says you need your key to access the resort but unless the gate is retractable and it hides away when open, I can say with almost certainty that the gate is unfortunately no longer there. Which, given the recent events posted here, I find very odd. It appears from walking along the lagoon path to the JW Marriott next door that key access is in place there.

 

[cmstpierre]

We left Aulani on Saturday as construction was being started on a new gate from the beach to the pool, FYI. Also a pool attendant suggested locking valuables in the lockers at Luana Lounge while at the pool or beach and away from your chair. Not sure if there are enough lockers for this but I figured I'd pass along the advice. We used one late in the day to lock up my husband's iPhone while we used the slides for an hour.