Posted by Hawaii is one of few destinations in the world synonymous with paradise. Visited by travelers across the globe for its world-famous beaches, laid back island living and tropical climate, Hawaii is an absolute must-visit US state.
Having been slightly underwhelmed by our previous stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on our last visit to O’ahu (island where Hawaii’s capital Honolulu is), this time we were looking for a true taste of luxury. With this in mind, where better to stay than the Halekulani Hotel — known by many as the most luxurious 5-star hotel in the Waikiki area. Read on to find out if this hotel lives up to its reputation.
Ratings rundown
| Accessibility | 9/10 |
| Ambiance | 8.5/10 |
| Accommodation | 8/10 |
| Pool(s) | 8/10 |
| Food and drink | 8/10 |
| Beach | 7.5/10 |
| Facilities | 8/10 |
| Service | 8/10 |
| Overall % | 81% |
Accessibility
The Halekulani is situated in one of the best — if not the best — location along Waikiki beach.
Most places you will want to see / visit in Waikiki including popular restaurants (Marugame udon, Paia fish market, Duke’s etc.) and shopping outlets are all within comfortable walking distance from the hotel. And what’s more, the beach is right behind the hotel (not separated by a road etc.), unlike many other hotels in the area.
It takes around 20 minutes to reach the hotel from Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, so relatively convenient to get in and out.
Accessibility rating: 9/10
Ambiance
What we immediately loved about this hotel was how although it’s situated in the heart of a hustling and bustling area, as soon as you step foot inside, it immediately feels peaceful and calm.
The ground-floor seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor living, with a gentle breeze running through all spaces. There is a lounge-like simple but elegant aesthetic kept consistent across the hotel, making you truly feel as if you have arrived in paradise.
While this hotel does not offer the grandeur and opulence that some may associate with five-star hotels, we enjoyed the relaxed ambiance and thought it suited the laid-back lifestyle Hawaii has come to be known for.
Ambiance rating: 8.5/10
Accommodation
The hotel offers a few different types of accommodation — we chose an oceanfront room which directly overlooked the hotel pool and beach.
Accommodation highlights
- View: of course, one of the key benefits of having an ocean front room was seeing the beautiful Pacific Ocean each day from our balcony
- Room aesthetic: we also liked the interior design of the room, which managed to maintain the luxury 5-star feel with pristine white bedding and quality furniture while still embracing a more traditional and homely feel
- Practical features: there are also multiple elements in the room that just make staying at this hotel for multiple nights in a row super convenient, including a tablet to easily order additional amenities / request room service etc., a powerful shower — ideal after a long-day at the beach etc.
Accommodation lowlights
- Bathroom design: while we liked the interior design of the bedroom, there was something about the bathroom design that made it feel quite clinical / old fashioned (perhaps the white tiling everywhere)
- Daily cleaning / turn down times: the housekeeping service was superb, with very professional and meticulous staff — the one thing we found slightly inconvenient was the timing of these services, as it seemed to vary quite a lot from day to day
On the whole, we thought our room was great, and we also loved the small details left by the housekeeping staff each day e.g. Hawaiian shortbread, lip balm, Halekulani souvenirs etc.
Accommodation rating: 8/10
Pool(s)
The hotel has one main pool for all guests — this is situated right in-front of the ocean, but is surrounded by shrubs/fences so there is still privacy from the public.
The pool looks beautiful and has the Halekulani’s iconic logo design on the bottom, but it isn’t really anything too special.
What we did like, however, was the loungers by the pool — the pool staff will top these for you with towel covers and they are super comfortable to relax on. As the ocean is so close, the loungers also serve as a safe place to leave your belongings while swimming in the sea (there are no loungers on the hotel beach).
Pool rating: 8/10
Food and Drink
The hotel has a few different restaurants to choose from: House Without A Key, Orchids and La Mer. As we wanted to explore the local food scene as much as possible on this trip, we only ate breakfast at House Without A Key. We’ve previously visited Orchids for lunch and had a great time, so would recommend stopping by — you can also read about their world-famous coconut cake on a previous post here.
Breakfast
House Without A Key offers a breakfast buffet with a choice of Western (eggs cooked to order, cold cuts, yoghurt etc.) and Asian (rice, miso soup, pickles etc.) cuisine.
While the buffet spread is not the most expansive, we thought the quality of food was pretty good and we particularly loved sitting outside in the morning to enjoy it.
We would recommend eating here at least once during your stay, but you may want to explore breakfast options outside the hotel on other mornings.
Food and drink rating: 8/10
Beach
What is particularly great about the Halekulani is that is has a small stretch of beach that is directly connected to the hotel which few members of the public use. Although there are no chairs / parasols here, the sand is super soft and there is a stretch of water without rocks/coral so you can swim / stand pretty comfortably barefoot.
The only slightly inconvenient thing about this beach is that there is a catamaran which comes in and out, so you will need to watch out for this.
Beach rating: 7.5/10
Facilities
The hotel has quite a few facilities to keep you busy / entertained if you have time to spare including a spa and boutique.
We also spent some time in the Lewers Lounge — a cocktail bar offering live music most nights of the week which is a relaxing way to end your evening.
Facilities rating: 8/10
Service
On the whole the service was pretty good — no particular negative experiences to mention but also at the same time, nothing super outstanding either.
One thing to note is that this hotel does not provide a lei (Hawaiian garland) on arrival — if this is something you want to experience do keep this in mind.
Service rating: 8/10
Summary
Overall, we loved our stay at the Halekulani — its prime location, beautiful room with view and luxurious yet laid-back atmosphere is what makes this hotel so special. If you are planning a trip to O’ahu any time soon and are looking for a top-tier hotel, the Halekulani should be one of those at the top of your list.
Luxury Jetsetter 
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