The Kahala Hotel & Resort
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Hotel Details
Location
The Kahala Hotel & Resort · Honolulu, United States
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Expert Review: The Kahala Hotel & Resort
The Kahala Hotel & Resort, a Michelin Key Selected property in Honolulu, United States, consistently garners high praise for its serene luxury and exceptional service, offering a tranquil escape from the bustling crowds of Waikiki.
Overall Rating & Sentiment
The Kahala Hotel & Resort is widely regarded as a top-tier luxury destination, often cited as one of the best hotels on Oahu. Guests frequently describe their stays as "wonderful," "magical," and "perfect," highlighting its commitment to detail and a relaxing atmosphere. It holds a superb location rating of 9.4/10 and a staff rating of 9.3/10 on Booking.com.
Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud several key aspects of The Kahala. The secluded and quiet private beach is a major draw, offering a peaceful alternative to more crowded areas. The attentive and kind staff receive frequent commendation for their excellent service. The resort's dining options are often highlighted, particularly the award-winning Hoku's restaurant. Another unique and popular feature is the Dolphin Quest lagoon, where guests can interact with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The resort also offers a sense of timeless elegance with its mid-century modern architecture and lush, sprawling grounds. Notably, there are no resort fees, a rarity among luxury Hawaiian hotels, and complimentary Wi-Fi is provided throughout.
Room Quality
The rooms and suites at The Kahala Hotel & Resort are described as spacious, comfortable, and luxurious, typically featuring tasteful, earth-toned interiors with floor-to-ceiling windows. Standard ocean view rooms are approximately 550 square feet, offering beautiful views of the ocean or resort, and include private lanais. Bathrooms are generally large and well-equipped, often featuring huge granite accents, soaking tubs, and glass showers with upgraded toiletries. While the overall sentiment is positive, some recent reviews note that while the hotel maintains a classic feel, some facilities and furnishings, particularly in bathrooms, might appear "old and outdated" compared to newer first-class hotels, with occasional mentions of humidity-related wear.
Dining Experience
The Kahala offers a diverse and highly-rated dining experience across its several restaurants. Hoku's is the flagship fine dining establishment, renowned for its French-influenced cuisine blended with local flavors and offering exquisite tasting menus. The Plumeria Beach House provides an oceanfront, open-air setting for an international breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with its breakfast buffet often praised for fresh tropical fruits and made-to-order omelets, though some guests found the buffet selection limited or overpriced. The Seaside Grill offers casual bites and handcrafted cocktails by the beach, while Arancino at The Kahala serves Italian cuisine. The Veranda bar provides light bites, cocktails, and live music, and 24-hour room service is also available.
Service & Staff
The service and staff at The Kahala Hotel & Resort consistently receive exceptional reviews. Guests frequently highlight the kind, attentive, and welcoming nature of the staff, from housekeeping to the front desk. Many describe the customer service as "outstanding" and "fantastic," contributing significantly to a memorable stay. The hotel is known for its personalized service and keen attention to detail.
Location & Accessibility
The Kahala Hotel & Resort is situated in Oahu's exclusive and posh Kahala neighborhood, set apart from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. This location provides a quieter, more relaxed vacation experience on a private lagoon. It is conveniently located about a 20-minute drive from Daniel K. Inouye Airport (Honolulu Airport) and a 10-15 minute drive from Waikiki, allowing for easy access to city life, shopping, and dining while maintaining a sense of seclusion. While there's not much within walking distance, the Kahala Mall and a Whole Foods are a short 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk away. The resort also provides a shuttle service to Waikiki and Ala Moana.
Value & Pricing
The Kahala Hotel & Resort is considered a luxury property, and its pricing reflects this. While guests acknowledge it is pricey, particularly for dining and parking, many feel it offers excellent value for the experience, especially given its peaceful, exclusive location and high level of service. A significant positive for guests is the absence of resort fees, a common charge at other Hawaiian luxury hotels, which adds to the perceived value. Parking, both valet and self-parking, incurs additional fees.
Common Complaints
Despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, some recurring criticisms exist. The pool area is occasionally noted as being relatively small, basic, and can get crowded with children, with some guests desiring an adults-only pool option. While rooms are generally comfortable, some aspects of the hotel building and certain room facilities, particularly bathrooms, are sometimes described as "old and outdated" or in need of a refresh, reflecting its opening in 1965. Dining, while high quality, is consistently mentioned as expensive, and the breakfast buffet has been described as having limited selections or being overpriced. Concerns have also been raised regarding the captive dolphins in the resort's lagoon, with some guests expressing ethical reservations. Other minor complaints include high parking fees (e.g., $55 a night for parking), early pool closing times, and occasional issues with booking date changes or room allocation.
Sources
Google Reviews
3,885 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Charmie Rose
I haven't officially stayed here as a guest, yet. But my family has come here on many occasions for breakfast or lunch at their plumeria beach house resturaunt. It's a beautiful location where you can see the ocean, as well as when you're done eating, you're free to roam the area and see the beautiful architecture and structure of the hotel. They also have Dolphins here that you get to see. Which ...
Taedra Bishop
Never have I ever ….. had a more beautiful, attentive and thoughtful experience. Every part of- the team - the cleanliness- expert guest experience- EVERY single thing was perfection. We live in Hawaii, and have ventured out for “staycations” on many many occasions. But we decided to have our wedding honeymoon at this resort. I can honestly say I have never held the expectations that the Kahala p...
Amanda Petrescu
This place is incredibly charming. We had a wonderful stay. What makes this place extra special is the service. The staff is very attentive, kind and accommodating. We couldn't believe how well the staff took care of us - as simple as cleaning and organizing our rooms for us while we were out and about. One of the best hotels we have stayed at. Also this hotel is very quiet. It's tucked away from ...
Parvathy
We loved our stay at The Kahala Hotel! The property is stunning and so peaceful. Our ocean view room was perfect with breathtaking sunrise and sunset views, and I bet the golf course views were amazing too. The food was great, and the breakfast buffet was unmatched. Plumeria Beach House was our favorite spot with delicious food and beautiful indoor-outdoor seating right by the private Beach. Seein...
Tresa Sanders
I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Kahala Hotel & Resort. From the moment we walked into the lobby, Pure Luxury. The Front desk staff was extremely helpful and I'd like to point out Carolyn, who made us feel like family. I don't remember ever being at any hotel where everyone remembered my name. While the hotel is beautiful it is the people that will bring us back. From touching down at val...
Michelle
Overall, a nice stay with friendly staff. The room is old but has a great character, and the location is very peaceful. The kids loved the dolphins and the pool. When eating at the pool bar, they kindly set up a cabana table for us. However, our experience at the lobby restaurant was poor. They ran out of high chairs for our toddlers, and the food was mediocre. Though they couldn't accommodate the...
Marriott
