Wayfinder Waikiki, a Pool Hotel on the Ala Wai

Fee, parking, times, age and pet rules from the hotel’s own FAQ, checked Sep 27, 2026. The walk time is our estimate; the hotel says 4 to 5 minutes.

Best for

• CouplesGreatA 21 check-in age, the pool and hot tub, and welcome cocktails in the fee.
• FamiliesGoodCribs are $10 a night and Double rooms suit families, but four in 242 square feet is snug and there is no kids club.
• FriendsGreatRooms for four, a penthouse for eight, and boogie boards and GoPros in the fee.
• SoloGoodFree daily classes, from hula to lei making, and Bishop Museum admission.
• GroupsGoodRoom blocks and poolside gatherings, but no dedicated event space.

Dovetail + Co bought the Waikiki Sand Villa in 2021 and reopened it as Wayfinder in 2023, with local art in every room. Nearly every room is 242 square feet: a King or Two Double Beds, most with a lanai. The Classic rooms on the second floor skip the lanai, and a Corner King at 275 square feet adds a bigger one plus yoga mats. There are no kitchens. The front desk lends film cameras, first come, first served.

For more room, the Pool House Studios are 484 square feet with a wet bar and a sofa sleeper, next to the pool, and sleep four. The 12th-floor Wayfinder Suite has a kitchenette and three lanai. At the top, the 1 Bedroom Penthouse has a 750-square-foot lanai with partial ocean views, and the 2 Bedroom Penthouse sleeps eight with two kitchenettes and two living rooms.

The pool is the hotel’s center: 70 feet, saltwater, with a hot tub and an accessible chair lift. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., all year. There is no spa, but the 24-hour gym and daily classes, from hula to lei making, come with the fee, and your room key gets you into the Bishop Museum for free.

Wayfinder is on the mauka (inland) side of Waikiki, across Kuhio and Kalakaua avenues from the sand. Walk down Kaiulani Avenue and you reach Kuhio Beach at the Duke statue in about 7 minutes. Inside the breakwater the water is calm and shallow, and city lifeguard towers 2B through 2D cover the stretch from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The state plans sand work at Kuhio Beach starting in fall 2026, so expect some equipment or a smaller swim area. See Waikiki’s beaches, section by section for every stretch and our Waikiki surf lessons guide for lessons at the Duke statue.

Redfish Poke Bar by Foodland is the restaurant, serving brunch from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.: poke by the pound, poke flights and mochi pancakes. Lost + Found is the poolside bar, open 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with happy hour from 2 to 5, pouring Kō Hana rum and local beer. B-Side Coffee Bar in the lobby opens early with Maui-roasted coffee and pastries. More poke in the best poke on Oahu.

International Market Place is about 6 minutes away on foot, the Royal Hawaiian Center 10 and the Honolulu Zoo 15. Diamond Head needs a timed entry, so read how Diamond Head reservations work. Comparing small hotels? Romer House has a $48 fee and $55 valet; the Surfjack charges no fee on a direct booking. Our boutique hotels guide lines up the rest, and our Waikiki resort fees guide compares the fees.

• Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club suits four or more sharing: suites of 480 to 914 square feet sleep up to eight, and a direct booking carries no amenity fee.
• White Sands Hotel is the smaller, lower-fee pick: 94 rooms, standard ones at 316 square feet, a $30 amenity fee with beach chairs and boogie boards, and dogs with no weight limit.
• Halepuna Waikiki suits travelers who want spa treatments and a quiet pool deck: no resort fee, an eighth-floor infinity lap pool with a hot tub, and SpaHalekulani treatments to book.

• Book direct for the perks. Neighborhood discounts on surf, sails and yoga are for direct bookings.
• Stay five nights or more. The long-stay offer takes 30% off five nights and 40% off seven, though the fee still applies.
• Hawaii residents skip the fee. The kamaʻāina rate waives it and halves parking with a Hawaii ID.
• Ask for housekeeping. It is not daily unless you request it at the front desk.
• If valet is full, overflow parking at a neighboring hotel is $35 per 24 hours with no in-and-out. Compare in our Waikiki parking guide.
• Be at the pool on Friday evening. Sunset Swim, with a DJ or band, is for guests only.