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Have clients who love the Aloha Spirit of Oahu but want to stay further from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist area on Waikiki Beach?
Earlier this year, I visited two beachfront resorts that offered a tranquil respite away from the touristy craziness but near enough to take in the action on foot or a short Uber ride.
The Kahala Hotel & Resort – named the No. 1 Best Hotel in Hawaii in the 2024 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards – and the Kaimana Beach Hotel, a boutique hotel with a retro Hawaiian vibe, were my choices for hosted stays in June 2024.
Here’s an overview of each property.
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
The Kahala lobby chandelier. (Source: Theresa Norton)
A member of Leading Hotels of the World, the resort celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024, and it’s easy to see why it’s maintained its stellar reputation over the decades. It’s undergone renovations every few years and currently is undergoing a property-wide refresh, slated for completion in summer 2025.
Upon entering the lobby, guests are greeted by stunning chandeliers created from over 26,000 pieces of sea glass. The hotel has 306 rooms and 32 suites, averaging 560 square feet, many of which front an 800-foot stretch of white-sand beach. The rooms and suites are outfitted with robes and slippers, Wi-Fi, televisions, and coffee and tea makers.
The Kahala offers several dining options, including Hoku’s for fresh Hawaiian cuisine for dinner and Sunday brunch, the outdoor Plumeria Beach House for casual all-day dining, and a beachside grill.
The resort also features cultural experiences such as lei making, ocean education and weaving using hala leaves.
Its serene location near Diamond Head is one of the reasons The Kahala has drawn more than its fair share of celebrities and heads of state – every U.S. president since Lyndon Johnson (except for Trump and Biden) has visited, along with Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor and even the Dalai Lama.
Kaimana Beach Hotel
The Hau Tree restaurant at Kaimana Beach Hotel. (Source: Theresa Norton)
The 122-room boutique hotel is a casual property with a vintage Hawaiian feel. Built in 1963 directly on the beach, the property was formerly known as the New Otani Hotel until late 2020. It was honored by Travel + Leisure as one of the Top 500 Hotels in the World in 2024 and No. 3 Top Resort Hotel in Hawaii in 2023.
Guests are loaned beach chairs and towels to relax on the sand. During my stay, part of the beach was closed off due to a monk seal who gave birth to its pup there.
The endangered Hawaiian seals – there are only about 1,600 left – are closely protected and visitors are urged to stay away from them, since the mothers can be aggressive protecting their pups. So, it was a thrill to see the pair from a distance.
Airy rooms and suites offer private balconies, free Wi-Fi, televisions and minifridges. Some rooms have kitchenettes and pull-out sofas. While the Classic 1 Queen Bedroom measures 200 to 280 square feet, I enjoyed a large Penthouse Ocean Suite with a wrap-around balcony with views over Oahu and Diamond Head.
The main restaurant is the outdoor Hau Tree, named for the indigenous flowering trees that have shaded its lanai for decades. The dinner menu featured king salmon poke, hamachi kama, Kauai prawn tagliatelle and seared local fish. It also serves a delicious brunch, as well as bar snacks and tropical drinks. One night I enjoyed a burger at the bar and chatted with friendly locals.
The hotel also is home to a surf school owned by 2023 World Longboard Champion Kai Sallas. He says the “beachfront location is just steps away from the secluded beginner-friendly waves.”
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