The Kahala Hotel and Resort

While the weather didn't cooperate, the staff and the hotel did as much as they could to make sure we had as good a time as possible. The hotel has over a 60 year history and has been able to maintain a standard of quality that's certainly unmatched on the south-shore of Oahu. It's not cheap, but if you are thinking of staying at the Kahala, you must know that already. We were on a family "stay-cation" so we were able to take advantage of local rates, but it was still a major luxury holiday for us. It's a kind of "unrefined" luxurious hotel, where comfort and aloha are premium. We'll return someday and we hope they are able to maintain an old-school Hawaiian feel that welcomes everyone.

The hotel’s air conditioning was broken, and it was never repaired during our stay. The room was extremely hot and stuffy. We had no choice but to keep the balcony door open for ventilation, but it did not help much with cooling. On top of that, the room we were assigned was near the hotel’s service area. Starting at around 6 a.m., there were garbage trucks and delivery vehicles operating. Since we had to keep the balcony door open, the noise was very disruptive. We went there for a vacation, but for two nights we were unable to get proper rest. Apart from providing a brief explanation letter, the hotel offered no compensation at all. Considering the high room rate, we did not receive the level of service we expected.

Our trip to Oahu was unfortunate. There was a massive storm the night before we arrived, which knocked out the power to the hotel. They have some generators, but they are not enough to restore A/C, or the elevators, or most of the restaurants (there's only 1 restaurant to begin with that the hotel owns, the Italian one is on their property but not related to the hotel). This is hardly adequate for a hotel of their size. We asked for a rollaway bed for one of our rooms and it took 5 phone calls and/or visits to the front desk to get this delivered, on the second night. There are no ice makers on the floors, or lobby, you have to ask housekeepin gand wait for it. The housekeeping team was very good, FWIW. It was unbearably hot to stay there w/o AC which made it difficult to sleep. There's ceiling fans in each room, but they don't do much - on the highest power they are not very fast. No additional fans were offered. The hotel is nice enough, and quiet. But for what you pay, I expect better service and updated amenities. The gym was large and well equipped. The pool and hot tub are a little gross and in need of repair. The whole place felt dated.

We arrived Monday, March 15th after the Kona Low came in and the resort did not have air conditioning and were running on the generators. All of the resort staff were absolutely wonderful during the inconvenience. Both Nandi and Reiko worked to get us a better room, so we had more of a breeze. We were given fans and extra water was always brought in our room The housekeeping kept the rooms fresh daily. The air was restored and we are still enjoying the same superb service. We definitely would come back to this resort.

I was very much looking forward to my one-week stay at the Kahala after reading reviews, but unfortunately, I was very disappointed. There was rain during our stay, which is not ideal, but the hotel's management of the situation was terrible. The air conditioning was broken for days, the elevators were not working (only one elevator was working for everything, including staff), and the fire alarm went off for multiple days in the middle of the night (four times between midnight and 3 am). The power went out at the hotel, and they do not have a generator for anything except the emergency hallway light (no outlets to even charge a phone). The room was pitch-black, and no flashlights were provided, even though they claimed there was one in the room (there wasn't!!). The evacuation stairs were outside, but the wind and rain made descending them dangerous. We did not get any updates from the staff on the situation, and we did not get any credit at all, not even a sympathy cookie or apology or anything. That, on top of the hotel appearing very dated, with stains on the furniture, rust on the railings, it already needs a serious upgrade. And the pool is very small, so don't expect to get a chair by the pool during the day when the sun is out. For the amount they charge for a room, with the experience of a one-star hotel, it was absolutely egregious that nothing was done despite this terrible experience. I will never stay at this hotel, and given the number of other luxury hotels on Oahu, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere for your booking.

A genuinely lovely hotel with super quality food and facilities. Only one very slight negative which was the pillows. Overall though stunning.

Great hotel and resort. It is a little bit far from Waikiki, and there are no sidewalks to walk to the Kahala mall. So you will need a car. We used the shuttle to travel to Ala Moana and Waikiki, and it was very convenient and easy to get back and forth. We were able to save on parking fees at the hotel. They have a rental car option right in the lobby, so you can rent the car for one or two days. The room is excellent. The staff are great. The beach is amazing. It is a great place to stay.

It was honestly one of the best resorts I’ve stayed at and I don’t say it that much, every staff member was very attentive and respectful which is what made the experience more enjoyable.