Another great stay at the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu solidifies my conviction that there is no better hotel on the island of Oahu. This review will cover a Kahala Dolphin Lanai room.
Kahala Booking
When you book the Kahala via American Express Fine Hotel & Resorts, you receive a number of benefits including early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability), complimentary breakfast, space-available room upgrades, and dining credit (which varies based upon season). That makes an otherwise pricey hotel a bit more palatable.
Kahala Staff
I mention this every time I write about the Kahala, but I so appreciate the longevity of the staff at this hotel. Take Darryl, for instance. He’s part of the valet team and has greeted me for years when I drive up to the hotel. The front desk staff, restaurant staff, and even the housekeepers are one reason I love this property. They are all kind, friendly, and have tenure.
Kahala Dolphin Lanai Room Review
We were assigned a Dolphin Lanai room, which as the name suggests, overlooks the dolphin lanai. This was the first time I have ever stayed in a room outside the tower and part of me wanted to splurge for an upgrade to a tower room with a great ocean view. But I’ve reviewed that before…this would be something new and convenient for accessing the pool, something that was central to my three-year-old’s plan for our stay.
Our room included two beds, though Augustine and I always seem to end up sharing a bed when we travel together alone.
The room included a large balcony overlooking the lagoon. Even though the hotel was allegedly sold out, I rarely saw neighbors out on the balcony.
The restroom includes a separate shower and tub and a vanity on each side. Toilets have Toto seats that include a heater and bidet.
Coffee machines are Keurig, a tremendous disappointment since I consider Keurig the worst coffee in the world (suites have illy machines). Bottled water is complimentary and replenished twice per day.
Kahala Dining
We arrived around lunchtime and had lunch together in Plumeira, one of the hotel’s restaurants. My father had a cheeseburger, my mother fish tacos, and Augustine and I each had a cheese pizza.
The pizza ended up being soggy and my mother did not like her fish tacos because they were too spicy, so I ate them and we left one of the pizzas. Augustine and I could have easily split one.
Breakfast is always a treat at the Kahala and we enjoyed a wonderful leisurely breakfast.
For a full review of the breakfast buffet, check out my past review.
Kahala Swimming
We spent the rest of the afternoon…and the following late morning and afternoon at the pool. Augustine loves to swim and was eager to show his grandparents what he had learned in swimming lessons.
Kahala Beauty
As you can see, the hotel is just beautiful. It’s so much more quiet than Waikiki and feels like an outer-island even though you are just minutes from central Honolulu. That makes an ideal hotel for children and families.
There may be more upscale hotels on the island, but I have no interest of deviating from this wonderful hotel, which creates a unique value proposition in my eyes for visiting Honolulu.
Next, I’ll share about the Dolphin Quest experience and I suppose we can debate the ethics of that…
I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS THE HILTON –GREAT GREAT HOTEL
WE WOULD SAY THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THE NEWLYWED AND NEARLY DEAD
Boring review…zzzzzz! Food looks like Denny’s..you can have it. No details on hotel services, activities,beach, golf etc.
I’ve reviewed the hotel many times – this wasn’t meant be comprehensive. If you want a fuller picture of the property, start here:
https://liveandletsfly.com/?s=kahala+review
My favorite hotel on Oahu, I hope the buffet will come back post COVID. Always seem to see a celebrity there too.
My wife really enjoyed this hotel for a short stay. When we are in oahu with the kids we head to ko olina bay. Really nice part of oahu and way more relaxed than Waikiki
Spectacular hotel. Got married there in 2001 when it was the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, and we loved it so much we went back for a second honeymoon a few months later. What I really appreciated about it was the amazing location: just minutes from Honolulu and all it has to offer (especially restaurants), but feels like an isolated tropical resort with the beach on one side and golf course on the other buffering it from the neighborhood. A real differentiator from most resorts where you’re essentially stuck there because there is nothing else nearby.