The Kahala is a luxury resort in Honolulu, located 20 minutes away from hustle and bustle of Waikiki. In this exclusive neighbourhood, there are no tourists browsing the beaches, no souvenir stalls, only residential homes, pretty beach, golf course and the resort.
Location & Check-in
The location is peaceful and secluded, great for those seeking relaxation. Not too far from the centre of town – Waikiki and Kalakaua Ave (main shopping street) are 20 min away by free shuttle (scheduled service 5 times a day). However if you are looking for action, there is none here. There also isn’t a lot to do for bigger kids and teenagers.
I arrived in the hotel very early and my room was ready at 7am, a great treat. Check-in was also quick, took no more than five minutes.
Accommodation
The Kahala has 338 rooms and suites, some with ocean views, some with a view of the golf course. I stayed in a lovely Deluxe Oceanview room with plenty of space and a little balcony to soak up the views of the Pacific.
The rooms are older style and haven’t been updated recently, but they are well maintained. Generous size helps as well. Bathrooms feature showers and Toto toilets, but no baths.
Rooms come with complimentary water, tea and coffee facilities and, if you get a welcome gift, you might be treated to a box of delicious chocolate macadamias that are made here on premises and became quite famous in Honolulu (even local Bloomingdale sells them now).
Facilities
Main attraction of the Kahala is the private beach with plenty of deck chairs on the sand and on the grass. The beach is completely flat, protected by a reef, making it perfect for small children. If you love waves or plan to go surfing, this might not be the right beach for you.
The Kahala has a dolphin lagoon with three dolphins and a daily dolphin show. It’s a delight for the kids and a unique selling point for the resort, but the ethics of it are a little questionable as the lagoon is very small.
Hotel pool is located beachside, not a very big pool, but that seems to be common in Hawaii. For active guests, there is a gym and daily fitness classes chargeable at USD$25.00 each. I tried a yoga class held outdoors on the lawn, but it wasn’t well thought of, as we had to move half way through the lesson, when the wedding party arrived at the same lawn for their ceremony.
Dining
The Kahala serves a buffet-style breakfast in a beachfront restaurant The Plumeria. I loved the long hours 7-11am, which allows you to sleep in and still enjoy a long breakfast. On a beautiful warm day, tables are set up outside and so you could soak up the ocean views while having a gourmet breakfast. During my visit there were lots of beautiful strawberries, pawpaw and pineapple on the buffet – all delicious and locally grown. Other interesting buffet choices included chia seeds in coconut milk, Hawaiian donuts, iced coffee with almond milk.
The Kahala has a number of other restaurants that serve lunch and dinner, but I didn’t have a chance to try them yet.
The Lux Traveller Loves
Pretty secluded location, good for young families or couples looking for relaxation and golf.
Spacious rooms with pretty ocean views.
Complimentary shuttle but to all major shops and town centre.
Splitting Hairs
Older style hotel, would benefit from a renovation.
Lack of friendly service at breakfast.
All In All
If you are coming to Honolulu to get away from it all, The Kahala is a good choice. It has Five Diamond status and is a member of The Leading Hotels Of The World.
