A evaluate of the brand new Renaissance Honolulu Resort & Spa: An ideal new addition to the Hawaii resort scene

What is the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa?

The Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa is a 39-floor new hotel and residence project developed by JL Capital and managed by Highgate, a hospitality and real estate company with several hotels under its growing umbrella.

There are 187 rooms and suites and another 112 residences with studio and one- and two-bedroom spaces. Unlike at similar projects, you can book the residences just like you would a hotel room, though each unit on the residence side of the hotel is privately owned.

Residences feature fully equipped kitchens with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, as well as washers and dryers in every unit.

How to book the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa

The location is prime for shopping and sightseeing, though a bit far from beaches

The hotel is in a part of Honolulu that might be new to some travelers; the Ala Moana neighborhood is growing by leaps and bounds, but there aren’t many other high-end hotels nearby yet. (The only other hotels in this neighborhood are the Pagoda Hotel and the Ala Moana Honolulu by Mantra.)

The enormous Ala Moana Center mall is right across the street from the Renaissance, with access to major department stores, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s. There are also dozens of fashion retailers with names most will recognize, like Gucci, Prada and Chanel.

The Honolulu Museum of Art is just over a mile from the hotel. It’s about 2 miles from the historic Chinatown. A free shuttle will take you to Waikiki, the traditional tourist hotel zone where you’ll find the famous Honolulu beaches and lots of activities.

The great part about making the Renaissance Honolulu your home base is that it’s just 7 miles and 15-20 minutes by car from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). Depending on the time of day, services like Uber and Lyft will cost between $30 and $40 to get from the airport to the hotel.

There’s also a free shuttle service that runs every hour from the hotel from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. The shuttle has three stops:

• Ala Moana Center
• Magic Island (where there are fireworks on Friday nights)
• Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach (in the heart of Waikiki)

Checking in

As guests check in to the hotel, they are welcomed into a sweeping, well-lit lobby full of fresh greenery with the Discovery Center as a prominent feature. There, you’ll find hotel “navigators” ready to help you with bookings or activities in Hawaii.

Guests checking in during the evening hours are offered a complimentary beverage from a cute little food truck set up in the lobby not far from the main Mara restaurant.

Throughout the lobby area, guests will find local art and handcrafted wood furniture, along with comfy modern couches. It’s an inviting space to sit and take a break.

Rooms are modern, light and airy

I was fortunate enough to get upgraded to one of the enormous residences at the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa.

The hotel has several room categories: City View, Partial Ocean View, Ocean View, Premier Ocean View, Mountain View Suite Residence and Premier Ocean View Suite Residence.

I stayed in one of the corner one-bedroom residential-style suites on the top floor. My room had everything you’d expect to find in a standard room, plus a fully equipped kitchen with a Sub-Zero full-size fridge and Wolf appliances, including a dishwasher, a microwave and a full oven. This kitchen space was fabulous, especially for those staying for more than a few days. There was a large living area as well, with a comfortable, tasteful sofa that had some cheerful orange throw pillows and a small white coffee table.

Due to its spaciousness, this would be the perfect place for a family traveling together. There was even a nice sleeper sofa that converted to a full sofa bed, which would be ideal for a future trip if I return with my nieces or nephews.

My suite also had a Nespresso coffee machine, and the pods were refreshed regularly. All the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa rooms have Nespresso machines and tea kettles.

The kitchens are fully stocked with all of the equipment you need to prepare your meals. This could be a great option to reduce food expenses on a family trip to Honolulu.

My room was filled with modern art from local artists and had floor-to-ceiling views of the nearby buildings and glimpses of the ocean.

The separate bedroom had plush white linens, several lamps and a wooden desk with a comfy office chair that helped me stay productive during my two-day visit.

Outlets were plentiful, as you’d expect in new construction. There were USB and standard outlets on both sides of the bed and a charging station built into the desk, which I found super helpful.

The large closet had a safe, plenty of hangers and two plush robes by linen maker Kassatex New York.

The spacious bathroom had a Toto bidet-style toilet, a large soaking tub and a separate shower with a regular showerhead and a wand.

There were also Aveda amenities, including lotion, hand soap and large dispensers in the shower.

While I didn’t get to use it, the tub sure looked inviting.

There is also laundry service at Renaissance Honolulu. Dry cleaning is available Monday through Friday, though prices are as high as you’d expect. You’ll pay $30 to have a suit cleaned, $14 for a shirt and $27.90 for a dress. One of the great amenities the hotel residences offer, though, is on-site laundry. Each of the residences has a Bosch washer-and-dryer combo.

Even if you aren’t staying in a residence, though, there is an on-site coin-operated laundromat on the eighth floor near the gym where you can do your own laundry. It’s a great setup if you are there for a longer stay (or if you have kids that go through clothes quickly).

The restaurants at Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa

I really enjoyed the food and beverage offerings at Renaissance Honolulu Resort & Spa. While there weren’t a ton of options, there was plenty to keep me full and happy for a few days and nights.

Mara

Mara and the Mara Bar & Lounge are the Renaissance Hotel & Spa’s Mediterranean dining spots just off the lobby.

The restaurant also has a street entrance in front of the hotel and some outdoor dining tables.

There is a happy hour the hotel calls “pau hana” with drinks and light bites from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the week.

The restaurant is one of Honolulu’s hottest reservations. It was packed at night and I’m told guests should make reservations for the restaurant ahead of time.

This is a stylish gathering place with colorful works from local artists on the walls and a young, hip crowd.

The food, scrumptious Mediterranean cuisine made with Hawaii’s freshest local ingredients, was truly delicious. I tried several dishes, including hummus ($14), tzatziki ($16) and bocconcino burrata ($21) as appetizers. I had an 8-ounce filet mignon for my main course; it was cooked just as I requested and tasted delicious, which I appreciated given the $56 price tag. Service was impeccable, and I left dinner very full and very satisfied.

Here’s a look at the innovative menu at Mara.

I definitely recommend eating at least one meal here.

Lamill Coffee

You’ll find a lobby-level store for the Los Angeles-based coffee company Lamill Coffee. It’s the roaster’s first location in Hawaii. It serves delicious coffee and pastries along with prepared salads. There’s no shortage of locally sourced treats there, too.

Sway

Sway is the poolside restaurant at Renaissance Honolulu Resort & Spa and is open daily until 10 p.m.

The first night, I had a quick dinner at the bar. Bartenders Kekoa and Joji were friendly and fun, making the experience even more enjoyable. I ordered a grilled chicken club sandwich that was served with bacon, tomato aioli and little gem lettuce and came with fries for $20. You’ll also find cocktails here, like the Sky Dive with rum, coconut and lime for $16, or Sailor’s Delight with Bacardi Superior rum, cherry juice, pineapple cordial and pomegranate lime grenadine for $16.

Coral Club Lounge

The Coral Club Lounge on the 15th floor is where Marriott Bonvoy elite members (or those who pay for club-access rooms) get their breakfast.

In the evenings, beer and wine are available for purchase. Evening hors d’oeuvres are available, but no dessert is offered. It’s a warm space with stunning views of the nearby high-rises and even peeks at the ocean.

Breakfast is served buffet-style from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with standard breakfast food that is satisfying, though not too exciting.

The lounge is open all day, and outside of breakfast hours, a coffee machine and light snacks are available.

Service at all the restaurants and bars and the lounge was excellent. Everyone seemed excited to be working at a new resort, and despite the hotel just opening, there were no service hiccups.

There are lots of fun amenities to look forward to

There is an incredible selection of amenities at Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa. I would have loved to spend a week just hanging out on the sky deck and choosing from the wide variety of activities on offer.

The whole eighth floor is essentially an amenity deck with a 25-meter lap pool, a separate heated saltwater swimming pool, two hot tubs, cabanas, a giant gym and even barbecue pavilions.

Among the other fun amenities are the individual barbecue pits (really more like private rooms). I’m told by the hotel there is no fee to use these little dining areas, so long as the guest is spending $250 or more at the property. The hotel says it will buy groceries for you, or you can buy barbecue kits from the hotel’s restaurant, Mara, so you can do your own grilling if you are so inclined.

And then there is the Uhiwai at Renaissance Honolulu spa and the Japanese-style ofuro with both a sauna and steam room as well as a large gym (more on those amenities below).

The amenity deck is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

The Uhiwai at Renaissance Honolulu spa offers exclusive relaxation

The Uhiwai at Renaissance Honolulu spa is only open to hotel guests and residents of the condo tower next door, so despite its small size, it didn’t feel crowded. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, though the Japanese-style sauna and steam room are open until 10 p.m.

The spa has two treatment rooms, a single-occupancy room and a couples room. It offers several types of treatments, including facials starting at $100 and Swedish, prenatal and deep tissue massages starting at $170 for 60 minutes and $220 for 90 minutes. It offers a traditional Hawaiian massage called lomi lomi, starting at $180.

I tried the signature Uilani massage, which included the use of aromatherapy, warm stones and CBD massage oil. A 60-minute treatment is $210. The massage left me feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

The best part of my days at the hotel was spent unwinding in the Japanese-style spa at night. The ofuro is accessible via the spa entrance until 10 p.m. every night.

There are separate facilities for men and for women, and they were never crowded during my stay.

You’ll find locker rooms that lead to shower stalls along with a hot tub, a cold plunge pool, a steam room and a sauna.

There’s also a small outdoor terrace with a small hot tub outside the main spa room.

The spa facilities at Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa were a huge selling point for this weary traveler. You won’t find spa facilities this nice at most hotels in Honolulu.

The gym is large and well outfitted

The gym at the Renaissance Honolulu faces the swimming pool, and it’s a great space to work out.

It’s filled with equipment, including three elliptical machines, three Peloton bicycles, five treadmills and even a few rowing machines.

I used the gym a few times during my stay and found there were plenty of free weights and every type of free-weight machine one might need. The hotel also offers daily classes, including Zumba, yoga and sculpting classes, for $25 a class. Guests can also hire a personal trainer for one-on-one sessions or even nutrition training, with the initial session (fitness assessment, nutrition assessment and a workout) at $75 and packages starting as low as $60 a session when you buy a pack of 10.

Reasons Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa may not be for you

Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa is a fun hotel that I’d come back to in a heartbeat, but there are a few things to consider before you stay.

• In the up-and-coming Ala Moana neighborhood, Renaissance is not in the heart of Waikiki, where the beaches and lots of activities are. I loved the unique location, but if you want to be front and center in Waikiki, you will want to choose one of the many hotels a short drive away.
• The views of office buildings and residences are not as exciting as some views you’ll get closer to the beach, though you do get views of the faraway ocean, so it’s not so bad.
• The entrance and exit of the complex can be a bit treacherous. An Uber driver told me the signage for the hotel wasn’t obvious, and it was hard to get in and out of the building in a vehicle. You have to turn left off a busy road to enter the building. There isn’t a traffic light for the entrance to the hotel so it can be a bit confusing to navigate. Note that valet parking at the hotel is $55 per day, and there is no self-parking.

Accessibility at Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa

Renaissance Honolulu is a very solid option for those with mobility or other physical challenges. New construction allowed the hotel to include features fully compliant with current accessibility laws, and the entrances to the public areas, the gym and restaurants are fully wheelchair accessible.

The lobby entrance is flat and easily maneuverable with wheelchairs.

The hotel also has 17 rooms across various room types that are fully accessible. Those rooms have larger doorways, grab bars and roll-in showers in the bathrooms. Accessible rooms feature wider-than-standard interior spaces, and beds are lower to the ground for ease of access.

The hotel features wide hallways throughout the property and two elevators wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair without issue.

Buttons have Braille labeling for the visually impaired.

All the swimming pools have chairlifts for easy access.

In fact, there were lifts throughout the hotel’s public areas to assist those in wheelchairs.

Alternatives to Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa

If the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa isn’t the one for you, there is no shortage of great hotels in Honolulu at nearly every price point.

There are more than 10 other Marriott options in Honolulu, including the classic Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort; the historic Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach; and the Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki, aka the Pink Palace.

Checking out

It was so exciting to stay at a brand-new hotel in the crowded Honolulu hotel scene. I can definitely recommend this property in an exciting neighborhood away from some of the crowds that Waikiki draws.

The large, comfortable rooms, friendly staff and great amenity deck make it a solid choice for travelers heading to Hawaii’s capital. Using Marriott Bonvoy points is an especially good option since you can book rooms starting at just 59,000 points per night.

I would happily return to this fun new hotel, even if I weren’t staying in one of the giant residences. I’d love to go back and enjoy a meal at Mara, get some sun on the amenity deck and relax in the fantastic Japanese-style spa.

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