Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Review: The Best Hotel on Waikiki Beach
- Hotel Website: Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
- Location: Google Maps
- Book: Check availability
- Room Type: Diamond Ocean Front & Banyan Ocean View – 1 Bedroom Suites, Balcony, Ocean view
- Review Score: Results of our review
- Hotel Fact: The first hotel in all of Waikiki!
Other Local Luxury Resorts
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- Review: Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa
- Review: The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay
- Waikiki Beach, O’ahu, Hawaii: City Play List
- 20 Best Beaches in Hawaii: Travel Guide to the Greatest Shores
Historic Icon: The original and first hotel in Waikiki, offering a unique blend of history and modern luxury.
Unbeatable Location: Centrally located on Waikiki Beach, with immediate access to shopping, dining, and stunning views of Diamond Head.
Superior Vibe: Outshines other luxury properties in the area with its captivating energy and open, welcoming ambiance.
Diverse Accommodations: From nostalgic Banyan Wing rooms with historical charm to spacious Diamond Head Tower rooms with ocean-view balconies.
Exceptional Dining: Enjoy delicious complimentary breakfast (for Bonvoy elite members), casual oceanfront dining with a must-try Poke bowl, and romantic evening dinners.
Luxury Amenities: Features the serene Moana Lani Spa for ultimate relaxation and direct beach access.
World-Class Sunsets: Offers the most mesmerizing sunset views, surpassing global destinations.
To ensure your stay at the Moana Surfrider is as seamless and enjoyable as possible, here are a few additional points to consider before you book your Waikiki getaway:
Resort Fee: Like many properties in Waikiki, the Moana Surfrider charges a daily resort fee. This fee typically covers a range of amenities, which can include Wi-Fi access, fitness center use, cultural activities, and beach amenities. Be sure to check the exact inclusions when booking.
Parking: Valet parking is available at the hotel for a daily fee. Given its central location, parking can be limited and costly in Waikiki, so factor this into your budget if you plan to rent a car. Self parking is across the street at the Sheraton Princess.
Wedding Events: As noted, the hotel is a popular venue for weddings. While usually not disruptive, guests in the Diamond Head Tower might occasionally hear music from evening receptions. If you’re sensitive to noise, consider requesting a room on a higher floor or in a different wing, though the festive atmosphere often adds to the charm.
Advance Reservations: For popular dining times at the Beachhouse at the Moana, especially for dinner, and for spa treatments at the Moana Lani Spa, it’s highly recommended to make reservations well in advance of your arrival to secure your preferred times.
Marriott Bonvoy Benefits: If you are a Marriott Bonvoy elite member, remember to leverage your benefits, such as complimentary breakfast, which can significantly enhance your value during your stay.
Wing Preferences: If historical charm is your priority and you don’t mind potentially smaller bathrooms, the Banyan Wing offers a unique, nostalgic experience. For more modern amenities and guaranteed ocean-view balconies, the Diamond Head Tower is ideal. The Tower Wing provides a contemporary alternative. Consider what aspects are most important for your Hawaii vacation when selecting your room.
🍸 Bar
🏖️ Beach
🧘 Fitness classes
🏋️ Gym
📋 Meeting rooms
🏊 Outdoor pool
🍽️ Restaurants
💆 Spa
The Luxe Atlas Rating
Design: 9.6/10
Vibe: 9.2/10
Romantic: 8.9/10
Air Conditioning: 8/10
Room: 8.9/10
Food: 10/10
Location: 10/10
Gym/Fitness: 8/10
Cleanliness: 9/10
Wow Factor: 9.5/10
Overall Experience: 9.11/10
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki
The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, is our top hotel in all of Waikiki — and it isn’t particularly close. As the first hotel ever built on Waikiki Beach, opened in 1901, it carries a sense of place and historical weight that no other property here can match. The colonial architecture, the famous Banyan Tree courtyard, the open-air lobby that flows without a single door from the valet straight through to the beach — it all adds up to something that feels genuinely irreplaceable.
This is our full review — covering all three wings and which to book, the Banyan Ocean View and Diamond Ocean Front suites, all dining venues with hours, the sunset from the courtyard, the Moana Lani Spa, and whether the Moana Surfrider earns its title as Waikiki’s First Lady.
Arriving at the Moana Surfrider — A Lobby That Opens Directly to the Beach
The arrival at the Moana Surfrider is the best on Waikiki. The valet area sits just off Kalakaua Avenue, and the moment you step through the entrance, the colonial architecture announces itself: white columns, vaulted ceilings, a grand staircase, fresh floral arrangements, and the immediate sense of being somewhere with genuine history behind it. The open-air design means you’re already in the trade winds from the first step inside.
What makes the arrival sequence distinctive is what doesn’t exist: doors. There is no sealed lobby, no transition through glass and air conditioning into a separate outdoor area. The hotel moves fluidly from the street through the veranda, into the courtyard, and directly to the beach — a single unbroken corridor. The famous rocking chairs on the front veranda facing Kalakaua Avenue are the right place to settle for the first fifteen minutes of any stay, watching the stream of Waikiki life pass by while the trade winds do the cooling.
Banyan Wing vs. Diamond Head Tower vs. Tower Wing — Which Should You Book?
Understanding the three wings before you book is the most useful piece of advice we can give about this property. Each delivers a genuinely different experience.
Banyan Wing
Original 1901 building. Direct views of the beach and Waikiki from many rooms. Shortest walk to restaurants, pool, and sand.
These rooms were all just updated in 2026. Décor is more traditional and some bathrooms run smaller than the newer wings. The trade-off for the most authentic Moana Surfrider experience.
Things to Consider
History & proximity to everything
Diamond Head Tower
Larger rooms, nearly all with private balconies overlooking the Pacific. Westin Heavenly Bed, upscale finishes, contemporary amenities.
Weddings below most evenings — music carries to lower balconies. Upper floors largely unaffected. Best for guests who prioritize room size over historic character.
Balconies & ocean views
Tower Wing
Modern finishes and state-of-the-art amenities. Typically partial ocean or city views.
The least distinctive of the three options architecturally — the right pick if contemporary comfort is the priority over historical setting.
Contemporary design
- If it’s your first visit to the Moana Surfrider, book the Banyan Wing. The proximity to the courtyard, the historic architecture, and the shorter walk to the beach and Beachhouse make it the most complete version of what this hotel actually is. The Diamond Head Tower is the right upgrade for return guests who want the full balcony and view experience.
Banyan Wing Views
Moana Surfrider Restaurants — Complete Dining Guide with Hours
The dining program at the Moana Surfrider is built entirely around the Banyan Tree courtyard and the beachfront setting — a single spectacular outdoor environment that transforms across the day from a relaxed breakfast patio to a candlelit evening restaurant. The food scores 10/10 in our rating, and the value holds better than most comparable Waikiki restaurants at this setting level.
The Beach Bar is the epitome of excellence among premium bars in Waikiki Beach. Here, you can enjoy live music, beachfront dining, and mixology . Take your map and reach the iconic Banyan Tree, in Oahu.
Daily · 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Breakfast under the Banyan Tree, looking out at Waikiki Beach. Marriott Bonvoy Elite members receive complimentary breakfast here — one of the most valuable perks at this property. The spread is wide and well-prepared, and the setting alone — trade winds, the sound of the ocean, the courtyard in the morning light — makes it worth lingering rather than rushing. This is how a Waikiki morning should start.
The same outdoor courtyard space becomes a candlelit dinner setting after sunset. Pricing runs on the higher side — you’re paying for the setting as much as the food, which is honestly the right value calculation here. The sound of the waves, the lit Banyan Tree, the Diamond Head silhouette in the distance — this is the most romantic dinner setting in Waikiki. Reserve a courtyard table specifically rather than accepting any available placement.
A quick-service coffee and grab-and-go option for early departures or pre-beach mornings when a full Beachhouse breakfast isn’t practical. Kona coffee, pastries, and light items — positioned in the lobby corridor for convenience.
- Reserve a Beachhouse courtyard table for dinner in advance — specifically request the Banyan Tree side facing the beach. The setting gap between a courtyard table and an interior placement is significant enough to be worth the extra step at booking.
The Banyan Tree Courtyard at Sunset — Our Favorite Sunset in Hawaii
No hotel experience at the Moana Surfrider is more worth planning around than the sunset from the Banyan Tree courtyard. The famous tree — planted in 1904, now spanning the full width of the courtyard — is lit from below as the light drops, and the combination of the golden Pacific sky, Diamond Head glowing in the distance, and the tree’s canopy overhead creates something that reads more like a painting than a hotel courtyard.
We have watched sunsets in the Maldives, in Santorini, in Bali, and across Hawaii. This one — specific to this courtyard, at this angle, with this particular tree and the history behind it — is our favorite. It happens every evening, costs nothing beyond being there, and is best experienced from the Beachhouse patio with something cold in hand. Plan your evening around being back at the hotel by 6 PM to get a good spot.
Moana Lani Spa, Pool & Beach Services
The Moana Lani Spa occupies an upper floor of the hotel with treatment rooms that face the ocean — the combination of the treatment quality and the Pacific view makes it one of the more distinctive spa experiences in Honolulu. The treatment menu covers the full range of massages, facials, and body wraps, with several treatments drawing from traditional Hawaiian healing practices rather than a generic hotel spa menu. Book treatments in advance; the spa fills up during peak season.
The pool is a well-maintained outdoor facility with sun deck and lounge chair service — a solid option on days when the ocean energy is too active for calm swimming. The beach access, however, is the property’s primary outdoor asset. The Moana Surfrider’s beachfront is one of the widest and most consistently serviced stretches of Waikiki sand — beach chairs and parasols are set up daily with attentive staff running food and drink service. The additional chair fee is worth it.
Moana Lani Spa
Full-service ocean-view spa with massages, facials, body wraps, and Hawaiian healing treatments. Book before arrival during busy periods.
Beach & Pool
Direct Waikiki beachfront — one of the widest sand stretches at any hotel on the strip. Attentive service, chair setup included with fee. Pool available for calmer days.
Is the Moana Surfrider Worth It?
The Moana Surfrider is the best hotel in Waikiki — our top pick on the island, and it earns that position on the strength of things that newer properties simply cannot replicate. The 1901 colonial architecture, the open-air corridor from valet to beach, the Banyan Tree courtyard, the sunset, the “Hawaii Calls” radio history embedded in the grounds — these are not features that can be designed or added. They either exist or they don’t, and at the Moana Surfrider, they do.
The Beachhouse food scores 10/10. The location is 10/10. The Banyan Wing puts you in the heart of it all. The sunset from the courtyard is our favorite in Hawaii — a specific claim we stand by having watched sunsets from the Maldives, Bali, Santorini, and across the Hawaiian Islands.
For anyone visiting Waikiki, staying here at least once is not a recommendation — it’s an instruction. There is no other hotel on this strip with this combination of history, setting, food, and location.
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