How to choose a Waikiki hotel on your first trip: area, total cost, amenities

Waikiki has everything from big resorts to small condo hotels, and on a first trip they can all look the same. Using data on the 43 hotels we list, here is an order for narrowing them down.

Pick an area
Compare the total cost, resort fee included
Check the amenities that matter to you
Put your last 2 or 3 side by side

1. Pick an area

Waikiki is walkable, but where you stay changes how close the beach is and what the neighborhood feels like. We split it into 5 areas.

Beachfront (along Waikiki Beach): 6 hotels, 1 min walk to the beach (median)
Central, beach side (around Kalakaua Avenue): 10 hotels, 3 min walk to the beach (median)
Central, inland (around Kuhio Avenue): 9 hotels, 6 min walk to the beach (median)
West, toward Ala Moana (around Hilton Hawaiian Village): 8 hotels, 5 min walk to the beach (median)
East, toward Diamond Head (around Kapiolani Park): 10 hotels, 2 min walk to the beach (median)

If it is your first time and you want both the beach and shopping, Beachfront or Central, beach side is the easiest place to start. See choosing an area for a detailed comparison.

2. Compare the total cost, resort fee included

Many Waikiki hotels charge a resort fee on top of the room rate, paid at the hotel for every night (it covers things like Wi-Fi and the pool). Booking sites do not always include it, so a hotel that looks cheap can cost more in total.

Among the 36 hotels we list that charge one, the median is $45 per night and the highest is $65 (before tax). Over 5 nights, even the median adds $225.

Hotels with no resort fee: Halekulani, Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani.

See resort fees by hotel, and parking costs if you are renting a car.

3. Check the amenities that matter to you

Hawaii hotels often lack things Japanese travelers take for granted. The numbers below are hotels where we could confirm each item from a source.

Bidet toilet: 13 hotels, including some rooms only. Most hotels have none
Bathtub: confirmed in every room at 7 hotels. Many rooms only have a shower
Kitchen: 16 hotels have rooms with one. Good for cooking or longer stays
Japanese-speaking staff: 10 hotels

Traveling with kids? See family-friendly hotels. Want Japanese support? See Japanese-friendly hotels.

4. Put your last 2 or 3 side by side

Once you have a shortlist, comparing the same items side by side makes the choice easier.

Find your hotel with 4 quick questions: for when you are not sure what you want yet
Table of all 43 hotels: sort by resort fee or amenities
Two-hotel comparisons: for example Halekulani vs The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki. Browse all comparisons

Hotels that make a first trip easy

Hotels that meet at least 3 of these 5 points, ranked by how many they meet. Ties are sorted by lowest resort fee. Affiliate commissions are never used.

Within a 5-minute walk of the beach
Within a 3-minute walk of an ABC Store, handy for drinks and sunscreen
Bidet toilet (including some rooms only)
Japanese-speaking staff
Bathtub in every room

Standard and Casual hotels

Photo: Fuzheado / CC BY-SA 3.0
1Standard · Central, beach sideEmbassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach WalkResort fee$45/nightBidet toilet (some rooms)ABC Store 3 min walk
- 3 min walk to the beach
- 3 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in some rooms
- Japanese-speaking staff at some times
- Bathtub in some rooms
- Resort fee $45/night (before tax)
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)
Photo: kajikawa / CC BY 3.0
2Standard · East, toward Diamond HeadWaikiki Beach Marriott Resort & SpaResort fee$55/nightBidet toilet (some rooms)ABC Store 1 min walk
- 2 min walk to the beach
- 1 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in some rooms (Twin room, stayed March 2020)
- Japanese-speaking staff at some times
- Bathtub in some rooms (Twin room, tub with shower)
- Resort fee $55/night (before tax)
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)
Photo: moore / CC BY-SA 3.0
3Standard · Central, beach sideSheraton Princess KaiulaniResort fee$42/nightABC Store 1 min walk
- 2 min walk to the beach
- 1 min walk to ABC Store
- Japanese-speaking staff at some times
- Bathtub in some rooms
- Resort fee $42/night (before tax)
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)

Luxury hotels

Images courtesy of Halekulani
1Luxury · BeachfrontHalekulaniResort feeNoneBidet toiletABC Store 3 min walk
- 1 min walk to the beach
- 3 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in every room
- Japanese-speaking staff at some times
- Bathtub in every room
- No resort fee
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)
Photo: Travis.Thurston / CC BY-SA 3.0
2Luxury · Central, beach sideKa La'i Waikiki Beach, LXR Hotels & ResortsResort fee$40/nightBidet toiletABC Store 2 min walk
- 3 min walk to the beach
- 2 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in every room
- Japanese-speaking staff always available
- Bathtub in every room
- Resort fee $40/night (before tax)
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)
Images courtesy of Halepuna Waikiki
3Luxury · Central, beach sideHalepuna Waikiki by HalekulaniResort feeNoneBidet toiletABC Store 2 min walk
- 1 min walk to the beach
- 2 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in every room
- Bathtub in every room
- No resort fee
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)
Photo: Coolcaesar / CC BY 4.0
4Luxury · BeachfrontSheraton Waikiki Beach ResortResort fee$52/nightBidet toiletABC Store 3 min walk
- 1 min walk to the beach
- 3 min walk to ABC Store
- Bidet toilet in every room
- Japanese-speaking staff always available
- Bathtub in every room
- Resort fee $52/night (before tax)
See detailsPRCheck availability on Rakuten Travel (in Japanese)

Figures are calculated automatically from the data on this site. Each hotel page lists its sources. Fees and amenities can change, so please check the official hotel website before booking.

Find your hotel with 4 quick questions →