The Surfjack: Waikiki Without the Fee

Fee, parking, check-out and pet rules from surfjack.com, checked Sep 27, 2026. The hotel does not publish a check-in time.

Best for

• CouplesGoodAdults-only pool hours from 6 to 9 PM and live music at the bar, but no spa.
• FamiliesGoodTwo and three bedroom suites sleep six and eight; the pool goes adults-only at 6.
• FriendsGreatA three-bedroom suite for eight and a pool bar with happy hour from noon.
• SoloGoodA 24-hour desk, a cafe downstairs and the smallest rooms at 285 square feet.
• GroupsGreatSuites to eight guests and poolside events booked through the restaurant.

The Surfjack opened on March 31, 2016 in a 1960s building on Lewers Street, and Hoshino Resorts runs it today. Its 112 rooms lean mid-century: reclaimed wood, local art, stone shower floors. The One Room Bungalow is 285 square feet with a queen or two doubles, a lanai, a fridge, a Bluetooth speaker and daily housekeeping. There are no kitchens. Penthouse versions of the bungalow and the one-bedroom suite add an oversized lanai with city views.

This is where the Surfjack stands apart from other small Waikiki hotels. The One Bedroom Suite is 480 square feet with a king and a sofa bed. The Two Bedroom is 612 square feet and sleeps six, and the Three Bedroom is 914 square feet and sleeps eight. Bring the dog to a bungalow or a one-bedroom suite, the room types the hotel marks dog friendly.

The pool is the center of the hotel, with cabanas around it (prices not published) and talks with visiting artists and musicians. From 6 to 9 PM it is adults-only, except on event nights. The perks list includes towels, a Swim Club tote and beach chair rentals. On Tuesdays at 3 PM, Jack, the hotel dog, holds court by the water.

There is no spa and no fitness center. The hotel arranges in-room massage, facials, acupuncture, yoga and Pilates, and runs group breath-work and Pilates sessions on the penthouse lanai at sunset. Schedules and prices are not published, so ask the desk.

Walk down Lewers past Waikiki Beach Walk and you reach the sand at the Royal Hawaiian and Grey’s Beach stretch in about 10 minutes. Grey’s is the most eroded part of Waikiki, and the city posts no lifeguard tower west of the Moana Surfrider, so for guarded water walk a few minutes east to tower 2A. A surf school checks in on Lewers itself; compare them in our Waikiki surf lessons guide, and see Waikiki’s beaches, section by section for every stretch.

Two places to eat, both open to non-guests: Mahina & Sun’s, the restaurant and bar beside the pool, and ARVO, the coffee counter downstairs. Hotel guests get a discount at both.

Mahina & Sun’sIsland seafood and cocktails

Mahina & Sun’s serves elevated home cooking built on local seafood at lanai tables beside the pool, daily from noon to 10 PM: the lanai menu and happy hour until 5:30, then dinner. The signature is the Mahina Family Feast, a whole local fried fish with aʻu crudo, sides and banana pudding, at market price; for two, try the aʻu crudo ($18) and the Mahina bowl of spicy ahi poke ($20). Big plates run $28 to $44. The bar, run by Christian Taibi, made HAWAIʻI Magazine’s top five in Hawaii. Musicians play Tuesday to Friday, 5 to 7:30 PM. Book on OpenTable or at (808) 924-5810. It suits friends and couples who want cocktails more than a view. Tip: hotel guests get 15% off. See the best mai tais on Oahu.

ARVOCoffee counter

ARVO, the Honolulu cafe with a second shop at SALT in Kakaʻako, runs the Surfjack’s counter from 7 AM to 2 PM daily. The menu is short: a flat white ($5.50), cold brew ($6), bagels ($7) and a ham and cheddar toastie on Japanese white bread ($12). Hotel guests get 10% off, and the lobby pours free Surfjack Blend coffee from Caffe Luxxe. Mahina & Sun’s opens at noon, so ARVO is the only breakfast on site. More cafes are in the best coffee in Waikiki.

Waikiki Beach Walk is about 6 minutes on foot, the Royal Hawaiian Center 7, and International Market Place 9. The parking garage is the Hyatt Centric’s, about 5 minutes away; our Waikiki parking guide compares the rest. Comparing hotels? The White Sands is the retro walk-up with a $30 fee, and the Halekulani is the beachfront splurge that also skips the fee. Our boutique hotels guide lines up the small ones.

• Halekulani is the beachfront splurge that also skips the resort fee, with a heated guests-only pool and La Mer, Orchids and House Without A Key on property.
• White Sands Hotel costs less and has its own valet: a mid-range garden hotel with a $30 amenity fee, a courtyard pool bar and overnight valet with in-and-out, 5 to 8 minutes from Kuhio Beach.
• Hilton Hawaiian Village suits families, since the Surfjack pool goes adults-only at 6: five pools, waterslides, a keiki pool and a calm lagoon on the sand, though Hilton does not publish its resort fee.

• Book direct. The no-amenity-fee promise is made for direct bookings.
• Cancel by 72 hours out. Changes are free until then, except on the prepaid Early Jack rate.
• Validate every car. Get the garage ticket stamped at the front desk; Hawaii residents pay $25 a day.
• Swim with the kids before 6. The pool is adults-only from 6 to 9 PM.
• Bring a crate for the dog. Housekeeping services the room only with the dog crated.
• Ask the check-in time. The hotel does not publish it; check-out is noon for everyone.