The Kahala

Honolulu, Oahu

Virgin rating

Diamond Head Ocean View Room
Hoku's
Diamond Head Ocean View Room
Hoku's

The hotel

The Kahala has always been one of Hawaii's top hotels, with a celebrity guest list that's included nearly every president since Richard Nixon! Even Cond Nasté Traveller thinks it has the 'Best Rooms and Restaurants in the US'. And when you get there you'll see why. Your spacious room will overlook either the ocean, mountain or lagoon. There's a beautiful pool area to relax by and even the fitness centre has ocean views to give you a boost. When it comes to eating here, you can choose between four stylish restaurants - the award-winning Hoku's, with its innovative fusion menu, comes highly recommended.

Amenities

  • Scuba Diving
  • Windsurfing
  • Kids Club
  • Wheelchair access
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Hot tub
  • Internet Access
  • Restaurant
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Valet parking

Where is it

Nestled on an exclusive crescent ivory sand beach, just east of Diamond Head on the island of Oahu.

Hotel information

338 rooms on 10 floors with 3 lifts. Newly renovated rooms all with air-conditioning, cable TV, complimentary WiFi, telephone, plush bathrobes, large bathrooms with Floris amenities, and hairdryer. Scenic Rooms sleep maximum 2 adults and 1 child (up to 17 years). Only rooms on the ground floor have a terrace.

Ocean View Rooms and Partial Ocean View Rooms, Ocean Front Rooms have a Juliet balcony. Ocean View Lanai Rooms, Ocean Front Lanai Rooms, Scenic with Lanai Rooms and Partial Ocean View Lanai Rooms, have full balconies with furniture and sleep maximum 2 adults and 1 child (up to 17 years).

4 restaurants: Hoku's (fine dining), Plumeria Beach House (à la carte and buffet), The Veranda (afternoon tea) and Seaside Grill. Swimming pool. Use of beachside chi health energy fitness centre with steam rooms, Jacuzzi and dry sauna. Award-winning spa suites. Water sports* including surfing* and scuba diving*. Keiki kids' club*. Guests are welcomed with a cool towel and Aloha lei at check in. Business centre. There is a free shuttle service to Waikiki with its shops, bars and restaurants. Valet or self-parking $32 plus tax per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

*Denotes local charge.

Please note: There's a $8 daily donation for the Koa Tree Planting Fund (payable locally, subject to change).

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (3399)
  • Very good (693)
  • Average (243)
  • Poor (115)
  • Terrible (91)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Good to great…

Nov 22, 2023 NorthStar11454935533 Calgary, Canada

The resort is old and tired . The service is not great either . There are often many people at front desk but few actually serving guests. The cleaning staff is great- rooms are done well. The respite is very dated and really needs a full reno. Property nice but buildings/ furniture etc need work.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A warm and pleasant environment

Nov 19, 2023 gkching

I have had the pleasure of staying at the Kahala Resort in 2022 and for the Veteran's Day weekend in 2023. It's a wonderful place to stay because the surroundings and the staff embody the Aloha Spirit. I always feel as if I'm being welcomed home the moment that I am greeted by the parking valet. The staff is always available to help. It's a… Read more
I have had the pleasure of staying at the Kahala Resort in 2022 and for the Veteran's Day weekend in 2023. It's a wonderful place to stay because the surroundings and the staff embody the Aloha Spirit. I always feel as if I'm being welcomed home the moment that I am greeted by the parking valet. The staff is always available to help. It's a great place for my whole family; my children and grandchildren. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A luxurious getaway!

Nov 14, 2023 bethanynorvell Kailua, Hawaii

Our family of 6 stayed at this resort in November 2023. Everything about our stay was wonderful! We enjoyed the dolphin shows, the beautiful beach, the clean pool and hot tub and the delicious restaurants. The rooms were spacious and clean, and the service was top-notch. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel seen and cared for. We will… Read more
Our family of 6 stayed at this resort in November 2023. Everything about our stay was wonderful! We enjoyed the dolphin shows, the beautiful beach, the clean pool and hot tub and the delicious restaurants. The rooms were spacious and clean, and the service was top-notch. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel seen and cared for. We will definitely be back! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating 30 and more!

Oct 30, 2023 sherwood1124 Sarasota, Florida

30th anniversary, wonderful experience. Loved the hotel, location and everyone who worked with us. Food was overpriced, but thats everywhere in Hawaii. Loved the resort, all the staff were friendly and helpful. Loved the dolphins.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Kahala Resort: incredible staff, gorgeous hotel- worth the extra $$

Oct 28, 2023 Tara R Virginia Beach, Virginia

Kahala Resort -incredible staff, gorgeous hotel The concierge staff were dedicated. Wendy and Koji were incredibly kind and helpful. Wendy was exceptional on one particular night when my friend and I were in a quandary with our rental car. The key fob remote battery had died, and we couldn't even open the door to our car, much less go out to… Read more
Kahala Resort -incredible staff, gorgeous hotel The concierge staff were dedicated. Wendy and Koji were incredibly kind and helpful. Wendy was exceptional on one particular night when my friend and I were in a quandary with our rental car. The key fob remote battery had died, and we couldn't even open the door to our car, much less go out to dinner. I asked Wendy for assistance, thinking that, at best, she would pave the way for me to talk to the right person with Budget Rental Car. Wendy immediately flew into action and was on the phone with Jason (Hertz specialist at the Kahala) before I knew it. Between them, they were instantly working on a solution, and Jason guided Wendy through the steps to his desk at the Hertz office to find a replacement battery. It seems insignificant, but trust me, opening the key fob and inserting the new battery was challenging and saved our weekend. On top of that, Wendy and Koji spent considerable time and effort to locate a contact with the Navy Times in regards to some research that I’m doing. It was an unforgettable weekend that we won't forget. We started making a list of all the little things that were unexpected niceties that contributed to the feeling of being pampered. Having an umbrella for use, the shopping bag (which we unfortunately never remembered to take with us! but was nonetheless appreciated), and a fan in the room made an enormous difference to our physical comfort, large bottles of shampoo and conditioner, etc. in the shower and not having to mess with tiny travel sizes that most hotels use. Our wonderful housekeeper, Glenda, knew our names! Loved the hot towels at the front desk upon checking in. And, our favorite, the fragrance upon entering the hotel every day. Front desk staff, Precious, was a standout. Sone, Lani, and Jamie in the Spa were so accommodating. I had a nail emergency (no, really) with a few nails breaking far into the nail bed that was painful and needed rather immediate attention. The spa staff worked me into the schedule and Lani used a wrap and glue to stabilize them. Then Jamie worked her magic with scheduling and communicating with Sone the next day to arrange for me to be seen sooner than scheduled due to a change in my plans. Sone did a beautiful job on my manicure and pedicure under this time pressure, and I was restored to fully functioning hands and beautifully painted hands and feet. Prior to our trip, we used several travel sites and searched for many hours, trying to find hotels in the Waikiki area so that we wouldn't be too far from the airport but not trapped in the tourist traffic. Then we simply read the reviews associated with each hotel. We ended up finding the Kahala Resort ourselves through Apple Maps and Google searches. It was well outside of our budget and our normal capacity to afford, so it took a while for us to commit, but I'm so glad we did. It was the right choice. The hotel and resort are gorgeous and the staff made it a trip we will remember for a long time. Read less