Hotels in Oahu
Where to Stay on Oahu
Before you go online to book a place to stay, consider when you’ll be visiting. The high season, when hotels are full and rates are at their peak, is mid-December to March. The secondary high season, when rates are high but rooms are somewhat easier to come by, is June to September. The low seasons—when you can expect fewer tourists and better deals—are April to June and September to mid-December. (For more on Hawaii’s travel seasons, see “When to Go”.) No matter when you travel, you can often get a good rate at many of Waikiki’s hotels by booking a package.
For a description of each neighborhood, see “The Island in Brief”. It can help you decide where you’d like to base yourself.
Remember that hotel and room taxes of 14.962% will be added to your bill (Oahu has a .546% additional tax that the other islands do not have). And don’t forget about parking charges—at up to $30 a day in Waikiki, they can add up quickly.
Note that more and more hotels charge a mandatory daily “resort fee” or “amenity fee,” usually somewhere between $25 and $30, which can increase the room rates by 20%. Hotels say these charges cover amenities, some of which you may not need (such as movie rentals, a welcome drink, a color photograph of you on the property—drinking that welcome drink, perhaps?) and some which are awfully handy (such as Internet access and parking). We have listed resort charges next to the room rates in the reviews.
Affordable parking in Waikiki
It is possible to find affordable parking in Waikiki if you know where to look. I’ve divided up the parking into free or metered parking and carry-a-big-wallet parking.
FREE OR METERED PARKING:
* All side streets in Waikiki. Some have time limits, make sure to check the posted signs.
* Ala Wai Boulevard along the Ala Wai Canal
* Kalākaua Avenue along Kapiʻolani Park
* Waikiki Zoo
BEST OF THE NOT-SO-AFFORDABLE PARKING:
* International Marketplace, 2330 Kalakaua Ave. (Parking entrance at Kuhio Ave. and Walina St. First hour free with validation, $2 per hour for the next 3 hours)
* Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave. (First hour free with validation, $2 per hour for the next 2 hours)
* Waikiki Beach Marriott, 2552 Kalakaua Ave. (entrance on Ohua Ave.; free if you eat here, $8 per hour if you don’t)
* Waikiki Shopping Plaza, 2270 Kalakaua Ave. ($5 per hour, $7 flat-rate weekends 6:30am–6pm and evenings 6pm–midnight).
Vacation Rentals—Oahu has few true bed-and-breakfast inns. Instead, if you’re looking for a non-hotel experience, your best bet is a vacation rental. You can rent direct from owners via VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) and Airbnb.com. On these sites, you’ll find a range of offerings, from $80-a-night studios to unique, off-the-beaten-path lodgings, like a Portlock cottage near Hanauma Bay on the water (listed on vrbo.com) or a North Shore treehouse (listed on Airbnb.com). Make sure to read the reviews before booking so you have a general idea of what you’re getting into. Note that for VRBO, unless you purchase VRBO’s Vacation Protection Services, most places won’t provide a refund if a rental is not what you expected. Airbnb.com gives renters more peace of mind; it withholds payment until check-in so renters can make sure the listing is as advertised. But I’ve booked places on both sites, basing my picks on reviews, and I’ve found the hosts friendly and listings accurate.
Waikiki
Ewa Waikiki
All the hotels listed are located between the ocean and Kalakaua Avenue, and between Ala Wai Terrace in the Ewa (western) direction and Olohana Street and Fort DeRussy Park in the Diamond Head (eastern) direction.
Mid-Waikiki
All the hotels listed are between Fort DeRussy in the Ewa (western) direction and Kaiulani Street in the Diamond Head (eastern) direction.
Affordable Waikiki: Aqua Hotels
Inexpensive accommodations are few and far between on Oahu, and especially in Waikiki . . . at least places you’d actually want to stay in. But a good bet is the Aqua chain (www.aquaresorts.com), whose inexpensive to moderately priced properties (from $119 a night) are managed by a Hawaii-based company. Hotels vary in quality (with furnishings ranging from dated tropical to bright and modern), but they are generally clean, well maintained, and regularly updated.
Some of the Oahu standouts in the Aqua portfolio include the Aqua Waikiki Pearl, 415 Nahua St. (808/954-7425), right in the middle of Waikiki and about a 10-minute walk to the beach. It has spacious room options, and I was able to find a 450-square-foot room for $125 online. The Aqua Oasis, 320 Lewers St. (808/441-7781) is just that—a cheery property with a lush courtyard and lounge area as well as clean rooms with city views and plumeria accents. Rates here start at $150. Rooms in the Luana Waikiki, 2045 Kalakaua Ave. (808/955-6000), which Aqua acquired from Outrigger in 2014, start at $159. It offers a pool and suites with a kitchen. Best of the midrange Aqua hotels is the Park Shore Waikiki, 2586 Kalākaua Ave. (808/954-7426), which offers views of Diamond Head and the ocean, starting at just $160 a night.
You’ll find all these hotels between Ala Wai Boulevard and the ocean, and between Kaiulani Street and world-famous Diamond Head itself.
Ko Olina is growing as the luxury hotel hub of the Leeward coast. The Aulani opened in 2011, the Four Seasons in late 2016, and an Atlantis resort will be complete by 2019. The new resorts are in sharp contrast to the rest of the coast, which is Oahu’s poorest.
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34 Results
- Hotel
Aqua Lotus Honolulu
One of the Aqua chain’s most expensive—and nicest—hotels is the Lotus, on the east end of Waikiki, facing Kapiolani Park. It’s a former W Hotel property, newly updated with dark hardwood floors, platform beds, granite-tiled bathrooms, and—in the corner units—a lanai and window that…$$$East Waikiki
- Hotel
Aqua Skyline at Island Colony
Welcome to Waikiki’s tallest hotel. Staying at this monolithic, 44-floor hotel feels very urban, thanks to the scope of the place, the fresh new green-and-slate color scheme and views of Waikiki’s skyline. The rooms have kitchenettes, and a pool and grill area on the sixth floor,…$$Waikiki - Hotel
Aqua Waikiki Pearl
Unfortunately, inexpensive accommodations are few and far between on Oahu, and especially in Waikiki . . . . at least places that you’d actually want to stay in. But a good bet is the Aqua chain. Its inexpensive to moderately priced properties (from $119 a night) are managed by a…$$Mid-Waikiki & Mauka - Hotel
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii
Aulani offers plenty of fun from Mickey and friends to entertain the kids, such as a character breakfast with photo ops, but it’s also a celebration of Hawaiian culture. Disney’s “imagineers” worked with locals to get many of the details just right, from murals and woodcarvings…$$$The Waianae Coast - Hotel
Coconut Waikiki Hotel
Rooms at this family-friendly hotel are spacious and immaculate and come with a small lanai and wet bar. The tiny pool is kind of wedged between the hotel and a fence—better to grab the free beach-towel rental and head to the ocean sands. Its sister hotel, Shoreline Hotel Waikiki…$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Halekulani
This is one of Waikiki’s most luxurious hotels; its name means “house befitting heaven.” The history of the Halekulani tracks that of Waikiki itself: At its inception at the turn of the 20th century, it was just a beachfront house and a few bungalows, and Waikiki was an undeveloped…$$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa
This sprawling resort is like a microcosm of Waikiki—on good days it feels like a lively little beach town with hidden nooks and crannies to discover and great bars in which to make new friends, and on bad days it’s just an endless traffic jam, with lines into the parking garage, at…$$$Ewa Waikiki - Campground
Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden
This little-known windward campground outside Kaneohe is a real treasure. It’s hard to believe that it’s just half an hour from downtown Honolulu. The name Hoomaluhia, or “peace and tranquillity,” accurately describes this 400-acre botanical garden at the foot of the jagged Koolau…$Around the Island - Hotel
Hotel Renew
This is a stylish boutique hotel just a block from the beach. Like its lobby bar, rooms at Hotel Renew are small but well edited and well designed. You get a minimalist, Japanese aesthetic, mood lighting, and plush beds with a down featherbed and down comforter. The crowd that stays…$$Diamond Head Waikiki - Hotel
Kahala Hotel & Resort
Hotel magnate Conrad Hilton opened the Kahala in 1964 as a secluded and exclusive retreat away from Waikiki. Fifty years and a different owner later, the hotel retains that feeling of peacefulness and exclusivity. Its rooms convey a unique island luxury, aka “Kahala chic.” In your…$$$To the East: Kahala - Campground
Kahana Bay Beach Park
Lying under Tahiti-like cliffs, with a beautiful gold-sand crescent beach framed by pine-needle casuarina trees, Kahana Bay Beach Park is a place of serene beauty. You can swim, bodysurf, fish, hike, and picnic or just sit and listen to the trade winds whistle through the beach pines…$Kahana - Hotel
Kaimana Beach Hotel
Click here to book a room via Booking.com. It’s almost a different world here, with Kapiolani Park providing a buffer from the frenzy of Waikiki. The hotel’s best feature is its location right on Kaimana Beach, where the crowds are thinner and the water cleaner. The rooms can be a…$$Diamond Head Waikiki - Hotel
Ke Iki Beach Bungalows
These bungalows are right on a beautiful, wide, and uncrowded beach, between Sharks Cove (great for snorkeling in the summer) and Pipeline (for the best pro-surfer wave-watching come winter). Ranging from basic studios to two-bedroom accommodations, each unit comes with bamboo…$The North Shore - Campground
Kualoa Regional Park
This park has a spectacular setting on a peninsula on Kaneohe Bay. The gold-sand beach is excellent for snorkeling, and fishing can be rewarding as well. There are two campgrounds: Campground A—located in a wooded area with a sandy beach and palm, ironwood, kamani, and monkeypod…$Kualoa - Hotel
Lanikai Beach Rentals
Lanikai clings tenaciously to its laidback, beachy vibe, even in the face of a growing number of visitors. Spend the night in an old-style, homey, and comfortable Lanikai house just across the street from the beach to feel a part of the neighborhood. Lanikai Beach Rentals offers a…$$Kailua - Hotel
Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head
Here on the quiet side of Waikiki, between Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head, you can sleep with the windows open. A former W Hotel property, the Lotus was updated with dark hardwood floors, platform beds, granite-tiled bathrooms, and—in the corner units—a lanai and window that frame…$$Diamond Head Waikiki - Campground
Malaekahana Bay State Recreation Area
This is one of the most beautiful beach-camping areas in the state, with a mile-long, gold-sand beach on Oahu’s North Shore. There are two areas for tent camping. Facilities include picnic tables, restrooms, showers, sinks, and drinking water. For your safety, the park gate is closed…$North Shore - Hotel
Manoa Valley Inn
I’m including this bed-and-breakfast because there’s really nothing like it, but it takes a unique traveler to love it. It’s like staying at your eccentric great-aunt’s house, if she lived in a 100-year-old Victorian and furnished it with ornate antiques, four-poster beds, lace…$$ManoaValley & Moliili & Makiki - Hotel
Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort
This is Waikiki’s oldest hotel, built in 1901. Even after more than 100 years, multiple renovations, and the construction of two towers in the ’50s and ’60s, the hotel has managed to retain its original and still grand Beaux-Arts main building. It’s so picturesque you’re likely to…$$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Outrigger Reef on the Beach
You may arrive by car, but the Outrigger reminds you—with the 100-year-old koa wood canoe suspended in the longhouse entryway—that long ago, the Polynesians came to Hawaii by boat, navigating their way only by the stars. The Hawaii-based Outrigger chain has a handful of hotels on…$$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Park Shore Waikiki
The high-rise Park Shore stands out as one of Waikiki's acceptable affordable options because of its excellent location at the eastern end of the Waikiki strip facing Kapiolani Park with unobstructed views of Diamond Head in the distance. That is, if you get an ocean view room—many…$Waikiki - Hotel
Prince Waikiki
These two towers look like they’re from The Jetsons, especially with the glass-walled elevators zipping up and down the exterior. The hotel completed an extensive remodel in 2017; installing more inviting restaurants and an infinity pool; most arresting of the updates are the 800…$$$Ewa Waikiki - Hotel
Royal Grove Hotel
This is a great bargain for frugal travelers. You can't miss the Royal Grove -- it's bright pink. Among Waikiki's canyons of corporate-owned high-rises, it's also a rarity in another way: The Royal Grove is a small, family-owned hotel. What you get here is old-fashioned aloha in cozy…$Waikiki/Diamond Head End - Hotel
Royal Hawaiian
The “Pink Palace of the Pacific” is as pink as the Halekulani is white. Everytime I step into the Royal Hawaiian, it still takes my breath away. I love its vibrant exoticism—the Spanish-Moorish architecture manifested in graceful stucco arches, the patterned floor tiles, the ornate…$$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Sheffield House
Kailua is a small beach town, with restaurants, shops, and a business center anchored by Whole Foods. Staying with long-time Kailua residents Paul and Rachel Sheffield (they live in a separate, adjacent house on the property) puts you right in the middle of everything—it’s just a few…$$Kailua - Hotel
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel
Waikiki needs reliable moderate-priced hotels, and the Princess Kaiulani is one of the most longstanding and respected ones. Actually three towers built in the 1950s and 1960s and joined by an open-plan lobby that sweeps to include an inviting oval courtyard pool, it's busy night and…$$Mid-Waikiki/Makai - Hotel
Sheraton Waikiki
At 30 stories tall, the Sheraton towers over its neighbors. With almost 2,000 rooms and a location right in the middle of the busiest section of Waikiki, this is not the place to book if you’re looking for a peaceful getaway. What you do get: views of the ocean (available in most…$$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club
Step back into the golden ages of Waikiki, when Don Ho crooned in Waikiki lounges and the beachfront was dotted with low-slung buildings and bungalows. The Surfjack, new in 2016, was remade from a 1960s budget hotel. Its owners enlisted a considerable amount of local talent, from…$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
The Breakers
In the 1950s and ’60s, thanks to statehood and the jet age, Waikiki’s low-rise skyline gave way to larger and taller hotels. A lot of the more modest hotels are long gone . . . except for the Breakers. The two-story building, built in 1954, has managed to hold on to its family feel…$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
The Laylow
Following the Surfjack, the Laylow opened in 2017 for the Instagram jet-set crowd. It’s part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, but with under 200 rooms and a lovely midcentury Hawaii aesthetic, it feels like a boutique hotel. Despite its location right next to the International…$$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
The Modern Honolulu
Step into a hip and modern Waikiki, which means you won’t find rattan furniture anywhere nor slack key music over the speakers. Instead, you get sleek, all white with blond-wood-accented rooms and electronic funk a la Ibiza played in the common areas. Come here to see and be seen, at…$$Ewa Waikiki - Hotel
Turtle Bay Resort
The North Shore’s only resort possesses a beachy, laidback, but luxurious style befitting the less-developed, unhurried North Shore. The lobby and gym open up with ocean views, the spa is amply sized, the restaurants’ menus highlight locally grown ingredients, and rooms have ocean…$$$North Shore - Hotel
Vive Hotel
The good: a stylish lobby, clean rooms, free continental breakfast with lots of fresh fruit, and no resort fee. The bad: small, bordering on cramped quarters. But you can always take advantage of the free beach mats, chairs, and umbrellas and escape to the beach just minutes away.…$Mid-Waikiki - Hotel
Waikiki Parc
This is the Halekulani’s younger, hipper sister, located across the street and run by the same management company. The lobby entrance glows blue to the beat of electronica, and the breakfast buffet is served in what used to be a Nobu dining room. The rooms aren’t as posh as the rest…$$Mid-Waikiki
