A moonlit beach and the right person by your side are all you really need to experience romance in the Aloha State. Still, these hotels offer the right combination of atmosphere and amenities — like adults-only pools or spas with couples’ treatments — for those looking to savor some special aloha with their sweetheart.
Feature Photo: Courtesy of the Four Seasons Oahu
TIP: Check-in is typically 4pm. Ask for early check-in. Most hotels will oblige.
Four Seasons Oahu Resort at Ko Olina
The newest Four Seasons resort in Hawaii is almost an island unto itself. Inside the upscale Ko Olina enclave west of Honolulu — known for calm, sandy lagoons and a championship golf course — it boasts tranquil rooms, casual-elegant dining (including Michael Mina’s Fish House), oceanfront pools, a sprawling spa, unique cultural activities and exclusive excursions. The consistently warm, sunny weather and glowing sunsets provide incentives to linger in one of the four pools. Grownups have the cream of the crop — the gorgeous and discreetly located cabana-lined adult pool, almost as long as the multistory spa’s lap pool and with cocktail service just like the more central serenity pool.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Book a suite that comes with a private oceanfront luxury cabana, or a couples’ massage in one of the spa hale (open-air huts). Sunsets on this west-facing resort are guaranteed to dazzle, too.
The Royal Hawaiian
HIGHLIGHTS
- Unwind after a day on the beach or shopping in the adjacent Royal Hawaiian Center at the hotel’s lively open-air Mai Tai Bar, or settle in for a superb dinner at its oceanfront Azure restaurant. For even more relaxation, book a couples’ massage in the garden oasis of Abhasa Spa.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach
Urbanites, posh travelers and homebodies alike will delight in these exquisitely appointed, residential-style high-rise lodgings with luxury hotel services and a convenient location to shopping, dining and nightlife. The views from The Ritz-Carlton’s two towers of the parklike Fort DeRussy, Waikiki’s glistening waters and Friday-evening fireworks are also exceptional.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Everything is on an elevated scale here, literally and figuratively. One of the two eighth-floor, ocean-view pools is an 1,100-square-foot, adults-only infinity pool with two hot tubs, firepit, and private cabanas. The intimate spa offers a couples’ room; try the Pilialoha treatment, which includes lomilomi (massage), a wild lehua honey scrub, warm stones, floral essences and more. Book far in advance to savor the exquisite cuisine of Sushi Sho restaurant or pick up charcuterie and Champagne at Dean & DeLuca, both onsite.
Turtle Bay Resort
Set on five miles of beach, the 850-acre Turtle Bay Resort is a natural playground on Oahu’s North Shore, just 45 minutes away from Honolulu. The resort offers a variety of water sports plus horseback riding, helicopter tours and even off-road Segway excursions, while awaiting nearby are fruit and shave ice stands, world-class surf breaks, the Polynesian Cultural Center and lush Waimea Valley.
HIGHLIGHTS
- For more discreet lodgings, book one of the Ocean Villas, which have access to their own pool and courtyard steps from Kuilima Cove. Couples should also check out the spa’s 2.5-hour romance package, including a coconut lava shell massage and pedicure.
Halekulani
The subtle palette of its elegantly understated rooms, breathtaking views of Diamond Head and curling waves, and an illustrious spa lead to “serenity now” at this iconic bastion of oceanfront luxury. Shielded from Waikiki’s hustle and bustle, Halekulani shines as a center for gourmets and arts aficionados.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Devotion package at Spa Halekulani, which specializes in healing rituals from throughout Polynesia, provides a couples suite, Champagne by candlelight, steam shower and air bubble massage bath, scalp and body massages, and drinks and nibbles afterwards, The nightly performance by an artful hula dancer with a Hawaiian music trio at the hotel’s oceanfront House Without a Key is also unforgettable.
The Modern Honolulu
Those whose hearts get pumping when the beat starts pumping, The Modern Honolulu offers a vibrant nightclub downstairs — not to mention plenty of others just blocks away. Book an ocean-view king room with terrace, platform bed and dazzling vistas of the marina and ocean, filtered if you choose by a sliding teak window screen.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Don’t miss out on the adults-only Sunset Pool. The vibe is much like the rest of the hotel — sleek and chill, overflowing on cool factor. Lounge and snap away; these photos are certain to ensure FOMO. The Grove Restaurant and Bar provides a romantic bower of hibiscus, ferns, palms and bougainvillea under market lights with marina views.
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