46 Best Hotels in Hawaii, USA

If you're looking for a low-key place with a friendly staff, this small, delightful beachfront property on Napili Bay may be for you. The tastefully decorated rooms have free Wi-Fi, mini-fridges and microwaves, and some have connecting doors so they can be configured for families, but no TVs or phones. The lush 2-acre grounds feature a pool, gas grills, and a thatched hale (covered space) for gatherings.

This plantation-style hotel provides a relaxing, upscale oceanfront experience close to the airport, but without the noise. The rooms are extremely comfortable with a casual tropical theme, and the oceanfront grounds are beautifully landscaped. Four pools with fun features like slides, sand bottoms, and waterfalls are a highlight, as are the torch-lighting ceremony and the reasonably good Naupaka Terrace Restaurant. The beach fronts a rocky ocean unsuitable for swimming, but it's perfect for a long stroll.

What the hotel's concrete architecture lacks in intimacy, it makes up for with its beautifully manicured grounds, historical sense of place, stylish interiors, and stunning location on Keauhou Bay. Many rooms have great views of the bay and feel like they're right on the water, and each is decorated in a modern Polynesian style. Those traveling with kids appreciate the pool complex, one of the coolest on the island, with a slide, waterfalls, sand-bottom kids' pool, and an ocean view. There are plenty of activities, including daily historical walking tours, beginning hula, and puka shell bracelet making. A first rate luau, held on a grassy lawn with a backdrop of coconut trees, features the live Polynesian show Feast & Fire, which immerses guests in the area's history and culture. Take a walk in the evenings and spot the mantas that glide below the lanai in the glow of a spotlight.

A prime location and aloha spirit keep guests returning to the Outrigger Reef, where rooms were renovated and the beach was widened in 2021, with 23 new rooms, a beachfront restaurant, and a luxury guest lounge added in 2022. For the best vistas, opt for ocean view or oceanfront accommodations in the Ocean Tower. The signature poolside restaurant, Kani Ka Pila Grille, is open all day and offers nightly live music by legendary Hawaiian entertainers. The Monkeypod Kitchen restaurant on the beach offers great ocean and Diamond Head views. 

Stocked with a plethora of adventure gear (for sale) such as snorkels, coolers, and sunscreen along with drinks and snacks in each room's "macro" bar, Kona's newest hip boutique hotel caters to the younger, more adventurous traveler. Rooms are decorated with photography by local artists, and guests can expect ultra-premium linens and towels. The location in the heart of town assures shops, restaurants, bars, and cafés are an easy stroll away, not to mention the beach and pier.  

Set down within an extinct volcanic crater known as Piha ke Akua, or "Place of the Gods," these two-bedroom condominium units in South Pacific–style townhomes are fairly spacious, with large windows, high ceilings, and full kitchens (some have air-conditioning). It's family friendly and one of the best-priced properties with ocean and beach proximity; Keoneloa Bay (Shipwreck Beach) is a great spot for family holiday card photos.

The condos here—many with cathedral ceilings and all with large furnished lanai and big windows overlooking the lawns—give the 85-acre development the feeling of a quiet retreat inside and out. All condos—one- to four-bedroom units, as well as two-level units with sleeping lofts—are furnished with full kitchens. Villas have air-conditioning and their own gym. Walking paths connect eight distinct resort zones to both Brennecke's and Shipwreck Beaches, but to swim or snorkel safely, walk the extra 100 yards past Brennecke's to reach calmer Poipu Beach. The eight-court tennis club is well established, offers pro lessons, and hosts tournaments.  As one of the largest condo developments in the area, Poipu Kai has a wide variety of unit styles and sizes, and multiple rental agencies. The one- and two-bedroom units offered by Aqua Aston are a good value.

White-frame exteriors and double-pitched roofs complement the tropical landscaping at this resort, which offers spacious one- and two-bedroom condo units—with full kitchens, bedroom air-conditioning, entertainment centers, and garden or ocean views—that are minutes from Poipu's restaurants and across the street from a nice beach. Four deluxe 2,600-square-foot penthouse suites have enormous lanai, private elevators, and cathedral ceilings. You can mingle at the Friday coffee hour held beside the ocean-view gated pool, or play tennis or pickleball. Fresh seasonings are ready to be picked from the herb garden to go with your poolside or courtside barbecue. In winter you can whale-watch as you cook.

Plumeria, ti, and other tropical foliage create a lush landscape for this small resort, which rents a four-bedroom/four-bath house and nine one- and two-bedroom cottage apartments. All cottage units have wood floors, full kitchens, laundry access, and are decorated in tropical shades. The cheerful 1930s plantation home set in a century-old plumeria grove has four bedrooms with private baths and can be operated as four bed-and-breakfast suites.

With a contemporary look combined with a retro nod to the 1970s, the Queen Kapiolani Hotel is a short walk from the beach and is known for its stunning, unobstructed views of Diamond Head—a fabulous backdrop for its expansive pool deck. The adjacent Deck Bar serves food and cocktails and showcases music on some nights. Rooms are decorated in pastel colors; some include kitchenettes and private lanai. The hotel’s bright, open lobby has several stores, including a small café serving light bites, an art gallery, and a surf shop where you can sign up for lessons. It’s also worth checking out the hotel’s large, museum-quality art collection throughout the property. 

This iconic Kona hotel is a great option: the location is central; the bar, lounge, pool, and restaurant are right on the water; and the rooms feature comfortable, contemporary Hawaiian decor with Polynesian accents. The hotel is adjacent to numerous shops and restaurants in the heart of Kailua Village. A luau with Polynesian entertainment (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday) is fun and quite popular, and the Lotus Center spa offers massages, facials, and chiropractic. There's also a fitness room on-site. Don's Mai Tai Bar (check out the restaurant's classic South Pacific architecture and authentic tiki decor) unveils incredible oceanfront views of Kailua Bay with a backdrop of authentic Hawaiian music. 

One of the few true oceanfront properties on Kauai, this popular hotel sits on a ribbon of sand in Kapaa and has bright spacious rooms that face the ocean, garden, coconut grove, or pool. Rooms include a coffeemaker, free Wi-Fi, and HDTV, and there's a gift shop, fitness center, coffee shop, juice bar, and three restaurants on-site. Each oceanfront room has a large lanai. The 11-acre site has always been desirable, nestled as it is among ancient coconut groves and close to a coastal bike and walking path, shops, restaurants, and the ocean. Cultural activities include hula, lei-making, and a luau.

Situated on bustling Seaside Avenue, this 14-story, 1970s-era property has been transformed into an urban-chic boutique hotel with both island and retro touches that playfully blend 20th-century style with modern necessities. The bright, upbeat design of the lobby, featuring a rainbow of colors and funky furnishings, continues on the rooftop deck, with its bold mural, and in the rooms and junior suites, which also have amenities like iPhone docks, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. (Note, though, that some room amenities vary, so if you need a kitchenette—or even a mini-refrigerator or microwave—specify when booking.) Perks include free coffee and filtered water in the lobby, as well as a complimentary reusable water pouch.

A surfing vibe and authentic, whimsical Hawaiian touches throughout (the lobby, for instance, evokes the living room of the interior designer's grandmother) set this hip boutique property apart from other modernized midcentury digs. Guest rooms, all of which have private lanai, come in a number of sizes and configurations, and some are more updated than others, so ask for details when booking. The on-site Mahina & Sun’s restaurant, operated by renowned Kaimuki chef and local restaurateur Ed Kenney, has great house cocktails and a seasonal menu of dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. This hotel also offers free beach chairs for guests. 

A good choice for families, this recently refreshed (2022) high-rise hotel features a surf-inspired vibe and is directly across the street from a protected stretch of Kuhio Beach and near Kapiolani Park. Although rooms can be small, most have full or partial ocean views and private lanai. Breakfast, evening music, and other gatherings take place on the third-floor pool deck, and Tiki's Grill & Bar serves a popular coconut shrimp dish as well as island-inspired cocktails. Access to the Coconut Club, a penthouse-level lounge overlooking the beach, is included with some room packages, with breakfast and light bites available throughout the day. Kids love the pool deck and cultural activities, such as free hula and lei-making lessons, and the hotel provides towels and chairs for the beach. The lobby can get very busy. 

This hotel refreshed in 2023 offers a fun vibe and lively design that mixes modern and traditional island elements, as well as close proximity to the beach, restaurants, and shops—all just three blocks away. There's a high-rise tower and a three-story walk-up building where studio accommodations have kitchenettes. Rooms are small but stylish and well planned, and deluxe corner units feature lanai that overlook Ala Wai Canal, the golf course, and the mountains. There's a pool with loungers, and the hotel offers free chairs and towels for use at the beach. The popular Redfish restaurant serves poke bowls and island-style food, and a coffee shop and speakeasy bar are also on-site.