Halepuna Waikiki: A Boutique Hotel with No Resort Fees – NerdWallet

Though the Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani hotel sits in the heart of tourist-packed Waikiki on the island of Oahu, it’s quiet and relaxed. The 284-room boutique hotel offers a refreshing alternative to the sprawling resorts that dominate the area.

But the real standout about this boutique oasis? No resort fees.

I visited Halepuna Waikiki for two nights, as part of a longer trip to Oahu. The resort initially caught my attention for its lack of resort fees. I grew even more interested when I learned about how much it included. Notably, it offered complimentary access to multiple museums that I had long been yearning to visit given my family’s Hawaiian heritage.

Though nightly rates typically run over $300 a night (slightly higher than Oahu’s average nightly hotel room rate of $272, based on May 2024 data from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority), the free museum access alone went a long way in justifying it. Without that complimentary access, my travel companion and I otherwise would have spent more than $150 combined on museum tickets.

That made the decision easy — and it didn’t hurt that the hotel was quite fancy, too.

About the Halepuna Waikiki

Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani is the sister property of Halekulani, On the Beach at Waikiki —one of the oldest (and most famous) Waikiki beach hotels. As for the Halepuna Waikiki, this property is relatively new. It opened in October 2019, but closed for more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hotel reopened in April 2021 with several awards and titles to its name. That includes a AAA Four Diamond Award, which is a prestigious award recognizing hotels for their upscale style, amenities and service.

Features include a rooftop infinity pool with ocean views, plus a sleek lobby designed with custom light fixtures, vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer up a light and airy aesthetic.

The Halepuna Waikiki location

The Halepuna Waikiki offers the best of both worlds in that it has ocean views without sitting directly on the beach. That means you can still get a great view without the exorbitant beachfront price tag.

The hotel sits just one block from the beach on one side, and one block from Kalakaua Avenue — Honolulu’s main shopping street — on the other side. Since the hotel sits tucked away on a side street, it tends to be a little quieter than most other Waikiki hotels, and it usually won’t have as many non-hotel guests wandering through the lobby.

Halepuna parking is available, but it’s not cheap. Whether you opt for valet or self-parking, you’ll pay $50 per day. Given the hefty parking fee coupled with the hotel’s prime, walkable location, you might not actually want a rental car in Honolulu anyway.

To get there from the airport, it’s usually best to take a taxi or rideshare. Ubers generally cost about $30 to $40 between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and the hotel.

Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani has 284 guest rooms and four suites. The best views are from the oceanview rooms on higher floors (floors 19 through 23), as they’re not obstructed by the buildings in front.

These Deluxe Ocean View rooms tend to cost about 15% more than the Ocean View rooms with obstructed views and about 30% more than the standard Waikiki view rooms.

The rooms have modern amenities, like a bedside and dress charging station with ports for USB and HDMI, plus a Bluetooth connection. Shades are remote controlled, and bathrooms have nice features like a lighted vanity and magnifying mirror.

The rooms also have some nods to the local culture. For example, each room has a unique photo taken by a local photographer, and the bath amenities use locally-sourced Hawaiian oils and extracts.

All rooms also have a refrigerator and coffee maker. The complimentary refillable water bottles make for a great souvenir.

Key amenities at the Halepuna Waikiki

The rooftop infinity pool on the hotel’s eighth floor is remarkable.

The area also has a hot tub, plenty of lounge chairs and cabanas available for rent. Conveniently, complimentary sunscreen is available for hotel guests.

A rooftop garden and grass turf space adjacent to the pool is a nice place to sunbathe outside of the pool deck.

The eighth floor also offers a gym, which offers fairly standard equipment like cardio machines and dumbbells.

One unique feature caters to the workcation crowd — the business center and hospitality suite. This room offers work desks where hotel guests can post up with no reservations required. If you do need to reserve a private space, there’s also a separate, bookable meeting room that accommodates up to 24 people.

One underrated amenity is a coin-operated laundromat, which is also located on the eighth floor.

In addition to the on-property amenities, the Halepuna offers some free events and tickets. For example, guests can participate in complimentary, daily surf demonstrations held on the beach in front of Halekulani.

Halepuna guests also receive complimentary admission at the biggest museums in the state, including the Bishop Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art. Given that general adult admission costs $34 to the Bishop Museum and $25 to the Honolulu Museum of Art, that alone could go a long way in justifying the hotel room rate.

Halepuna Waikiki restaurants

The Halepuna has two restaurants:

Halekulani Bakery: This morning spot serves coffee and pastries, and it’s most famous for its Halekulani Coconut Cake.

Umi By Vikram Garg: This seafood-centric restaurant open for breakfast and dinner is located in the hotel lobby. Each dish uses high-end and unique ingredients, such as fried rice made with seafood, bacon and koshihikari rice. Even the pancakes are elevated; the “Mai Tai Pancake” is served with caramelized pineapple and a rum-coconut essence.

Dining options are slim at Halepuna, but that’s where Halekulani, its sister property across the street, shines. The hotel has about a half-dozen different places to eat, and Halepuna guests can charge purchases made at Halekulani back to their room.

La Mer: The award-winning La Mer serves French cuisine with ‘flavors of Hawaii.’

Orchids: Though it’s open all day, Orchids is a great spot for Waikiki brunch in particular, as well as Waikiki afternoon tea given its ocean views and diverse menu that embraces both Asian and American cuisine.

House Without A Key: Then there’s one of the most famous restaurants in Waikiki: House Without A Key. Though it’s not fancy, it’s still an elevated spot for lunch, dinner or drinks. Don’t plan on rushing through a meal here, as the draw is enjoying the Hawaiian music and hula performances held in front of the restaurant’s century-old kiawe tree.

It’s all outdoor seating, though there’s an expansive, covered area offering an open-air, indoor-like place to eat.

The food is just as good as the vibes. There’s all sorts of burgers, fish and flatbreads. The highlight, though, is found on the sunset cocktail menu: kabayaki fries. With this dish, fries are doused in the famous Japanese sauce, and then topped with furikake, garlic, onions and kewpie mayonnaise. Don’t miss it.

Who is the Halekulani Waikiki best for?

The Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani offers the perfect combination of modern yet luxurious touches, a tucked-away atmosphere plus a prime Waikiki location – all at a competitive price, especially considering the absence of resort fees.

The complimentary cultural access and exclusive privileges at the Halekulani elevate the experience even further. For travelers seeking a luxurious and intimate escape in Waikiki, the Halepuna Waikiki is one of the best hotels in Waikiki.

Booking the Halekulani Waikiki

There are a few ways to pay for your stay, so compare prices before booking. Booking options include:

Direct through Halepuna: When you book directly on Halepuna’s website, you can take advantage of exclusive offers. These vary by time of year, but often include deals like free breakfast for two.

I Prefer Hotel Rewards: The free-to-join hotel loyalty program doesn’t have a huge presence in the U.S., but it serves hundreds of hotels and resorts worldwide. Like most hotel loyalty programs, members can rack up points to exchange for free nights. Plus, members have access to exclusive rates, early check-in and space-available room upgrades.

The hotel also usually appears on American Express Travel, where it’s part of the issuer’s Fine Hotels + Resorts® program. Cardholders who pay with their The Platinum Card® from American Express can get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid bookings through Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel. (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.) Though that card has an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), the statement credits can go a decently long way in justifying it. Terms apply.

Plus, AmEx cardholders who book through FHR are eligible for space-available room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit and late checkout. Terms apply.