Halekulani Hotel

This was my second stay at the Halekulani. Here are some reasons why I give it the highest possible rating: Beautiful grounds, immaculately maintained. The most gorgeous hotel swimming pool I’ve ever seen. Delicious food and cocktails. Excellent service from every employee. Comfortable bed, reasonably sized room, nicely decorated and...

This was my second stay at the Halekulani. Here are some reasons why I give it the highest possible rating: Beautiful grounds, immaculately maintained. The most gorgeous hotel swimming pool I’ve ever seen. Delicious food and cocktails. Excellent service from every employee. Comfortable bed, reasonably sized room, nicely decorated and furnished. Generously sized toiletries. To be honest, this resort is as close to accommodation perfection as possible. And in case you’re wondering: No, I don’t have a relationship with anyone who works at the Halekulani and I’m not being compensated for this review. I just want to give examples of why the high cost of a stay here is well worth it, especially if you’ve been to Honolulu before, you’ve already visited Pearl Harbor (which is profoundly moving) and you’ve seen the island’s must-see attractions (which includes a hike to the top of Diamond Head). With all those boxes checked, you have no compelling reasons to leave the resort property and can instead spend your days by the glorious pool, or in the ocean, savoring every sweet moment. Because trust me, once you arrive, you may feel like you don’t want to leave. Give in to that feeling! If this is your first time in Honolulu, and you have a list of things to see and do, then you might not get your full money’s worth staying at the Halekulani. Or, do what someone I met by the pool was doing: Alternate between an active day of sight-seeing and an inactive day by the pool. One other tip: Don’t skip the evening turn-down service. Every night, we were presented with a small keepsake gift! Plus, the housekeepers were adorable and sweet. Now, about the pool. The Halekulani has a policy that discourages excessive noise, large floats and anything else in the pool that might kill the calm vibe. I visited several other hotel properties during my stay, for a comparison, and none of them had the serenity of the Halekulani pool. You only need to go next door to the Outrigger to see my point. Part of the reason the pool is so delightfully calm is that there’s no music blasting from speakers. Another reason is that the hotel is extremely popular with older guests and with Japanese visitors, who, in my experience, are considerate, polite and respectful. The pool’s water temperature is about 83 degrees (according to my Apple Watch’s reading). It’s quite comfortable. And you can swim laps here, as long as you go in the morning, before the sun really shines on the entire pool. Once that happens, the pool will become populated (but never, in my experience, overly crowded), making lap swims harder. The pool is about 27 yards long, which is large for a hotel pool and great for laps. We spent the bulk of every day on the pool deck, closest to the ocean and with a straight-on Diamond Head view. The pool attendants were helpful, cheerful and clearly enjoy their jobs. We ate lunch every day poolside. The fish tacos were delicious; so was the hamburger. Don’t order the pizza unless you plan to share it; it’s big. You can even get fresh-baked mini muffins and cookies at the pool check-in desk. And on several afternoons, a pool attendant served guests small popsicles. I mentioned earlier that this is the most gorgeous hotel swimming pool I’ve seen, and I’m not exaggerating. The bottom is covered in beautiful, blue and white tiles that form the image of an orchid. It’s even prettier at night, illuminated. Seriously, I have just two suggestions for improvement at the Halekulani: * Switch to a different bottled water for guest rooms. The aluminum Path water bottles are nearly impossible to crack open! * Put recycling bins in guest rooms. I worried that my used recyclables would end up in the trash (and thus, potentially in the ocean). In this day and age, every hotel room should have a recycling bin. Now, back to the high room rate. For room 1560 in late February 2025, with a view of Diamond Head, we paid about $1,100 per night, which didn’t include all the taxes. It was a splurge for us, but we were celebrating a major birthday and were rewarding ourselves for getting through a difficult 2024. That said, we feel we got our money’s worth — because we slowed down and savored the exquisite surroundings.

A 5 star experience. This hotel really deserves to be a Leading Hotel of the World. Impeccably maintained, impeccable staff who coordinate well with each other to make for an incredible guest experience. A magical oasis in bustling Waikiki.

Great holiday on the beachfront. Staff were exceptional. Our room was first class and food could not have been better. This is an expensive hotel but is well worth it. If we were coming back to Honolulu would have no hesitation in staying here.

We love the entire team, they actually care about their guests and it shows in everything they. The view from our room was breath taking, you want to sit on the balcony for hours. The restaurants...there aren't enough words to explain the quality of every meal from morning to night....

We love the entire team, they actually care about their guests and it shows in everything they. The view from our room was breath taking, you want to sit on the balcony for hours. The restaurants...there aren't enough words to explain the quality of every meal from morning to night. This is now our designated hotel for when we travel to Hawaii and when our friends travel. Book in advance, we booked a month and 1 week before arrival to ensure we'd be able to secure the perfect room. Also, if you want Lei's, we visited Le Flowers at "2567 S King St B, Honolulu, HI 96826". The parking is behind the building and they lasted all 4 days we were there with proper care. If you are a wine drinker, the Oceanfront room has a bar with a pullout tray with a wine opener. A nice bottle wine is highly recommended for the balcony view.

Halekulani is a wonderful place stay for being calm in the midst of Waikiki. Orchid restaurant has great wait staff and the best Eggs Benedict variations offerings. But most of all, the coconut cake is so light that you can afford to eat it everyday!

Gorgeous property and grounds, wonderful service with true Aloha spirit. Always got a lounger at their immaculate pool. Beautiful spacious room although dated bath area w/small shower and spotty a/c. Tip: We booked direct for a 2 week stay in a Diamond Head Prime room at over $1,500/night. Their reservation...

Gorgeous property and grounds, wonderful service with true Aloha spirit. Always got a lounger at their immaculate pool. Beautiful spacious room although dated bath area w/small shower and spotty a/c. Tip: We booked direct for a 2 week stay in a Diamond Head Prime room at over $1,500/night. Their reservation agent didn't offer us any perks at all (e.g. free 5th nights, included breakfast etc.). Comparison shop and do your research folks!

From the moment we arrived we were pampered with friendliness and good service. We did not want to leave! The Halekulani is by far the best hotel in Honolulu, and in my opinion one of the worlds top hotels. Every time we leave the Halekulani, we immediately book our future...

From the moment we arrived we were pampered with friendliness and good service. We did not want to leave! The Halekulani is by far the best hotel in Honolulu, and in my opinion one of the worlds top hotels. Every time we leave the Halekulani, we immediately book our future visits and count the days until our next return.

If you want an outstanding and relaxing vacation on Oahu, the Halekulani is the perfect hotel - beautiful setting, well appointed rooms with views of Diamond Head and Waikiki, three excellent dining options, outstanding and friendly staff, great pool with easy ocean access.

This is the only place to stay in Honolulu ! The location, rooms, restaurants, facilities and staff are all top notch. I can't say enough. I stay at the Ritz Carlton all the time and this hotel certainly rivals them in every way! We will absolutely be back.

The hotel and rooms were beautiful and the location can't be beat. Some of the best service I have ever experienced...attentive and friendly. Several dining options and a uniquely pretty pool. Would definitely stay again and recommend to others visiting Honolulu.

We adored our stay at the Halekulani. Everything about the hotel is fantastic -- from the valet and housekeeping teams to the front desk and concierge. The food at Orchids is amazing, and we loved having the buffet breakfast at House Without A Key -- incredibly fresh, I loved the...

We adored our stay at the Halekulani. Everything about the hotel is fantastic -- from the valet and housekeeping teams to the front desk and concierge. The food at Orchids is amazing, and we loved having the buffet breakfast at House Without A Key -- incredibly fresh, I loved the Japanese and American options for breakfast. The spa was small, but staff was friendly and rooms were nice. They have a hospitality suite to use before/after your stay if you're early for check in or need a place to relax after checking out but before heading to the airport that has charging ports, snacks, as well as showers/bathrooms for use to freshen up. The staff went above and beyond at all points during our stay. Cannot recommend more, our favorite hotel yet and we've stayed at several 5 star resorts.

Truly the most exceptional hotel experience my husband and I have ever had. We went and stayed here for our honeymoon, and were so glad this is the spot we chose. The location and hotel itself are absolutely stunning. The atmosphere is so relaxing and the dining options are outstanding...

Truly the most exceptional hotel experience my husband and I have ever had. We went and stayed here for our honeymoon, and were so glad this is the spot we chose. The location and hotel itself are absolutely stunning. The atmosphere is so relaxing and the dining options are outstanding (multiple restaurants and options ranging from delicious burgers/cocktails by the pool, to the most exceptional fine dining experience at their French Restaurant La Mer. All restaurants either have beautiful views or completely over look the ocean). I would definitely have to say though, what truly made our experience so special was the outstanding staff. They were so kind and eager to help in every aspect. The attention to detail was unmatched.