Receive complimentary breakfast at Luxury Hotels
Which hotels in Hawaii offer the best executive club level lounges? We review lounges across Oahu, including Waikiki, Maui, Kaanapali, Kapalua, Wailea, Kauai, Poipu, and Hanalei, and the Big Island’s picturesque Kona-Kohala coast.
I have compiled a list below containing the best club lounges available across the best luxury hotels in Hawaii. I list the ones I consider to be the best at the top. I review each of these hotel club lounges in detail so you know what you will get if you book a room with club lounge access.
Read on to find out more about each of these executive club lounges in Hawaii.
If you book your next Hawaiian hotel stay via our luxury travel concierge, we can add in free breakfast, hotel credit, and a room upgrade (subject to availability). For club lounge access, you need to book a club room.
We do offer free club lounge access at some InterContinental hotels. We offer free lounge access at the InterContinental London Park Lane, Paris Le Grand, and InterContinental New York Barclay.
This is a great perk because InterContinental Club lounges offer excellent full breakfasts with free a la carte breakfast options, snacks, and drinks throughout the day, and a small buffet with canapes and complimentary alcoholic drinks and cocktails in the evenings.
Here are 10 Hawaiian hotels that we consider to have the best club lounges:
1. Four Seasons Maui
Four Seasons Maui is a fabulous hotel but if you want to optimize your fun and make your stay even more unbelievable you might want access to the Club lounge at Four Seasons Maui.
The Club Lounge here is only available to guests staying on the Club Floor at Four Seasons Maui. This exclusive Club Lounge offers a private, relaxing space to enjoy breakfast and unwind with afternoon tea or evening cocktails while a dedicated staff and concierge team are on hand to cater to every need. We have reviewed how to get the best discount at all Four Seasons hotels previously. The same tips are relevant for booking Club Level rooms at Four Seasons Maui.
If you book a club-level room, you can access the Club Lounge. These rooms are on the eighth floor, and when you book these rooms, you get a private key that will enable you to access the elusive Club Lounge. This truly is an exclusive club as there are only 22 rooms, plus 3 Ocean Front 1 Bedroom Suites and 1 Deluxe Ocean View Executive Suite on the Club Level
The rooms you need to book are the Ocean View or Deluxe Ocean View rooms. To be honest, these rooms are the same size and decor as non-Club Floor rooms, but the views and access to the Club Lounge make your experience of the hotel so much better. Just to be clear, you can’t pay to add club-level access to your room at Four Seasons Maui. You must book the club floor rooms in advance of your stay to gain access to this exclusive level. These rooms are not cheap, but considering what you get, they are well worth the splurge.
When you arrive, you are not checked in with the rest of the guests and are instead whisked straight to the lounge, where you are checked in with leis and cocktails (or whatever drink you prefer).
Beyond the private check-in, the lounge is open from six in the morning to eleven in the evening, with food & drinks available throughout the day. The food includes a cold breakfast buffet, snacks, beverages, afternoon tea, sunset cocktails & pupus, after-dinner desserts, and nightcaps. These rooms are not cheap but considering what you get, they are well worth the splurge.
At the end of your stay, the Club Level is particularly useful as it lets you enjoy the resort post-checkout. Checkout is usually at midday, and without club lounge access, you can use the Aloha Suite, with showers, storage, and seats, to wash up before leaving. But the Aloha Suite can get crowded. If you have club lounge access you can use the club lounge until you leave. It can feel like an extra day at the hotel.
2. Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua
We consider this the most easily accessible and reasonable club level on Maui and across all the Hawaiian Islands. Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui offers a Club Level as well as a beautiful resort on the beach and an exclusive golf course.
You can only get access to the club level lounge if you book a club level room. The Club Lounge is located near the elevators on the resort’s eighth floor of the Napili Wing. But unlike the Four Seasons club level, above, this club level offers good value when compared to the base room at the hotel. Four Seasons club level is great but wow, is is expensive when compared to the cost of a mountain view room!
They call the Ritz-Carlton club lounge a hotel within a hotel, and it offers a dedicated concierge and a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment. Continuous culinary offerings include breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and sweets – many reflecting the cuisine of the Hawaiian Islands.
The continuous culinary offerings throughout the day (breakfast, light lunch, evening hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and sweets), and in the afternoon and evening, you can drink alcoholic drinks of your choice, and staff will make up great cocktails complete with flowers in, all included of course.
Club-level rooms offer better views and are on the hotel’s higher floors. Ritz-Carlton values club access at about $100 USD per person per day because the Ritz-Carlton club lounges are so much better than most other club lounges (except for Four Seasons Club lounges). This is probably fair, mainly because the food and drinks are enough to negate the need to go elsewhere. Of course, you miss out on other dining and drinking options by booking and staying in the club lounge.
When traveling with kids, the value of the lounge is increased as kids under twelve do not usually cost extra, so it is convenient to have a constant array of food available and not to have to stick to mealtimes so paying for Club Lounge does seem worth it if you don’t go above the $200 USD additional charge on top of the ordinary rooms.
3. Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii
Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Fairmont Orchid’s Fairmont Gold Lounge offers a serene and luxurious atmosphere with beautiful oceanfront views.
The Fairmont is situated on a stunning crescent-shaped sandy beach surrounded by tropical gardens. Gold Club Lounge guests are whisked off to a separate check-in area. The Gold Lounge has juice, soft drinks, water, coffee, and tea throughout the day. In the evenings, they also offer wine, champagne, and spirits in the honor system. You simply note down what you have drunk, and this will be charged to your room accordingly.
Evening appetizers are provided free of charge and usually include good cheeses, sushi rolls, olives, crackers, and fruit. In this lounge, there is one hot appetizer on offer, too. In the morning, there’s a complimentary continental breakfast with pastries, a hot entree, fruit, yogurt, granola, cheese and fruit.
What is really special about this club lounge is that you are not restricted to staying inside. This lounge offers balcony seating out in the sunshine with views over the resort.
The other Fairmont in Hawaii, the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui does not have a Gold club lounge.
4. Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, is located on the picturesque southwest shore of Maui, one of Hawaii’s enchanting islands.
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, boasts a prime beachfront location. Situated alongside the Four Seasons Maui and Wailea Beach Resort, it offers guests a tropical paradise in which to indulge. Just a leisurely stroll up the coast lies the Fairmont Kea Lani. Nearby, guests can explore upscale shopping and dining at The Shops at Wailea and tee off at championship golf courses like the Wailea Golf Club. The resort also provides easy access to popular attractions such as Haleakalā National Park, where visitors can witness awe-inspiring sunrise and sunset views from the summit of Haleakalā Volcano.
This expansive hotel boasts a rather conventional style, with its standout feature being its impressive pool facilities. The resort includes numerous pools, water features, and recreational options. Among its highlights is the Wailea Canyon Activity Pool, featuring nine interconnected pools, water slides, a lazy river, and a Tarzan rope swing, ensuring endless enjoyment for guests of all ages. Additionally, for those seeking a serene atmosphere, an adults-only pool is available.
To access the club lounge, guests must book a club room in the Napua Tower. The Napua Club lounge provides a decent breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening happy hour with appetizers. While the setting is pleasant, most visitors are drawn to the tropical pools, resulting in limited time spent in the lounge. It lacks the ambiance and views found in the club lounges of the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton.
You may not feel the extra expense is worth it, given that The Shops at Wailea, an open-air shopping mall across the street, houses a large grocery store and plenty of inexpensive cafes.
Being a Waldorf property, the Diamond benefits are minimal. There is no free breakfast and no access to the executive club lounge, but you can get free breakfast along with other free benefits if you book via our luxury travel concierge.
5. Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
The Outrigger Waikiki offers a Voyager 47 club lounge which is on the second floor of this beachfront hotel (pictured above). This is the newest and the best club lounge in Waikiki. The first voyagers to the Islands of Aloha sailed there aboard catamaran canoes. The club lounge apparently sits on the original Outrigger canoe club site.
Worth knowing: The pool at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort is nice but with limited sun due to the high-rise buildings on either side. You get direct access to the beach from the hotel. Just remember that this is the center of Waikiki, and it can be quite busy! The pier or break, which juts out from the beach nearby, is a real asset and the perfect place to watch the fireworks from the Hilton on Friday nights.
They say, “In the morning, experience sunrise over Diamond Head with a delicious island-style breakfast. And, of course, premium Kona coffee.
Early evening pupu (appetizers) are served at sunset, together with daily specialty sangria, wine, and local craft beer. Best of all, both menus include an unmatched view of world-famous “Canoes” surf break – the focus of Waikiki’s surf culture for generations.”
You can access the exclusive Voyager 47 Club when you reserve a suite or Voyager 47 Club room. Both room types are located on high floors and feature stunning views of the white sand beach and crystal blue ocean. These rooms also have enhanced bath amenities. The lounge also has a dedicated concierge for planning and vacation tips.
The club is at the end of a corridor, and the lounge is covered with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. These windows look out upon outdoor decking with more seating. The food is a step above all the other club lounge food in Waikiki, hence why we have positioned this lounge at the top. Expect plates of delicious fruits and salads, omelets, sausages, pastries, crepes with maple syrup and homemade jam, smoked salmon, and more for the breakfast buffet. Teas and coffees are brought to your table by the lovely staff. The decking looks right down at Waikiki beach, and the stylish rattan furnishings with sea blue soft cushions bring the outside in.
You can grab a complimentary glass of wine or beer out on the veranda in the evening with delicious charcuterie meats, cheeses, and little pottery bowls of marinated salmon, meats, and vegetables. They describe the evening food and drinks as a “locally inspired tasting menu with pupu platters and specialty draft beer bar, featuring seasonal brews plus local wines.”
The Voyager 47 Club Lounge at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort is available exclusively to guests staying in Club Level Rooms on the dedicated 14th-16th floors, with 104 rebranded rooms in total. Hours of operation for the Voyager 47 Club Lounge are from 6:00 – 9:30 am and 5:00 – 7:00 pm. This is the only disadvantage of this lounge. You are restricted to using it at the allocated times and cannot drink until 11:00 pm in the lounge.
6. Grand Hyatt Kauai
From the resort amenities, dining options, and superb lagoons and pool area, the Grand Hyatt Kauai is the perfect family vacation destination.
The Grand Club Lounge at the Grand Hyatt Kauai is exclusively available for Club Level guests and is located in the Poipu Wing of the sprawling resort grounds. You only get access by a private key if you have booked Club Level accommodations. Guests with Hyatt Globalist Status or Hyatt Explorist members can access the lounge using a club lounge upgrade award.
Highlights of this lounge include the outdoor patio overlooking the ocean, comfortable seating, food and beverage presentations throughout the day, and Grand Club level rooms, most of which have great views of the resort and ocean.
Food includes continental breakfast daily, refreshments, and snacks throughout the day, with light hors d’oeuvres and desserts in the evening. Alcoholic beverages are served at a minimal charge.
Is it worth the cost? Given that they charge for alcohol, this isn’t the best lounge on the Hawaiian islands, but if you can upgrade to the Grand Club Lounge with points or for a discount at check-in, or for approx. $100 USD per room, the all-day access to food and drinks, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and reduced rates for wine and alcohol, is definitely worth considering, particularly if you are traveling with your family when the convenience of all-day food and drink is a great bonus and can make your life so much easier.
7. Hyatt Regency Maui
The Regency Club Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Maui has recently been redesigned and moved to the lobby level of this hotel, which means that it now benefits from a large outdoor terrace with ocean views and the resort’s gardens. This is definitely the best value club lounge on Maui and it is really rather good.
Hyatt club lounges are available for free to World of Hyatt members with the highest tier of elite status, the Globalists. Lower tier members can sometimes gain access via one-off certificates. If you are not a Globalist and don’t have any of these certificates, you can access Hyatt Club Lounges by booking a Club Room.
The club lounge at Hyatt Regency Maui features over 3,000 ft² of space. Amenities include a continental breakfast every morning, refreshments, and snacks throughout the day, with light hors d’oeuvres and desserts in the evening. Alcoholic beverages are chargeable but discounted.
You must book a Regency Club room to access the lounge, but they have better views and are on higher floors of the hotel. If you are a high-tier World of Hyatt member, you will get free club lounge access; otherwise, you can book a room specifically with lounge access at the Hyatt Regency Maui.
Bearing jet lag in mind, the Regency Club is usefully open from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. for breakfast. Breakfast usually consists of juices, all the usuals, a selection of cereals, pastries, muffins, bread, a hot egg dish, smoked salmon, and sliced meats.
There are mid-day snacks, including nuts, fruit, and cookies, as well as soft drinks and juice, and in the evening, there is a salad bar with loads of choices to make up a nice salad, along with meats and rolls as well as snacks like cheese and crackers. Dinner for two of these resorts can easily cost close to $150 USD, which means that eating in the lounge sometimes is great value, although remember, you will be paying around $5 USD for a drink. Dessert is available later in the evening.
Having Regency Club access at the Hyatt Regency Maui is likely to save rather than cost you more when considering resort food and drink costs, so it is worth splurging on.
8. Moana Surfrider Hotel, A Westin Resort
The last time I stayed in this hotel was just before Christmas, and there was a charming Christmas train set in the foyer with sparkling snow and a train making its way around these tiny mountains and through petite tunnels. It is one of the three main memories of my stay here. The other two moments that stick with me are sitting on the rocking chairs on the balcony to the front of the hotel, looking out to the main street, watching people walk by, and just relaxing in the heat.
And my third memorable moment was sipping a cocktail in the gardens overlooking the beach on the first night. The sunsets are quite early here, so we continued to sip as the and stars came out. I had terrible jet lag, but the swishing of the waves on the shore and the distant Hawaiian tunes made that evening rather lovely, regardless of my poor head and body!
The historical setting and the old-fashioned architecture make the Moana Surfrider a special choice in Waikiki. The hotel was actually built in 1901, and the lobby is in the original colonial building. You enter, bypassing the decked front porch lined with white wooden rocking chairs, and 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 let you 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. The base rooms here are small and can be musty. You need to upgrade to a room with a balcony and views for a luxury experience. Many “City View” rooms overlook the International Marketplace right from the back to the hotel. The view is great, but the music can be loud and 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 hotel’s location and upkeep are superb, making it a great hotel choice in Waikiki. Book with our luxury travel concierge for advice, discounts, and offers at this hotel.
Access to the beach club lounge may save you cash even though there is a steep price tag of around $100 USD per room per night. This is the going rate for club lounge access on Waikiki, and as this lounge is so nice, we think this offers a great deal.
Although we have placed this lounge in position two, opening times are less restrictive, meaning that the all-day snacks and drinks may be preferable to the Outrigger lounge above. This lounge does feel a bit like a beach club, and in my opinion, this is the second-best Club Lounge of any hotel in Waikiki.
The lounge is on the ground floor and has an outdoor seating area, which is great for breakfast, alfresco, or drinks in the evening. You are just a few feet above the beach! What more could you want in Hawaii?
The Moana has a popular popcorn machine. There tend to be fewer children at this hotel than at the Sheraton Waikiki up the beach. Usually, this lounge is the more peaceful lounge of the two if your loyalty sits with the Marriott/Westin/Sheraton brand and you collect Bonvoy points.
There is a great selection at breakfast; scrambled eggs, fruit, cheese, and porridge, a nice variety along with coffee, espresso, and bottled water (bottled water is not available at the equivalent club lounge at the Hyatt across the road, so the Moana beach club lounge offers a much better choice if the hotel lounge is a deal-breaker at your hotel). There are also soft drinks available throughout the day.
In the evening, they serve you free wine/beer. Your glass will never be empty. There is also a decent spread of food and excellent service.
9. Sheraton Waikiki
This hotel is right on the beach 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).
The downside of this hotel is that it is massive, so don’t expect the personal touch. It’s too big for that! But with huge and enormously high blocks comes incredible views! The club lounge view 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-service 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 on your doorstep and a location right in the center of the action, this hotel is a great choice!
When comparing the Moana Surfrider Vs. Sheraton Waikiki Club Lounge, for me, it is always the Moana Surfrider Club Lounge that wins, the fact that Moana Surfrider lounge is outdoor with mainly covered seating is fabulous, in the Sheraton Waikiki, you have views, but views from an enclosed room 30 floors up. You may prefer the pool at the Sheraton Waikiki, but if the club lounge is the dealbreaker, this Moana lounge is easily the best for Bonvoy fans.
10. Hyatt Regency Waikiki
The best feature of this property is the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Regency club lounge. The lounge and, in fact, the hotel is populated largely by Asian visitors, particularly the Japanese, giving it an international feel.
The lounge breakfast offers a nice selection of pastries, a charcuterie of meats and cheeses, along with fruit, including strawberries and melon, salads, salmon, and miso. If you are still hungry, there is toast and loads of fresh buns with various jams and spreads. Although this breakfast is not a patch of what you would expect from somewhere like the Four Seasons hotels, it still offers a fresh and expansive free buffet to fill you up in the morning.
Soft drinks are available from a fridge during the day, including Pepsi and cans of other soft fizzy drinks like Schweppes. Plus, you can pick up yogurt, and there are loads of fruit juices but no bottled water to take away.
The evening food and beverage offering includes, once again, a charcuterie of meats and cheeses, along with cold salad items and soups. Deserts are available later in the evening. I can quite easily munch my way through strips of cucumber celery, carrots, peppers, and dips to keep me going, but to be honest, you may feel you still want to eat out after finishing in the lounge. Interestingly, drinks containing alcohol are at extra cost, with Beer coming in at around four dollars, a glass of wine at five dollars, and cocktails at six dollars. If you are still hungry, plenty of eateries are on the doorstep, including things like Subway and McDonald’s, to fill you up.
There is no kids club at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, and, for me, the rather concrete pool area and the fact that you are across the road from the beach means that this Hyatt Regency is not the best hotel in Waikiki. It is still one of the few hotels with a club lounge on Waikiki, so it is worth considering. That said, the Hyatt on Maui and the Hyatt on Kauai are much better Hyatt hotels. They are proper resorts, and both are on the beach. This Hyatt is more of a city hotel and, consequently, is not a relaxing place to beach or bring kids.
11. Prince Waikiki
The Prince Waikiki club lounge is very good. It is located in the busy Ala Moana area, within walking distance from the large mall and harbor, and it consequently doesn’t have direct beach access, making it feel more like a city than a resort hotel.
Book into their Club Suites, and you will be given access to the club level on the top floors of the Prince Waikiki. Your room will also be higher up with a better view. Most guests pay around $100 USD extra to use the club lounge.
All hotel rooms and suites here offer an ocean view, either over the harbor or out to sea. Club Suites are on higher floors to offer “sweeping vistas” and private access to the Club Lounge, which is only available for those staying on the highest floors of the resort. Interestingly, even rooms 32 floors up have operable windows for fresh air.
The club lounge is perfectly positioned to overlook both pools on the deck. It has small, comfy seating areas indoors and outdoors (nice rattan furniture outside with lots of comfy cushions). The infinity pool is nice, with a view of the harbor and ocean, while the main pool is lovely. Just don’t expect a beach here.
Usefully, there is complimentary all-day beer and wine on tap. Yes, the wine is ON TAP! But nice to have for free nonetheless! It is described as “red” or “white”!
Prince Waikiki is at the far end of Waikiki, so to get to the center, you need to catch the complimentary shuttle from/to the hotel, which stops at Ala Moana Center, T Galleria by DFS, and Duke’s Statue. There’s also a golf shuttle to Hawaii Prince Golf Club.
This is a decent club lounge, but the hotel’s location is too far from the center of Waikiki, in my opinion, to give it a top slot.
It is worth mentioning that the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is nearby the Prince with its enormous size, does not offer a club lounge. The Marriott, situated across from the beach quite close to the Moana Surfrider, doesn’t have a club lounge either. Still, elite reward members get vouchers upon check-in for the complete breakfast in the newly refurbished and expanded dining room. It’s a good breakfast, but there is no club lounge here. Again, book these hotels via our concierge for extra benefits.
Of course, the best hotel on Oahu is probably the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, which is not in Waikiki but is a short drive away. Stay here, and you can enjoy the best of Waikiki by taxiing or Uber-ing into town. Still, you can also escape the crowds to the glorious and luxurious isolation of this Four Seasons hotel.
This is also probably the most convenient of all the Four Seasons hotels on the Hawaiian Islands. It is located on Oahu, around a half-hour drive from Honolulu Airport (HNL), and you can fly directly into HNL from mainland USA and Canada.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.