JW Marriott Ihilani Resort And Spa At Koolina - Hotels On Oahu Kapolei, Hawaii

NOTE: The Ihilani is now closed. This property will be transformed over the next year and become the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

In a resort area where every hotel is at the higher end of "nice" it's hard to stand out from the crowd but the JW Marriott Ihilani carves out its niche quite well. That niche is being a luxury hotel that caters more to adults than it does to families and that's okay.

Okay, to be perfectly clear kids do stay here and they may very well be here on your visit but chances are good that anyone who stays in the Ko'Olina resort with kids is going to stay at Aulani A Disney Resort And Spa nextdoor or Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club further down the coast. Those hotels are geared towards adults as well, but are the better fit for families at the same time so that's where most families end up.

Because of that, we just usually don't see many kids (if any) at the Ihilani so that coupled with it's more luxurious and boutique like feel make it a great getaway for couples (or singles) without kids.

The property is very nice and very well maintained and has that extra bit of snooty-ness to it, about what you'd expect from a luxury hotel. The rooms are nice and many have excellent ocean views. One of our reviewers did notice that some parts of our room could be a bit cleaner for the price and they noticed some mold in the shower (all too common in any tropical island location but it's still inexcusable). Overall, these are very minor complaints.

There are two pools here, one is located on the roof of the parking garage building and the other (main) pool is behind the hotel with some nice ocean / lagoon views along with an outdoor bar area. It's a small pool, round, and about as boring as it gets really. Elegant? Yes. Still boring. You will also find a hot tub by the main pool.

This resort is also right on Ko Olina Lagoon 1 (Kahola Lagoon) so the sandy beach and ocean is just steps from the hotel at all times and it's one of the nicest around.

We really love the huge outdoor saltwater pond they have which is fully stocked with all sorts of colorful fish, starfish, rays, sharks, and other marine life.

The Ihilani is home to an excellent spa experience as well so if you are looking to be pampered be sure to get a spa package booked. The bonus there is that you get to use the spa facilities for the entire day on the day of your package.

You'll also find shops, lounges, and restaurants here along with a Starbucks @ JW Marriott Ihilani for your overpriced coffee needs. Of course, the restaurants and shops are a bit overpriced as you would expect from a luxury hotel in a high end resort area but we did find that Naupaka Terrace isn't as overpriced as some of the other options.

This place isn't cheap and they'll further nickle and dime you for the all-too-common resort fee which is $25.00 per day here. On the other hand, it's very nice and the rooms are very well designed and bigger than your run of the mill hotel room (most are 640 sq ft or larger if you get a suite) and have a lot of outdoor lanai space too. A large room goes a long way, especially during longer stays.

If you are looking for a high end hotel and luxury experience then this is a great option and if you are looking for a relaxing hotel without all of the screaming kids that you may find elsewhere Ko'Olina then this is your best bet for sure.

Other than things not being quite as clean as we'd like and the high cost of everything, we also noticed that the property is fairly small so some of the lounges, pool areas, etc tend to feel a bit cramped when they are being used by many guests at once which sort of takes away from the luxurious feel. This gets even worse when the hotel is highly booked up. It's these issues that keep this hotel at 4 stars.

• Building: High Rise	• Building: Hotel	• Building: Lanai / Balcony	• Property: Dining On Site	• Property: Stores On Site
• Room: Coffee Maker	• Room: Hair Dryer	• Room: Mini Fridge	• Room: Safe	• Recreation: Hot Tub
• Recreation: Pool	• Internet: Free In Room	• Parking: Paid Self Park

Jw Marriott Ihilani Resort And Spa At Ko'olina