Ihilani Resort & Spa At Ko Olina

Ihilani translates into Heavenly Splendor. And while you can’t expect every experience to be perfect, every time I have been here it has been Heavenly Splendor to me.
To lay it out there, this property has extreme sentimental value to me. My mother opened this hotel before it became a Marriott when it was still Japanese owned. Every Mother’s Day, family celebration, out of town guests around etc… majority of it was spent here. Even when the staff didn’t know I was a relative, the service was always outstanding. That’s important to know and feel when you’re a guest.
My grandparents 50^th anniversary was celebrated on this property and so was my 21^st birthday, the last celebration I had with my father before he passed. The staff ensured that every last detail was on point and helped in making all these moments memorable.
The spa services were like none other. The massages would take you to a place of ultimate bliss and the the mani/​pedis were meticulously executed with an amazing pineapple scrub that left your skin oh-​so soft. Yes, pricey, but this is a flagship property. That’s to be expected. And the food– from the melt in your mouth lemon ricotta pancakes at Naupaka Terrace to the amazing brunch with lobster bisque shooters at Azul to a simple Marriott burger and onion rings poolside. Everything was always consistent and delicious.
Because of all the changes and staff leaving upon the announcement of the closure, we decided to stay at the beach villas, but we dined at Ihilani every night and walked the property each morning. Every experience even into the final weeks was positive.
Although the property will come back as a reputable Four Seasons, it will never replace the memories built while it was the Ihilani.
I’m so thankful to the staff for their dedication and years of service and wish them all the best going forward whether they are taken on with Four Seasons or still looking for other opportunities. For me, the Ihilani was a magical place when there was only time for a staycation.

Our complaints were addressed and property tried to make it up to our 8-​person group. I can’t say that everything was suddenly top notch or adequate but we appreciated the accommodations. Service was still spotty upon checkout. We’ll be taking it up with marriott directly.

I have been coming to the Ko Olina lagoons to swim since I was a wee one, and I always saw this huge white hotel that I could only dream of entering. I always wondered what celebrities might be looking at me from their lanais and what their view must have been like. It was all a dream. until. fast forward many years and I finally have my room key to stay here! At $ 450 per night, I was sure expecting plenty. And I sure did get that! As soon as I checked in, I ran straight to the elevator, down the hall, into my room and to the lanai… and it was just as I imagined the view would be. Breathtaking! The rest of the room was beautiful. We really didn’t take advantage of the amenities of the hotel such as the pool, but who needs all that when you have the beautiful lagoons steps away.
Now, all that fanfare is strictly on the room itself. The front desk staff didn’t have all that aloha spirit I was born and bred on. Also, I really disliked the salon. They get 2 stars! They did my hair, daughters hair and a friends hair for my wedding. There were some scheduling issues on their part, pricing issues, and the woman who did my hair took FOREVER. She actually had me worried I was going to miss my own wedding she was so slow. I literally had to run out of the chair and up to my room to throw my dress on. Not the dream I had envisioned, but oh well. It all turned out beautiful. I really also did not like the restaurants. Go over to the Aulani, MUCH better. 100 times better. Also, parking is really steep. Like insanely steep. $ 35 per day steep. That is IF you are a guest. Highway robbery!
Will I stay here again? Probs not. I got my curiosity cured. Now i’m Disney Aulani curious…

I very much enjoyed my first AND last stay at Ihilani Hotel. Last because it’s closing down and turning into a Four Seasons Hotel. But nonetheless, a great hotel to stay at if you happen to be in Kapolei for a wedding.
The reason why I give this hotel only 4 stars out of 5 is because they «ran out» of King size beds and they lost our paperwork for check-​in. We had faxed in some paperwork in order to get a discounted rate for our stay, but they did not have it on file when we arrived. So we had to pay $ 6.00 (hello where’s our refund for the $ 6.00 you made us pay) at their business center to re-​print the coupon. And when I say «ran out» of King beds, they really did have hotel rooms with King beds, but it was in the downgraded area of the hotel. Of course, I didn’t mind at all. Give me two double beds and an upgraded room anytime! Also, when we tried to access our room, it was dead-​bolted from the inside. Not sure why the room was dead-​bolted when there wasn’t supposed to be anyone present inside, but alas, we could not get in immediately. Had to wait for security to open our door.
The standard room we stayed in was surprisingly large. The décor was very modern and the bathroom came with a separate shower and tub (which I always appreciate) and two separate sink areas. I just love the his and hers sink areas. It really comes in handy when you have a spouse who is more «hers» than «his.» Our hotel room also came equipped with a gigantic walk-​in closet. A big waste of space for us, being that we stayed just one night and we had basically one set of clothes. But hey, great for families. Or the drunk friend you pick up at the end of night who needs a place to sleep.
Upon arrival, we also had a fresh fruit arrangement brought up to our room. A pineapple boat, if you will. Complete with a thank you note for our stay. It was delicious and unexpected. If you didn’t know already, this hotel has 4 private-​ish man-​made lagoons, plus a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. Oh also… Sunday breakfast buffet! All things that make a hotel resort wonderful and not affordable at the same time!
Yes…if we didn’t have the discount coupon, we would not have stayed. We would have taken the 30 minute drive back home.

Our stay was not perfect… but it was pretty close to it!
I would like to thank Phillip (apologies if I spelled it wrong) at the front desk for doing his best to make sure we were satisfied with our room and Vicky in room service for making our stay feel like a second home!
When we first arrived and saw our room, a ground floor spa room, we were a bit underwhelmed (no view of the ocean and the spa needed a good clean).
Phillip heard us out and went to great lengths to get us the Ilihani Suite on the Eleventh floor. It had almost more square footage than our apartment here in LA. We immediately went from underwhelmed to overwhelmed. It was an amazing room, two balconies (one mountain facing, one ocean facing which stretched out further then any other balcony on the hotel), and our favorite feature being a spa bath that could fit four people.
Hotel — The hotel is closing in January 2015. The building is definitely in need of some TLC, Ex: the button of the spa jets fell out several times, a hole in the wall to the water pipes was covered by a faux closet door and the vanish on the railing is flaking off in large chunks) but it was still impressive. The grounds were simple but well maintained.
The shark pool is a cool feature!
Staff — Service was heart felt but comical at times. Ex: They kept delivering our luggage to the wrong room, room service would forget to clean odd bits. Oddly enough, the only employee that struck us as rude was at the Welcome Desk for your ‘welcome packet’.

I truly hope the Four Seasons is able to give the remaining staff enough incentive to stay, they are brilliant at their jobs!
Pricing — A bit varied. Small items are overpriced, larger costs were comped at times. Resort fee, parking fee are excessive but it does include a lot of amenities that the hotel offers, be sure to ask about them.
Services — I regret not trying out the Spa and Tennis Courts, it looked very relaxing. We didn’t have to pay for renting gear for snorkeling which was a fun spur of the moment activity.
Location — Perfect. Across the street from shops and food and on the corner of the Ko’Olina lagoon. Only downside was if you’re trying to avoid kids or events, the Disney Alluani next door is overflowing with both.
Overall, we were absolutely delighted with our stay and thank each and every one of the staff that made our stay so pleasant!

I love this hotel and I’m sad that it’ll be closed Jan ’15 for a year. It’s coming back as a Four Seasons!
Restaurants — overpriced and just ok. Breakfast buffet was nice as it had asian and american options. The Japanese restaurant has a buffet that didn’t appeal to me. I ordered a la carte and had the best butterfish I had in a long time!
Room service — if you have a room with a balcony, order room service and dine on the balcony! The privacy and views of the lagoon creates a dreamy setting and the food off the menu were really good. Loco Moco, and banana macadamia pancakes were fantastic.
Rooms — Very comfortable, great lighting in bathroom for makeup and variety of light settings available for to create whatever mood. Love that ;-) Comfortable beds. In-​room fridge if you need it.
Front Desk — I feel awful that I don’t remember names but they really nice. We lost our resort cards, hotel keys, parking issues, and lost our dvd vouchers. They were helpful each and every time. Yup, I was getting embarrassed I kept forgetting things.
Added bonus — Starbucks downstairs.
Small secret– If you’re feeling extra pale or perhaps body conscious, there’s a lap pool above the spa that’s quiet and rarely ever used by the hotel guests. I park myself there away from everyone! Gosh I miss the hotel.

Exceptional hotel. This property is beyond gorgeous. Rented a mountain-​view room for $ 249/​night through Expedia for two nights. That’s expensive for me but that is a great deal for this hotel and I was getting married that weekend at the Hawaii Prince Golf Course and wanted somewhere all of my bridesmaids could get ready.
Arrived at the hotel and was blown away. It is simply elegant. Check in was easy. The front desk upgraded my room to an ocean-​view at no charge! Awesome service! My hubby and I had cocktails and pupus at the small bar in the hotel which was excellent. My girlfriends then arrived and we had cocktails and pupus at the gorgeous pool and jacuzzi. The property and customer service is just outstanding.
The regular room is huge. Almost 700 SF with a huge lanai. The bathrooms are awesome.
Got my wedding hair done at the salon in the hotel and was more than satisfied. My look stayed in place the entire night.
I do hope that they keep the original character of the hotel after new management steps in 2015. I would hate to see it torn down. Regardless, if it’s a 4 Seasons, I could not afford to stay there anyhow.

when we made reservation (4 weeks ago), we requested crib as we travel with our 2 year old.
We checked in earlier, we were provided with a broken pack&play that could not lock. It also was very dirty with mildew
i called guest service at 4pm requesting another pack&play and were told that another one will be sent.
2 hr later (at 6pm), we still did not get the pack&play. I called guest service again at 6pm and she old me that another one will be sent by 7pm.
it is 7:30 pm now (3.5 he after we requested) and still no replacement pack& play.
And now I am informed that all the pack&play are dirty with mildew.
The actual guest services staff (Ashley & Jordan) are very professional & helpful. It is the Management team who do not stock clean and working pack&play.
we travel with 2 yr old and pack &play is very important for us.
I guess the Management team no longer care about customer since they are closing by end of this year anyway

This was a great place to stay for my first time on this side of the Island. My room was very spacious, and had a beautiful view of the ocean. The outdoor pool was very nice and well kept with plenty of staff coming by frequently to check if more drinks were needed. Although it did get very crowded and loud in the afternoon with children jumping in and running around the pool, the evening has a totally different adult like atmosphere.
Their restaurant is a great place to start the day with their breakfast, It’s a buffet with a wide range of choices that offers Japanese, American, and Local Hawaiian dishes. I highly recommend that every one try POG. It’s a juice that is made from fresh Pineapples, Oranges and Guava, hence the name P.O.G.
If you are renting a car, there are many local stores in the area, I ended up driving to a local strip mall and about 15 min away, and being the tourist that I’am, I went and bought a whole lot of Hawaiian shirts for really cheap.
Wonderful staff. Will definitely be coming back here my next time I’m back on the Island.
Would have been a 5 star but being that a lot of my time was to be spent in Waikiki, the time a spent in traffic was really bad. If there is no traffic, the distance between this resort and the city is about 20 min. With traffic, it took over an hour a couple of times. Traffic starts to get heavy around 3:30pm around here.

I am absolutely in love with this resort! Jason really helped us upon check in with an amazing upgrade to an ocean-​view room and a complimentary bottle of champagne.
This resort is so nice and quiet, even though it shares the lagoon with Aulani. My husband and I loved spending time in the water hammocks and cabanas all day. Staff is so friendly and we had an absolutely amazing time. We can’t wait to return!

First and foremost I want to thank Michelle and Ronnie from the reservation department. Transactions and communications was easy with them and they granted my request to get a high floor for the Jr. Suite and another room to be far apart.
I’m amazed by the architecture and design of this hotel. The Views from the Jr. suite was spectacular and it was perfect for my wife and brides maids to prepare for our wedding. The standard room that I got for the Groomsmen on the 6^th floor was also great but not compared to the Jr. Suite up on the 14^th floor where you can see the view of the entire lagoon, pool and beyond.
I’m not gonna lie but this place is expensive, but you’ll definitely get what you paid for.
I did hear that this place was going to close down for renovations and even heard a rumor saying that Four Seasons is taking over this location. If you’re visiting Hawaii soon I’d definitely give this place a look before it turns super expensive.
Mahalo!

My husband and I stayed here many times when the Ihilani was Japanese run and before it became a Marriott. We loved it. The rooms were beautiful and the service always impeccable. I was leery of staying in a Marriott since service and aesthetics are very important to me but we decided to give it a shot and bring our children as we had had so many wonderful experiences at the Ihilani in the past and didn’t want to deal with the hustle and bustle of Waikiki since we were here to visit family and friends. So far it’s been a major disappointment. The service has been terrible from the cold reception (decidedly un-​Hawaii) at the front desk when checking in to the complete lack of service at the beach. Tip — Hawaiian locals have got to be among the most gracious, elegant, service-​minded people in the world. Hire them from the top down and get rid of all these mainlanders with the «I could care less» attitude.
The thing that is most upsetting to me however is the way the staff here lies to guests. I booked an ocean front room. We were given an ocean front room but right next to a wall that juts out and houses another set of rooms. Pigeons live on the gutter of the building next to us and consequently hang out on our patio and poop all over the outdoor furniture. I didn’t pay for an ocean front room to contend with flying rats. This means we don’t even go out onto our patio which defeats the whole purpose of an ocean front room.
In any case, I picked up the phone to call the check-​in desk when I arrived at our room and noticed the problem. No one picked up. I called over and over again yet no one picked up. Finally, I called the operator who offered to call the check-​in desk. Someone finally called me back and told me that the hotel was booked but they would be able to move us the following day. We have traveled a lot. I have never been able to not reach the front desk. What is that about? I also don’t recall ever being told that there was no other room in the hotel that I could be moved to.
Regardless, the next morning my husband called the front desk asking if we should just leave our bags in the room so that they could be moved to our new room. This time the front desk apologized and told him that they still didn’t have a room for us but would have one available the next day.
That evening as we were leaving for dinner I checked with the front desk to ask what was going on. Finally, I spoke with a gracious local (finally!) who happened to be at the front desk. I asked her what was going on. She basically told me that the hotel was fully booked and we wouldn’t be moved until Sunday which is when most guests were checking out. Clearly the JW Marriott knows what reservations are on their books and consequently knew from the beginning that they were solidly booked until Sunday but rather than tell us the truth from the beginning they chose to lie. We had been living out of our suitcases for two days not wanting to unpack because we were consistently being told that we would be moved the next morning yet the reality was that they would not be able to move us for four days. Terrible service. I’ll update this review regarding facilities, restaurants etc after check out.

This place is a beautiful paradise waiting for you to dive into everything it has to explore. the view is by far the most beautiful and breath taking, the distance from the hotel to the beach amazing. The ocean view room with the large balancing outstanding. I couldn’t get enough of just lounging on the balcony!
From the start awesome service the valet, the front desk, the great waitress in the bar (mahulani) I think that was her name. All worth the money.
The food in one of the bars not so great. Nothing special about it. The food in the breakfast buffet so so. I would love to have had some corned beef hash in there For $ 30 a person.
With the room comes DVD rentals, access to some of the water activities some drinks and more.
Give 4 stars just based on the food at the resort. I think the food should be better at an establishment like this. As well as there are no vending machines or no convenient store for snacks and water. We learned the hard way after searching hi and low for water at 11pm. No microwave in the room, but avail to rent for $ 10.. I would think for the price of the room it would at least have a microwave.
All in all the hotel and staff is amazing I would stay again (I will just be prepared with water and snacks)
Last suggestion would be to place some «WATCH YOUR STEP» signs in the rooms with balconys the first night stay I walked out on the balcony, went to go back into the room just to cause myself much pain by running my foot right into a step that had to be stepped over. Horrible pain and bruising not a fun way to stay my vacation.

Got a room and spa tx for girls night out bachelorette bridal shower. Had never stayed here, thought it might be not super swank since older resort. But I was really impressed.
Room: asked for room w two dbl beds — got a super awesome junior suite, with lanai 3 chairs, living room w TV and L-​shaped couch, office area, 2 beds, 2^nd TV, two big wood ceiling fans, foyer with fridge and coffee, GINORMOUS bathroom with big soaking tub, vanity area, double sinks, shower stall, toilet room — it was great! 340 per night but also add 30 for resort fee and tax. It was clean, modern. Included one free parking.
Didn’t get to hang at bar or pool unfortunately.
Breakfast buffet at naupaka was fine. Nothing super special but solid. 26 per person. I did like their miso soup machine — almost like an espresso machine but dispenses miso soup! I had eggs rice soup tsukemono bacon and an insane amount of fruit.
Spa: pretty pricey but had a great facial from Shanna which included a relaxing foot massage while my mask was on. The spa itself is small but nice. Didn’t check out the outdoor lap pool or jacuzzi on the roof. They add on 20% gratuity which is fine. Was about 180 total. Liked the dry sauna. Little communication issues between schedulers/​desk staff and the downstairs spa staff — perhaps should put computer downstairs too so they can keep up w changes made upstairs.
Overall good experience. For staycations I would recommend. For visitors I think being way out there doesn’t differentiate Hawaii from Caribbean. I was quite offended when my friend from NY who stayed at Aulani said it wasn’t worth it to come out so far to Hawaii bc it’s the same as staying in a hotel in the Bahamas which is much closer. My opinion more fun to be closer to town, see the different cultures and variety of foods etc if you’re visiting. See all that this state has to offer. Yes checking into the lobby there the guests and setting did seem very homogenous.

Grown-​ups paradise. Furthest west corner with beach, lagoon, semi-​private walkways. Circle pool and bar, the parents swim with their pre-​teen kids. The hammerhead shark and stingray ponds are a fascinating spectacle, and while it’s said they aren’t dangerous (have their teeth been removed?), don’t fall in. I took a lot of great photographs. It’s also a tiny walk to the «Paradise Cove» luau, a vacation must-​do.
«Ihilani» is highly respectable. Classy architecture, posh rooms, jaw-​dropping views (from most balconies). Keep the screen doors closed to avoid the bug problem. Now as much as I like the three restaurants, including my fave «Naupaka Terrace» in which I had a Japanese breakfast that included Miso Salmon — this eatery overlooks those dangerous ponds, as well as the circle pool — I am not too impressed that for hotel snack food only «Starbucks» is available, which I’m so-​ooo over since 1999. But some other strong memories: I had fun with feeding the ocean school of fish at 7:30 a.m. and with stretch-​class by the ocean. Superb, thoughtful staff. Good spa facility, very good massage. #mahalo!

Last week my husband played in the Lotte Pro-Am…so to avoid driving home that night, we were fortunate to overnight at the Marriott Ihilani. It is a very nice clean property. The room was very clean and the bed was really comfortable. Lots of towels, coffee and tea and friendly valet parking.
I don’t think it’s a hotel as there was no restaurant on site.

The wife & I had our wedding at the JW Marriott Ihilani in August 2013, two years after our first stay here. While the rooms are the same, the property added a fire pit near the pool and a Starbucks in the lobby.
The fire pit is open to all guests, but using it to say, roast marshmallows is prohibited! We found this out the hard way, though to be fair, we had permission to do so from an employee that didn’t know. This area may also be reserved for a fee.
Last time we stayed, we were given a Deluxe Ocean Front Room. This time, however, thanks to my Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite status and to the wonderful banquet staff, we were upgraded to an Ihilani Suite! The room was HUGE! There was a long foyer with a powder room and a closet, along with the mini bar, safe and coffee maker. To the left of the foyer was the living room with a desk, tv, sofa and chair. To the right of the foyer, through a set of double doors, was the master bath and the bedroom. The bathroom had a insanely large walk-​in closet, an ENORMOUS whirlpool tub that could fit 4 guys in it, a separate glassed in shower, a separate toilet, and two vanities. The bedroom contained some seating, a desk, a large mirror with built in tv, and yet another closet. The bedroom and the living room both had their own balconies as well, with the bedroom having views of the mountain and westward towards Waianae, while the living room had a great ocean view.
Service wise, Ihilani was as good as ever. Everyone was very friendly and always strived to provide the best possible service. The only negatives I can think of are the addition of a ridiculous resort fee ($ 30/​day), increase in parking rate to $ 35/​night, and as is the case with all Hawaii properties because they are resorts, lack of Concierge Lounge and/​or complimentary breakfast for Marriott Rewards Gold & Platinum Elite members. Platinums do, however, receive a discount at Naupaka Terrace.
Nevertheless, the JW Marriott Ihilani is a wonderful property! This is especially true for a relaxing, luxurious, and even romantic stay. It’s just getting much too expensive

I spent 5 absolutely amazing nights here, first and foremost I would and plan to go back. I had an ocean view (lagoon facing) room. It was great, clean and spacious. The room had a refrigerator which was nice to keep drink cool and for snacks. The beds were comfortable and there was a shower as well as a nice soaking tub. The lanai was amazing with a table and chairs and a chaise lounge. It was quiet and cool enough at night you could open the doors and listen to the waves.
The resort sits on a protected lagoon with a beach that is shared with Disney’s Aluani resort. The weekend was a bit hectic but not overly crowded. I still felt able to relax and enjoy the beach. The week though was nice and quiet, I ended up renting a cabana one day for about a half day and it was worth it.
The pool was also a great place to relax but unfortunately of the winds are high no umbrellas. :(But it was still nice to relax with a few drinks and a swim every now and then.
The theme of this review is relaxation by the way. Compared to my stay the last two days of my trip in Waikiki which is rather hectic and overly commercial. If you want somewhere to just be at peace you’ll find it here.
A few suggestions, If staying in an ocean view I would request a west facing room instead of a lagoon facing because being so close to Disney you will pick up some of the noise from their pools if you’re relaxing on the lanai. It might be less expensive to take a shuttle to the resort vs renting a car because I found I only left a few times and could’ve saved money on parking and car.
Overall this place was fantastic. I don’t know why people yammer on about the paint being too white. As long as the room is great and the staff is friendly (which both were) I don’t care too much how the hotel is painted.

One of the prettiest hotel and grounds I have every seen. The deluxe rooms with an ocean view are amazing, especially the view of the ocean and their bay. This is the Hawaii you dream of seeing.
Why you should stay here:
— spacious, modern and quite pretty rooms
— You don’t feel crowded like the hotels in Waikiki
— very pretty pool, especially nice for kids
— great beach with protected bay, perfect sand, and very nicely groomed
— shares a beach and bay with Disney resort, but never felt crowded
— You can snorkle, although the second bay is much better for that. Short walk to it. We saw turtles while snorkeling there.
— good and yet reasonable food options
— beautiful grounds
Hard to beat this property!
Only downside, front desk wasn’t completely up front with some charges when I checked in. Didn’t exactly like that

Here’s a review from a local’s perspective.
ATMOSPHERE:
The main entrance is plain and simple compared to resorts on other islands. The lobby is an old-​style enclosed atrium that can result in a long walk around the perimeter to your room. The color scheme throughout is an elegant plain white.
The resort sits on a man-​made cove which is perfect for swimming. I’m not sure if the area is normally breezy but it sure was when I was there for 2 days.
The pool is a sad excuse for being in a resort. It’s a tiny circle, really nothing more than a big hot tub.
There is a salt water pond that houses sting rays and hammerhead sharks which they offer a feeding activity for.
ROOM:
Our suite was very spacious but felt empty. There’s a lack of warm décor and furnishings. There’s two flat panel TV’s, one facing the bed, the other for the connected living area. The balcony is very spacious. The buttonless telephone was very difficult to operate as you had to use a touchscreen panel in order to make a call. The panel also controls lighting and other room functions.
The bed was firm and comfortable. The pillows were okay (unless it’s a contoured pillow, it won’t get a high rating from me.) The headboard illuminates which gives the room a bit of a modern feel.
The closet area is a huge open area with nothing in it. This was the part of the room I hated the most because it’s such a waste of space. It connects to the long lengthwise bathroom with separate soaking tub and glass shower. There are two sinks but are on opposite ends of the bathroom and a separate water closet.
RESTAURANTS:
I have reviews for Naupaka Terrace and Hokulea on their dedicated Unilocal pages.
SERVICE:
I checked in at 3am and the lone female front desk clerk was friendly and professional. The valet staff were great. All the housekeepers I passed by all greeted me with aloha.
OVERALL:
Nice place if you absolutely need to stay away from crowded Waikiki.