When most people think of Oahu, they think of Waikiki’s crowded beaches lined with high rises. But a little over an hour north of there is, in my opinion, one of the best parts of Hawaii. 

Oahu’s North Shore has long been considered the mecca for surfing in Hawaii (in the world!), and because the area hasn’t ever been very developed, there’s only ever been one place to stay…Turtle Bay. 

It’s been on my list to stay here for awhile now, but when the resort sold last summer and was rebranded as a Ritz Carlton, it moved up to the top of my priority list. 

So this winter, I cashed in a bundle of Marriott Bonvoy points for a stay.

Here’s EVERYTHING you need to know about the Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay Oahu…

Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay Oahu Review

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.

The Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay is the only resort on Oahu’s famed North Shore. Tucked away in “the country,” you’re likely to see more horses and chickens than people…unless of course, they’re surfers. 

Turtle Bay has been the gathering spot for locals and visitors on the North Shore since the 70s, but during the COVID closure, the resort shut down completely for a top to bottom renovation and reopened looking…divine. 

Seriously…I could not have been more impressed.

Things I Love about Turtle Bay

I’ve already touched on the location, but at its heart…this is what makes Turtle Bay so special. 

There’s just something about the North Shore. It’s not a shiny resort area and there’s NO hustle and bustle, but it’s packed with charm, its own unique culture, and plenty of things to see and do. 

And since Turtle Bay is the only hotel around for miles (and miles and miles), it’s a destination.

Next is the hotel itself. It’s STUNNING. Yes, you expect a certain panache from a Ritz Carlton, but I have to say…this hotel feels a lot less like a Ritz Carlton than most of their properties. And I mean that in a good way ; ) 

It has a barefoot luxury vibe with a strong sense of place that makes it feel special, and not at all stuffy. 

The thing this resort does better than pretty much anywhere else I’ve ever stayed is working the hotel’s amenities and common spaces around the natural features of the property. 

Examples: 

The check in desk is in front of floor to ceiling windows overlooking the beach.

The lobby bar is PERFECTLY situated with views of the ocean and sunset.

The pool bar spills over to an area where you can watch the surfers. 

The adults only pool and hot tub overlooks the other pools and the ocean with great views of the coast along Turtle Bay. 

Plus there are cozy seating areas EVERYWHERE around the property. The lobby, lounges, coffee shop, and pool decks kind of all spill together and there are endless 

Whether you’re having your morning coffee, having a cocktail, sitting around a fire, watching the surfers, or playing cards with friends, this is the kind of place where people just hang out which really does a lot for the atmosphere. 

I’m definitely not a proponent of going to Hawaii and never leaving the resort, BUT they make that very attractive at Turtle Bay ; ) 

The pool areas here do a really nice job blending adults only spaces and family friendly ones. The family pools are fairly large with some shallow areas and two slides.

But I was most impressed with the adults only pool. They have the nice, padded loungers which I LOVE. 

Plus I love a pool with a view, and the views of the resort, the ocean, and the beaches around Turtle Bay are top notch. 

This has really spoiled me for some of the “old school” beach resorts where the pool is more tucked away with a view looking up at a building. 

I also love that the hot tub is nestled into the pool here, and it’s pretty large. This is important because it tends to be cooler on the North Shore than in Waikiki and earlier and later in the day the hot tub feels very inviting. 

About the rooms…these are the probably the nicest (and chicest) Ritz Carlton rooms I’ve stayed in. They’re big and well designed. 

They passed the “multiple people in one room test”…there are bedside tables and outlets on BOTH sides of the beds in the queen/queen rooms (you’d be surprised how rare this is). 

And in that vein, the bathroom is laid out sooooo well. There are two separate vanity areas (one in the room with the shower and toiled) and the second in the larger room with the closet). 

Also, I love this newer trend of the closet being in the bathroom. It’s more convenient plus it keeps the room feeling less cluttered. 

Another thing I love about Turtle Bay is the food situation. Yes, there are two sit down restaurants, a coffee/snack shop, a small market (with some prepared food), and two bars/lounges. But if you hop in the car, the food trucks in Kahuku are just about two minutes away. 

It’s really nice having options for more casual and local food instead of feeling like you’re in a resort bubble. 

The onsite coffee shop (Ho’olana Coffee) is a hopping spot in the mornings and has a signature banana bread latte that’s a must try. 

One of my favorite things about Turtle Bay are the nearby stables and hiking trails that wind along the beach and through the forest. 

I really enjoy having a place to walk in the mornings after grabbing coffee without having to load up in the car and drive somewhere. 

There’s also really good tennis, pickleball, and golf onsite. 

We had a really nice dinner at the Beach House. The burrata with beet hummus, Banzai roll, lobster mac and cheese, and crispy brussel sprouts were all big hits.

An obscure thing I like about Turtle Bay: They have really good onsite shopping. There are a couple of boutiques that lean into the surf and beach vibe. PLUS they have fantastic resort logo merch here. 

Several local brands (Aloha Collection and Hawaiian Standard) both do exclusive Turtle Bay collabs that are only available at the resort plus Vuori does all of the logo wear. 

And lastly, I mentioned it briefly before, but sunset at Off the Lip Bar in the lobby is probably my #1 resort moment in Hawaii. 

I’ve stayed at a lot of amazing places, but the Turtle Bay lobby at sunset takes the cake!

The turtle cheesecake that is ; )

***Want to save major $$$ on your trip to Hawaii? I get asked ALL the time how I’m able to travel so often to Hawaii and stay at really nice resorts. Well, my favorite travel hack is cashing in points to score free airfare and free nights at some of Hawaii’s most high end resorts. Read my full guide on the exact system I use to max out credit card rewards here. Seriously, it’s going to save you soooo much money.

Things You May Not Love

I always like to add in some critiques to my reviews, but honestly there’s very, very little to dislike about this place. But I’ll do my best to give you some things to think about ; ) 

Turtle Bay is pretty remote from Waikiki and Honolulu. I said that like it’s a bad thing haha. I mean, that’s kind of its selling point, BUT if you’re hoping to take advantage of all the shopping and dining in town, Turtle Bay is a bit far for that. 

Most people use Waikiki as their homebase for exploring the island, but unless what you’re wanting to explore is the city itself, I actually think Turtle Bay would be a pretty good base. It’s convenient for the North Shore and the Windward Coast which I think are the best parts of the island. 

It is pricey though so unless money isn’t an issue, it might not be a place where you want to stay if you’re planning to be out and about all day every day. 

In the winter, the weather can be iffy. Swells can bring in cool, breezy temps with some wind and rain or it could be sunny and 75. Just remember, the swells bring the surf, which is what gives this place its charm.

On my stay in January, I had about half and half weather. I was at the pool in a swimsuit every day (and came home with a great tan), but most mornings and evenings I wore shorts and a sweatshirt. 

The weather is most “beach like” in the summer and the beaches and snorkeling spots along the North Shore are perfect for swimming, but…there’s no surf. So you just have to pick your attraction.

And the last “negative” would be that while the resort is definitely luxurious, the North Shore is not a fancy place. So don’t expect fine dining, fancy shopping, or all the vacation amenities. It’s more of a local vibe. 

Side Note: If you’re looking for a rental car for your trip, I LOVE Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.

Overall

I can’t say enough good things about Turtle Bay. Since I travel to Hawaii so often (and review hotels as my job), even when I really like a place I don’t necessarily see myself going back because there’s always a new place to try. 

BUT I will 100% stay at Turtle Bay again. I’m actually already planning my next trip ; ) 

This is the rare property that manages to get it JUST RIGHT for pretty much every demographic. Would I come here on my honeymoon? Absolutely. Would I bring the kids? Hard yes. A trip with the girls? Sign me up.

Basically, whatever the question, a stay at the Ritz Carlton Turtle Bay Oahu is the answer. 

You can book Turtle Bay here.  

P.S. I travel to Hawaii multiple times a year, and let me tell you a secret…I do most of it for FREE using credit card points and miles. 

I have a somewhat intricate system that I’ve fine tuned over the years to maximize earning points and how I cash them in, but the short version is:

I use THIS Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card for free Marriott nights. The sign up bonus alone on this card will get you 3 (sometimes 5!) free nights at hotels in Hawaii like the Sheraton Maui, Royal Hawaiian (Oahu), Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, and the Waikoloa Beach Marriott (Kona). 

And I use THIS Southwest Premier Rapid Rewards card for free flights on Southwest. The sign up bonus will get you at least one round trip flight to Hawaii (possibly two depending on where you’re flying from). 

The combo of these two cards will have you most of the way to a free trip to Hawaii right out of the gate. Again, you can sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless >> HERE and the Southwest Premier Rapid Rewards >> HERE
And if you’re really serious about getting into the travel hacking game, read this post for a more in depth look at how I maximize credit card points to book travel.

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