11 Best Family Hotels in Hawaii

The Aloha State of Hawaii, with its gorgeous natural scenery, outdoor activities, and loads of kid-friendly beach resorts, is a veritable paradise for families. We found many options for the best family hotel in Hawaii, all of which go the extra mile for their younger guests. In Hawaii, that includes teen hangout zones, kids clubs, and a jam-packed daily activity roster that keeps everyone from tots to active youngsters busy. In terms of amenities, these hotels had everything from direct beach access to pools with shallow ends and even splash pads. But that’s not all. They all also boasted spacious accommodations, including connecting rooms, along with lots of room for rollaway beds, cribs, pack-and-plays, and more. The best of the best even had amenities like high chairs, bins for diapers, and mini slippers and robes!

And, of course, complimentary children’s meals and kids’ menus are always welcome, and a fantastic way to keep the costs down, too. Did we mention many even had onsite babysitting services for when we wanted to sneak away for dinner or a spa treatment? Yep. Not for nothing is Hawaii one of the best destinations for your next family vacation. To that end, here are the best spots to stay with your family across the archipelago. 

Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection, Kauai

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We begin with the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection on Kauai, where frolicking in the water and basking in the sun are top priorities. Located on Kauai’s sun-kissed south shore, the family-focused resort has more than 20 acres of tropical grounds, with the gorgeous blue waters of Poipu Beach right out front. We loved that the resort fee included not only parking and a lei welcome but also a large bottle of water, chocolates, banana bread, a beach bag, and even a complimentary Mai Tai from the lobby/pool bar. What fun! 

However, it was the amenities at this resort that took the cake. For one, it has not one or two but three sparkling pools, with the 350,000-gallon main pool with cascades and water slides being front and center. Families, including ours, had a gala time at this pool, especially since it also had hot tubs, a shallow lagoon end, and lots of daybeds for us by the pool. There was even the family-friendly pool, which had a lagoon, an island, a basketball hoop, and more. The kids were kept busy with the Kaua’i is for KidsTM program, where they got activity books, compasses, and binoculars for hours of creative play. Meanwhile, we enjoyed some time at the spa and wellness center and the lovely putting green.

What makes the Koloa Landing Resort different from many other Hawaiian hotels is that they offer various room sizes that range from studios to four-bedroom penthouses. What more could we want?

Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Kauai

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Nestled on the white sands of Poipu Beach on Kauai’s famed North Shore, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is a luxurious beachfront oasis that our eco-friendly family loved. Think sparkling oceanfront pools, oceanfront dining, championship golf experiences, and lush gardens, all with a focus on sustainability.

We especially loved the endless kids-oriented amenities and activities, particularly the presence of Camp Hyatt Kids Club. So, we enjoyed a body treatment at the Anara Spa in the morning, by which the kids indulged in necklace and lei-making and learned all about Hawaiian geography and culture. Later, we went swimming in the lava-rock-lined lazy river, followed by exciting times at the family pool with the 150-ft water slide. While some headed to the championship golf course, other adults and the kids played outdoor sports like basketball and volleyball and even visited the organic garden.

After all this excitement, the kiddos are sure to take naps in the generously sized rooms and suites, following which you can enjoy drinking wine or coffee or reading a book on the private lanai. What’s more, we had the choice of garden-facing and ocean-facing rooms and suites, all of which had fridges, bespoke bath products in the modern bathrooms, and plush beds.

Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui

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Best all-inclusive family-friendly hotel. We were looking for family-friendly all-inclusive luxury, which we found at Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui. The resort was more than just a prime spot for fun in the sun, especially because of its superb accommodations and amenities.

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Our days with kids were spent building sandcastles on Polo Beach and swimming in the many pools, which were open throughout the day. The children especially loved the two activity pools connected by a giant 140-foot water slide. That, combined with a hoard of options for pool toy rentals ensured that they had their share of fun as we lounged in the cabanas, sipping on cocktails. What’s more, the daily resort fee included the Keiki Lani Kids Club, where the children would be kept engaged in activities while we found some much-needed us time at the open-air Spa Without Walls. Besides this, we loved the plethora of options for oceanfront fine dining, especially since the resort also has the Keiki dining program and kids’ menus across restaurants.

What made the Fairmont a favorite with us is that it’s the only all-suite and villa luxury resort in all of Hawaii. So, the rooms and one-bedroom suites were spacious, and we ended up choosing a suite for our crew of four. Our digs even had spectacular sea views from the huge oceanfront lanai (balcony). If you want to splurge or vacation in style, you could even upgrade to the palatial villas, which boast not only full kitchens but also private courtyards with grills and plunge pools! 

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Kauai

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Discerning families with older, grown-up kids will love the minimalist vibe and aesthetic of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Kauai. The resort sits in breathtaking lush surroundings that look like they’re straight out of Jurassic Park, with the oceanfront location being another bonus.

So, what makes 1 Hanalei Bay kid-friendly? It was the presence of a 10,000 sq-ft-huge Anatomy Fitness Center, which had a gorgeous beachfront jungle gym. The star, however, was the “Seedlings Kids Club,” which included offerings for little ‘ones ‘uns of all ages. The Aloha Camp for 6 to 12-year-olds was perfect for our kids, especially since it also had so many customizable teen experiences. What we liked was that they aimed to connect the young tweens and teens with the natural world. Meanwhile, we indulged in some much-needed transformative wellness rituals at the renowned Bamford Spa. Even then, we all come together for activities such as surfing, yoga, cooking classes, and bonfires under the stars.

All rooms are suites are spacious with Hawaiian designs and swish mod-cons, but the best bit was that they offered connecting rooms too. Our ocean-view suite connected an ocean-view studio suite and an ocean-view two-queen room, which allowed our party of four adults and two kids to spread out nicely.

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, Maui

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The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, which is sprawled across 54 tropical acres, is all about a mesmerizing beach, verdant gardens, and a whole lot of amenities. Think a century-old pineapple plantation, luxurious residences, multiple dining venues, and two championship golf courses. However, its high point is that it pulled out all the stops for travelers of all ages, especially kids. This gorgeous resort has a kid-friendly program called “Ambassadors of the Environment,” for which it partners with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society. It took the younger ‘uns through a slew of hands-on experiences such as planting native seeds, beach cleanups, and snorkeling excursions.  It’s open to kiddos of ages 5-14, and the activities even included lava flow hikes, searching for green sea turtles, tide pooling, and so much more.

When it comes to the rest of the amenities, the kids felt like they were in a home away from home. For one, there were seven tiered pools, but there was a kids’ pool for the littlest of floaters and swimmers. Not only did it have warmer water and walk-in entry, but it even had a mini waterfall. Moreover, the resort doesn’t charge meals for kids under the age of two years. The best bit? Kids (under the age of five years) eat a free breakfast with every paying adult.

We also loved the recently redesigned rooms and suites at this Ritz outpost, some of which even featured kitchens, like ours. Our two-bedroom suite even had an in-room laundry and a large living room with a sofa and a TV where we’d get together and eat meals. Finally, rollaway beds and cots are free, and they even give guests the choice of interconnecting rooms.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Island of Hawaii

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Have you ever heard of a kid-friendly glamorous resort? The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Island of Hawaii was just that. It was elegant and chic, but not so that kids get the side-eye from other guests. That’s why it made for the best vacation as we and our kids have a penchant for fun and the finer things, so what could be better? This was especially great since this Kona Coast five-star Four Seasons outpost is the first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort on the Big Island.

Aside from the seven pools, the golden sand beach, and the calm waters out front, the resort boasted a complimentary kids program. It’s called Camp Manitou and it boasts endless activities for teens and tweens for kids aged 9-17 years. The robust activity slate included the Kumu Kai Marine Center with marine educational programming and interactive ocean preservation. After all, who wouldn’t want to enjoy close-up looks at sea creatures along with marine biologists? Did we mention King’s Pond, the 1.8-mi-gallon swimmable aquarium? Yep.

The resort also has wonderful accommodations, including family-friendly villas and suites. Interestingly, it’s also home to the largest standalone villa offered in all of Hawaii.

Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa

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Best all-around kid-friendly hotel. Next up, we have the Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa, which is one of the best family hotels in Honolulu for more reasons than one. Firstly, this resort is Disney, Disney, and Disney all the way through, which meant that the kids were thrilled to bits. The Disney spell began to work from the minute we entered, right from the architecture that looked like Princess Jasmine’s castle to the music that filled the air. What’s more, it even made inroads into the entertainment here, right from lei-making and hula lessons to sunset celebrations, fireside stories, and Disney movies under the stars.

Our kids fell in love the the Waikohole Valley, which was a magical and mesmerizing winding waterway, with thrilling and twisting slides to boot. This watery adventure ended at the enchanting Wailana pool, which is only one of six pools on the property! Not only did it have a lazy river and water slides, but it even had a cove splash zone! Topping everything for us adults was the private saltwater snorkeling lagoon and cabanas for us to relax, along with the gorgeous views. When it came to culture, we all indulged in hula lessons, lei making, and the special island buffet, lū’au. And since it was Disney, the kiddos got to snap pictures with their favorite Disney characters, watch movies, and even eat Mickey-shaped slushies, ice-creams, and waffles. 

Even accommodations were tailored to larger groups and families, with choices between rooms, suites, and even villas. Besides amazing views of the lush resort, the pools, and the ocean, they also had comfy beds, kids’ channels on TVs, and options for connecting rooms for larger families like ours.

Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, Island of Hawaii

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Best kids club. There is nothing our family didn’t like about Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection on the Big Island, a.k.a. the Island of Hawaii. We all especially loved the spirit and vibe at this resort, which had a deeply rooted ethos and truly reflected the spirit of Hawaii, and that was evident in its many family-friendly offerings.

For instance, the resort’s daily complimentary kids club, Holoholo Kids Crew, is for kids aged 5-12 years and is driven by culture and curiosity. How? Well, this kids-only club is all about experiencing the simple pleasures of the great outdoors via activities like gardening, fishing, tide-pooling, etc. Besides the cooking classes that the older kids indulged in, the younger tots loved the moonlight storytelling. Thanks to the babysitting services, we adults were able to get some much-needed unwinding and relaxing done at the world-class spa. Movie Nights, jewelry-making, kite-making, complimentary meals for kids under the age of 10 years — Mauna Lani had them all, and staying here made for a great family vacation.

With 333 modern accommodations, even entry-level rooms at Mauna Lani were as huge as 640 sq ft. Hence, even four-person families had lots of room to spread out.

Turtle Bay Resort, O’ahu

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Since we’re an outdoorsy family, the largest resort on Oahu, Turtle Bay Resort, O’ahu, was perfectly suited for us. Spread over a whopping 1,300 acres and with 5 mi of pristine white sand coastline, there was no limit to the amount of fun we had here.

Besides the lovely beach, the resort offered a whole host of unique activities for different ages. These included farm tours, night snorkeling, pony/horseback rides, kid-friendly outrigger canoe rides, and even surfing lessons for young surfers (“groms”). Did you know that the kids could even surf with pups? Yes! There were many options back at the resort too, like lawn games, hula dance lessons, and lei making, aside from the dedicated kids’ pool with two water slides. They even had nail and hair treatments for the mini peeps at the Nalu spa, and trust us when we say that they were thrilled by it. For a fee, they even offered foot golf, tennis, and biking lessons, and we took the biking lessons and went exploring the amazing neighborhood.

While there was a choice of 400 guest rooms, all with ocean views, Turtle Bay also offers 46 sleek and modern private bungalows that are perfect for families. It’s no surprise then that this resort is one of the best family hotels in Oahu.

Montage Kapalua Bay, Maui

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Tucked in the lovely resort town of Lahaina, Montage Kapalua Bay was well worth the splurge for its five-star amenities, luxurious accommodations, and peaceful location. However, we especially loved the plethora of family-friendly perks here, which included everything from a kid’s program to local experiences that the children loved indulging in. We loved the Paintbox program for kids aged 5-12 years, where they enjoyed creative activities, arts and crafts, games, and both indoor and outdoor activities in the gardens, at the pool, and the beach. What’s more, there’s even a “Children’s Night Out” with storytelling, themed adventures, and even delicious dinners and movies for the kids while we enjoyed some much-needed us time. Their favorite part? There are even weekly “Mermaid Academy” swim lessons.

“We loved our family time at Montage Kapalua Bay, and the surroundings as well.”

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Montage also encourages families to spend time together by diving into the local culture with nature walks, ukulele lessons, lei-making classes, and hula lessons. Besides the restaurants with kids’ menus where they’d chow down on Hawaiian cuisine, we even did stargazing and fell asleep to the sound of the waves.

Finally, we loved the wide variety of oceanfront accommodations that were available for us here, ranging from spacious two- to four-bedroom residential-style suites. Think roomy living rooms, fully-equipped kitchens to make light meals whenever the kids wanted, and massive private lanais (verandas) with superb views.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Maui

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Most luxurious. We found none of the White Lotus drama at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, where we enjoyed a luxurious family vacation. Jokes apart, this prestigious property has a bunch of five-star facilities perfect for the entire family, along with an extensive list of activities.

We begin with the two complimentary programs for children, the Camp Manitou program for older kids and the Kids for all Seasons program for the younger ones. It kept them busy while we enjoyed some much-needed time at the spa with a couple’s body treatment. The latter is also the only complimentary kids’ resort program on the island of Maui and happens every day from 9 am to 5 pm for children aged 5 years and more. There was even a Hale Kula toy and game room that kept the kids busy all day long, while we visited the new Marine Center with them. However, they loved the local rituals the most, which ranged from Hawaiian star stories to the “Light the Night” torch bearer rituals. And, of course, the golden sands of Wailea Beach and its bevy of watersports were right out front.

That being said, we loved the spacious and chic accommodations, which had space for everything from high chairs to strollers. Since we wanted to splurge, we chose the Ohana Suite, complete with a telescope, a video game system, and easy access to the Keiki pool. What fun! That’s why it’s also one of the best family hotels in Maui.

Our Verdict!

Hawaii is a thoroughly family-friendly destination, as it’s evident from the excellent choices of stays. That said, here is a specialized list to help you decide where to stay.

• Best all-inclusive family-friendly hotel: Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui
• Best kids club: Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, Island of Hawaii
• Most luxurious: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Maui
• Best all-around kid-friendly hotel: Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa

Where to Stay in Hawaii?

Hawaii has eight main islands, namely the Big Island, a.k.a. Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Of them, the largest and family-friendliest are the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kaua’i.

Oahu is the perfect choice for families visiting Hawaii for the first time, as it has a little bit of everything. Known as “The Gathering Place,” the island is perfect for experiencing the culture and beauty of the Aloha State. Its capital city is Honolulu, which not only has an airport but is also home to Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. Other top things to see and do in Oahu include the open-air Ala Moana, one of it’s also one of the world’s most amazing shopping malls, the USS Arizona Memorial, and more. Secondly, there’s the Big Island, which is the only Hawaiian island with two active volcanoes. This one is all about the outdoors, as it’s home to lots of waterfalls and lush rainforests, making it perfect for families who are adventure enthusiasts.

“The Garden Isle” of Kauai is also a great, relaxing place for nature lovers. Some of the top things to do in Kauai include Kilohana Plantation, the Mahaulepu Beach Trail, and the gorgeous Na Pali Coast Hike. You might also want to check out the best family hotels in Kauai.

Where is the best place to go in Hawaii for a family?

The four largest Hawaiian islands are also the most family-friendly are the Big Island, O’ahu, Kaua’i, and Maui.

Is Maui or Oahu better for kids?

Both islands have their draws for different kinds of families. While Maui is great for families looking for ocean and beach activities, Oahu is better for culture, history, and museums.

How many days do you need in Hawaii?

Whether or not you go with kids, Hawaii needs a week at least (without the two days of travel).