Key Takeaways
- A wide and varied range of hotel and resort focuses make choosing Hawaii as a destination easy, but where to stay challenging.
- ALG Vacations® has created an easy matchmaking guide to help travel advisors better pair their customers with properties across the islands.
- Travel styles mentioned include wellness, first-timers, residential-style vacationers, and more.
A literal world of options for vacations around us makes it hard to narrow getaway destinations down. An infinite amount of preferences or needs across a nation of travelers helps travel advisors cut the list down, but it’s still a long one. In fact, if you think about it, it really says something when a destination emerges as a perennial favorite over decades and remains top of mind. Which is why the most magical thing about Hawaii is that there’s a version for everyone.
With six major touristic islands to choose from (plus two other islands and access to 124 islets, atolls, and reefs); various land and seascapes to float in between; the ease of passport-free domestic travel and use of American currency and English; and a gorgeous climate that supports everything from honeymoon romance to action-packed family vacations with the kids, it’s actually hard to cull down the options.
But not to worry. We at ALG Vacations® have created this helpful guide to match your (or your client’s!) Hawaii vacation style with the just-right property and amenities they need to have the best time in one of our most spectacular states.
For a Wellness Reset: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Kauai
Distance may make the heart grow fonder, but for some travelers, they’re choosing Hawaii to put as many miles away from their everyday worries as they can! And that means taking care of mind as well as body.
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa does both admirably. The wilder, jungle spirit of this nature-first island ensures a sense of remote escape, while amenities and treatments at Anara Spa handles the rest. For example, zero-gravity, spine-decompressing float therapy in a pool of dissolved Epsom salt, proven to relieve tension and soreness, in a setting the induces deep relaxation meant to lower cortisol, the stress hormone. And for enrichment, an option to bring salt into your home bath with a special Hawaiian Bath Salt Blending Bar that uses native Hawaiian plants to create a custom blend that can bring you back to Kauai any time.
For those who prefer to find meditation in movement, an open air yoga studio and complimentary fitness classes in the 24-hour attached gym let guests blow off steam before they hit the steam room, sauna, and or treatments rooms at Anara. Alternatively, for even more fresh air, the Poipu Bay Golf Course, tennis court, and multi-level pool system (complete with a 1.5-acre saltwater lagoon, water slide, lazy river, and adults-only area), provides all the daily vitamin D guests could wish for.
Finally, as a grounding experience, guests can also sign up to take a tour of the 3,000-square-foot hydroponic garden, where their resident gardener teaches attendees about the 400 pounds of fresh greens produced for the resort and sustainability practices in agriculture.
For a Home Away from Home: Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, Maui
This one-of-a-kind oceanfront resort proves it’s not necessary to choose between authenticity and comfort – you can surely have both. The Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalow on world-famous Kā‘anapali Beach, is uncrowded and deeply connected to traditional Hawaiian hospitality, blending classic and warm island vibes and a slowed-down pace with modern, homelike comforts in an unpretentious setting.
As one of Maui’s most long-lived resorts, ties with the local community, partnerships in the towns, cultural programming, heritage music, and on-site activities that highlight traditional Hawaiian life. The landscape also freezes time. Set on 27 lush acres directly oceanfront, sweeping sunset views and easy access to seasonal whale-watching and year-round snorkeling offer vistas that feel quintessentially Hawaiian regardless of decade.
However unique this experience might be to vacationers, they may feel a sense of déjà vu if staying at the standalone private oceanfront bungalows. These accommodations provide a residential, immersive stay that feels more like a family beachside retreat as opposed to a resort, providing a sense of reassuring familiarity. Couches, dining spaces, lanais, and even kitchens in select categories provide room to gather in these newly renovated accommodations, and modern conveniences (like a Keurig in the room and contemporary furniture) meet traditional details (cozy carpeting, tropical wallpaper, and bold color schemes) let folks feel like they can truly settle in.
For Modern Adventurers: OUTRIGGER Waikiki Paradise Hotel
Bold travelers with youthful outlooks and strong senses of selves need look no further for their perfect match than this modern craft hotel. While its design is a take on a classic Waikiki estate residence, with heavy emphasis on their meticulous grounds, its spirit is fearless and empowered, like Princess Ka‘iulani’s, this property’s muse.
Built on land gifted to her by her mother, Princess Likelike, this estate once known as ‘Āinahau, was a playground for the avid sportswoman. A surfer, swimmer, and outrigger canoeist, these sports are all acknowledged in the design of this 443-room hotel and its pool. Her active lifestyle is also acknowledged in the presence of an advanced fitness center equipped with Peloton and Technogym, and in verdant walkways that lace past lily-strewn ponds, tranquil lakes, groves of stately coconut trees, and even the state’s first banyan tree. These landscape features – which also feature mango trees, teak, cinnamon, camphor, a variety of hibiscus, a Japanese garden, and more – are a direct callback to the estate’s translation as “paradise garden.” Flocks of peacocks further enhance that otherworldly vibe, making it feel incongruous that this property is actually in the center of it all, right next door to International Market Place.
Meanwhile, award-winning newly renovated guestrooms and suites, Appetito Craft Pizza & Wine Bar, Tanaka of Tokyo for teppanyaki dining, and soon, a Hawaiian Aroma Caffe and speakeasy craft bar make it clear that despite its homages to the past, this hotel is clearly designed for the future.
For First-Timers & Families: Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hawaii Island
There’s a whole lot about Hawaii to love, but for families traveling with children, the wealth of opportunity and the idea of hopping around can feel daunting. That’s why we strongly recommend Hilton Waikoloa Village for these groups, where convenience meets experience and core memories are made with minimal effort.
On site, a dolphin habitat, four-acre saltwater lagoon, epic pools (including a sand-bottom one! And the largest on the island), water slides, and easily available water sports that range from paddle boarding to kayaking and snorkeling, provide all the aquatic fun kids can imagine, all within minutes of your rooms. Daily activities and hands-on lessons provided at the Hawaiian Cultural Center on the property let the whole family learn about Hawaiian life and heritage, with workshops like hula, lei and kukui bracelet making, and ukelele lessons. And the family-friendly Legends of Hawaii Luau, named the best on Hawaii Island and occurring up to three times a week, is an unmissable, unforgettable evening for all ages.
To add to the richness of the experience, there are plenty of amenities included without any resort fees. Among those are fitness and yoga classes, a complimentary keepsake photo gift, refillable water bottles to use at the many stations across the resort, discounts on lagoon toy rentals and nautical sailings, and of course, the cultural activities at the Makai Tower. Plus, with nine restaurants and bars to dine in, connecting rooms to request, and an upgraded experience in the recently renovated Palace Tower, it’s a perfect, stress-free, curated introduction to the Aloha State that will create a lifelong love for it.
For Something Different Every Time: Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Oahu
There are some Hawaii regulars who become island and resort loyalists for a familiar, homecoming feeling – a sense of comfort knowing that the standards for hospitality and accommodation will be met the same way each time. On the other hand, there are repeat visitors who want to have a different experience each time, staying somewhere that might feel novel for a “new vacation” feel. Rarely, though, can travelers get both … except here.
Just off a transformation in preparation of the First Lady of Waikiki’s 125th anniversary in March, upgrades to the lobby include custom furnishings and art by Kristen Reyno; elegant check-in pods; and striking light fixtures inspired by the courtyard’s banyan tree, which is also reflected in other design elements. However, original details include the refinished floors, and more importantly, the Banyan Wing guestrooms in the original 1901 building, where classic Victorian design has been lovingly preserved. For those interested in these historic aspects, a complimentary tour is offered twice a week, so be sure to ask.
For travelers who want to channel a more recent era of Waikiki living, the Diamond Wing has been transformed into a style that celebrates contemporary beach loft living, with a boutique guest experience highlighting the destination’s surf culture via vibrant colors, whimsical artwork, and textures that are pure beach. The beloved balcony rocking chair duos remain, as does the 1950s spirit of the original Surfrider Hotel.
Finally, for full modern-day vibes, the Tower Wing introduces spacious lanais and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, with work spaces, curved banquette seating, and residential-style lounge furniture in restful tones for a soothing, contemporary luxury hotel stay.
For a Sense of Ease: Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Hawaii Island
Steps away from upmarket retail and provisions in the outdoor Queens Marketplace and the Kings’ Shops as well as three 9-hole golf courses, this freshly renovated resort on Anaeho’omalu Bay is all about effortless convenience and accessible serenity. Meanwhile, the on-site Mandara Spa, three pools, walking trails, historical markers, fish bonds, water sports, and even a luau on site offer oases of relaxation in various forms.
The newly redesigned rooms are yet another refuge for guests here on the Kohala Coast. The refreshed spaces feature Hawaiian-inspired décor and layout designs meant to emphasize decompression after days filled with ocean activities, exploration, cultural immersions, or however guests find their Hawaiian peace. They’re spacious and in flexible configurations, including family rooms and suites with bunk beds. Private, residential-style one- to two-bedroom suite options even offer outdoor bamboo showers! High ceilings, plush beds, upgraded contemporary furnishings, bright lanais, wrap up the ways the newly elevated accommodations support rest and renewal.
