- Introduction: A Quick Jaunt To Hawaii
- Review: American Airlines A321neo First Class (TPA-LAX)
- Review: Hyatt Regency LAX
- Review: American Airlines First Class To Hawaii
- Review: Four Seasons Oahu At Ko Olina
- Review: Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge Honolulu Airport (HNL)
- Review: Hawaiian Airlines A321neo First Class (HNL-KOA)
- Review: Four Seasons Hualalai, Big Island, Hawaii
- Review: United Airlines’ “Old” 787-9 Business Class (KOA-ORD)
- Review: United Airlines 737 MAX 9 First Class (ORD-BOS)
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
Four Seasons is known for having — by far — the best collection of hotels in Hawaii, with each of the five properties offering something unique. Our first stop in Hawaii was checking out the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, which is probably the Four Seasons property in Hawaii that gets the least coverage.
There’s a lot to love about this property — it’s easy to get to (there’s a huge benefit to being in Oahu, less than a 30 minute drive from Honolulu Airport), it has phenomenal dining venues, it has the perfect service you expect from Four Seasons, and it’s also one of Four Seasons’ less expensive properties on the islands.
In this post:
Booking the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina
For our dates in March, the nightly rate for a base room at the Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina was ~$1,100. Since the start of the pandemic, rates at properties in Hawaii (and for that matter rates at so many vacation destinations) have gone way up. To give you a sense of pricing, the completely bland Marriott next door is currently charging $700+ for a standard room on some dates.
Furthermore, I think it’s worth specifically giving Four Seasons kudos for not having resort fees at any Hawaii properties, unlike… well, just about every other property in Hawaii.
The Four Seasons does have some offers to get a better deal, like a fourth night free promotion, so keep an eye out for those. The best way to book any Four Seasons hotel is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. When booking through Preferred Partner you pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- A hotel credit to use during your stay
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, including advance purchase rates, free night offers, and more. Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Why?
- With Preferred Partner you have the option of room service breakfast in place of restaurant breakfast
- Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade can be significant)
- You can combine Preferred Partner perks with virtually any rate on Four Seasons’ website (other programs don’t allow you to stack promotions in the same way)
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Ford is happy to help anyone book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected]. He and his team don’t charge any booking fees for Four Seasons properties.
Full disclosure — Ford got a travel agent rate for our stay. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina history & opening date
While the 371-room Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina opened in 2016, it’s not a new build. The property first opened as an independent hotel in the mid-1980s, before eventually being rebranded as the JW Marriott Ko Olina. In 2015 the hotel closed, and in 2016 it reopened as the Four Seasons, after an extensive renovation.
Now, to set expectations, you can definitely still tell that this was initially an older property. That’s to say that it’s a high-rise, it has an atrium, and parts of the facilities definitely feel like they were designed decades ago. However, Four Seasons also did a great job updating this property, refreshing the rooms, adding great dining venues, building a new pool for adults, and more.
Interestingly this isn’t the first Marriott property to be converted into a Four Seasons — the exceptional Four Seasons Astir Palace Athens is also a former Westin and Luxury Collection property.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina location
The Four Seasons is located on the island of Oahu, which is the main transpacific gateway to Hawaii, so there’s a huge convenience factor to that. The hotel is a roughly 30 minute drive from Honolulu Airport, and just a few minutes further from Waikiki.
In general Oahu has a lot to offer, and this is a great alternative to staying in Waikiki, which is incredibly touristy. So whether you want to visit the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, etc., this is a great base from which to do so.
The Four Seasons is specifically located in Ko Olina, which is a development that consists of multiple resorts, residences, a golf club, and more. For example, this is also where Disney’s Aulani Resort is located. Ko Olina has four man-made lagoons, which offer protected swimming, plus plenty of beachfront. More on that below.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina check-in & lobby
The Four Seasons Oahu has an atrium lobby that’s somewhat open air (there are big openings on both sides, so there’s a nice breeze in the lobby), which is kind of fun at a tropical destination.
There’s an outrigger canoe suspended from the atrium, which is pretty awesome, and reminds you of where you are.
Reception was located inside the lobby and to the left. The check-in experience was efficient and friendly.
We were first offered some leis, as well as some ginger infused lemonade with cayenne pepper, which was refreshing. We were given a map of the property, plus were issued room keys, which came in the form of waterproof wristbands.
Within a few minutes we were off to our room, located on the 15th floor. On the way we had a quick look around the lobby, which featured plenty of seating.
There was also a staircase leading down to most of the resort’s public areas, with several koi ponds.
The elevators were located across from reception.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Oceanfront One-Bedroom Suite
We were assigned room 1512, an oceanfront one-bedroom suite. All rooms at the Four Seasons Oahu are massive, as they’re a minimum of 640 square feet. Since the one bedroom suites here are essentially two full guest rooms (and then some), these suites are a minimum of 1,400 square feet. So they’re ideal for families, especially since there are two full bathrooms.
The suite featured an entryway leading into the living room, which had an “L” shaped couch, a couple of chairs, and a television.
There was a lovely welcome amenity, consisting of fresh coconut, pineapple, papaya, and sparkling water.
In the hallway next to the living room was a Nespresso machine, a kettle, and a mini-fridge.
The living room had a full bathroom, which had double sinks, a walk-in shower, a soaking tub, and a bidet-style toilet.
Toiletries were from BVLGARI.
The bedroom was fully separated from the living room, and featured the typical super comfortable signature Four Seasons bed.
The bedroom also had a desk with a chair, plus a TV.
There was plenty of closet space in the room.
Next the bedroom was another huge bathroom, with all the same features and amenities as the first bathroom.
The room had two balconies with amazing views of the coastline and the Pacific Ocean. The balcony off the living room had two chairs and a table.
The balcony off the bedroom was even larger, and also had a daybed.
The views were unreal, especially around sunrise and sunset.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Oceanfront Room
Beyond what we stayed in, we managed to tour a few more accommodation types during our stay, so I figured it’s useful to share those. Standard rooms at the Four Seasons Oahu are 640 square feet, which is huge.
Even standard guest rooms have double sinks, a walk-in shower, and a soaking tub.
And of course views differ depending on the exact category, but some guest rooms have awesome views of the ocean.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Junior Suite
Four Seasons Oahu junior suites are an average of 1,000 square feet, which (again) is huge. They feature a full sitting area and a desk, plus a huge bathroom and closet space.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Penthouse Suite
For those not on any sort of a budget, the Four Seasons Oahu has some incredible specialty suites, and we toured one of the penthouse suites, which is 3,200 square feet. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, but wow!
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina pools
The Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina has four pools:
- There’s the Ohana Pool (for families), open daily from 7AM until 7PM
- There’s the Keiki Pool (for kids), open daily from 7AM until 9PM
- There’s the Adult Infinity Pool, open daily from 7AM until 9PM
- There’s the Spa & Wellness Pool, open daily from 9AM until 6PM
The Ohana Pool is the the hotel’s pool for families, and it’s more or less the center of the resort, as it’s near the pool bar and a couple of the restaurants. It’s cool that the pool is circular, and also how close the pool is to the ocean, but otherwise it’s not all that memorable.
Right next to that is the Keiki Pool, specifically for kids, which also has a couple of hot tubs. I’m sure families appreciate having a dedicated pool for kids, where there’s less of an expectation of keeping the noise down.
The Adult Infinity Pool is by far the most gorgeous pool at the property, and it also has a hot tub. This was built when Four Seasons took over the property, and it really is a stunning space — the pool is huge, it has plenty of seating, and there’s even a swim-up drink truck (more on that below).
In addition to the seating by the pool, there are some further seats on the lawn, as well as some cabanas that you can rent for the day.
Lastly the Spa & Wellness Pool was located in the spa complex, and generally stayed quiet. It’s ideal if you’re looking to swim laps.
As usual at Four Seasons, there was plenty of complimentary sunscreen around the pool.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina beach & boardwalk
Ko Olina has four man-made lagoons, and the Four Seasons’ beach area is right on one of those lagoons. The awesome thing about this is that the water stays really calm, so it’s safe for just about anyone to swim here.
There was plenty of seating at the beach, and staff were constantly roaming to see if guests wanted anything.
There’s also a beachfront boardwalk at Ko Olina that connects the entire complex. If you like to get your steps in, that’s easy to do at the Four Seasons Oahu.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina spa & gym
Spas and gyms are a huge focus for Four Seasons, and that’s the case at this property as well. There’s a huge multi-level complex right across from the hotel’s main building.
There’s a fitness center that has one room with weights, one room with cardio, and then even an outdoor fitness area.
There are also several rooftop tennis courts, a basketball court, and a soccer field.
The Four Seasons also has a spa, and you can find the menu of services here, which includes everything from facials, to massages, to energy healing. The variety of treatments is cool in and of itself. The main spa area has hot tubs, steam rooms, saunas, etc.
Many spa treatments take place not in the building as such, but rather in a Spa Hale, which is an open air treatment hut.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina La Hiki Restaurant (breakfast)
Food was a real strength of the Four Seasons Oahu, and that included breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was served daily from 6AM until 11AM at La Hiki Restaurant, which is the hotel’s breakfast and lunch dining spot. The restaurant is open air, which I always enjoy (for that matter, everywhere we dined at the property was).
Breakfast here is a la carte (which I personally prefer to a buffet, but pre-pandemic the hotel did have a buffet), and you can find the breakfast menu below. Keep in mind that if you book through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, breakfast is included.
The drinks were excellent, from the fresh juices, to the smoothies, to the cappuccinos, to the iced coffees.
Over the course of our two mornings we tried the acai bowl, avocado toast, eggs benedict, and smoked salmon bagel. All were very good.
Furthermore, as is standard at Four Seasons properties, there was complimentary coffee available in the lobby each morning.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Noe Restaurant (dinner)
The Four Seasons Oahu has two signature restaurants, and we dined at one each of our two nights. They were both exceptionally good, and memorable meals. The first restaurant we dined at was Noe, which is an Italian restaurant that serves dinner from 5PM until 9PM. The restaurant has a bit of indoor seating, but most of the seating is on the beautiful outdoor patio.
You can find the Noe dinner menu below.
To drink we both had dirty martinis, which were excellent.
We probably ordered a bit too much food, unfortunately, as we hadn’t eaten since arriving in Hawaii earlier in the day. On the plus side, that means you get to see more of Noe’s incredible food. To start we had the whipped ricotta and ahi tonnato carpaccio.
Then as a pasta course we shared the radiatore puttanesca.
Then for our main courses I had the scallops, while Ford had the half jidori chicken.
I can’t say enough good things about the food quality, service, and overall ambiance here. We even had a front row seat to the hotel’s nightly sunset ritual, where all the torches around the property are lit. If you’re visiting Ko Olina I’d recommend making a reservation here, even if you’re not staying at the Four Seasons.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Mina’s Fish House (dinner)
Our second evening we had dinner at Mina’s Fish House. This is open daily from 3PM until 9PM, with happy hour from 3PM until 5PM, and dinner from 5PM until 9PM. This restaurant is right on the beach, so you can’t beat the view from here.
You can find the Mina’s Fish House dinner menu below.
I loved the presentation and taste of the cocktails here…
The meal started with some bread and an amuse bouche.
As far as dinner goes, we ordered the squid and brussels sprouts as starters.
Then for our main courses, I ordered the mahi mahi, while Ford had the seared yellowfin with foie gras.
We decided to split a dessert, and had the apples & cinnamon. Yum.
What a lovely setting for enjoying the sunset!
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Hokulea (cafe)
Just off the lobby, the Four Seasons Oahu has Hokulea, which is the hotel’s coffeeshop, open daily from 6AM until 2PM. This is a good option if you’re looking for a coffee, pastry, or other light snack. This area also had a pool table, as well as plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the resort.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Waterman Bar & Lounge (drinks)
Waterman Bar & Lounge is the hotel’s pool bar, serving drinks and food for most of the day. There’s a small bar area and there’s also some outdoor lounge seating, though in reality most people just have stuff brought to their pool chairs.
You can find the Waterman Bar & Lounge food and drink menu below.
The Four Seasons Oahu’s food & drink game is very strong (one of the best I’ve seen at any US resort), though I found the drinks here to be the weak point of that. Both in terms of presentation and quality of drinks, it didn’t match what you’ll otherwise find at this property. Perhaps to some extent that’s expected at a pool, but I’d say these drinks were more dive bar quality than Four Seasons quality. That’s literally the only aspect of the food & drinks here that wasn’t exceptional, so I guess that’s ultimately a testament to the property.
The fruit plate, however, was excellent.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina Dr. Mai Tai’s (drinks)
At the adult infinity pool, the Four Seasons Oahu has Dr. Mai Tai’s, open daily from 1PM until sunset. This is a swim-up bar, described as the resort’s “‘on-call’ cocktail doctor that makes his poolside rounds with signature rum-infused prescription elixirs.” Hah.
We had drinks here on our full day at the resort, and enjoyed them.
Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina service
What really sets Four Seasons apart from the competition is the consistently excellent service, and this hotel offered perfect, by-the-book Four Seasons service. This is a big resort — it has over 350 rooms — but you’d never suspect that based on the quality of service.
This is evident in a variety of ways:
- There simply aren’t any hassles with service at Four Seasons, and you only have to ask for something once — for example, when we asked to have our room cleaned, someone showed up within five minutes
- Four Seasons employees just generally seem happy to be working for the company, and treat guests really well — that was the case across the board, from the staff at the pool, to the front office staff, to everyone working in the restaurants
- There’s an impressive amount of attention to detail — for example, when Ford was brought his eggs benedict one morning, the server noticed that when he cut into one of the eggs it didn’t look perfect, so said “that doesn’t quite look like right, can I have them redo that for you?”
- While Four Seasons properties are of course pricey, I appreciate the lack of nickel-and-diming — there are no resort fees, there’s sunscreen available everywhere, they bring complimentary water and even small refreshing drinks (some with alcohol) and snacks around the pool throughout the day, etc.
Bottom line
The Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina is a fantastic Hawaii resort. There’s a lot to love about this property, including the exceptional dining venues, the very friendly service, the beautiful setting in Ko Olina, and the proximity to Honolulu Airport and the sights of Oahu. Furthermore, this is consistently Four Seasons’ lowest price beachfront property in Hawaii.
I also think this could be a fantastic family destination, given the dedicated areas for kids, the large accommodations (which make it easy to put a family in a room or suite), and the ease of getting here (there are nonstop flights from so many places to Honolulu). This is also a fantastic property to pair with one of Four Seasons’ other Hawaii properties.
The only reason I’m not giving this hotel a perfect five star rating is because I think some of the design isn’t quite to the level of other Four Seasons properties in Hawaii. Furthermore, at a beach destination like Hawaii, some people may not love that this hotel is in a tower. But this hotel is priced accordingly, at least within the realm of the generally high pricing we’re seeing in Hawaii right now.
If you’ve stayed at Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, what was your experience like?
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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This place is incredible. Excellent service and staff. Excellent for families. Also the Michael Mina restaurant onsite is fabulous with an onsite fish sommelier.
was next door at Aulani until Sunday night, minas fish house was amazing, I walked over for happy hour as well as for dinner with the family, I'm a four seasons fan I'm not sure how this is worth double the rate I paid. But im still thinking about minas fish house, I couldn't go to dr mai tais I tried, but I'm glad you enjoyed it, that rum old fashioned was amazing to the...
was next door at Aulani until Sunday night, minas fish house was amazing, I walked over for happy hour as well as for dinner with the family, I'm a four seasons fan I'm not sure how this is worth double the rate I paid. But im still thinking about minas fish house, I couldn't go to dr mai tais I tried, but I'm glad you enjoyed it, that rum old fashioned was amazing to the point I went out and got the same rum to make it at home, that lagoon was so peaceful can't wait to go back.
Stayed there in 2011 when it was the JW Marriott and we only paid $200 per night. It was a fantastic spot and very relaxing. All the meals we had there were great and the staff was outstanding.
That was our very first trip to Hawaii and happy we got to stay there as I do not see staying now at $1000 per night.
I have to agree, this has been hands down the best service hotel I have ever stayed at. We were there a week for business and like the article stated, ask once, receive. We were also there during the hurricane scare and the staff was great. If I could afford this on my dime, I would definitely go back. Literally rate all hotels based on this one, just top top for everything.
My problem with the resorts in Ko Olina is that it is just not a very pretty part of the island especially compared to the resort areas of other Hawaiian islands. I like Oahu but prefer to stay in Waikiki where there are reasonable point redemption options plus tons of restaurants and shopping and use that as a jumping off point to the rest of the island. If I want a resort experience, I will choose a different island.
I have stayed at many Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels and with only one exception (Houston 10 years ago,) have found them to be wonderfully consistent with all comfort and especially with the food quality. I believe that I stayed at this property in the early 90s when I believe it was a Sheraton.
I am looking at restaurant prices. Does it have 3 Michelin stars? I know this is a hotel, but I would not pay 16 $ for bowl of mixed berries that you had. If I would give this to my daughter for breakfast she would ask me I am joking.
I've stayed at the Four Seasons Ko Olina twice and would have stayed a third if 2021 prices didn't go crazy. First time was over MLK weekend in 2017, about 6 months after they opened as a FS, and I remember scoring a deal of $299 (!) per night through the Chase travel portal. Maybe because it was January, but it was not crowded at all that time, and they even upgraded us to an...
I've stayed at the Four Seasons Ko Olina twice and would have stayed a third if 2021 prices didn't go crazy. First time was over MLK weekend in 2017, about 6 months after they opened as a FS, and I remember scoring a deal of $299 (!) per night through the Chase travel portal. Maybe because it was January, but it was not crowded at all that time, and they even upgraded us to an ocean view room. The adults-only pool didn't even need that second row of loungers. That trip definitely got me hooked on FS properties in Hawaii, even though I never found another deal like that again.
Second time was Labor Day weekend 2019, and I was a little peeved (but resigned to the fact) the nightly rates went up to about $400 - 500 with the fourth night free promotion. Much more crowded, but the service was still excellent. We had some non-guest friends and their toddler hang out with us at our beach loungers, and the attendants brought a complimentary jug of ice water and cups for all of us.
I thought about booking here again for this most recent Labor Day weekend, but the $900+ nightly rates were hard to swallow. I ended up booking the Kahala, which though in Honolulu, is NOT in Waikiki, and also offers great service, big rooms and no resort fees.
I agree that the adults-only pool is awesome, and is probably my favorite feature of this hotel. However, aside from the occasional breakfast, I prefer to go to Monkeypod or Roy's nearby as they offer a better value. The beach is definitely calm and family friendly, but since it's a man-made lagoon, it doesn't have any reef and not interesting for anyone looking to snorkel.
$300 a night for this hotel once upon a time a million years ago!! Would be a killer deal especially if that rate were available on preferred partner program! Hopefully those days come back someday after all this craziness now.
This question is off topic and for that I apologise and it will possibly cause snorts of derision but as a rookie may I ask .... is Ford able to act as a travel advisor through Four Seasons Preferred and other programmes for those of us living outside the USA or are these affiliation programmes available outside the US jurisdiction through location specific agents?
Pretty sure Ford can help regardless of your domicile but you should email him and confirm.
Nothing like being away in a concrete box, 10 floors up, watching planes land.... You can do that by staying in South Florida, which is what Oahu is like... At $1000 / night, it better be great... no thanks
We’ve stayed at the Marriott a fair few times sometimes as a stopover to australia. I think ko Ilona is awesome with small kids as an alternative to Waikiki (yuck). We tend to Airbnb a two bedroom apartment for around $400-$600 a night. Great pools and beach for younger kids. Roy’s at the golf club is a great place to eat
Very nice review, detailed well and looked like a great stay. That being said, cant believe how expensive Hawaii has gotten. Not sure why anyone fly's that far to go given the plethora of options in Central America.
Can agree with that although Central America very expensive too now. For us it’s because we have to stay in the USA due to visa requirements. And Hawaii is lovely.
How interesting! During our last stay we stayed at RCR Waikiki and I was pleased it was somewhat off the touristy path. We visited Ko Olina beach and between public access (like us), Aulani and Four Seasons, that beach and the multiple weddings in progress made the place an Absolute Scene.
The photos of the interior and grounds look peaceful. Is this a fortress effect, or was it a generally quiet time in the area?
Not expecting Ben to answer, but does anyone know how much the Four Seasons advisor rate is? Is it a flat rate or based on the regular rate? Are we talking like a 50% discount or is it closer to a Hilton employee rate where its always sub $100 regardless of best available rate?
It can vary significantly depending on when you visit, days of the week, other packages it's stacked on, etc. If Ford has a specific close contact at the hotel, then he could get a significantly better deal then the standard advisor rate too. The standard at a hotel like this is typically a few hundred dollars less than the published rate, so you'll save a lot but it's still expensive. My question for Ben is...
It can vary significantly depending on when you visit, days of the week, other packages it's stacked on, etc. If Ford has a specific close contact at the hotel, then he could get a significantly better deal then the standard advisor rate too. The standard at a hotel like this is typically a few hundred dollars less than the published rate, so you'll save a lot but it's still expensive. My question for Ben is if they booked an Oceanfront 1-bedroom suite directly or were upgraded to it. Even with an agent rate that could still be an extremely pricey accommodation.
Question for the group: do you read / use a review differently when the writer is transparent they are charged a different rate than most people will pay? If so, how do you change your thinking? In this case it’s getting a travel agent rate. Fully disclosed and, well, why not pay less if you can but the rate is still not available to just anyone off the street. This isn’t a mistake fare or...
Question for the group: do you read / use a review differently when the writer is transparent they are charged a different rate than most people will pay? If so, how do you change your thinking? In this case it’s getting a travel agent rate. Fully disclosed and, well, why not pay less if you can but the rate is still not available to just anyone off the street. This isn’t a mistake fare or other anomaly available to all. No idea whether if being flagged as travel agent results in different/better service. Seems like it may. To be clear, I am not suggesting this is a puff piece misrepresenting TPG2’s experience. Think it is a great review of an experience that may not be available to others that aren’t travel agents. Just not sure how to extrapolate as to wheather I would receive the same experience. From $1,100 a night that seems like a reasonable question.
I'll take the $71 NY strip and....well a water please :)
Nice blog post on this. I'll check out the TA rates (I qualify for that under my agency) but for everyone else, I like the fact that they don't charge a resort fee for $1,000 a night room. At least they have that right. This hotel has had a number of movies filmed there so that is always interesting to me. I have to wonder if the nearby Aulani is a bit nicer at $600 per night.
What is it with these low ceilings? Maybe it's just me but that really bothers me in the pictures. It looks like it could be in a (fancy) nuclear shelter
I agree with FlyingHIppo. Ko Olina is a much more laid back area. We are members of the Disney Timeshare and have stayed next door at Aulani several times. Our general day is wake up, lay by the beach all day with copious amounts of drinks, have dinner, a night cap then go to bed. Wake up and repeat. Our first trip we did all the tourist stuff such as Pearl Harbor and Waikiki. But...
I agree with FlyingHIppo. Ko Olina is a much more laid back area. We are members of the Disney Timeshare and have stayed next door at Aulani several times. Our general day is wake up, lay by the beach all day with copious amounts of drinks, have dinner, a night cap then go to bed. Wake up and repeat. Our first trip we did all the tourist stuff such as Pearl Harbor and Waikiki. But we now just go for 10 nights and do nothing. If you want a more active Hawaii vacation I'd probably do another island.
We have eaten at the Four Seasons several times. Food was amazing, but pricey. The outdoor place did have a happy hour the last time we were there that included some of the cold/hot seafood and drinks. There are also some more reasonably priced places to eat across the street such as Monkeypod and Roys (great happy hour).
One tip for anyone staying there who enjoys snorkleing. The little cove in Ben's photos right after the balcony shots and of the sunset has some of the best snorkeling for seeing sea turtles. We go in November and the last 4 times there have been a ton.
I didn't know there was a Monkeypod on Oahu. Have only been to the one in Wailea. Good to know. And of course, Roy's...always a must for the short ribs and chcolate lava cake. YUM!
Noe is such a great restuarant, especially at night with the lights. I don't know if I can cheat on the Halekulani and stay here, especially at the price point. I just can't get over how much the FS has increased a lot of their rates. However, I would definitely stay here over the Disney resort which was a complete zoo.
While I agree Oahu is a busy touristy trap kind of place, Ko Olina is on a much quieter, more reserved side of the island. You have the ability to be in Waikiki if you'd like to while also being at this absolute slice of heaven. The property is beautiful and there is also a very nice little shopping village across the street from the FS. There is an ABC convenience store where you can...
While I agree Oahu is a busy touristy trap kind of place, Ko Olina is on a much quieter, more reserved side of the island. You have the ability to be in Waikiki if you'd like to while also being at this absolute slice of heaven. The property is beautiful and there is also a very nice little shopping village across the street from the FS. There is an ABC convenience store where you can find reasonably priced food to wine beer etc. some great restaurants there as well and the FS will provide you with free transportation anywhere in Ko Olina.
I hope the rates come down to pre COVID levels because I’m going to FS Maldives for the same rates this property is now charging.
Can you do any significant plane-spotting there? It may be too far away from HNL before flights make their final right turn toward 8L. Just curious.
@ Bill -- Hah, funny you mention that, as I totally forgot to include that. Yep, there was some great plane spotting from the resort. I wouldn't say the planes were super close (they didn't cause any noise), but you could definitely see them, so I did open Flightradar24 at least a dozen times per day.
If you walk further down to Lagoon 4 - you will see some of the planes coming into HNL though it is spotty. You’ll see more of the Asia arrivals vs Mainland US arrivals that often turn before Ko’Olina
I couldn't imagine paying $1,000 or more a night for that property. Sure, I suppose it's a lot better than the Marriott timeshare next door, but outside of the bathroom the guest room decor looks like an older Westin that was last updated around 2006-2008. In fact, the carpet and furniture is the same color scheme and style as the tired Westin Moana Surfrider in Waikiki. I don't know why a beach resort would have...
I couldn't imagine paying $1,000 or more a night for that property. Sure, I suppose it's a lot better than the Marriott timeshare next door, but outside of the bathroom the guest room decor looks like an older Westin that was last updated around 2006-2008. In fact, the carpet and furniture is the same color scheme and style as the tired Westin Moana Surfrider in Waikiki. I don't know why a beach resort would have CARPET in guest rooms. Who are the idiots that design hotel rooms? I do love the bathroom at the Four Seasons. Very nice. But beige carpet in guest rooms? Flooring would make more sense.
I think Oahu (but especially Honolulu proper) is a vastly overrated destination. I don't understand its appeal. Honolulu is just a big city on an island. Way too many towers, way too much concrete, horrible traffic, homeless everything, and poor service for the price of hotels and restaurants. I went there in 2018 more than a dozen times; fortunately, on work's expense. Outside of the Halekulani, which is one of the best hotels in the...
I think Oahu (but especially Honolulu proper) is a vastly overrated destination. I don't understand its appeal. Honolulu is just a big city on an island. Way too many towers, way too much concrete, horrible traffic, homeless everything, and poor service for the price of hotels and restaurants. I went there in 2018 more than a dozen times; fortunately, on work's expense. Outside of the Halekulani, which is one of the best hotels in the United States, if I had to pick a part of Oahu, I'd choose the North Shore. There's a Courtyard at the North Shore on Kamehameha Highway in the Mormon area of Laie. It's not cheap and Laie is actually dry (alcohol-free), but I like that part of Oahu. It's a little quieter than Oahu. The drive along Kamehameha Highway is fun. Going into Haleiwa is fun. I like the roaside beaches around Pupukea.
North shore is windy and can turn structures into wind tunnels. Roadside beaches may lead to car breaking. The alcohol free zone is a relic of dubious missionary efforts--beware. The island is small enough that you can day trip comfortably to anywhere with a rental car.
This Four Seasons was built as a JW Marriott, which makes it kind of an interesting conversion. I always thought it was too far removed from downtown Honolulu for a more business-orientated brand like JW Marriott.