Moana Surfrider, Waikiki Beach

The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach, a Michelin Key Selected property, offers a blend of historic charm and modern luxury, making it a highly regarded destination on Waikiki Beach. Known as the "First Lady of Waikiki," this iconic hotel, which first opened in 1901, consistently receives positive feedback for its prime location and attentive service.

Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for the Moana Surfrider is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as "wonderful," "amazing," "relaxing," and "enjoyable." It boasts high ratings for cleanliness (8.7-8.8/10), service (8.5-9.1/10), and especially location (9.7/10). Many guests are repeat visitors, highlighting a strong affection for the property and its unique atmosphere.

Key Highlights

Guests consistently praise the Moana Surfrider for several outstanding features:

• Location: Its direct beachfront access to Waikiki Beach is a major draw, placing guests steps away from the ocean and within easy walking distance of major attractions, restaurants, and shopping along Kalakaua Avenue.
• Historic Charm & Design: The hotel's Victorian architecture and rich history are frequently admired, with the beautifully renovated lobby, iconic Banyan Tree courtyard, and the historic Banyan Wing contributing to a unique and elegant ambiance.
• Service & Staff: The staff is consistently described as professional, helpful, hospitable, kind, and attentive, often exceeding guest expectations with excellent customer service.
• Amenities: The beachside pool with ocean views, a private beach area, and the Moana Lani Spa (Waikiki's only oceanfront spa) are highly appreciated. The resort also offers daily activities like yoga, hula dancing, lei making, and historical tours. The traditional Moana rocking chairs on the veranda are a beloved, timeless tradition.

Room Quality

The Moana Surfrider features 791 rooms across three distinct wings: the Tower Wing, Banyan Wing, and Diamond Wing.

• Tower Wing: Recently renovated as of Summer 2025, these are described as the most spacious accommodations, offering a "modern beach luxury aesthetic" with custom seating, dining nooks, integrated refreshment centers, and balconies. Ocean-view rooms, particularly those with panoramas of both the ocean and Diamond Head, are highly sought after and considered exceptional.
• Banyan Wing: The original 1901 wing, refurbished in Fall 2025, maintains its historic charm with Victorian architecture, high ceilings, and classic woodwork, while incorporating modern updates. Rooms here are noted to be a bit smaller but still comfortable.
• Diamond Wing: This wing is undergoing renovation in Winter 2025 and is expected to offer a vibrant, boutique-style experience inspired by surf culture by early 2026, featuring bold colors and contemporary finishes. Half of the rooms offer oceanfront views, some with rocking chairs, while others face Kalakaua Avenue.

While rooms are generally clean and comfortable, some guests have noted that certain older rooms, before renovations, could feel a bit dated, and city view rooms can be noisy. Bathrooms typically feature a tub, but may not be oversized for long soaks.

Dining Experience

The hotel offers a variety of dining options with generally positive feedback:

• Veranda at the Moana: This main restaurant serves breakfast, dinner, and afternoon tea on a wraparound porch overlooking the ocean. The breakfast buffet, featuring Hawaiian flavors like loco moco and mango pancakes with lilikoi curd, is a highlight and considered one of the best brunches in Waikiki.
• Beachhouse at the Moana: In the evenings, the same porch transforms into a white-tablecloth restaurant offering steak, seafood, and island-inspired cuisine.
• The Beach Bar: Located under the historic Banyan Tree, this bar offers casual dining with items like poke nachos (highly recommended by one guest), burgers, and salads, accompanied by live entertainment.
• Vintage 1901: An indoor wine bar in the lobby, known for its charming ambiance and live piano music.
• Honolulu Coffee: An on-site outpost of a local coffee chain, though lines can be long. Overall, food quality is often described as amazing, though some find it average despite excellent service.

Service & Staff

The service at Moana Surfrider is consistently praised as professional, helpful, hospitable, and attentive. Guests frequently highlight the staff's kindness and flexibility, including accommodating early check-ins when possible. Multilingual staff are available to assist guests.

Location & Accessibility

The Moana Surfrider boasts an "unbeatable" and "impeccable" location directly on Waikiki Beach. It offers immediate beach access and is situated on Kalakaua Avenue, putting guests in the heart of the tourist district with abundant high-end shops, restaurants, and attractions like the Duke Kahanamoku Statue and International Market Place within a few minutes' walk. Its central location also provides good access to public transportation, making a rental car potentially unnecessary given the high valet parking fees.

Value & Pricing

The Moana Surfrider is considered a luxurious property, and its pricing reflects this, often described as "ridiculously expensive" but "worth every penny" for the experience it offers. Room rates can start from around $163, but ocean view rooms often incur an upcharge of $200 or more per night.

A daily resort fee, which will be $54 plus tax starting August 1, 2025, covers a range of amenities. These include an orchid lei greeting, reef-safe body lotion, daily yoga and meditation classes, a Moana tote bag, surfing demonstrations, cultural activities (storytelling, ukulele, hula, lei making, historic tours), enhanced high-speed internet, and for Bonvoy Elite members, daily Tommy Bahama beach chairs. While some guests find the resort fee high, the array of included activities often makes it feel worthwhile. Valet parking is the only option and costs $65 per day.

Common Complaints

Despite the overwhelmingly positive feedback, some recurring issues are mentioned by guests:

• Noise: City-view rooms and those in older sections can experience significant noise from outside, including early morning work and street activity.
• Pool Chair Availability: The pool is noted as being small, and a common complaint is the difficulty in securing lounge chairs due to guests reserving them early with towels and then disappearing for extended periods.
• Wi-Fi Issues: Some guests have reported unstable and slow Wi-Fi, which can be frustrating, especially for those needing to work.
• Bathroom Size and Water Pressure: In some rooms, bathrooms are described as small with low water pressure.
• Resort Fee & Parking: While offering numerous inclusions, the mandatory daily resort fee and expensive valet parking are frequently mentioned as significant costs.
• Crowds: The hotel's popularity and prime location mean that the lobby, wraparound porch, and Banyan Tree area can get crowded with non-hotel guests.

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