Moana Surfrider, the First Lady of Waikiki

As published on the hotel’s own pages, checked Sep 26, 2026. Confirm when you book.

Best for

• CouplesGreatOceanfront couples spa rooms and afternoon tea on the Veranda.
• FamiliesGoodA lifeguard tower out front, but one pool and no kids club on site.
• FriendsGoodLive music at the Beach Bar and two-bedroom suites in every wing.
• SoloGoodCentral and walkable, with daily yoga and the history tour included.
• GroupsGood791 rooms and an oceanfront lawn for up to 400.

The original 1901 building from Kalakaua Avenue, drawn from the opening-day photograph of March 11, 1901 (Hawaii State Archives).

The 791 rooms and suites sit in three wings, all renovated between summer 2025 and May 2026. The Tower Wing has the largest rooms, the clearest Diamond Head views and a lanai in every room. The Banyan Wing is the 1901 original, where each room varies slightly. The Surfrider Wing, called the Diamond Wing until 2026, opened in 1952; its oceanfront rooms keep rocking chairs on the balcony. Pick the wing before the room.

There are 47 suites, from junior to two-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts exist in every wing. Tower one-bedroom suites average 788 square feet with a separate living room and lanai. The Tower’s 21st floor holds penthouse suites of more than 2,000 square feet with wraparound terraces. For more family options, see the best hotels on Oahu for families.

There is one pool, and it sits in the courtyard under the banyan with the ocean just past it. It is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for hotel guests only. There is no slide and no kids’ pool. Cabanas and daybeds book up to two weeks ahead and include a spa set and two cocktails; prices are not published.

Moana Lani Spa fills more than 18,000 square feet on the second floor of the Tower Wing, facing the ocean. It has 11 massage rooms, oceanfront couples rooms with their own whirlpools, a nail salon and a steam room and sauna. Treatments are for ages 18 and up; hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The hotel fronts central Waikiki Beach, over 600 feet of sand by its count, and city lifeguard tower 2A stands right here, staffed 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It is the westernmost tower on the city’s list. Surf lessons and outrigger canoe rides run from the sand (see surf lessons in Waikiki), and Kuhio Beach Park begins just east.

The resort fee covers most of the programming, usually for two guests per room: daily yoga, ukulele, hula, lei making and Storytelling with Tutu. The historic tour runs Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 p.m. from the Banyan Wing lobby and is included for hotel guests. There is no kids club on site; the partner daycare, Poppins, is at the Sheraton Waikiki. The gym is open 24 hours.

Six venues sit around the banyan courtyard and the historic lobby, all open to non-guests, with a Honolulu Coffee counter for mornings. Beachhouse at The Moana is the dinner to book, and afternoon tea on the Veranda is the hotel’s tradition.

Beachhouse at The MoanaOceanfront seafood and steak

Beachhouse at The Moana is the signature restaurant, oceanfront in the Victorian building, serving island seafood and steak as a chef’s tasting menu: three courses for $110 or four for $130 as of Sep 2026. Dinner runs Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 PM, last reservation 8:30. Choose from lobster chowder, Big Island kampachi with XO sauce and a porcini-crusted filet mignon. Resort casual is recommended. Book online or at (808) 931-8649. It suits couples and small celebrations. Tip: reserve early for sunset and weekend tables, which the restaurant says fill first.

The VerandaBreakfast buffet and afternoon tea

The Veranda is the open-air oceanfront restaurant overlooking the banyan courtyard. Breakfast is a daily buffet from 6 to 10:30 AM, $52 an adult and $28 for 12 and under as of Sep 2026, with an omelet table, a Japanese station and the Moana’s “beautiful” pancakes. Afternoon tea runs Friday to Sunday, 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM: the Moana Classic set is $76 with a choice of teas such as Hawaiian Coconut or Passion Orange Guava, and keiki tea is $37. Book tea on OpenTable; breakfast needs no reservation. It suits families and couples. Tip: diners get complimentary valet with validation, and the Veranda is cashless.

The Beach BarOceanfront bar

The Beach Bar sits by the sand under the banyan, open daily 11 AM to 10:30 PM with live local musicians every day and Executive Chef Jason Watanabe running the kitchen. Order the Moana Sunset Mai Tai ($23) with hibiscus and passion fruit, the poke nachos ($35) or the Surfrider Burger ($31), prices as of Sep 2026. Dress is casual, with a cover-up over swimwear, and there are no reservations. A keiki menu covers ages 6 to 12, so it suits families as well as friends. Tip: parties of five or more pay a 20% service charge.

Vintage 1901Wine lounge

Vintage 1901 is the wine-centric lounge in the historic lobby, open Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30 to 10 PM, with artisan cocktails and live piano by David Swanson. The menu runs from lobster chowder ($18) to the Surfrider Mai Tai ($22) and a porcini-crusted filet mignon ($58). It suits couples who want a quieter drink than the Beach Bar. Tip: the Big Island kampachi from the Beachhouse menu is here à la carte for $42.

International Market Place is across Kalakaua Avenue, the Royal Hawaiian Center is a few minutes west, and the Duke Kahanamoku statue is just east. Kapiolani Park, the zoo and the aquarium are within about a mile. The Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar, on our list of the best mai tais on Oahu, is next door, and meals there can be signed to the room. Diamond Head needs an entry reservation; Pearl Harbor is a trip of its own (getting there from Waikiki).

• Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort is on the same central stretch of sand with a $50 resort fee, valet at $60 a day and newly renovated rooms. Its club lounge is closed until January 1, 2027.
• Sheraton Waikiki is the better pick for families: two connected kids’ pools, a 70-foot slide and the on-site child care that Moana guests walk next door to use.
• Kaimana Beach Hotel suits travelers who want a lifeguarded beach without the crowds: a small hotel on the sand at the quiet Diamond Head end, with a $45 resort fee and no pool.

• Pick the Tower for views. Every Tower room has a lanai and the clearest Diamond Head view; the Surfrider Wing has the oceanfront rocking chairs.
• Tea is Friday to Sunday. Afternoon tea runs 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; reserve ahead.
• Book the history tour. Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 p.m., from the Banyan Wing lobby.
• Check your vehicle height. The valet garage clears 6 feet 6 inches.
• Arrive early for the spa. Come 30 minutes before a treatment to use the steam room and whirlpool.