If the Hawaii trip of your dream looks like a vintage but trendy boutique hotel, mai tais with little umbrellas, palm trees, and easy access to food, shopping, and world class attractions all on one of the world’s most beautiful and iconic beaches, then you’re going to love Waikiki.

I love the grand jewels of Waikiki as much as the next girl (Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider 💖), but sometimes you don’t need the full resort experience. When I’m on Oahu and have non-stop activities and exploring planned, I like to stay at a small (and cheaper) hotel in Waikiki instead of spending $$$ to stay at one of the big resorts on the beach.

Amidst the city vibes of Waikiki, I’m usually happier at a low key (and lower budget hotel) so I don’t feel guilty when I’m out running around the island all day instead of at the pool or beach.

Then when I’m ready to “vacation,” I like to head out to Ko Olina or Turtle Bay where things are a lot quieter.

My Favorite Boutique Hotels in Waikiki

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money on anything you choose to purchase. But of course, I only recommend my absolute favorites to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that make HulaLand possible.

These are some of my favorite smaller boutique hotels in Waikiki:

The Laylow

The Laylow is a boutique city hotel with the vintage Hawaiiana charm that dreams are made of.

The Laylow, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection, doesn’t sit beachfront or have ocean views (rooms on the very upper floors may have a distant side view), but it’s just 2 short blocks from the beach.

Shopping and dining options abound and it’s a great location for walking pretty much everywhere in Waikiki.

The rooms at the Laylow are all pretty spacious and bright. The room I booked featured two king size beds (something I’m finding more common in city hotels where a group of adults may be traveling together) and there was plenty of floor space.

The Laylow is fairly insta-famous and they’ve done a good job carrying that over to the rooms. The colorful wallpaper and ukulele make a fun photo op and every room gets a FUN gift basket featuring branded flip flops, refillable water bottles, snacks, and some other fun goodies.

The Laylow definitely feels more like a city hotel than a resort, but one with a really relaxed vacation vibe. They’ve really leaned hard into the vintage Hawaiiana vibe.

I wouldn’t call the Laylow a budget hotel, but I think it’s an excellent value for what it offers. And this is probably the nicest hotel on this list.

If you’re just looking for a place to shower and sleep while you’re out exploring the island each day then you can definitely find a cheaper place. But if you value coming back to a nicer hotel at the end of the day, the Laylow is a great option.

Check rates at The Laylow.

Pics from my stay at the Laylow below ⬇️

Kaimana Beach Hotel

I think the Kaimana Beach Hotel flies under the radar big time. It’s at the quiet end of Waikiki (close to Diamond Head), but if the beach is the reason for your trip, you won’t be disappointed here.

It sits right on perhaps the best little pocket of Waikiki Beach and it’s never overly crowded. I would argue the beach experience is much better here than at all the big beach resorts further up the road.

The hotel underwent a top to bottom renovation a few years ago, and it is so cute! The design is so on point and their onsite restaurant, Hau Tree, is a gem.

There’s no pool here, but with the beach right outside, you really don’t need it.

And it’s still a quick 15 minute walk up into the heart of Waikiki.

Check the rates at the Kaimana Beach Hotel here.

Pics of the Kaimana Beach Hotel below ⬇️

Wayfinder

There’s nothing I love more than a hotel where they get the design…just right. Wayfinder delivers a detailed and layered experience from the lobby to the guest rooms to the pool, and it feels stylish and comfortable at the same time.

It still feels like a city hotel, but one that knows it’s in Hawaii. I wouldn’t necessarily book a stay here for my whole vacation if beach and pool were the priority, but for the price, it’s a really great place to basecamp while you’re out adventuring.

The rooms and bathroom here, while small (the beds are doubles not queens) are actually nicer and better designed than a lot of hotels in Waikiki.

There’s an onsite restaurant that’s well known for their poke, a coffee bar, and a spot by the pool so it’s nice to have options close by.

Check the rates at the Wayfinder here.

Pics of my stay at the Wayfinder below ⬇️

White Sands

Talk about Instagrammable! You’d be hard pressed to find a more aesthetically pleasing pool area in Waikiki. The umbrellas! The SWINGS at the bar!

And that’s really the feature of White Sands. It has a cool retro vibe that makes it a hangout spot.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed by the rooms here. They photograph well, but they felt pretty tired in person (and carpet gives me the ick) and overall the room and bathroom were on the lower end of hotels on this list.

Also, I would highly recommend a white noise machine (I always travel with one), because there’s a live band in the bar area most nights and it’s an older hotel so there’s not much sound proofing.

But it’s priced right! And it has a slightly better location than Wayfinder. It’s a block or so closer to the nicer end of Waikiki, which is something I think about as a female (sometimes single) traveler.

Check rates at White Sands here.

Pics of my stay at White Sands below ⬇️

The Surfjack Hotel

The Surfjack was one of the first older Waikiki hotels to be renovated into a trendy more sought out place to stay. The hotel plays up the 1960s Hawaiiana style, and it’s often one of the most budget friendly options because of their parking.

They contract with a lot that’s just $15/night (compared to $40-50/night at a lot of these other hotels), and often if you book directly on their website, it’s free.

The onsite restaurant, Mahina and Suns, is a favorite with locals too.

Check the rates at the Surfjack here.

Pics of the Surfjack below ⬇️

Romer House

I haven’t gotten to stay at Romer House yet, but it’s at the top of my list for my next trip. It recently opened as Oahu’s only adults only hotel and it looks pretty dreamy.

* Don’t confuse this hotel with the Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki which used to be named Romer.

Check rates at Romer House here.

Honorable Mentions

Yesssss, they’re big time hotels, but I think they still have a smaller, boutique hotel feel and are extra “special.”

The Royal Hawaiian

This is definitely the most iconic hotel in Waikiki…in all of Hawaii! “The Pink Palace of the Pacific” has a style that speaks of a bygone era but it’s still high on modern luxuries.

It’s right in the heart of Waikiki, but tucked back off the main strip behind the Royal Hawaiian Center so it never feels quite as busy as so many of the other big hotels.

If it’s in the budget, definitely book the Mailani Tower. It’s the newly renovated “luxury” tower and it has much more modern and updated rooms (not to mention ah-mazing views) than the older wing.

Check rates at the Royal Hawaiian here.

Moana Surfrider

They just don’t make hotels like this anymore. The oldest hotel on Waikiki (it’s been around since 1901) definitely feels like it’s from another era. Their porch is iconic for guests and visitors alike and while it’s always pretty busy since it’s right on the main strip (and the beach), it has an elegant and relaxed feel.

They do afternoon tea on the verandah on the weekends and that’s pretty high on my Hawaii bucket list.

The whole hotel is currently undergoing a top to bottom renovation for it’s 125th anniversary in 2026 and the rooms that they’ve finished so far are looking GREAT.

Check pricing here.

P.S. One of the reasons I’m able to travel to Hawaii so often is because I get free flights with my Southwest credit card AND I can fly someone with me for free with my Companion Pass.

I have this Southwest Premier Rapid Rewards Visa card through Chase. The current sign up offer is 50,000 points. Depending on where you live and fly from, that’s at least one completely FREE ticket to Hawaii and it could be two depending on the time of year (or more if you catch a crazy sale).

But the real pro travel hack is getting the Southwest Companion Pass.

If you acquire a certain amount of annual points with Southwest (either through flying or credit card spend), you get a companion pass where you can bring someone with you on every flight you take FOR FREE for the entire year. I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I save using this every year.

What makes this doable is that the sign up bonuses from Southwest credit cards goes towards the point requirement.

By far the quickest way to qualify for the companion pass is by signing up for a personal AND business card through Southwest.

**Besides being a business owner, if you’re self-employed, a freelancer or contractor, a gig economy worker, if you own rental properties, etc…you qualify for a business card.

And you’ll be most of the way towards qualifying for a Companion Pass PLUS you’ll have 110K points to book flights to Hawaii. That’s enough points to book 3-4 flights to Hawaii! AND you can take someone with you for FREE.

P.P.S. Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…

You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!

Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii and a lot of state and national parks have instituted reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to help manage the crowds and make things a little more sustainable.

That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.

I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )

But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.
Get that info >> HERE