Oahu, from Waikiki to Ko Olina
Oahu keeps its luxury on two shores – the long beach at Waikiki and the sheltered lagoon at Ko Olina. At Waikiki the first hotels went up more than a century ago and Diamond Head closes the view; Ko Olina lies thirty miles west and an island quieter. We walked both and kept the one five-star hotel we list on the island together with the three four-star addresses that hold their own beside it. Nothing here was admitted on name alone. Four made the cut.
Luxury hotels in Oahu
4 hotels
“Because nine full-floor suites, each with its own elevator entrance and butler, and a five-star tasting menu downstairs make this the one five-star hotel we list on Oahu – and the quietest way to stay on Kalakaua Avenue.”
From our editors · ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki
The neighborhoods
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Oahu?
One. The five-star hotel we list in Oahu is ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki. Alongside it we keep three four-star addresses, each listed at exactly the tier it holds: Halekulani; Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina; and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of Oahu should I stay in?
Waikiki is the classic choice – the beach, Kalakaua Avenue's shops and restaurants, and Diamond Head at the end of the view, all on foot. Ko Olina, thirty miles west on the leeward coast, is the resort choice: a sheltered lagoon, calm water and quiet. Three of the four addresses are in Waikiki; the fourth is the reason to go west.
When is the best season for Oahu?
Oahu is warm in every month, so the choice is about crowds rather than weather. Mid-December through March is the busiest stretch, when the winter swells arrive on the North Shore; summer runs full, with families on the beach and the trade winds doing their work. April, May and September into early October are the quiet months, and rates across the collection tend to ease with them.
Do these hotels sit on the water?
Halekulani does – five oceanfront acres on Kalia Road, with House Without a Key beneath its kiawe tree. The Four Seasons fronts Ko Olina's sheltered lagoon. In central Waikiki the sand runs along Kalakaua Avenue itself: ESPACIO stands on the avenue, and the Ritz-Carlton Residences are a five-minute walk from the beach at its gateway end.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
