Which is the best Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Hawaii for your Honeymoon? Royal Hawaiian Vs. Westin Moana Surfrider Vs. Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach Vs. Kapalua Vs. Sheraton Vs. Marriott Wailea.
If you fly into Honolulu (HNL), you might be thinking of spending your Honeymoon in Waikiki, where the vast majority of the Marriott hotels in Hawaii are but don’t miss out on the other islands as there are some fantastic Marriott Bonvoy properties in Maui, Big Island, and Kawaii too.
The Marriott brand includes Luxury Collection, EDITION, St Regis, W Hotels, and JW Marriott, as well as mid-range brands like Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Design Hotels, and Westin. If you collect Marriott Bonvoy points, then it’s worth knowing where you can spend them and earn them and which hotels in the Bonvoy portfolio are best for your honeymoon on Oahu and across all the Hawaiian islands.
1. Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach is a Category 6 property costing from 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. This hotel is super smart with an eighth-floor infinity pool, the area’s highest, but it’s not on the beach.
This is the hotel to pick if you like ultra-luxury. This is an absolutely top-level luxury hotel and is easily one of the most luxurious hotels in Waikiki, with large rooms, great views, and superb decor. The high-end luxurious pools with luxury cabanas are hard to beat. The problem is that the location is not great. It’s around a 10-minute walk to the beach and the Sheraton Waikiki in the Ala Moana Mall direction.
Because this hotel does not have its own strip of beach, you will have to sunbathe with the masses on the public beach if you like to laze on the sand. No private cabanas here and Evian spritzes, at least not unless you stay by the pool. No private pink umbrellas like those at the Royal Hawaiian.
On the plus side, the rooms and views are fabulous, and there is no risk of booking a horrendously dated room here. They are all new and gorgeous, each with an ocean view and separate living spaces. Dining includes recognizable names such as Dean & DeLuca and Sushi Sho. The spa weaves volcanic stones and other local elements into its five-star treatments.
Other Marriott options in Waikiki include The Royal Hawaiian in the region of $500 USD and a top, top room at The Westin Moana Surfrider, which costs around $600 USD per night plus taxes. Both of these Marriott hotels are on the beach. So for cash, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, can cost more.
On points, it may be the best deal in Hawaii as there are no bad rooms. Even if you get the base rooms here, they are large, so for the quality of the room, this is the best deal on Waikiki Beach, particularly if you can snag a room for 50,000 or 60,000 points per night. Plus, there are no resort fees at this hotel.
Currently, a standard award night at the Ritz-Carlton Residence Waikiki Beach will cost 60,000 points per night. And, going forward, off-peak pricing will be 50,000 points per night, and peak pricing will be 70,000 points per night.
Rooms you can book with points are 426 ft² (interior space excluding lanai). At the Royal Hawaiian, a similar room using 60,000 points per night is 300 ft² with no ocean view or lanai. At the Moana Surfrider, the point cost for a room is again the same, but the size of their base room is 210-270 ft² with no ocean view or lanai.
If the out-of-pocket cost for a room at The Ritz-Carlton Residences is $700 USD per night, then the 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points this is the best value redemption on Marriott Bonvoy rewards on the Hawaiian islands.
By comparison, the Moana and Royal are a bit dated, and many rooms have no views, which are the rooms they give you at 60,000 Marriott Reward points.
2. Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki
The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort Waikiki, is also a Category 7 property costing from 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. For any avid Bonvoy points collectors or spenders, this hotel is also a fantastic choice, and it has its own beach! We think it’s one of the best luxury hotels in Hawaii and definitely in the top two best Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Waikiki.
In fact, this hotel is one of three great beachfront Marriott Bonvoy hotels. The Royal Hawaiian opened in 1927. This “Pink Palace of the Pacific” is located slap bang in the center of the famed Waikiki Beach, and the romantic design and colors make it perfect for your honeymoon. With 528 rooms and suites, The Royal Hawaiian features modern comfort, indigenous accents, and refined luxury.
Each room in the Royal Beach Tower provides an intimate lanai for a private vantage point of the sparkling Pacific Ocean. In the Historic Building, base rooms at the Royal Hawaiian can be musty, small, and dated with no view, so be warned, you might get one of these if you are redeeming points. We would always recommend booking at least one room up from the base room to avoid risking a poor stay.
The resort’s signature restaurant, Azure Restaurant, is perched along the Waikiki beachfront and serves some of the best seafood in Waikiki and in Honolulu. Even if you pay for your room here, it does not have rooms hanging right over the beach. The Surfrider is the better choice in this aspect, with rooms hanging directly over the beach, so it may be a better choice if the view is a deal-breaker.
3. Moana Surfrider Hotel, A Westin Resort
The Westin Moana Surfrider is our third-best Bonvoy hotel in Waikiki, followed by the Sheraton Waikiki, which comes in at number four. For the club lounge, you have to choose between the Sheraton Waikiki and the Moana Surfrider. We prefer the latter. Find out which Waikiki hotels have the best club or executive lounges.
The Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider both have incredible histories and stunning lobbies and grounds. Moana Surfrider Hotel, A Westin Resort, is a Category 7 property costing from 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
While the Royal Hawaiian just doesn’t have the direct-facing, hanging-out-over-the-water feel on the lanai, the suites in the Moana Surfrider Tower Wing do. They are fabulous and perfect for your Honeymoon. Ocean-facing suites at the Moana Surfrider have been recently renovated and are truly stunning. Wall-to-wall ocean views will mesmerize you, which is why this hotel is our third-best Marriott Bonvoy choice in Waikiki and fourth-best across the islands.
While the Moana Surfrider Hotel, A Westin Resort, costs from 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, which is not a bad deal, you get more bang and value for your point by booking The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.
The Royal Hawaiian and Westin Moana Surfrider ooze history, but it is worth knowing that the Moana Surfrider tends to offer the best opportunity to score a good upgrade. Conversely, the base rooms are small, so you need an upgrade to fully enjoy your stay here. The Sheraton Waikiki Marriott and the Princess Kaiulani are massive highrises with an old and dated design, and booking into these also risks getting a bad room if you don’t get an upgrade.
This is the same price in points as is the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, Maui, which is an outstanding property in the luxury resort area of Wailea and actually comes in cheaper on a cost in points at just 50,000 points per night. Why? Because you get a hillside of grounds at both these hotels rather than a small patch of oceanfront in Waikiki.
The private beach at the Moana Surfrider is a thin strip of overcrowded beach with a small “private” area cordoned off by a rope, where you can use hotel beach chairs. This part of the beach isn’t great, but then there isn’t a Starwood or Bonvoy option in Waikiki on Oahu with anything close to a secluded, private beach feel.
The Royal Hawaiian has a larger stretch of beach with its iconic pink umbrellas, so it is a better choice, but don’t go to Waikiki for seclusion! Go to the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, or the Wailea Beach Resort for exclusivity and seclusion.
It is the historical setting and the old-fashioned architecture that make the Moana Surfrider such a special choice in Waikiki. The hotel was actually built in 1901, and the lobby is in the original colonial building. You enter via the decked front porch lined with white wooden rocking chairs, and you step into the perfectly restored lobby.
Enormous tropical flower displays scent the lobby, and guests are greeted with a lei and a glass of fruit juice. Rooms are, unfortunately, less noteworthy.
The historic and diamond rooms lack a balcony, and although pleasant, they don’t enable you to sit out and enjoy the views. The best rooms here are the more modern Tower Ocean Front and Ocean View Rooms with incredible vistas. If you are not bothered about a balcony, the Historic Banyan Ocean rooms are also cute.
A couple of points worth noting for the luxury traveler. Base rooms here are small and can be musty. You really need to upgrade to a room with a balcony and views for a luxury experience. Many “City View” rooms overlook the International Marketplace to the right of the hotel from the back. The view is great, but the music can be loud and can continue well past midnight.
The location, right in the center of Waikiki Beach with direct beach access, means that you couldn’t be more central. The pool is small, but the location and overall upkeep of the hotel is superb, making it a great hotel choice in Waikiki.
The Moana Surfrider and the Sheraton both have club lounges. There are great views from the Sheraton, but the lounge is enclosed on a very high floor. The lounge at the Moana has an open-air section right by the beach, so it is the better choice. Find out the best club lounges in Waikiki.
In terms of Marriott Bonvoy hotels with the best pools in Hawaii, the pools are best at the Royal Hawaiian and the Sheraton Waikiki. The Moana Surfrider pool is rather small.
4. Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, Maui
How about Maui? Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Vs. Marriott Wailea Vs. Sheraton Maui on Kanapaali, which is the best Marriott Bonvoy hotel to book for your honeymoon?
Of the three best Marriott Bonvoy hotels on Maui, the Ritz Kapalua is the most expensive on points, and the Marriott Wailea and Sheraton Maui cost fewer points. If I were spending my points, I would stay at the Marriott Wailea because of the resort area. I love Wailea. It gets bags of sunshine and oozes sophistication. I love the boardwalk along the beach that joins all the resorts and the little mall behind the resorts where you can pick up essentials and cheap eats. It is perfect for a high-end, classy honeymoon.
The Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott Maui is a luxury Maui resort at the ocean’s edge with stunning pools, redesigned rooms, and unique amenities. This category 6 property starts at 50,000 Bonvoy points per night. This Marriott is within walking distance from the Four Seasons Maui, Wailea, which is great if you want to take advantage of the restaurants and bars in the Four Seasons. Overall, Wailea is the most high-end resort area on the island. You will also find the Fairmont and the Andaz here.
If you stay at the Marriott, you can enjoy evenings at the Four Seasons Maui for a much smaller price tag! A disadvantage of this property, beyond the resort fees that all three resorts suffer from (but not the Four Seasons), is that the Marriott is positioned on a rocky peninsula between beaches, which means that it can be quite a walk from this very spread out resort, down the hill and to the beaches. The pools themselves are not very inspiring, so you are likely to want to try the beach. If your room is situated at the back of the resort, it is quite a walk up a hill to get back to your room.
Of course, money no object, I would stay at the Four Seasons Wailea on Maui. We think that this is the best luxury hotel on Maui.
5. Ritz-Carlton Kapalua
The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is the most expensive by points and the nicest on Maui, ideal for your honeymoon. It’s a stunning beachfront resort on Maui with Hawaiian-inspired dining, spa, culture, and activities. This is a category 7 property and starts at 60,000 Bonvoy points per night.
Kapalua, being at the northernmost point on Maui, makes it wetter and windier than the rest of the Island, particularly in the winter months. If you keep driving North beyond the hotel, there are some incredible snorkeling beaches and some volcanic tide pools that the waves crash around. There is the Honolua store (ABC store) right next door to the resort, that is ideal for snacks and a complimentary shuttle up to the Plantation Course to grab an alfresco bite with great views.
While elegant, this property is showing its age. It lacks a Four Seasons level of service. The bellmen don’t always come to pick up your bags, and the restaurant isn’t great. However, the cabana and pool service is excellent, with attentive staff, free sunscreen is available to everybody, and cool-off mist at the adult pool section.
6. Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, Maui
Our third best Marriott Bonvoy choice on Maui is the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa on Kaanapali Beach, Lahaina Maui, a category 6 property that starts at 50,000 Bonvoy points per night. While Kaanapali Beach is not such a sophisticated resort as Wailea and Kapalua, the Sheraton is right on top of the beach, and there is great snorkeling. This is a great, less expensive Marriott choice for your honeymoon. The Ritz-Carlton, by comparison, is set back away from or above the beach. This Sheraton is right on the beach with a great club lounge.
7. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
Which Marriott Bonvoy hotel is best for your honeymoon on Big Island? There are two best choices on Big Island. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection, which is a rewards Category 6 property costing 50,000 Marriott reward points and is situated on Kauna‘oa Bay on the sunny Kohala Coast, and Waikoloa Beach Marriott, a newly renovated beachfront resort in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area on the Big Island of Hawaii which again costs 50,000 Marriott reward points per night.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a more beautiful hotel with a better beach but is isolated, which means that off-resort restaurants and Kona are quite a drive away. Kings Mall and Queens Mall in Waikaloa are about a 15-minute drive away.
8. Marriott Waikoloa
The Marriott Waikoloa has a number of advantages and may be the better choice if you have kids with fun glass-bottomed boat tours off the beach, plenty of lounge chairs, some shaded, which is a bonus under the hot sun, and it is close to lava beach club restaurant. It is also an easy walk to the Queens marketplace, which has food court options and a large ABC. There is a Hilton close by, but the Marriott is the better option.
9. Kaua’i Marriott Resort
How about the best Marriott Bonvoy property in Kauai? Kaua’i Marriott Resort Vs. Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection. The Marriott is a Category 6, and the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu is a Category 7, but is it worth paying the extra points (or cash) for? Is the extra cost worth it for your honeymoon?
Kaua’i Marriott Resort is an older property but sits right on the bay and has beautiful gardens and a pool that may well be the largest in Hawaii. The beach is right in front of the hotel, and the view across the bay to the mountains is magical, and it’s a convenient and safe swimming beach for the kids. There are a couple of good restaurants on the property and several others within walking distance.
You can’t beat the location of the Marriott to get anywhere on the island. The free airport shuttle can also save on a car rental at the beginning and end of your trip. The rooms are good, and the property has an amazing garden and pool. The fact that it is on the beach and cheaper than the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu in Marriott Bonvoy points means that the Kaua’i Marriott Resort is our top choice, and we don’t think the Koloa Landing Resort is worth the additional points.
10. Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection
Koloa Landing is great because of how nice and new it is, but it isn’t right on the beach, which is a major disadvantage. You have to walk across Poipu Beach Road/Hoonani Road and then climb down to get to the shore, which is really only lava rocks. There is no sand, just black rocks, which is pretty bleak. If you want a beach, you’ll have to go drive east or west to one of the public beaches.
There are 3 pools, including the Main Pool and the Lagoon Pool, and every villa is luxurious with spacious lanais, plush bedding, and either a full kitchen or kitchenette. But the lack of a beach within walking distance makes this hotel one of the worst Marriott Bonvoy redemptions and choices on the islands. Surely the beach is why you go to Hawaii? Also in the negative column for this resort is the resort fee of $32 USD per night, plus there’s a “GE Tax 4.166%”.
11. Sheraton Waikiki
Back in Waikiki, the Sheraton Waikiki is a Category 6 property costing from 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. It is a good choice for families with a fantastic pool, beachfront with super beach, and a great if slightly soul-less club lounge (if you are after a character beach club-style club lounge, head over to the Moana Surfrider for a more child-free experience with outdoor seating). This would not be my top choice for a honeymoon as it is so big and attracts families.
This hotel is huge, but these enormously high blocks come with incredible views! The view from the Club Lounge is also excellent, although it is just a crowded room (often full of kids) with a decent breakfast and light dinner with snacks and free-flowing self-serve wine and beer in the evening. A great spread but lacking in much of a Hawaiian feel.
If you come here to enjoy the pools and beach right on your doorstep and a location right in the center of the action, this hotel is a great choice!
The Sheraton Waikiki also has a nice stretch of beach and is a good choice for families, but it is worth knowing that the Marriott does not have direct beach access and is instead across the road from the beach, so not such a great choice.
12. Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
All the top Waikiki Marriott Bonvoy hotels are within walking distance of each other, with only the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton not being directly on the beach. We think the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is one of the worst choices in Waikiki for your honeymoon.
It is a Category 6 property costing from 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, which is cheaper than the Marriott Bonvoy hotel options outlined above. I would personally spend the extra points and book into the Ritz-Carlton, Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider Club Lounge, or the Sheraton Waikiki.
I have to admit this is one of my least favorite Marriott Bonvoy-related hotels on Waikiki Beach. I stayed here a few years ago and found that although the resort offers a friendly staff and great views, the location is across the road from the beach rather than on the beach is a problem (no direct beach access), and I found the pools to be on the concrete side and crowded. Add to this that, because of the size of the surrounding buildings, the sun doesn’t get on the main pool till about lunchtime.
The rooms are large but a little dingy, but the spectacular views can make up for this. With 1,310 refurbished guest rooms and suites, all with private lanai, this hotel is big and across the road from Waikiki Beach, not on the beach.
There are two freshwater heated swimming pools, a 10-person whirlpool, a 3,000 ft² 24-hour fitness center, a business center with 24-hour Internet access, high-speed and wireless Internet access throughout the resort’s guest rooms and public spaces, shops and boutiques, and Hawaiian cultural activities.
The Marriott pool is concrete and on a roof. I didn’t like this pool when I stayed here. The Marriott offers the worst pool of the four hotels due to the concrete ambiance.
The daily resort fee here is around $37 USD per night, which may upset you, but most hotels in Waikiki charge a resort fee (the Four Seasons doesn’t, and neither does the Ritz-Carlton Waikiki), so you may feel a little nickel and dimed considering the hotel isn’t really a resort. This Marriott doesn’t have a club lounge either, but elite reward members get vouchers upon check-in for the complete breakfast in the newly refurbished and expanded dining room. Again, book via our concierge for extra benefits.
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