One of Oahu’s more luxurious hotels is becoming a Ritz-Carlton, which is great for those looking to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points (thanks to Anthony for flagging this)…
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Turtle Bay Resort Oahu sold, will be rebranded as Ritz-Carlton
Host Hotels & Resorts, which is the largest lodging real estate investment trust in the United States, is acquiring Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Most interesting is that as part of this purchase, the new owners plan to turn this property into a Ritz-Carlton.
Host Hotels & Resorts is acquiring this property for a total of $680 million — that includes $630 million for the 450-room property, plus $50 million for a 49-acre land parcel which can be developed.
The resort is situated on 1,180-acres on the North Shore of Oahu, with five miles of beach and coastline views. All rooms feature ocean views, and there are also 42 bungalows with direct beach access. The property also has six food and beverage outlets, a club lounge, seven retail spaces, a spa, a fitness center, two golf courses, seven beaches, four resort pools, tennis and pickle ball courts, an equestrian center, 12 miles of oceanfront trails, and more.
Turtle Bay Resort was closed for a renovation from March 2020 until June 2021, and that renovation included just about all aspects of the resort.
It’s not clear yet when the property will transition to a Ritz-Carlton, but it sounds to me like it will happen once the deal is finalized, since not many changes will be required. The property won’t just be reflagged as a Ritz-Carlton, but will also be managed by Marriott.
The press release mentions how “in connection with the rebranding, Marriott provided key money and favorable modifications on several existing management agreements.” That’s interesting — so clearly the owners got some concessions on their other Marriott branded properties in exchange for making this a Ritz-Carlton.
My take on Hawaii’s new Ritz-Carlton
I’ve been intrigued by Turtle Bay Resort, simply because it has a unique location on Oahu’s North Shore. There aren’t many other resorts in the area, and this is quite secluded, so that’s fun. At 450 rooms, this is no doubt a “resort factory,” but then again, that’s what I generally expect from the Ritz-Carlton brand.
A few thoughts:
- On the one hand, it’s great that it will be possible to earn and redeem Bonvoy points for stays at the new Ritz-Carlton in Oahu
- On the other hand, this will no doubt lead to higher rates at the property
- Ritz-Carlton isn’t terribly generous when it comes to benefits for loyalty program members, as Platinum Elite members and above don’t receive complimentary breakfast at Ritz-Carlton
- Host Hotels & Resorts isn’t exactly known for being the most elite-friendly hotel owner out there, so I also would expect a lot of nickel-and-diming, and limited elite recognition
But hey, on balance I’d say this is good news. Hawaii doesn’t have many luxury points hotels, so more options are a good thing.
Bottom line
Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu has been sold, and will become a Ritz-Carlton. The property underwent a renovation in recent years, so I imagine that this conversion will happen shortly after the deal is finalized. I’m excited to have a unique points property in Hawaii, though given that it’s a Ritz-Carlton, we’ll manage our expectations when it comes to elite perks.
What do you make of Hawaii’s new Ritz-Carlton?
I remembered this resort under the Hilton brand back in the 80s and 90s. It was super nice and Hilton was the main player on the north shore. I was sad to see it leave in 2001. Those were the days when Diamond meant something and a stay at Turtle Bay was considered super nice.
I'm curious if they had any discussions with Hilton before committing to Marriott.
I looked into staying there once when we were thinking about spending two or three nights in a really nice place on the beach. I noticed that in every picture, the trees look wind-blown. As I kept looking deeper, so many reviews saying it is always incredibly windy. I can't imagine golfing or playing tennis there, and even sitting out in the sun by the pool sounded uncomfortable. I have since been to the resort...
I looked into staying there once when we were thinking about spending two or three nights in a really nice place on the beach. I noticed that in every picture, the trees look wind-blown. As I kept looking deeper, so many reviews saying it is always incredibly windy. I can't imagine golfing or playing tennis there, and even sitting out in the sun by the pool sounded uncomfortable. I have since been to the resort - not to stay, but just to peek in - and it was super windy when I dropped it. I think there is no relief from the wind at all. It looks to be a beautiful place but I have removed it from my list of places I am am interested in. Maybe someone could change my mind, but for the price, I suspect there is better.
It should have a hawaiian name as the area is the place of past hawaiian royalty and includes the public walk called: King's walk.
Many other brands owned it and now the Ritz which is just another name for Marriott International who own it.
I recognize that bungalow from when I did Junior Team Tennis in the 90s. My coach would rent it so we'd all have a place to hang out between matches. Back then Turtle Bay was more mid.
Looks like they just repainted it and put in some nice furniture. I'm sure the bathroom is nice, but otherwise looks the same.
It’s the best I stayed at turtle bay about five times as a child growing up because my mom got a TWA employee rate of $49 (in 1986 money). Today would be $159. So amazing and unique beach. Surf lessons. We drove to Haleiwa , pizza bobs , and Matsumoto mini mart for Hawaiian shaved ice. Non revving was a cinch back then business class on the 747 was wide open. The late 90s is when business class started filling up.
Ok. I'm old, yes? I remember when this resort opened in the 1970s as a Del Webb property. It was considered very fancy-pants at the time...especially for the North Shore which was still very undiscovered. My family, (CA based), had a condo in the accompanied development which we visited often. I remember fun days at the very uncrowded Waimea Bay and Sunset beaches. I also remember it being very windy on that side of the...
Ok. I'm old, yes? I remember when this resort opened in the 1970s as a Del Webb property. It was considered very fancy-pants at the time...especially for the North Shore which was still very undiscovered. My family, (CA based), had a condo in the accompanied development which we visited often. I remember fun days at the very uncrowded Waimea Bay and Sunset beaches. I also remember it being very windy on that side of the island...esp at the resort. Glad to hear it's getting what now seems to be a fourth or fifth life!
If you have a Del Webb postcard it's worth a many a few dollars as well as other Turtle Bay memorabilia. Just search on eBay and you'll be amazed.
Due to the growth in the golf industry, Del Webb took a gamble and ..... lo$t.
Ritz or Edition instead of St R just means denied elite breakfast benefit and instead pay for the very pricey options!
Marriott International owns both brand names, so ideally, it should be named the St. Marriott Ritz ?
Or just the Marriott.
Sad sad sad. Keep the country country
Wrong island bruddah. That’s Kaui :))))
It's sad to see Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis becoming conversion brands. Isn't this what Luxury Collection was intended for?
Mmm, "Marriott International" owns the names: Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, so "staying at the Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay" is really just saying: "staying at the Marriott Turtle Bay".
Have stayed there 3 times in a cottage and mostly liked it. Hearing ocean waves from our room was a highlight, as well as the views, trails, and close proximity to the Kahuku shrimp trucks. Definitely a “resort factory.” Add in mediocre food and high prices, and the transition to a Ritz-Carlton should be seamless. We’ve moved on to a smaller hotel for our North Shore stays. Will give this another look with the change in ownership.
You can always visit - great trails, sunsets, food, surfing, swimming an golf.
I'll always associate this hotel with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as much of the movie was filmed there, and the movie does a good job at highlighting the natural beauty of the area.
Having visited the hotel my general impression was that it's indeed a very picturesque location, but the pool area and swimmable beach area (the small bay to the east of the hotel building) are on the small side and thus tend to be...
I'll always associate this hotel with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as much of the movie was filmed there, and the movie does a good job at highlighting the natural beauty of the area.
Having visited the hotel my general impression was that it's indeed a very picturesque location, but the pool area and swimmable beach area (the small bay to the east of the hotel building) are on the small side and thus tend to be fairly crowded. Creates some dissonance for me because the general vibe of the north shore as a whole is more laid back and uncrowded. If you want to be around a bunch of people there's no need to leave Waikiki.
Now there is access to long stretches of multiple gorgeous north shore beaches only a short drive away, but why pay a bunch of points or cash if you're going to be spending most of your time off site exploring?
As a "beach person" my view is it's tough to beat the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel when it comes to Bonvoy properties in Hawaii.
"Are those sad tissues or happy tissues?" =D
we stayed there in the winter of 2023. I found the resort lacking in good service. It’s hardly up to par with the Ritz-Carlton. I’m hoping that this opens the door to new opportunities.
That hotel has had some history! I remember when it was the Turtle Bay Hilton. It was also a nice place for a horseback riding outing.
Hell, I can remember it being called “Del Webbs Kuilima”
So Host, was and is, the Marriott family management company. Richard Marriott, brother to Bill, is still CEO and Chariman of the Board. Of course they have a vast and diverse portfolio.
I also am aware that Hilton was working hard to get this branded as either an LXR or Waldorf.
The better question is, what are they doing with the undeveloped land? Building another hotel?