Turtle Bay Resort

North Shore, Oahu

Virgin rating

The hotel

This 850-acre oasis is the perfect destination for those who want to immerse themselves in Hawaii’s scenic splendour, with plenty of excellent water sports to hand, a world-class spa and some of the best accommodation on the island. The pool complex is quite simply incredible and comes complete with a 70-ft main pool area, two secluded spa tubs, a large children’s pool and an upper-level pool with rock waterfall and 80-ft slide. Sports fans will also appreciate the use of two 18-hole championship golf courses, floodlit tennis courts and a fitness centre. Nearby are legendary surf spots Sunset Beach, the Branzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay so walk on down and enjoy the Beach! If you want to spoil yourselves, the beach cottages are superb, set along the shores of Turtle Bay in clusters of six. Guest rooms and suites are also impressive with every modern amenity included to ensure a supremely comfortable stay. Dining options include Roy's Beach House, where you can enjoy a chilled beach vibe and delight in the freshest local ingredients. There’s also Off The Lip which has spectacular views and live music to accompany your sundowner cocktail and delicious light bites.

Amenities

  • Bicycle Rental
  • Golf
  • Horse Riding
  • Snorkelling
  • Tennis
  • Kids Club
  • Bar
  • Evening Entertainment
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Hot tub
  • Internet Access
  • Laundry Service

Where is it

On Oahu’s north shore, along 5 miles of secluded coastline. Adjacent is Kuilima Cove, protected by a reef from ocean swells and a prime site for snorkelling and swimming. Waimea Falls Park is 5 miles with Dole Plantation slightly further at 15 miles. The resort is approximately 55 minutes from Honolulu International Airport.

Hotel information

375 guest rooms and 26 suites on 6 floors in 1 building. All rooms with air-conditioning, 65" flat-screen Smart TV, Beats Pill speaker, hairdryer, electronic safe, iron and ironing board, Lavazza coffee maker, mini fridge, and bathroom amenities.

Ocean View Rooms are located on floors 2-5 in the Main Building, with either 1 king-size bed plus sofa bed, or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Please note: Most rooms have a private lanai or Juliet balcony. Rooms on the 2nd floor in the East and South wings overlooking Kuilima Cove do not offer a balcony.

Premium Ocean View Rooms are located on the top floor, featuring bath robes and slippers, with either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Ocean Club Rooms are located in the heart of the resort featuring direct ocean views from the top floor, with either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people. These rooms include exclusive access to the Ocean Club Lounge which offers a personal concierge service, and food and beverage offerings throughout the day. 

Ocean View Suites are located at the end of each wing in the main building, and include a separate seating area with sofa bed, bathroom with separate shower and bath tub, and either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people. 

Ocean Club Suites have 1 king-size bed plus sleeper sofa, sleeping maximum 3 people. These rooms include exclusive access to the Ocean Club Lounge which offers a personal concierge service, and food and beverage offerings throughout the day. 

Ocean Bungalows are located just steps from the water, with an outdoor lanai that offers ocean views, spacious seating area with pull-out sofa, bathroom with separate shower and bathtub, access to private infinity pool for bungalow guests, personal concierge, and bedroom with either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 6 people. 

Alaia (serving traditional Hawaiin comfort food, open for breakfast buffet, and a la carte dinner). Ho'Olana (serving fresh food and drinks to go). Sunset Pool Bar (serving food and drinks throughout the day, with live music 4.00-7.00pm). Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi (open for lunch and dinner). Off The Lip (serving light bites and cocktails throughout the evening, with live entertainment). Lei Lei's Bar and Grill (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Ocean Club Lounge (serving breakfast, light lunch, snacks and soft drinks throughout the day, and hors d'oeuvres and selected alcoholic drinks in the evenings).

Daily scheduled activities incluing Lei Making, Ukulele lessons, and dance lessons. Regular live music in the evenings. Weekly Paniolo Pa'ina entertainment dinner*.

4 swimming pools: Main resort pool, Adults-only pool, Keikei pool with waterslide, and exclusive Ocean Bungalows pool. Poolside cabanas*. 7 beaches. Nalu Spa*. 24-hour fitness centre. Daily fitness classes. 2 Championship golf courses* (guests are eligible for preferred rates). Horse riding*. Lawn games*. Surfing lessons*. Tennis*. Pickleball court. Hiking and jogging trails. Bicycle rental*. 

Complimentary WiFi access. Self and Valet parking available for $35 plus tax per day (payable locally, fee subject to change). Range of boutiques. Concierge.

Resort fee of $49 plus tax, per room per night, is applicable (payable locally, fee subject to change). 

Resort fee includes: - Arrival Lei greeting - Two refillable PATH water bottles - Unlimited toll-free local & 60 mins of domestic long distance telephone calls - Complimentary high-speed WiFi - Use of Beats Pill speaker - Daily resort activities - Use of resort cruiser bikes (45 mins per guest, per day, 2 cruisers per room) - Beach toys and boogie boards at Kuilima Cove - Beach umbrellas and chairs at Kuilima Cove - Daily basket of range balls (after 12 noon) - Admission to one fitness class per day - Use of GoPro camera for up to 24 hours (SD memory card not included) - One hour of Pickleball court usage - Use of business centre facilities. Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to availability and change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

*Denotes local charge

Please note: if 4 passengers or more are travelling, coach transfers are available. If there are less then 4 passengers travelling, a private transfer must be booked instead.

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 (3816)
  • Very good (1349)
  • Average (630)
  • Poor (288)
  • Terrible (207)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beautiful resort and Location - Some hiccups

Nov 26, 2023 Janet H

We enjoyed our stay at Turtle Bay resort. We stayed for one week during Thanksgiving. The location on the North Shore is perfect. They have two surf spots, and a calm bay to swim and snorkel in. Several hiking trails. Nice pools (we only swam in the adult pool the main pool was freezing, poor kids) and horseback riding. The check-in process was… Read more
We enjoyed our stay at Turtle Bay resort. We stayed for one week during Thanksgiving. The location on the North Shore is perfect. They have two surf spots, and a calm bay to swim and snorkel in. Several hiking trails. Nice pools (we only swam in the adult pool the main pool was freezing, poor kids) and horseback riding. The check-in process was a snap. The rooms were perfectly cleaned. (and I can be picky about that). The negatives are few but exist. I'm hoping that the management, and owners take note and address the issues. 1) The restaurant that serves Breakfast, Alaia (Brunch only) at $55.00 $35.00 for Children is a poor option for most guest, and the highest complaint we hear around the resort. We are both health conscious and I am gluten free. We like to eat a light and high protein in the morning before surfing and working out. My husband and I visited both the coffee bar and the little grocery store for other options, but none could be found. All we were looking for was yogurt and hard-boiled eggs. The store was out of yogurt and does not carry hard boiled eggs. We did not have a car, so we were stuck. Luckily, we have generous friends that lives on Oahu that joined us for lunch. They brought us fresh fruit, yogurt, hard boiled eggs and protein bars for the rest of the week. Lunch and dinner were no problem. We dined several meals at the beach bar and Roys. The menu at Alaia did not appeal to us at all, in fact after looking at it we canceled our dinner reservations and went back to Roys. Alaia does not reflect a healthy Island menu at all. (Again, the most talked about negative at the resort among fellow guests) The menu needs a revamp. Anything would be better! 2) The coffee pods in the room. Truly terrible! I suggest that the managers have it every day at their daily meetings for one week to see what We are taking about. I am not going into detail. Just try it. Why don't they have Kona Coffee we asked? Support the other islands, then maybe sell it in your gift shop. 3) We wished that you had lighter comforters on the bed instead of big heavy white comforters. We called housekeeping. They brought us a light weight one that we didn't sweat in all night. 4) On Thanksgiving there was not enough water in the adult hot tub jets were shooting out all over the place. We saw multiple employees walk by it all day doing nothing about it. It also looked murky. 5) The main pool should be heated this time of year. You are a 5 star resort. You charge your guests handsomely. You should give your guests what they deserve. We couldn't believe how cold it was. The parents sat on the sides of the pool watching their kids swim and play in disbelief, some children would not go in at all. Sad... Imagine paying 1K a day and $500 a day or more for food for your family and they don't even want to swim in the pool. I mentioned it to pool staff day one. Supposedly they turned the heater, but I was there a week and it was still cold. With all that said we hope to be back. But I will check with the resort to see if any of these issues were addressed. Maybe be back in the summer when the pool isn't frigid. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Gorgeous remodel, but lacking in upkeep

Nov 7, 2023 christinasA7601DY

We stayed here for 4 nights. This place is gorgeous from the recent renovation! If you are looking for a getaway from the busy Waikiki- I would recommend Turtle bay! The valet was great and upfront on pricing- offered to store our golf clubs. We loved that we could just text them and our car would be ready by the time we were in the lobby. We were… Read more
We stayed here for 4 nights. This place is gorgeous from the recent renovation! If you are looking for a getaway from the busy Waikiki- I would recommend Turtle bay! The valet was great and upfront on pricing- offered to store our golf clubs. We loved that we could just text them and our car would be ready by the time we were in the lobby. We were upgraded to an Oceanfront King (thank you amex) and it was a great view. The room was great and it was perfect to have a coffee and/or breakfast on the lanai listening to the waves. The robes were the softest hotel robes I have ever encountered- I almost purchased one! The coffee shop (Ho'olana), room service, and the Beachhouse at Roy's were great! We opted to dine at Roy's twice for dinner and once for brunch and it was delicious with amazing service! I recommend the French toast and pancakes on the room service menu, but would avoid the quiche unless you are a really, big fan of cheese >egg and the comically small croissants. Kara in room service dining was great and friendly! It's great that there is a filtered water station on every floor also. I am docking a star and a half because I wish the hours for the beach shack at Kulima Cove were posted somewhere and it is strange that for such an active resort the beach chairs weren't set up until 9 am. It's a shame that it was an additional cost to rent the day beds and snorkel gear considering we pay resort fees. Also, we didn't know that there was a limited section to receive beverage and food service until our second visit (roped section closer to Roy's. In addition to this, we are low maintenance and support the water conservation efforts, but did want maid service halfway during our stay. We were out of our room from 8:15 am until 2:45 pm and our room had yet to be tidied. We saw housekeeping in the hallway, so we left our room to grab coffee in hopes of them tidying our room- thankfully it was when we retuned at 4 pm. During our stay, I noticed a pile of dirty towels on a table adjacent to the adult pool stairs on our first day that was still there on our last day. I would expect more cleanliness considering the price of the resort. The biggest deduction is the lack of maintanence/upkeep for the peloton bikes in the gym. Each bike I tried to use had something broken on it (multiple adjustment levers, no cupholders). I was able to find a broken handle on the gym floor to re-attach, so that I was able to adjust the bike with the least amount of issues, however, boy did I choose poorly. The bike had rust on the peddle mechanism and the seat bike adjustment would not tighten enough. This caused the seat to fall multiple times during my workout. I recommend getting someone out to service the bikes, because it is a great view, but this experience marred us wanting to use the gym the rest of the trip. We, also, decided to take advantage of one of the nature trails on the premise and the map/signs were not helpful. I would recommend ditching the aesthetic map and get one that is actually useful. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Perfect.... almost

Nov 5, 2023 Frits R Sugar Grove

This was an amazing resort. Perfect (almost) for our 30th wedding anniversary. Facilities, service and food were amazing. Our only disappointment was on our last night. Each night, after dinner, we enjoyed sitting on the balcony listening to ocean and feeling the wonderful breezes from the ocean. The last night, however, there was a wedding on the… Read more
This was an amazing resort. Perfect (almost) for our 30th wedding anniversary. Facilities, service and food were amazing. Our only disappointment was on our last night. Each night, after dinner, we enjoyed sitting on the balcony listening to ocean and feeling the wonderful breezes from the ocean. The last night, however, there was a wedding on the lawn below (which I get) and also a reception (which I don't get). The rooms at this resort are quite expensive (well worth it for the value) and I didn't appreciate listening to two hours of loud dance music instead of the ocean. I feel that any loud events should be indoors to not inconvenience the hundreds of other guests paying top dollar to enjoy the property. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating I got ripped off

Nov 2, 2023 Joe A Davenport, Iowa

I booked a bungalow in august after fleeing the Maui fire. Only thing available was a 2400 dollar a night room at turtle bay. I arrived in turtle bay and said I don’t want that room I booked. They told me on the phone there’s nothing else available and this was false. They said other rooms were available when I arrived. They said I could go to the… Read more
I booked a bungalow in august after fleeing the Maui fire. Only thing available was a 2400 dollar a night room at turtle bay. I arrived in turtle bay and said I don’t want that room I booked. They told me on the phone there’s nothing else available and this was false. They said other rooms were available when I arrived. They said I could go to the other rooms with my family and the 2400 dollar a night room would fall off my charge card. I told them to cancel it they said nothing needs to be done since I’m in the other rooms. This was a lie this never happened and I have to pay 7600 dollars for a room I never even stayed in plus the other rooms I booked inside the hotel. This is awful business and cruel. It’s evil. It’s a bogus charge. Hotel is unwilling to help me. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Pool Restaurant Disappointment

Nov 1, 2023 Steven R

I am a local that at the pool on a regular basis. For some reason the Hotel removed the amazing salad and flatbread. Worse, the prices are now not equivalent to the food. The nachos use fake cheese and the taco platter is 2 miniature tacos with a mini side salad for $28. You can’t even get fries with your $28 burger. Please bring back some of the… Read more
I am a local that at the pool on a regular basis. For some reason the Hotel removed the amazing salad and flatbread. Worse, the prices are now not equivalent to the food. The nachos use fake cheese and the taco platter is 2 miniature tacos with a mini side salad for $28. You can’t even get fries with your $28 burger. Please bring back some of the old menu items. Read less