If you're traveling with the kids, you'll be welcomed by many of Oahu's resorts, condos, and B&Bs. Our favorite family-friendly accommodations on the island are listed below. If you're looking for a hotel that has supervised activities for your youngster, you might want to consider the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort, which has a great children's program. For a more moderately priced option, try the Waikiki Sand Villa, in Waikiki, or Paradise Bay Resort, in Kaneohe. Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk ain't cheap, but it does give good overall bang for your buck while keeping your kid's social calendar full -- it offers children's programs during summer and at Christmas. Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach offers babysitting services, plus children stay free in their parents' room at Outrigger Waikiki and its sister hotel, Outrigger Reef on the Beach. For full kitchen facilities, look into Ohana Waikiki Malia and Aston at the Waikiki Banyan.
Waikiki
Hilton Hawaiian Village -- Camp Penguin is Hilton's year-round daily program of activities for children ages 5 to 12. The program costs $85 for a full day, including lunch, and another $5 on excursion days, or $60 for a half-day with lunch (add another $5 for excursion days). It offers a wide range of educational and fun activities: Hawaiian arts and crafts, nature walks, wildlife feedings, shell hunting, fishing, and much more. Everything about this hotel is kid-friendly, from the wildlife parading about the grounds to the submarine dives offered just out front.
Halekulani -- Between early June and mid-August and during Christmastime, the Halekulani, possibly our favorite hotel in the islands, has a wonderful supervised program for children ages 5 to 12, called the Keikilani (Heavenly Child) Club, normally available Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm. The $50 fee per child includes such goodies as a complimentary backpack with matching water bottle, plus lunch and admission to activities. Daily programs include crafts, games, sightseeing, and excursions to Sea Life Park, the Children's Discovery Center, the Waikiki Aquarium, or the Honolulu Zoo. On-site restaurants House Without A Key and Orchids offer children's menus, with coloring books and crayons to keep youngsters occupied.
Sheraton Waikiki -- The Poppins Keiki Hawaii program (www.poppins-hawaii.com) offers year-round activities for children ages 5 to 12 daily from 8am to 6pm. The program is available to all guests of Sheraton and Westin hotels in Waikiki. Activities include body boarding, Hawaiian crafts and visits to the Waikiki Aquarium and the zoo. Rates are $65 for a half day and $140 for a full day. Lunch is extra.
Ilima Hotel -- Very popular with locals from neighboring islands, this hotel was designed with families in mind. The units are large, and all have full-size kitchens -- and the coin-op laundry is a big help to Mom and Dad. The beach and the International Market Place are both a short walk away, and TheBus stops just outside.
Beyond Waikiki
The Kahala Hotel and Resort -- The Keiki Club is the year-round activities program for kids ages 5 to 12. Youngsters have a blast dancing the hula, making leis, designing sand sculptures, putting on puppet shows, learning to strum a ukulele, making shell art and fish prints, listening to Hawaiian folk tales and legends, and playing Hawaiian games. The cost is $65 for a full day, 9am to 4pm (including lunch); $45 for a half-day, with lunch; and $35 for a half-day without lunch.
Leeward Oahu
JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina -- The Keiki Beachcomber Club, for children ages 5 to 12, is available daily (9am-3pm) during peak winter, spring, and summer seasons. Activities include kite flying, tide-pool exploration, snorkeling, water games, shave-ice making, beach Olympics, crab hunting, and fishing. Hawaiian cultural activities include lei making, hula dancing, and so many other activities that you're unlikely to even see the kids until you're getting ready for dinner. The cost is $61 per child, which includes all activities, lunch, and a souvenir on their first day at the club; half-day rate is $42 with lunch and $37 without.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
