2025 Readers Choice Awards: Oʻahu

Nicknamed the Gathering Place, Oʻahu offers something for everyone: luxury resorts, award-winning restaurants, dozens of hiking trails, world-famous surf spots, museums and art galleries, and lots of things to do for the entire family. 
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Best Hotels and Resorts on Oʻahu

Best Luxury Resort 

1. The Kahala Hotel & Resort
2. The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay
3. Halekūlani
4. The Royal Hawaiian
5. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
6. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort
7. Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach
8. The Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikīkī
9. ‘Alohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach
10. Prince Waikīkī Resort

Best Value Hotel or Resort 

1. The Imperial Hawai‘i Resort 
2. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort 
3. Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club 
4. Ala Moana Hotel by Mantra 
5. Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort 
6. Outrigger Waikīkī Beachcomber Hotel 
7. Holiday Inn Express Waikīkī 
8. Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel Waikīkī Beach 
9. Waikīkī Malia 
10. Romer Waikīkī at the Ambassador 

Best Boutique Hotel 

1. The Kahala Hotel and Resort 
2. The Imperial Hawai‘i Resort 
3. The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club 
4. Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel Waikīkī Beach 
5. Regency on Beachwalk Waikīkī by Outrigger 
6. Kaimana Beach Hotel 
7. Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head 
8. The Laylow, Autograph Collection 
9. Castle Bamboo Waikīkī Hotel 
10. Espacio, The Jewel of Waikīkī 

Best Hotel or Resort for Families 

1. The Imperial Hawai‘i Resort 
2. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa 
3. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort 
4. Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort 
5. Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay 
6. Hilton Waikīkī Beach 
7. ‘Alohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach 
8. Hyatt Regency Waikīkī  Beach Resort & Spa 
9. Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikīkī Beach Walk 
10. Holiday Inn Express Waikīkī 

Best Hotel for Romance 

1. The Kahala Hotel & Resort 
2. The Royal Hawaiian 
3. Halekūlani 
4. Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay 
5. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort 
6. Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko ‘Olina 
7. Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach 
8. Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort 
9. Hyatt Regency Waikīkī Beach Resort & Spa 
10. ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach

Best Hotel or Resort Spa 

1. The Kahala Spa at The Kahala Hotel & Resort 
2. Spa Halekūlani at Halekūlani 
3. Moana Lani Spa at Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach 
4. Mandara Spa at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Resort 
5. Infinity Massage & Spa at Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort 

Best Hotel or Resort Pool 

1. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa  
2. Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel 
3. Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay 
4. Halekūlani 
5. The Imperial Hawai‘i Resort 

Best Vacation Timeshare 

1. The Imperial Hawai‘i Resort 
2. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa 
3. Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort 
4. Marriott’s Ko ‘Olina Beach Club 
5. Wyndham at Waikīkī Beach Walk

Best Bed & Breakfast or Inn 

1. Diamond Head B&B 
2. Mānoa Valley Inn 
3. Manu Mele Bed and Breakfast 
4. Sheffield House Bed & Breakfast 
5. Hula Breeze B&B 

Best Food and Drink on Oʻahu

Best Restaurant 

1. Duke’s Waikīkī 
2. Roy’s Waikīkī 
3. Hy’s Steak House 
4. The Pig and The Lady 
5. Merriman’s Honolulu 

Best Hotel or Resort Restaurant 

1. Duke’s Waikīkī at the Outrigger Waikīkī Beach Resort 
2. Plumeria Beach House at The Kahala Hotel & Resort 
3. House Without a Key at the Halekūlani 
4. The Beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach 
5. Morimoto at ‘Alohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach 

Best Bar or Lounge 

1. Duke’s Waikīkī 
2. House Without a Key at the Halekūlani 
3. Maui Brewing Co. 
4. RumFire Waikīkī 
5. Aloha Beer Co.

Best Cheap Eats 

1. Zippy’s 
2. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue 
3. Rainbow Drive-In 
4. Liliha Bakery 
5. Marukame Udon 

Best Bakery 

1. Leonard’s Bakery 
2. Liliha Bakery 
3. Halekūlani Bakery 
4. Kamehameha Bakery 
5. Ted’s Bakery 

Best Breakfast or Brunch 

1. Liliha Bakery 
2. Eggs ‘n Things 
3. Koko Head Café 
4. Cinnamon’s 
5. Waiʻoli Kitchen & Bake Shop 

Best Coffee Shop 

1. Island Vintage Coffee 
2. Kona Coffee Purveyors 
3. Island Brew Coffeehouse 
4. Sunrise Shack 
5. Kai Coffee Hawaiʻi 

Best Burger 

1. Cheeseburger in Paradise 
2. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers 
3. Rainbow Drive-in 
4. Kua ‘Āina Burger 

Best Farm-To-Table Restaurant 

1. Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman 
2. Merriman’s Honolulu 
3. Moku Kitchen 
4. Kahumana Organic Farm & Café 
5. Fête 

Best Food Truck 

1. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck 
2. Da Bald Guy 
3. Big Wave Shrimp 
4. Flyin’ ‘Ahi 
5. Tiano’s On Wheels 

Best Traditional Hawaiian Restaurant 

1. Helena’s Hawaiian Food 
2. Waiāhole Poi Factory 
3. Highway Inn 
4. Yama’s Fish Market 
5. Young’s Fish Market 

Best Noodle, Saimin or Ramen 

1. Marukame Udon 
2. Shiro’s Saimin Haven 
3. Ramen Bario 
4. Palace Saimin 
5. Shige’s Saimin Stand 

Best Pizza 

1. Big Kahuna’s Pizza 
2. Giovanni Pastrami
3. J. Dolan’s
4. Round Table Pizza 
5. Boston Pizza 

Best Plate Lunch 

1. L&L Hawaiian BBQ 
2. Rainbow Drive-In 
3. Nico’s Pier 38 
4. Kono’s 
5. Alicia’s Market 

Best Poke 

1. Foodland 
2. ‘Ono Seafood 
3. Tamura’s Market 
4. Fresh Catch 
5. Tanioka’s Seafood and Catering

Best Happy Hour 

1. Duke’s Waikīkī 
2. Tiki’s Grill & Bar 
3. Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi
4. Maui Brewing Co. 
5. Deck at Queen Kapiolani Hotel 

Best Seafood Restaurant 

1. Nico’s Pier 38 
2. Hale‘iwa Joe’s 
3. Duke’s Waikīkī 
4. Roy’s Waikīkī 
5. 53 By The Sea

Best Shave Ice Stand or Store 

1. Matsumoto Shave Ice 
2. Waiola Shave Ice 
3. Island Vintage Shave Ice 
4. Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (closed in 2025) 
5. Island Snow 

Best Steak House 

1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House 
2. Hy’s Steak House 
3. The Signature Prime Steak & Seafood 
4. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Waikīkī 
5. Morton’s Ala Moana

Best Outdoor Adventures on Oʻahu

Best Beach 

1. Waikīkī Beach 
2. Lanikai Beach 
3. Waimea Bay 
4. Kailua Beach 
5. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

Best Snorkeling Spot 

1. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve 
2. Shark’s Cove 
3. The Lagoons at Ko ’Olina 
4. Kahe Point Beach Park (Electric Beach) 
5. Three Tables 

Best Surf Spot 

1. Waikīkī Beach 
2. Hale‘iwa Beach Park 
3. Diamond Head 
4. White Plains Beach 
5. Pua‘ena Point Beach Park 

Best Botanical Garden 

1. Waimea Valley 
2. Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden 
3. Foster Botanical Garden 
4. Wahiawā Botanical Garden 
5. Koko Crater Botanical Garden 

Best Campground 

1. Waimānalo Beach Park 
2. Bellows Field Beach Park 
3. Mālaekahana Beach Campground 
4. Kualoa Regional Park 
5. Kahua Nui-Makai Campsites 

Best Hiking Trail 

1. Diamond Head Summit Trail 
2. Mānoa Falls Trail 
3. Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail 
4. Koko Crater Stairs 
5. Kaʻiwa Ridge Trail (Lanikai Pillbox) 

Best Activities on Oʻahu

Best Dinner Cruise or Sunset Sail 

1. Star of Honolulu 
2. Na Hōkū II Catamaran 
3. Holokai Catamaran 
4. Maita‘i Catamaran 
5. Atlantis Adventure Cruises 

Best Extreme Tour 

1. Kualoa Ranch 
2. Skydive Hawai‘i 
3. Diamond Head Parasail 
4. Climb Works Keana Farms 
5. Xtreme Parasail 

Best Farm Tour 

1. Dole Plantation 
2. Kualoa Ranch 
3. Tropical Farms Macadamia Nuts 
4. Kahuku Farms 
5. Kō Hana Distillers 

Best Guided Tour 

1. Pearl Harbor National Memorial 
2. Polynesian Cultural Center 
3. Kualoa Ranch 
4. ‘Iolani Palace 
5. Roberts Hawai‘i 

Best Helicopter Tour 

1. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters 
2. Magnum Helicopters 
3. Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours 
4. Paradise Helicopters 
5. Honolulu Helicopters 

Best Golf Course 

1. Turtle Bay Golf 
2. Ko ‘Olina Golf Club 
3. Ala Wai Golf Course 
4. Hawai‘i Kai Golf Course 
5. Mākaha Valley Golf Course 

Best Live Show (Not a Lūʻau) 

1. Fireworks Show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikīkī Beach Hotel 
2. Hā: Breath of Life 
3. Blue Note Hawai‘i 
4. Kilohana Hula Show 
5. Rock-A-Hula 

Best Lūʻau 

1. Ali‘i Lū‘au at the Polynesian Cultural Center 
2. Paradise Cove Lū‘au 
3. Germaine’s Lū‘au 
4. Chief’s Lū‘au 
5. Aloha Kai at Sea Life Park 

Best Museum 

1. Pearl Harbor National Memorial 
2. Bishop Museum 
3. ‘Iolani Palace 
4. Honolulu Museum of Art 
5. Capitol Modern (State Art Museum) 

Best Fishing Charter 

1. O‘ahu Charter Sport Fishing 
2. Hawai‘i Deep Sea Fishing 
3. Maggie Joe Sport Fishing 
4. Ruckus Sportfishing and Diving 
5. Surreal Fishing Charters 

Best Shopping on Oʻahu

Best Art Gallery 

1. Hale‘iwa Art Gallery 
2. Wyland Galleries 
3. Clark Little Gallery 
4. Greenroom Gallery Waikīkī 
5. Polu Gallery 

Best Shopping Center or Mall 

1. Ala Moana Center 
2. International Market Place 
3. Kāhala Mall 
4. Royal Hawaiian Center 
5. Pearlridge Center 

Best Clothing/Fashion Boutique or Store 

1. Crazy Shirts 
2. Mahina 
3. Tori Richard 
4. Hawaiʻi’s Finest Clothing 
5. Blue Ginger 

Best Store for Souvenirs 

1. Aloha Stadium Swap Meet 
2. Hilo Hattie 
3. Dole Plantation 
4. SoHa Living 
5. CocoNene

Best Surf Shop 

1. T&C Surf Hawai‘i 
2. North Shore Surf Shop 
3. Local Motion Hawai‘i 
4. Surf N Sea 
5. Hawaiian South Shore 

Best Services on Oʻahu

Best Surf Instruction Co. 

1. Waikīkī Beach Services 
2. North Shore Surf Girls 
3. Big Wave Dave Surf & Coffee 
4. Hans Hedemann Surf School 
5. Faith Surf School 

Best Beach Gear or Water Gear Rental 

1. Snorkel Bob’s 
2. Waikīkī Beach Services 
3. Surf N Sea 
4. Hawaiian Watersports 
5. Aloha Beach Services 

Best Transportation Service 

1. Uber 
2. Waikīkī Trolley 
3. Roberts Hawai‘i 
4. Biki Hawai’i 
5. Hui Car Share 

Best Resort for a Wedding 

1. The Kahala Hotel & Resort 
2. The Royal Hawaiian 
3. Ritz-Carlton Oʻahu, Turtle Bay 
4. Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach 
5. ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach 

Best Wedding Venue (Not a Beach or Resort) 

1. Kualoa Ranch 
2. Haʻikū Gardens Weddings 
3. Koʻolau Ballrooms and Conference Center 
4. Dillingham Ranch 
5. Loʻulu Palm Retreats & Events