Best Boutique Hotels to Stay in Honolulu
Honolulu's boutique hotels cluster in Waikiki, each a short walk from the beach and each with its own character. Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani is a luxury boutique hotel with a pool and hot tub on the 8th floor, two minutes' walk from Waikiki Beach. VIVE Hotel Waikiki is a 100% non-smoking boutique hotel four minutes from the beach, with breakfast included. Wayfinder Waikiki is a pet-friendly boutique hotel with an outdoor pool and hot tub, and Coconut Waikiki Hotel offers pet-friendly stays with kitchenettes and private terraces in some rooms. I compare the four by setting, facilities and guest scores, all based on large review samples.
Honolulu's Waikiki is compact, and its boutique hotels sit within minutes of the beach, the shops and the dining.
Four Waikiki boutique hotels, four styles
A boutique hotel in Waikiki trades the scale of a resort for a smaller building, a distinct style and a short walk to the sand. The four hotels here all describe themselves as boutique in their own listings, and each is within five to ten minutes of the beach or shops. I report only what the listings say, and where a feature such as a kitchen or a hot tub is limited to some rooms or some hotels, I say so.
Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani is the most polished boutique choice. Its listing calls it a luxury boutique hotel and an urban oasis, with a pool and hot tub on the 8th floor, two minutes' walk from Waikiki Beach, and rooms with deep-soaking tubs and modern conveniences. It states that no resort fee applies. Guests rate it 9.1 across 3,008 reviews, the largest sample here, so I treat that score as the most dependable. I would choose it for a couple who want a stylish room and an 8th-floor pool close to the beach.
VIVE Hotel Waikiki is the straightforward boutique choice. It is a 100% non-smoking boutique hotel four minutes' walk from Waikiki Beach, with modern rooms that have mountain, city or ocean views, free WiFi and an enhanced continental breakfast every day. Honolulu International Airport is a 20-minute drive away. Guests score it 8.7 across 1,812 reviews, which is a large and convincing sample. I would pick VIVE for a traveler who wants a clean, modern room and a breakfast included, without paying for a pool deck or a spa. I would also pick it for a first visit, since a short walk to the beach is easy to plan.
Wayfinder Waikiki and Coconut Waikiki Hotel are the two pet-friendly boutique options. Wayfinder has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, five minutes' walk from Waikiki Beach, and overlooks the Ala Wai golf course, with family-friendly rooms that include a refrigerator and a bathtub; it scores 8.5 from 1,543 reviews. Coconut has an outdoor pool and a fitness center, with rooms that include a microwave, a wet bar and a coffee machine, some with kitchenettes and private terraces, and it is under a 10-minute walk from the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center; it scores 8.5 from 1,129.
The choice comes down to what you want from a small hotel. For a pool and hot tub with a polished feel, Halepuna is the pick. For views and breakfast at a calm price point, VIVE fits. For a pet-friendly stay with a hot tub, Wayfinder is the one that lists it. For a kitchenette or a private terrace, Coconut is the hotel to ask about, since those features come only in some rooms. All four have large review samples, so the scores are reliable, though I recommend reading recent reviews before you book.
A traveler's perspectiveIf I were choosing a boutique hotel in Honolulu, I would book Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani for its 8th-floor pool and hot tub, its deep-soaking tubs and its 9.1 score across more than three thousand reviews. For a simpler stay with breakfast and views, I recommend VIVE Hotel Waikiki. For a pet-friendly boutique stay, I would choose Wayfinder Waikiki, and I would ask Coconut Waikiki Hotel for a room with a kitchenette.
Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani - NO RESORT FEE
Honolulu
3,008 reviews
Luxury boutique hotel with an urban oasis pool and hot tub
Check availabilityWhy guests love itHalepuna Waikiki by Halekulani is a two-minute walk from Waikiki Beach, so families can go back and forth between the sand and the room several times a day. The pool and hot tub on the 8th floor give children a calmer swim when the beach is crowded. Rooms have deep-soaking tubs, welcome after a long day of sun and salt water, and no resort fee applies, which keeps the final bill clear.
VIVE Hotel Waikiki
Honolulu
1,812 reviews
Boutique hotel steps from Waikiki Beach with mountain, city, or ocean views
Check availabilityWhy guests love itVIVE Hotel Waikiki is a fully non-smoking boutique hotel just a 4-minute walk from Waikiki Beach, so families can head to the sand without a car. Rooms look out over the mountains, the city or the ocean, and an enhanced continental breakfast is served every day, a simple start before a beach morning. WiFi is free, and the airport is a 20-minute drive away. Guests rate it 8.7 from 1,812 reviews.
Coconut Waikiki Hotel
Honolulu
1,129 reviews
Boutique hotel with an outdoor pool and pet-friendly rooms
Check availabilityWhy guests love itCoconut Waikiki Hotel is a boutique hotel under a 10-minute walk from the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, with an outdoor pool and fitness center. Rooms have a microwave, wet bar and coffee machine, and some add a kitchenette or a private terrace, useful for family breakfasts. Pets are welcome, which is not always the case in Waikiki. The airport is a 20-minute drive. Guests rate it 8.5 from 1,129 reviews.
Wayfinder Waikiki - Voted Top 10 Best Hotels in Hawaii!
Honolulu
1,543 reviews
Pet-friendly boutique hotel with pool, hot tub, and Waikiki Beach nearby
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThe Wayfinder Waikiki is a 5-minute walk from Waikiki Beach, and I would recommend it to families who want the sand close without staying on the beachfront strip. Rooms have a refrigerator and a bathtub, useful for bathing small children, and the outdoor pool and hot tub cover the hours between beach sessions. The hotel overlooks the Ala Wai golf course, welcomes pets and has parking on site. An 8.5 from 1,543 reviews is a very good score for this boutique hotel.
Local tips
- 1Choose Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani for a pool and hot tub on the 8th floor and a two-minute walk to the beach.
- 2Pick VIVE Hotel Waikiki for a non-smoking boutique stay with breakfast included and mountain, city or ocean views.
- 3Book Wayfinder Waikiki if you travel with a pet and want an outdoor pool and hot tub.
- 4Ask Coconut Waikiki Hotel for a room with a kitchenette or private terrace, since only some rooms have them.
- 5Remember that VIVE is a 20-minute drive from Honolulu International Airport, so plan your transfer.
- 6Read recent reviews before booking, even though all four scores rest on more than a thousand reviews.