Review: Four Seasons Oahu At Ko Olina (Great Luxury Family Resort)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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'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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 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?

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.

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 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.

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.

Pretty sure Ford can help regardless of your domicile but you should email him and confirm.

$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.

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.

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.

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.

This place is incredible. Excellent service and staff. Excellent for families. Also the Michael Mina restaurant onsite is fabulous with an onsite fish sommelier.

We stayed at the Marriott last year. It is MUCH better for kids, at least as far as I can tell - maybe the Four Seasons has an amazing kid's program? The Marriott pools are better for kids - water slides, waterfalls, volleyball, a sand wading pool, etc.