Ka La'i Waikiki Beach, LXR Hotels & Resorts

“I expected a 5 star experience. They went above and beyond.”

I was vacationing with my in-laws which included two seniors and one kid, six of us in total. We reserved a corner suite with 3 bedrooms. [Room & Views] The seaside views were as spectacular as the photos suggested. Every room had a view of the ocean. The living room and the master bedroom e... more

I was vacationing with my in-laws which included two seniors and one kid, six of us in total. We reserved a corner suite with 3 bedrooms. [Room & Views] The seaside views were as spectacular as the photos suggested. Every room had a view of the ocean. The living room and the master bedroom especially had unobstructed spectacular views. All rooms were well appointed with a modern feel and spotlessly clean (understandably so as the staff cleans them two times every day at morning and evening). There was a welcome bottle of champagne waiting for us in the spacious fridge which was actually pretty good. There was a full kitchen and washer & dryer. Nothing was lacking for a prolonged stay. [Facilities] They have $40 valet parking with in-out privileges, which I found very reasonable for the area. The car was always brought out within 3 minutes of calling concierge. We did not use much of the facilities other than that because we were busy exploring Oahu in our rental car. I did take a dip in the pool with my kid nephew one night. The pool is quite small and narrow, which is really the only downside I found in this otherwise impeccable hotel. The lounge area is comparatively spacious with lots of comfortable lounge chairs. [Service] This was perhaps the most professional and accommodating service I have ever received at a hotel. We arrived early for check-in at around 1:30 PM because it was important for us to receive a room with a good view, having two seniors with us who would be spending a lot of time there. We initially received the room 2610 on the 26th floor. We were slightly disappointed because the corner suite room category that we reserved is between the 24th ~ 37th floors, so 26th was on the lower side. That meant we didn't have views on Diamond Head which would've been visible in the upper floors and our seaside views were slightly obstructed as well by the Outrigger Reef resort in front of us. Long story short, our request for an upper floor room was not fulfilled --- but even so, the professionalism and dedication the staff showed to accommodate us impressed me so much that in the end, I was not at all unhappy that I did not get what I wanted because I knew the staff tried their utmost best. This included efforts to speed up the renovation of a 37th floor room that was recently bought back by the hotel. They were not obligated to accommodate us but they went above and beyond. I want to mention a special thanks to Maiko at the front desk and Saudi Suzuki the office manager. Ms. Suzuki was very transparent and actively communicative during the entire process. She even personally went into the storage room and took out beach chairs and mats when we needed to go out to the beach next morning and the concierge desk was closed. Maiko was also very patient and professional while handling our requests and also was friendly with us.

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“Exceptional 5 star service”

My 76 year old mother and I have just checked out of the beautiful Ka’ L’ai hotel and I felt compelled to write a review on this wonderful, tranquil, oasis - in the heart of Waikiki. We booked quite late for our holiday, changing from the Kahala because we decided as we were here for 10 days we ... more

My 76 year old mother and I have just checked out of the beautiful Ka’ L’ai hotel and I felt compelled to write a review on this wonderful, tranquil, oasis - in the heart of Waikiki. We booked quite late for our holiday, changing from the Kahala because we decided as we were here for 10 days we would prefer the convenience of a kitchen in our room and located in Waikiki. We have stayed in Waikiki numerous times over recent years, staying at the Sheraton, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, The Laylow and most recently in April at the Alohilani. All nice enough hotels in their own right, but no comparison to the Ka L’ai. Our spacious twin room overlooked the city and beach from the side and was immaculately presented. We loved the full kitchen with 2 burner stove-top, fridge/freezer stocked with ice, full kitchenaid microwave/mini oven, toaster, n’espresso coffee machine with pods stocked daily, and all the glasses, crockery, cutlery, utensils and pots and pans that you could possibly need. The balcony was large enough for a table and two chairs to enjoy breakfast from in the morning sun and didn’t feel cramped at all. The cloud like beds and linen were divine and we slept so comfortably - unlike other parts of Waikiki, the Ka L’ai feels like a quiet oasis with no loud music or traffic noise and black out curtains. The marble bathroom with twin sinks, Japanese toilet, deep soaking tub and walk in shower is as aesthetically beautiful as it is practical, with plenty of bench space and room. Turn down service each night kept us topped up with complimentary water and fresh towels. As many of the reviews have attested to though it is really the customer service which sets the Ka L’ai apart. The only other place in the world where I have experienced such attentive personal service from a 5 star hotel was in Japan - or at the Oberoi Cecil in Shimla in India a few years back. From the moment that we arrived, greeted by staff at the elegant and understated entrance and whisked up to the impressive lobby on the 6th floor and presented with a cool welcome drink and sweets, to the service we received from housekeeping, concierge, bellboys, restaurant and front desk staff, we were always well looked after and were given what felt like 1:1 attention. All of the staff including the housekeeping and restaurant staff used our names during our stay and nothing was too much trouble and always delivered with a smile, whether it be borrowing a cable for my laptop, requesting additional coat hangers, scanning and emailing medical forms to the airline for our return flight or remembering my mother likes two tea bags in her pot of tea! Daniel, Ryan, Aka and Sally from the Wai’olu Ocean Cuisine restaurant (there were other staff too - these are the ones whose names I remembered) were so attentive and so great at recommending dishes from the menu and places to go to locally for entertainment like the Blue Note and House without a Key. The food was exceptional - the California sushi rolls were the best I’ve ever tasted, the scallops, corn and crab chowder and ahi nachos, and the three desserts we tried were outstanding. Therese steak was so good we had it twice during our stay. Breakfast at Yo cafe provides an extensive breakfast buffet but if ordering off the a la carte menu I would highly recommend the moshi pancakes - the best I’ve ever had in Hawaii. Unfortunately on the first day of our holiday my mother tripped while crossing the road outside the hotel and broke one wrist and badly sprained the other. When we returned the concierge team organised ice packs, gave us details for a nearby medical centre, offered to arrange a car go take her there etc. Antoine and the other female concierge whose name escapes me, simply couldn’t do enough to help and genuinely seemed to care. When we returned from the medical centre later that day, the client relations manager Alex come to see us in the restaurant. He was absolutely superb - concerned and so kind. He asked if there was anything the hotel could do to assist? I explained we had been planning to check out after 6 nights and spend our last 4 nights at the newly opened Renaissance by Ala Moana, but in light of mum’s injuries we were now thinking we should stay put as it would be difficult to relocate. Alex was able to organise for us to stay on in our same room, so we didn’t have to move, at a greatly discounted rate for our final 4 nights in Hawaii, as well as giving us the room all day to use on our last day when we checked out, as well as complimentary food and beverages on top of the complimentary dessert mum and I had just been given! It was above and beyond anything we would have expected and actually moved us both to tears. So although mum was in pain and we spent several days back and forth to medical centres and clinics getting treatment, our holiday was not at all ruined thanks to the hospitality / manaakitanga and genuine kindness and Hawaiian ohana that we received at the Ka L’ai - from all of its staff but particularly Alex who continued to check in on us on a daily basis throughout our stay. We were able to relax on the hotel’s beautiful loungers by the pool, which was never crowded and rent loungers and umbrellas on the beach a few moments away. We loved being down this end of Waikiki and the beach here - a little bit rocky but no problem with water shoes for wading. The hotel also has an excellent business centre and library which is complimentary. An ATM machine is located on site. The only thing we didn’t get to try was the spa due to injury, but will do so on our next trip here. Honestly, I can’t say enough about this lovely hotel and its amazing staff. We can’t imagine ever staying anywhere else and can’t wait to return.

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“Gorgeous Views, Home Comforts & Aloha Care in Waikiki”

Booked 6 nights at the Ka La'i Waikiki Beach in a City View Deluxe King Room w/sofabed using Hilton Honors points to cover about half the stay. The point redemption value was really good. This was a couple of weeks after the spring break period ended...a little bit of a lull period, I think. A co... more

Booked 6 nights at the Ka La'i Waikiki Beach in a City View Deluxe King Room w/sofabed using Hilton Honors points to cover about half the stay. The point redemption value was really good. This was a couple of weeks after the spring break period ended...a little bit of a lull period, I think. A couple of days after making the reservation, I called to request early check-in and discovered that we had been upgraded to a Partial Ocean View Deluxe King Rm w/sofabed. Nice! And the excellent experience was only just beginning. SO THIS IS 5-STARS - We arrived for early check-in. Doug at the front desk was very welcoming and when we enquired about the available rooms and our preferences, he took us to see a couple of options. We saw a Partial Ocean View Deluxe room at first, then an Ocean View Deluxe 1 King Room w/sofabed. The Ocean View room faced the Fort DeRussy Beach Park side and was clearly preferable; we were offered an upgrade price and took it. Worth it. Thanks Doug. - We received a breakfast voucher for In-Yo Cafe. We enjoyed the tropical fruits as well as hot items. I made a stack of breakfast potatoes with hamburger steak and topped it with freshly made over easy eggs. Pretty tasty. I will note that the buffet items lay-out is pretty simple, but the notable quality is that the service staff were very thoughtful and courteous. Along with others, Dennis did great at making us feel welcome. To showcase this as part of the resort vibe, I think breakfast should be included with each stay. - The 500 sq ft room was spacious! The sleeping area felt spacious. The living area with sofa and armchair felt spacious. The bathroom felt spacious. The kitchenette was spacious. - All staff we met on this stay had so much Aloha. We enjoyed the ohana hospitality very much. Mahalo to concierge Ami and our housekeeper Aiza. Aiza was particularly thoughtful and thorough with with her attention to the room and our needs. - Kitchenette was well-equipped. I used the microwave for popcorn, and kept beverages in the mini-fridge. There was even a rice cooker in the cabinet. Wish we could have used the kitchenette more. THE GOOD - The bed was really comfortable and we slept great. Fairly simple with a supportive mattress and box spring. Linen were quality with breathability and smoothness (the tags were cut off so the textile is not exactly known). Pillows were medium firm polyester-filled and good for side sleeping. I would recommend adding two more pillows designed for back sleepers. - The sofa and armchair were very comfortable. Perhaps a bit old in style, but they were clean and in good condition. The coffee table was a bit roughed up. - The AC worked great. Cooled the room to around 68°F easily. Turned off when lanai door was open and quickly turned back on when the door was closed. The airflow vents were pretty quiet at about 78dB (good white noise level). Relatively, the bathroom vent was around 90dB which is fine to assure us that there was good ventilation in that space. - The good news is that there was included WiFi with an download speed of about 17.1 Mbps. The pain point though was the upload speed of 2.89 Mbps (my Instagram posts crawled to upload). WiFi signal was strong and the connection lasted through check-out day without a need to renew the DHCP lease. - The bathroom shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap and lotion was by Byrego. It comes across as a luxury brand, but it doesn't compare that well to my favorite Le Labo Rose 31. The Byrego fragrance was not that pleasant. - The bathroom was quality-equipped. A Toto toilet with washlet (heated, bidet and auto-open). The fixtures were Hansgrohe. Shower water pressure was medium strong and hot water arrived in about 20 seconds. - With my hairdryer obsession, I will note there was a hospitality-grade Conair 141WRW which was powerful, but did not have ionic or other luxury hair features. Could I wish for a Dyson hairdryer which does less hair damage? - Bath linens were soft and had good loft. Our housekeeper Aiza gave us extra bathmats which helped because the floors are marble which could be slippery when wet. - Evening turndown included bottled water and glasses on the nightstand. Nice touch. - There were 4 elevators. Getting up and down was easy and quick. - There is a hot tub and a fairly narrow infinity pool overlooking Kalia Road towards the Outrigger Reef. The hot tub temperature was nice. In the evening, there were quite a few people using this facility, but we had it to ourselves in the morning. - The room was in good shape overall. Carpet, walls, drapes, furnishings and other things just felt well-looked after albeit gently used. This created a comforting home-like feeling. - Plenty of electrical outlets and USB ports. USB charging speed quite good. - The room had a safe; worked well for us. - I did use the work desk. It was a good size. The desk lamp had one electrical outlet for computer/usb charging. There wasn't a USB port here. The chair was comfy, but not designed for computer work. A TRANSITION PERIOD? - There were room slippers and robes. Neither was branded. The slippers were decent quality although not luxury. The robes were silky & synthetic, but I would have preferred cotton (make it consistent with the luxury-level bed linen). - Interestingly, some of the light fixtures had CFLs and others had LED bulbs. The color temperatures were pretty close so not really a problem. - There were two reusable plastic water bottles (un-branded), a box of cookies, and a black (un-branded) tote bag. Just comparing to some of the welcome items we have had in Waikiki hotels, this is a "could-be-better" item. - The lanai had a great view. We could even watch sunset. The lanai furniture was in good condition and worked for our uses, but could use more character. - The room also felt like it needed some accessories for some Hawaii character. To this, the Mood Profusion iH channel on the tv was the closest (and it did a good job of it). - There was a 55" Samsung 478 Series Hospitality television with 1080p resolution. There was also a DVD player connected. I would expect 5-star hotels to now have 4K televisions. There was about 60 channels of programming. Image quality was ok. NIT-PICKS - Would like to have bedside remote control panel for lights and window coverings. Standard part of the modern definition of 5-star hotel. - One of the bedside phone/alarm clock units had the time fast by 5 minutes. Could not figure out how to fix it. - We appreciate that the bathroom had toothbrushes and toothpaste. Just being picky that they were about airplane quality. Could be better. LOCATION NOTES - This is a great location. There is a Waikiki Trolley stop in front. There is a short-cut to Beach Walk. It is a short 5-minute walk to Fort DeRussy Beach. From there, we walked to the marina. To get to Waikiki Beach, we walked through the Sheraton then the Royal Hawaiian (about 10 minutes). We picked up items from the large ABC store on Lewers. In sum, we had a great stay/experience, and I would wholeheartedly attribute this to the spectacular staff. The hotel and the room we had were marvelous in comfort and spaciousness, and a luxury treat. This review highlights some specific strengths, and hints at a few opportunities that hopefully excite this hotel's attention to meaningful details.

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“good location in Waikiki and better than most others”

very expensive for what it offers- no direct beach access - they Dide provide towels but no chairs and had to cross street and pool is tiny- the gym also tiny. only good part is we ended up getting a suite which had washer/dryer and full kitchen was great room - but for $1000 per night nothing sp... more

very expensive for what it offers- no direct beach access - they Dide provide towels but no chairs and had to cross street and pool is tiny- the gym also tiny. only good part is we ended up getting a suite which had washer/dryer and full kitchen was great room - but for $1000 per night nothing special

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