If you are looking for one place to make grumpy teens, ornery seniors and everyone in between happy? Waikiki can be the ideal place for your next group getaway. Whether you’re planning a family reunion, milestone birthday, bachelorette party or work off-site, we’ve done the homework for you with this list of our favorite hotels on Oahu for group getaways.
Feature Photo: Turtle Bay on Facebook
TIP: Check-in is typically 4pm. Ask for early check-in. Most hotels will oblige.
Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
This award-winning beachfront property has a prime location in Waikiki near shops and restaurants. Rising above the sands, the 16-story resort has 524 rooms with private lanais and views of Diamond Head and the ocean. The Outrigger is also known for its family-friendly amenities, such as an outdoor pool, in-room child-care and infant sleeping accommodations, making it a perfect hotel for group getaways on Oahu. At the ground-floor restaurant, Duke’s Waikiki, live entertainment, including jazz and traditional Hawaiian music, takes place every evening. Fun fact: the name Outrigger was given because this is the original site of the legendary Outrigger Canoe Club, home to famous watermen like Duke Kahanamoku.
HIGHLIGHTS
Not only is this property an activity hub for water sports, the onsite Blue Note Hawaii, a world-class jazz and comedy club, serves as a popular gathering place for locals. Tables and sections can be reserved for groups. Book rooms with access to the Voyager 47 Club and your party will enjoy free breakfast and evening drinks and appetizers from a private lounge above Waikiki Beach.
Queen Kapiolani
Named for the wife of “Merrie Monarch” King David Kalakaua, the boutique Queen Kapiolani Hotel overlooks her namesake park and glittering Le‘ahi, known in English as Diamond Head. Don’t overlook the subtly mid-century modern styling and ocean hues of its 315 rooms, the on-trend island cuisine at its open-air Deck restaurant and Knots Coffee Bar, or the convenience of taking lessons from the onsite Hans Hedemann Surf School. Welcoming to all, the hotel has long offered warm aloha to LGBT travelers, some of who find their way to Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, the venerable gay watering hole next door.
HIGHLIGHTS
Gather at Deck restaurant, which is earning a reputation for tasty treats (ahi tacos) and cocktails (mojitos.) Overlooking Diamond Head, the pool makes an ideal spot for selfies and group shots.
The Modern Honolulu
This hotel is a consummate crowd-pleaser. Boasting 353 rooms with views from every direction, it offers something for everyone: Shoppers in the group? The Modern is steps from Ala Moana Center, billed as the world’s largest open-air shopping center, and is also walking distance from boutiques on Kalakaua Avenue. For the partiers, there’s a club downstairs — not to mention plenty of others just blocks away. Between those attributes and luxe amenities like Lather toiletries, everyone in the group wins, which is why this is one of the best group getaway hotels on Oahu.
HIGHLIGHTS
If it’s a grownups-only outing, 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. Families can also lounge in style at the Sunrise Pool, a garden oasis connected by a staircase to the Sunset Pool.
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort
It doesn’t get much bigger than this. With 1,230 spacious guest rooms — each featuring a private lanai — the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort is one of the best hotels for gatherings on the island. A short walk to the blue waters and soft sands of Waikiki Beach, the hotel boasts an award-winning spa (for the luxury seekers), a 24-hour fitness center (for the fit bunch), a swimming pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean (for aspiring mermaids), and more than 60 on-site boutiques (for the spenders) and restaurants (food court!).
HIGHLIGHTS
What’s better than happy hour? One that’s poolside, certainly. But add some live music to the mix and you have more than a happy hour — you have a legitimate party on your hands. The 10,000-square-foot Na Ho‘ola Spa, including 16 treatment rooms, can easily accommodate a bridal party or other group looking to pamper itself.
Sheraton Waikiki
Built with groups in mind, the 31-floor Sheraton Waikiki towers over the neighboring Royal Hawaiian and bustles with 1,636 guestrooms and 134 suites. The hotel offers fun for the whole family, whether they are together or apart. Case in point: there’s an adults-only infinity pool and a kids pool with a 70-foot slide, part of the Helumoa Playground. If you are looking for a group getaway hotel on Oahu, this is the place for you.
HIGHLIGHTS
Speaking of the adults-only infinity pool, it’s huge, and tiered — meaning you can lounge partially submerged — and it’s located right on the beach, creating a truly infinite ocean look. It doesn’t get much better. The indoor-outdoor RumFire Waikiki restaurant and nightclub is a magnet for lively groups.
Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club
The Surfjack is a winning choice for groups for several reasons. First off, its location on Lewers Street in Waikiki is a perfect launching spot for adventure, a short walk to shops, nightlife and the beach. Don’t feel like leaving the property every night? Stick around for the nightly movie by the pool and the many onsite experiences like tastings, painting classes and more. One of Honolulu’s top chefs, Ed Kenney, helms the onsite Mahina & Sun’s restaurant—his lone outpost in Waikiki.
HIGHLIGHTS
The location is a prime pull here—it’s central for all tastes, but more budget-friendly than some since it’s not right on the beach. The playful spirit in its name extends to its “beach bungalow” rooms inspired by midcentury modern design and vintage Hawaiiana.
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 — but kids will enjoy the easy beach access from the Family Pool, too.
HIGHLIGHTS
This property boasts some of the most impressive lodging options in the state, including the 3,200-square-foot Penthouse Suite with two bedrooms, two and a half baths and a stunning 800-square-foot terrace, the 4,070-square-foot Ko Olina three-bedroom suite and the two-bedroom, 3,840-square-foot Presidential Suite with private rooftop Sky TerraceThe suites also come with a private oceanfront luxury cabana.
Did we miss your favorite hotel?
Let us know — email us at stay@localgetaways.com or tag us @localgetaways.
