Joy G.
Yelp
We've stayed at the Kahala twice now and, without a doubt, if I were coming back to Oahu, I would stay here again. The service, ambiance, and location are worth the money; the only thing lacking, I would say, was the food (specifically, the dinner options).
My one tip for staying here is to rent a car. The overnight parking fee, for us, was worth the convenience of being able to go wherever we wanted. My related tip is to self-park the car in the adjoining garage instead of going through valet. They also have EV charging available.
PROS:
- Location is the best on the island. We walked through Waikiki a few times during our trip and my overall impression was like being in Times Square with palm trees and beaches. The downtown area, to me, feels very corporate and soulless. The Kahala is about a 15-minute drive from Waikiki - I appreciated how secluded and quiet it was.
- The beach by Kahala is stunning. Perhaps the nicest beach I've ever seen. Sand was minimally pebbly and rocky (so no worries about cutting up the bottom of your feet) and the water was so clear and indescribably blue. It's one of those beaches where, until you come up close, looks fake from a distance.
- Everyone we interacted with at the hotel, from the front desk to the hardworking valet guys to the people at breakfast, was super friendly.
- Breakfast buffet had tons of options. I'm a creature of habit so ended up eating the same few items every morning, but my husband enjoyed the variety in the omelette station and the carving station.
CONS:
- Depending on whether it's the busy season, the loungers by the pool and beach get snatched up quickly. This is definitely one of those scenarios where the early bird gets the worm. Late risers often came to the pool to find no seats available. There were also times where we couldn't get a lounge cover. There are private cabanas by the beach for something like $125 for the day (and you have to book in advance); if you lay there without a reservation, someone will chase you away.
- Dinner options are kind of scarce, especially if you don't have a car or you want to stay close by. All of the restaurants on site are $$$$. To give you some idea, our one dinner at the Veranda was about $150 for a burger, a side of fries, a crudite/hummus appetizer, and a drink. The food was just ok. For the next days, we ate fresh poke from Foodland for half that price and double the amount of food. (This is the one downside to not staying in Waikiki, where there's an abundance of food options within walking distance.)
- The hotel room itself could use a facelift. Carpet was worn and stained, some peeling and cracking in the bathroom. We were barely in the room except to sleep so we didn't mind but for the nightly price, I was expecting a bit more. That said, either from the sun or the hiking, I slept like a baby the whole trip even though our room was right next to the elevator bank. I also read somewhere that they will be beginning renovations soon so hopefully, the next time we visit, we can see the improvements.
While we were there, the President and First Lady of South Korea came to visit; very cool to see the hotel roll out the literal red carpet.