Gay Honolulu Honolulu City Guide

A name like Halekulani — Hawaiian for “house befitting heaven” — sets expectations perilously high, yet this storied Waikiki institution has been delivering on that promise since 1907. Spread across five lushly landscaped acres fronting Grey’s Beach, the 453-room property sits within easy reach of the gay-friendly Queen’s Surf Beach, its Diamond Head backdrop offering one of the most cinematic vistas in the Pacific. Rooms dressed in serene creams and blues come with deep soaking tubs, marble vanities and private lanais, while the legendary pool — an 82-foot oval embedded with 1.2 million pieces of South African glass in the form of a giant Cattleya orchid — is arguably the most photographed pool deck in Hawaii. Three restaurants, including the stellar La Mer (more on that shortly), and a live jazz lounge mean leaving the property is entirely optional. The SpaHalekulani, redesigned by acclaimed New York firm Champalimaud and reimagined in 2024 around the ancient Hawaiian healing concept of Kawehewehe, takes wellness to another level entirely — particularly the couple’s suite with its traditional Japanese furo bath. No resort fees. Enough said.

If Halekulani is Waikiki’s queen, The Kahala Hotel & Resort is her more enigmatic elder, holding court just ten minutes away in the exclusive Kahala district. Sequestered behind Diamond Head on a quiet, private beach, this is where world leaders, music legends and Hollywood royalty have retreated since 1964 — every US president from Lyndon Johnson onwards among them. A property-wide room renovation completed in 2025 brought locally inspired linens and a refined colour palette to its 338 rooms and suites, which extend up to a palatial 2,200 square feet, each with a private lanai and views of the Pacific, Ko’olau Mountains or the resort’s extraordinary dolphin lagoon. The Kahala Spa’s signature four-handed massage is the stuff of rumour and return bookings, while five restaurants cater to every mood from oceanfront brasserie to elegant evening dining. Close enough to Waikiki when you want it, blissfully removed when you don’t.

For something altogether wilder, the Four Seasons Resort O’ahu at Ko Olina repositions one entirely. Located on Oahu’s dramatic western coast — roughly 30 minutes from central Honolulu — the resort sits on land the ancient Hawaiians considered sacred, surrounded by crescent lagoons and relentless Pacific horizon. Among 371 rooms and suites, all with lanais and pillow menus, the crown jewel is a two-bedroom 17th-floor pied-à-terre that Forbes called the most dramatic hotel suite on the Hawaiian Islands. Below, the adults-only infinity pool competes for attention with the Naupaka Spa, the Ko Olina Golf Club and a marina offering chartered yacht excursions. Mina’s Fish House brings Michael Mina’s coastal genius to the resort’s poolside setting. For those who take their isolation — and their grandeur — seriously.