Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach

I’m afraid any other resort will pale in comparison to our recent stay in an oceanfront room in the Surfrider Wing. From check in to checkout, every staff member that we interacted with treated us with such kindness and graciousness. Housekeeping always checked in and made sure we always had everything we needed. The proximity of the location in Waikiki is unbeatable. I loved the relaxing vibe that is felt the moment you step in the lobby. I will surely return for another stay in the near future and can’t wait to come back. Mahalo, Moana Surfrider and staff.

Iconic building with great location. Loved sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the balcony or at the wonderful lobby near the big windows watching street or ocean views. Breakfast is nice but very expensive. Room with city view is good but it not quiet. Swimming pool is disappointing.

We stayed at the Moana Surfrider for 14 nights during our holiday in Waikiki, in Room 582. We had been really looking forward to staying here because of its history, character and fantastic beachfront position. Unfortunately, after two weeks, we came away feeling that the hotel simply didn’t live up to our expectations. Our Tower oceanfront room on the 5th floor had two queen beds and, to be fair, was spacious, clean and practical. We liked the storage, particularly the wardrobe in the bathroom, and the room was comfortable enough. We had a bath rather than the shower tray we would have preferred, and although the standalone floor air-conditioning worked well, its position wasn’t particularly convenient. The little extras were appreciated. We had a coffee maker and kettle, along with milk and sugar. We were also given two small complimentary bottles of water, plus two extra bottles every day, which was particularly helpful as my wife needs water with her medication. Breakfast was the real highlight We had breakfast at the Veranda every single day of our stay. At around $52 per person before tax and gratuity, it certainly wasn’t cheap, but we genuinely enjoyed it and, for us, it was probably the best food experience at the hotel. After eating there every day, we were pleasantly surprised when the hotel gave us our 13th breakfast on the house. That was a lovely gesture and one of those small things that made us feel that our custom had been noticed and appreciated. Sadly, we couldn’t say the same about everything we ate during our stay. We tried the three-course à la carte meal at the Veranda, costing $110, and for us it was disappointing. At that price, we expected considerably more. We also couldn’t help noticing how many guests were returning to the hotel with ABC Store bags containing food and drinks. After seeing the prices around the resort, we could understand why. The pool was a real disappointment For us, this was one of the biggest let-downs. For a hotel of this size, with nearly 800 rooms, the pool area feels completely inadequate. There are only around 66 loungers, and getting one meant joining the early-morning rush. The fact that guests were getting up around 5am to secure loungers really says something. We found this frustrating. We were on holiday and wanted to relax, not feel that we had to set an alarm at 5am just to have somewhere to sit around the pool. Then there are the additional costs for beach beds and the very expensive cabanas. When you're already paying a substantial room rate and a daily resort/service charge, it becomes difficult not to question what you're actually getting for your money. The $64 daily charge The $64-a-day resort/service charge is another thing that became increasingly irritating over a two-week stay. Wi-Fi is included, but our experience with it was poor. It was slow and regularly dropped out. Having visited the Hyatt, where the Wi-Fi was considerably better, the difference was noticeable. When you're paying that sort of daily charge, you shouldn't have to put up with unreliable Wi-Fi. The birds were another annoyance This might sound like a small thing, but after seeing it repeatedly, it really did bother us. There were birds all over the courtyard tables whenever food was left waiting to be cleared. On occasions, we actually saw them walking across tables that had just been freshly laid for guests. Personally, I found that very unappealing, particularly when you're about to sit down for breakfast. And yes, it can be noisy We knew the hotel was in the heart of Waikiki, so we expected some noise. But it is a busy hotel in a very busy location, and at times we found it quite noisy. For some people that will be part of the attraction. For us, after two weeks, it became another thing that detracted from the relaxing holiday experience we had hoped for. What we did like There are definitely positives. The location is superb. Stepping straight out onto Waikiki Beach is difficult to beat, and the hotel itself is beautiful, historic and full of character. The banyan tree and the old-world feel give it something that many modern hotels simply don't have. Our room was clean and spacious, and we had no major problems with housekeeping. The daily additional bottles of water were also a thoughtful touch. And, as I mentioned, the complimentary 13th breakfast was a nice gesture that we genuinely appreciated. Our overall impression Perhaps the biggest issue for us is that we expected more. The Moana Surfrider has such a reputation and such an iconic position that we were expecting the whole experience to feel special. Instead, there were too many occasions where we found ourselves thinking, "Is this really worth what we're paying?" The expensive food and drinks, $64 daily resort charge, unreliable Wi-Fi, tiny pool for the size of the hotel, expensive beach facilities, early-morning rush for loungers and the general noise all added up. It's a beautiful hotel in a fantastic location, and I'm sure many people absolutely love it. But after spending 14 nights there, we personally wouldn't choose to stay again. For us, the Moana Surfrider was a hotel we were glad to have experienced — but equally glad to be leaving.

I have stayed here multiple times for work events, and every time I wish I could stay somewhere else. Every room is LOUD - the street side rooms have traffic and sidewalk performers, courtyard rooms endure music from the hotel’s bar, and rooms that face west get construction noise and live music at Duke’s from the resort next door. Sure, the lobby and courtyard are historic and charming, but they’re overrun by crowds of people not staying at the hotel. If I ever get to choose a hotel in Waikiki, I’ll book a room at a hotel where I can sleep.

Absolutely — you have a lot of great, personal details here, and they’ll make the review feel genuine rather than generic. I’d keep the hurricane experience because it really highlights how the staff handled an unusually difficult situation. An Amazing Stay — The Staff Truly Went Above and Beyond Our first check-in at the Moana Surfrider was extremely smooth. We were greeted by Lucy, who was absolutely amazing. She was so friendly, warm, and personable that I honestly felt like I was being greeted by an old friend. She made it a point to make my birthday special by sending a lovely bag of treats up to our room for us to enjoy on our first night. It was such a thoughtful gesture and really set the tone for our stay. My daughter and I did have a strange experience our first night when we kept hearing what sounded like a vibrating ball or some kind of pump. We couldn’t figure out where the noise was coming from until the next morning, when we discovered that the room next door was drying rugs with a giant fan. The vibration was traveling through our shared wall. When we brought it to the attention of the front desk, Lucy immediately took care of it and had the fan shut off that night. She apologized, provided us with a small credit, and even gave us coupons for an upgraded breakfast. She handled the entire situation with such kindness and professionalism. We were also staying at the hotel when Hurricane Lala affected the island, and this is where the staff really went above and beyond. We needed to cancel our upcoming stay on the North Shore, and Chris at the front desk went out of his way to make sure we didn’t have to worry. He helped secure our room for an additional two nights so we wouldn’t have to drive across the island during the storm. We were incredibly grateful. The entire staff at the Moana Surfrider was amazing and friendly throughout our stay. We especially loved Stevie at the pool desk, who even tried to give me some boogie-boarding advice, although I have to say I was not successful! 😂 My daughter had an absolute blast. When the hurricane hit, the hotel lost power for about five hours. Despite the circumstances, the staff did an incredible job keeping everyone safe and comfortable. They put glow sticks along the escalators and stairways so guests could safely navigate the hotel. Breakfast wasn’t 100% available because of the circumstances and some items were limited, but it was organized and ran smoothly. The front desk staff remained positive, and they even played music in the lobby. Everyone did the absolute best they could to make sure guests had what they needed during a very unusual situation. Our only real complaint is the pool chairs. There are not enough chairs for the number of guests, and people were getting up around 5:30 in the morning to claim them. There also didn’t seem to be much consistency regarding when the pool desk would place reservation signs on chairs or remove belongings. I think the hotel could come up with a more consistent and effective system for managing the pool chairs. Other than that, we absolutely loved our stay. The location is beautiful, convenient to so many shops and restaurants, the staff is wonderful, and the way everyone handled the hurricane and power outage really showed us how much they care about their guests. We would definitely stay at the Moana Surfrider again. Mahalo to the entire team and especially Lucy, Chris, and Stevie for making our stay so memorable! 🌺