9 Fresh or New Hotels in the Hawaiian Islands
If you’re planning a getaway to the Hawaiian Islands in the cooler months, then continue reading! You are spoiled for choice, from Oahu to Maui, with rooms, suites, and even two-story villas!
Eight hotels and resorts have either undergone major renovations or have recently opened. So, consider staying at these moderate- to high-end accommodations for your next warm-weather island escape.
AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu (Oahu)
This urban retreat in Honolulu’s downtown business district is the first AC Hotel-branded lodging property on Oʻahu. AC Hotel Marriott Honolulu aims to meet the needs of business travelers as well as visitors wishing to experience the shops, eateries, and activities of Honolulu’s downtown area. The 112-room boutique hotel will feature contemporary accommodations, public spaces, technology, and a food-and-beverage program that includes a hidden speakeasy. With a focus on meetings and events, the hotel will also offer several gathering spaces and 2,420 square feet of indoor and outdoor event venues.
Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort (Oahu)
When Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort recently unveiled its renovated Waiola Wellness Wing, featuring property enhancements, new amenities, and oceanfront views of the Waikīkī shoreline, guests on Expedia rated the property as “exceptional.” The $85 million resort transformation also included the addition of a Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman restaurant, a new fitness facility, a Coral Reef Kids Club, and residential-style rooms and suites, including a 4,000-square-foot Coral Reef Penthouse.
Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa (Oahu)
Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa is the brand’s first location on Oahu. The 299 rooms feature air conditioning, private bathrooms, sea or mountain views, and modern amenities. The hotel offers spa facilities, a saltwater swimming pool, a fitness center, a sun terrace, a restaurant, a bar, and free WiFi in public areas. The property also offers a private club lounge, several dining options, and culturally inspired interior artwork and fitness amenities. Additional services include a steam room, hot tub, and electric vehicle charging station. Located in Honolulu, the hotel is a 13-minute walk from Ala Moana Beach and 7.5 miles from Honolulu International Airport. Nearby attractions include Ala Moana Center and Magic Island.
The Ambassador Hotel of Waikīkī at The Ambassador (Oahu)
The Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki, Tapestry Collection by Hilton offers the third-floor Waikīkī Swim and Social Club as the new gathering place and a Waikīkī reprieve for visitors and locals, offering all-day drinks, light bites made with local ingredients, and a relaxed ambiance. It’s a resort atmosphere in the center of the shopping and sightseeing action.
Editor’s Pick: Romer House Waikīkī (Oahu)
Tucked just off the main strip, Romer House Waikiki presents a stylish, accessible home base for exploring the island throughout the fall and winter seasons. Reimagined from a 1960s college dormitory into a swanky 179-room mid-century modern retreat, Romer House embraces the spirit of Waikiki’s neighborhood clubhouse—featuring rooms and suites with generous private lanais and warm wood textures, a bustling dining scene and genuine connections to the surrounding community
The property leans into its role as Waikiki’s neighborhood clubhouse with curated local art and guest programming, including a rotating lineup of wellness experiences (such as yoga, hula lessons and floating sound baths), complimentary beach gear and bike rentals and the Aloha Line, where guests can text anytime for local recommendations or an itinerary for the day. Just a five-minute walk from the beach, Romer House places guests within easy reach of Diamond Head, the Waikiki Historic Trail, International Market Place and local favorites. Nestled between the International Marketplace and the Ala Wai Canal, Romer House is a love letter to the neighborhood and O’ahu’s rich artistic culture. Each of the 179 hotel rooms pays tribute to Waikīkī’s Mid-Century apartment buildings, with most opening onto private lanais. Downstairs, an energetic restaurant, 855-ALOHA, serves island-inspired dishes meant to be shared over long nights of drinks, while the second-floor pool club offers a relaxed, splash-zone-free social atmosphere.
As part of Honolulu Pride celebrations, Romer House Waikiki will join neighboring bars for a Pride Bar Crawl on October 15. At The Lei Stand, guests can enjoy two specialty cocktails created for the occasion: the Passion Zaddy, featuring mango gin, Licor 43, passionfruit liqueur and lime, served with a sparkling wine sidecar, and the Switch Hitter, a refreshing blend of vodka, lilikoi and soda water with a rainbow candy garnish. Until October 17, $1 from every Pride cocktail sold will benefit the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation, bringing together community, celebration and a good cause.
Between three on-site venues, dining at Romer House feels like being let in on your in-the-know neighbor’s best-kept secret. For locally-inspired dishes rooted in Hawaiian flavors, 855-ALOHA is the property’s all-day signature restaurant complete with a vintage payphone, paying homage to the nostalgia of Waikiki’s iconic sky-blue phones that dotted the city. Outdoors, The Backyard is a lush urban oasis serving bites and beverages poolside.
The Lei Stand, the beloved Chinatown dive bar which was relocated to Romer House Waikiki’s lobby last year, serves as an evening gathering place for guests and locals where modern mixology meets aloha spirit. The cocktail program highlights tropical ingredients like lilikoi and passionfruit, while live music keeps the energy flowing throughout the week. Guests can also “get lei’d” with fresh local flowers via the lei vending machine.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (Hawaii, the Big Island)
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel‘s recent $180 million renovation included redesigning 252 guest rooms and suites, enhancing dining venues, revamping the Mauna Kea Golf Course, and building a new spa and fitness center. All guest rooms offer a private lanai with ocean or golf course views. All guest rooms also include nightly turn-down service, a built-in entertainment center with a flat-screen TV and an electronics charging station, a refrigerator, and a coffee machine. Private bathrooms include free toiletries, a hairdryer, bathrobes, and slippers. The Art of Mauna Kea, a beautiful coffee-table book about Mr. Rockefeller’s art collection, is also available for guests to enjoy.
Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa (Hawaii Island)
At a 22-acre property perched above Keauhou Bay, the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa launched a revitalization process to honor its location’s legacy and highlight its existing architecture while modernizing it to meet contemporary travelers’ expectations. The Outrigger team intends to carry the meaning of the Hawaiian word keauhou (“the new era” or “the new current”) throughout the design of the resort’s adult and family pools, on-property restaurants, Kaleiopapa Convention Center, fitness center, and all guest rooms.
Fairmont Kea Lani (Maui)
An all-suite and villa resort, the Fairmont Kea Lani completed its multi-year property transformation in December. In addition to the redesign of its 413 one-bedroom suites and 37 two-story villas, the resort will also unveil its reimagined lobby, home to a new 2,000-square-foot Hawaiian cultural center — one of the largest resort cultural centers on Maui — designed to share ‘ike (knowledge) with guests and the local community. The opening of a new oceanfront bar and restaurant with ʻāina (land)-driven culinary cocktails, panoramic views, and ocean breezes will complete the resort’s transformation.
Hale Hōkūala, Curio Collection by Hilton (Kauaʻi)
Hale Hōkūala Kauaʻi officially opened on September 30, 2026. Marking the Curio Collection’s brand debut in Hawaii, this 210-room new-build luxury resort is located within the Hōkūala Resort community on a scenic bluff near Līhuʻe Airport. Featuring 210 rooms (including 23 suites), all rooms are designed with floor-to-ceiling windows and private lānais offering sweeping views of Nāwiliwili Bay, Kalapakī Beach, and Hāʻupu Mountain. Guests have priority access to the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course. The resort also includes an outdoor pool, a full-service spa, pickleball courts, and a signature Portuguese-Hawaiian restaurant named Figueira. The property features a curated cultural immersion program, E Ala Ka Pilina, partnering directly with local practitioners and the Kauaʻi Museum.
