Kahala, Honolulu

My wife and I stayed at the Kahala for over a week in September to celebrate our one year anniversary together. There is a reason this hotel is Hawaii's only 5 star 5 diamond hotel. It's simply the best. The service is impeccable, the people are friendly, and the food is magnificent. In addition to that, the hotel is on it's own private beach and is secluded from Honolulu (though only 10 minutes away). There is no way that you can have a bad time at this hotel, it is paradise. My wife and I plan to travel the world now and stay at as many Mandarin Oriental Hotels we can. Hopefully, the others will live up to this hype.

A wonderful hotel at a marvellous location with superb service and accommodations and excellent food. The great Mandarin-Oriental (still the best chain in the world) management style is perceivable in just about every aspect.

The Kahala is badly in need of a face lift. The rooms were nice appointed, the restuarants and service excellant, but the common areas are severely in need of a facelift. I am sure that twenty years ago the Kahala was deserving of its diamonds, but that day has long past.

We love this Hotel and go back regularly now that we live here. It is a good deal of fun to watch the Dolphins that frolic in the lagoon. To have a Dolphin leap out of the water just 10 feet away is striking! We also love the Veranda for tea or a drink and Hokus is wonderful. We particularly love their Nicoise Salad. The rooms have an understated elegance. I do not agree with another post that they need a major facelift. I think the comment stems from the atmosphere of laid back, elegance that pervades the hotel. It is not filled with greek columns or ornate decoration. It looks and feels like a relaxed beach resort. It does have a striking sea glass chandalier and has large open common areas. The grounds are immpeccably kept and include along with the dolphin lagoon, waterfalls, ponds containing rays, turtles, and many fish, a beautiful spa, and both an adult and kiddie pool. All in excellent condition. Service is always great. I recommend this as the best non-Waikiki hotel on Oahu (our other favorite is the Halekulani in Waikiki). If you want a great quiet beach, go here. If you want the easy nightlife and shopping of Waikiki, the Halekulani is the place to be.

it was ok but it needs girls and beer

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at this beautiful hotel. The service was impeccable and the location is fantastic if you prefer a bit more solitude and would like to avoid Waikiki without trecking all the way over to the North or West shore. Although we spent much of the time doing activities outside the property, we could have easily never left the hotel grounds and would have been perfectly content.

I've stayed in Waikiki once before, right on the beach, so I was a little nervous about being farther away from the thick of things. Turns out, the Kahala Mandarin is the best of both worlds. With the free, fast shuttle service to Waikiki, I hardly noticed the distance, but when I came back to my room to sleep at night, the peace, quiet, and utter relaxation was incredible.

The service, grounds, and rooms are all exceptional. Don't miss your chance go play with the dolphins in the hotel's own lagoon. The spa is absolutely unreal, the best I've ever gone to. I got the lomi lomi and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Just an amazing experience from start to finish.