Hotels · Waikiki
Best Waikiki Hotels at Every Budget
Picking a Waikiki hotel comes down to two questions: how much you want to spend, and which end of the strip you want to wake up in. These are the 15 best hotels in Waikiki for most trips, in three budget tiers across Waikiki’s three zones, each checked against the hotel’s own site for resort fees and parking as of September 2026.
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Hotel towers along Waikiki Beach. Photo: Simon_sees, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Short List
The Best Hotels in Waikiki, by Budget
- LuxuryHalekulani · The Royal Hawaiian · Moana Surfrider · ʻAlohilani · Prince Waikiki
- Mid-rangeSheraton Waikiki · Outrigger Waikiki · Hyatt Regency · Outrigger Reef · Hilton Hawaiian Village · Kaimana Beach Hotel
- ValueHyatt Place · White Sands · Queen Kapiolani · Aqua Palms
How we picked: every resort fee and parking rate below comes from the hotel’s own website, checked in September 2026. We don’t print nightly rates, which swing by the date. Where a hotel doesn’t publish a fee, we say so rather than repeat a third-party guess. For resorts outside Waikiki, see our list of the best hotels on Oahu, and if you are still deciding whether to base in Waikiki at all, start with where to stay on Oahu.
Which End of Waikiki to Stay In
Waikiki runs west to east along Kalakaua Avenue and Kalia Road, from the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the foot of Diamond Head. Each end feels different, and the lifeguard coverage changes along the way.
- Fort DeRussy end (west). The resort-scale end, quieter, with big properties that have their own pools and lagoon. The city lists no lifeguard tower on this stretch, and Grey’s Beach, in front of the Halekulani, has the thinnest sand in Waikiki. Hotels here: Halekulani, Prince Waikiki, Outrigger Reef, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Aqua Palms.
- Central Waikiki. The walkable core and the busiest stretch, where the city’s lifeguard towers begin at the Moana Surfrider. Kuhio Beach Park has the only walled, calm swim basin on the strip; a sand project there starts in fall 2026, so expect some equipment on the beach. Hotels here: the Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, Sheraton, Outrigger Waikiki, ʻAlohilani, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place, White Sands.
- Diamond Head end (east). Past Kapiolani Park: calmer, less crowded, with its own lifeguard towers, and closest to the zoo, the aquarium and Diamond Head. It skews mid-range and value; Waikiki’s luxury hotels sit in the center and at the west end. Hotels here: Kaimana Beach Hotel, Queen Kapiolani.
One catch to know before you compare listings: ʻAlohilani and the Hyatt Regency both have “Waikiki Beach” in their names, and both are across Kalakaua Avenue from it. Our guide to Waikiki’s beaches, section by section covers each stretch of sand in detail, and the Waikiki map shows how far each hotel sits from the water.
Luxury Waikiki Hotels
Three of the five sit on the sand. Resort fees run $45 to $54, except at the Halekulani, which charges none.
Halekulani
A century-old hotel on the sand at the quiet west end of the strip, known for service more than scene. It is the only hotel on this list with no resort fee, and its own site says so in plain words. Have a drink at House Without a Key, its restaurant. The beach out front, Grey’s Beach, is the thinnest sand in Waikiki, so this is a stay for the hotel more than long beach days. Book it for service and a bill with no surprise fee on it.
The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort
The pink hotel on Waikiki Beach, open since 1927 and still the picture most people have of Waikiki. It sits on the sand in the middle of the strip, so the restaurants and surf schools on Kalakaua are a short walk, and guests can use the pools at the Sheraton next door. Book it for the history and the address.
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa
Waikiki’s oldest hotel, open since 1901, built around a banyan courtyard. It is on the sand at the center of the strip, right where the city’s lifeguard towers begin. We couldn’t confirm its current parking rate on its own site, so ask when you book. Book it for old Waikiki without giving up the beach.
ʻAlohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
A modern design hotel built around a lobby Oceanarium, with Morimoto Asia on site. Despite the name, it is across Kalakaua Avenue from the beach, so you cross the street to swim. Valet is $65 a night, and the resort fee brings your first night down to $50. Book it for design and dining over a beachfront room.
Prince Waikiki
The quiet luxury pick, on the Ala Wai Boat Harbor at the western gateway to Waikiki rather than on the beach. Rooms look over the harbor and the mountains, and an art collection runs through the hotel. The beach is a walk, not a step. Its $45 resort charge and $45 self-parking run lower than the beachfront names. Book it for calm and space.
Mid-Range Waikiki Hotels
Big-name towers and one Diamond Head end hotel, most of them on the sand, with resort fees of $45 to $55 where published.
Sheraton Waikiki
A big beachfront tower in the middle of Waikiki, next door to the Royal Hawaiian, with a large pool complex and high floors. The $52 resort fee (subject to change; confirm at booking) covers daily cultural classes and a reusable water tumbler. Book it for the pools and a beachfront address.
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Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
On the beach in the center of the strip, with live music and a surf-culture feel, and rooms the hotel describes as newly renovated. Parking is valet only at $60 a night, or $30 with a Hawaii resident or military ID. Book it for live music a few steps from the sand.
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa
Twin towers and 1,230 rooms across Kalakaua Avenue from Kuhio Beach Park, and its calm, walled swim basin. Like ʻAlohilani, the name says beach, but you cross the street. The sand project on Kuhio Beach starting in fall 2026 may bring equipment to that beach. The hotel does not publish its parking rate; ask when you book. Book it for a big full-service hotel across from the calmest ocean swimming in Waikiki.
Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort
The Outrigger’s beachfront sister at the quieter west end, between the Halekulani and Fort DeRussy. Same $50 resort fee and $60 valet as the Outrigger Waikiki (half price with a Hawaii or military ID), with less foot traffic outside. The sand here is thin, and the city lists no lifeguard tower on this stretch. Book it for beachfront at a slower pace.
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
A resort-sized village on Duke Kahanamoku Beach, with five pools, a calm lagoon and Friday night fireworks, so a family can spend whole days on property. Its Aliʻi Tower is closed for renovation until spring 2027, so don’t book that tower. Hilton charges a resort fee but does not publish the amount on its own pages, and parking is the steepest on this list: $72.25 self, $93.19 valet a night. Book it for scale.
Kaimana Beach Hotel
On Kaimana Beach at the Diamond Head end, past Kapiolani Park, where the swimming is calmer and the crowds thinner than the central strip. This end of Waikiki is closest to the zoo, the Waikiki Aquarium and Diamond Head. The resort fee is $45, and parking is valet only at $55. Book it for a beach day without the crowd.
Value and Budget Waikiki Hotels
None of these four is on the beach, and all four are within walking distance of it. What you save is mostly in the add-ons: resort fees here start at $30, against $50 to $55 at the big-name towers.
Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
A straightforward chain hotel a few blocks off the sand, on the inland side of central Waikiki toward Kapahulu. The $42 destination fee includes a $5 daily food and beverage credit. Parking is valet only, $60 plus tax. Book it when you want a known brand and a lower fee than the beachfront towers.
White Sands Hotel
A 1957 walk-up motor lodge, recently reimagined, built around a courtyard pool, two and a half blocks from Waikiki Beach. Its $30 resort fee is the lowest on this list, and overnight valet is $49. Book it for vintage character and the smallest add-ons on this list.
Queen Kapiolani Hotel
Named for Queen Kapiʻolani and set across from Kapiolani Park and the Honolulu Zoo, at the quiet Diamond Head end, with views of Diamond Head itself. It charges a daily hospitality fee but doesn’t publish the amount, so ask before you book. An optional $3 tree fee supports native reforestation. Parking is valet only, $60 plus tax. Book it for the views at the value end of the list.
Aqua Palms Waikiki
A value base on Ala Moana Boulevard by the Ala Wai Harbor, several blocks from the sand at the Hilton Hawaiian Village end. It charges a daily amenity fee that covers in-room Wi-Fi but doesn’t publish the amount. Parking is $45 a day, with limited spaces. Book it when a low parking rate matters more than an ocean view.
Waikiki Hotel Resort Fees and Parking
Per night, as each hotel publishes them, as of September 2026. Where a hotel says tax is extra, so do we.
| Hotel | Resort fee | Overnight parking |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury | ||
| Halekulani | None | $68 |
| The Royal Hawaiian | $52 + tax | Self $55, valet $65 |
| Moana Surfrider | $54 + tax | Not confirmed; ask |
| ʻAlohilani | $54 + tax | Self $55, valet $65 |
| Prince Waikiki | $45 + tax | Self $45, valet $50 (+ tax) |
| Mid-range | ||
| Sheraton Waikiki | $52 + tax; confirm at booking | Self $55, valet $65 |
| Outrigger Waikiki | $50 + tax | Valet $60 |
| Hyatt Regency | $55; confirm at booking | Not published; ask |
| Outrigger Reef | $50 + tax | Valet $60 |
| Hilton Hawaiian Village | Charged; amount not published | Self $72.25, valet $93.19 |
| Kaimana Beach Hotel | $45 | Valet $55 + tax |
| Value | ||
| Hyatt Place | $42 + tax | Valet $60 + tax |
| White Sands | $30 + tax | Valet $49 + tax |
| Queen Kapiolani | Charged; amount not published | Valet $60 + tax |
| Aqua Palms | Charged; amount not published | $45, limited |
Resort fees at Waikiki’s smaller hotels run well under the big beachfront names’ $50 to $54, as low as $30 at White Sands. Add the fee and parking to the room rate before you compare: at the Royal Hawaiian, the resort fee plus valet adds $117 a night before tax.
Before You Book a Waikiki Hotel
- Price the whole stay. The resort fee and parking are charged every night, and several hotels here are valet only. If you won’t drive every day, skip the rental car for your Waikiki nights.
- You don’t need a car to get in. Our guide to getting from the Honolulu airport to Waikiki compares the bus, shuttle, taxi and rideshare.
- Check the tower. Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Aliʻi Tower is closed for renovation until spring 2027.
- Weighing a resort outside Waikiki? Our Ko Olina vs Waikiki comparison lays out the trade-off, fees and drive times.
- Planning a wedding? The Royal Hawaiian and the Halekulani both host them. Our guide to Oahu wedding venues compares them with ranches, gardens and chapels around the island.
Best Hotels in Waikiki: Questions
What is the best hotel in Waikiki?
It depends on the budget. For luxury, the Halekulani: on the beach, known for service, and the only hotel on our list with no resort fee. For history on the sand, the Royal Hawaiian or the Moana Surfrider. For families, Hilton Hawaiian Village, with five pools and a lagoon. For value, White Sands, with the lowest resort fee we found at $30 a night.
Which Waikiki hotels have no resort fee?
Of the 15 hotels on this list, only the Halekulani, which says on its own site that it charges none. The big-name hotels charge $50 to $55 a night as of September 2026. Smaller hotels run lower: $45 at Prince Waikiki and the Kaimana Beach Hotel, $42 at Hyatt Place and $30 at White Sands.
Which Waikiki hotels are right on the beach?
On this list, the Halekulani, the Royal Hawaiian, the Moana Surfrider, the Sheraton Waikiki, both Outriggers, Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Kaimana Beach Hotel sit on the sand. ʻAlohilani and the Hyatt Regency have Waikiki Beach in their names but are across Kalakaua Avenue from it.
How much is hotel parking in Waikiki?
Among the hotels that publish it, overnight parking runs from $45 (self parking at Prince Waikiki, plus tax, and Aqua Palms) to $93.19 (valet at Hilton Hawaiian Village) a night as of September 2026. Several hotels are valet only. If you are not driving every day, skip the car for your Waikiki nights.
Which part of Waikiki is best to stay in?
Central Waikiki for walking everywhere and the calm Kuhio Beach swim basin. The Fort DeRussy end for big resorts and a quieter pace, though the city lists no lifeguard towers there. The Diamond Head end for a calmer, less crowded beach next to Kapiolani Park, the zoo and the aquarium.
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