Find Your Own Slice of Personal Paradise With These 15 Hawaiian Hotels

Hawai‘ian and international influences combine at this luxurious resort, which has nearly 850 guestrooms, suites and villas, several pool options and a spa with 40 treatment rooms. Adding to the spectacle is a live music series, outdoor yoga, garden tours and festive lūʻaus on select dates.

This striking Spanish-Moorish-style hotel along Waikīkī Beach in Honolulu is legendary. Over the past century, the glamourous 528-room “Pink Palace of the Pacific” has hosted the likes of Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles and is also where the Shirley Temple mocktail was said to be invented.

Located along the Kohala Coast on the north-west side of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, this resort has it all, from 13 hectares of tropical gardens to a 930-square-metre oceanfront pool, no fewer than six restaurants and bars, a 10-court tennis pavilion and more. Don’t forget the waterfalls, white sand beaches and lagoon, too.

Kaua‘i is sometimes called the “Garden Isle” and the flora on full display at this lush retreat, where each one of its 605 rooms with balconies is surrounded by native trees. It also has a golf course, spa, overwater dining beneath thatched roofs and traditional Hawaiʻian lūʻaus to experience.

Pu‘u O Hōkū Ranch is a family owned organic farm and ranch on the remote east end of Moloka‘i. Surrounded by about 5700 hectares of tropical land, you can book a cottage for an intimate break or a 12-bedroom lodge for the ultimate group getaway.

White-sand beaches contrast with hardened black lava at this Zen resort – and, of course, the blue sea. Each luxury villa – even the smallest is still nearly 350 square metres – has a private pool. The resort has its own golf course and your concierge will be able to help organise a range of activities, including hikes to waterfalls, horseback riding and helicopter tours. 

Only nine private suites are available at this upscale hotel and each two- or three-bedroom suite takes up an entire floor, complete with a roomy spa on the balcony overlooking Waikīkī Beach. Round off the experience with an in-room dinner hosted by your private chef – and don’t forget the butler and concierge service, rooftop infinity pool and more.

Recently refurbished, Ko‘a Kea Resort on Po‘ipū Beach twinkles with romance, from its intimate soaking tubs and two-person day beds to its oceanside cabana for spa treatments and colour scheme inspired by Kaua‘i’s gardens: red earth and traditional koa wood. Red Salt restaurant is helmed by Kaua‘i local Noelani Planas, who serves up seafood sourced straight from the ocean in hearty dishes such as lobster gnocchi with truffled butter sauce

Up on the eighth floor of this hotel is Waikīkī’s highest infinity pool – complete with ocean views. Take your holiday relaxation to the next level at the signature Ritz-Carlton Spa and indulge yourself: treatments incorporate traditional Hawai‘ian lomilomi massage techniques and ingredients such as volcanic stones, leaves from local rainforests and lehua blossoms.

Palm-lined Kā‘anapali Beach is where you’ll find this 810-room (including 31 suites) resort, which boasts excellent night-time stargazing. Experience a Hawai‘ian lūʻau or make the most of its five restaurants, six free-form pool areas, lagoon with water slide for kids, tennis courts and its shaved-ice joint.

Farm-to-table dining, tropical views, direct access to sandy Mōkapu Beach, activities such as snorkelling, pets allowed… what’s not to love about this hotel? A laid-back yet luxurious feel is found in the details, including the vitamin C body polish at the ‘Āwili Spa & Salon and lobster grilled-cheese sandwiches (really) at Bumbye Beach Bar.

This four-star resort has it all: 524 rooms on 17 floors, four eateries, a jazz bar dubbed “Hawai‘i’s best live music venue” by local media, a spa and even a Surfers in Residence program. Besides the beach, it’s within easy walking distance of the Honolulu Zoo and Waikīkī Aquarium.

You’ll find this resort near the piko, or centre, of five mountains. Reopened in 2020 following a renovation, Mauna Lani now has 333 rooms and suites to choose from, plus several private residences and a secluded estate that has a full kitchen and infinity pool and houses up to 15 guests. Adults can unwind at the Auberge Spa, while the kids’ club is where your little ones will learn how to make traditional prints using native plants and brew their own tea. Did we mention movie nights under the stars?

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to hula, play the ukulele or speak Hawai‘ian, you’re in luck here. Embracing, preserving and sharing authentic Hawai‘ian culture is a key focus for the hotel. All cultural classes are complimentary for guests.

Wide open spaces near Hale O Lono Beach – a long stretch of white sand that was once a Hawai‘ian place of worship – are prominent features of this cosy lodging. To further unwind, take a dip in the oceanfront pool or try your hand at shuffleboard.

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