Turtle Bay Resort

I had a great New Years experience at Turtle Bay. We attended the New Years Buffet in the ballroom. It was a slow start getting in there, and seemed a tad unorganized at first. It turned out to be such an incredible buffet. The Crab crusted Mahi, was unbelievable. The chef was running around full speed, making sure all the stations were fully stocked for the guests. The crab legs were so moist and easily eaten. They had a great selection of Gluten Free desert options, the mochi cupcakes were to die for. The wait staff, and bartenders were also so friendly and helpful. Daniella, one of the chefs answered any and all questions we had on the menu. Frankie the bartender, was speedy and so polite. Jenn was also such a sweet hostess. The bartender in the Lobby was also great. Great job Tbay, my friends an I enjoyed our New Years thoroughly!

Love this place. So much to do; golfing, hiking, mopeds, horseback riding, snorkeling and they have a luau every Sunday. Next vacation is being booked to stay in the cottage with the entire family. The days are really long and I am enjoying myself.

It hasn’t even been a year since I escaped from Oahu to California, and somehow, the island has pulled me back again to find myself alone in a beautiful room on the North Shore of Oahu staring off into the rolling surf of the deep blue Pacific Ocean below. Although this hotel and the North Shore in general, represent a tropical paradise to most, for me it holds very sentimental memories of beauty, escape, future and alas, betrayal.
The beautiful and welcoming lobby with the warm sounds of local music and positive vibes flowing from the Surfer Bar, actually reopens wounds suffered at the hands of bad decisions and auburn hair. From behind an artificial smile, I stare at the lobby bar, stirring up images of two sharing one of the softest and silkiest Pinot Noirs watching the sunlight fade over the sandy cove in the distance.
I make my way to a «sunset view» room, thanks to the aloha from the wonderful front desk. Lost in thought I open the door to my room and my breath is immediately taken away by the most spectacular ocean view. Was that a whale breaching as I peer over the balcony towards the sunset in the distance? Holy molee it is! I try to recollect what I was thinking about that had me so melancholy on my walk to the room and can’t really remember now.
I drop my bags just outside the large and beautifully remodeled washroom and plop myself into the soft and comfortable bed. Wait a minute, is that an authentic smile on my face?
Taking a deep breath, I listen to the surf crashing below while beautiful shades of red and orange burst through the air like a fiery kaleidoscope as this room truly earns its moniker. I close my eyes and I feel my soul recharging.
Mahalo Turtle Bay resort for always being there for me when I needed you most…
M

I’m already having post-​staycation withdrawals.
I scored a deal by being an email subscriber to Turtle Bay Resorts for a beach cottage for $ 3xx. That is REALLY cheap, as one of the workers at Turtle Bay later told me that during certain peak seasons the beach cottages can go for up to $ 1,500 a night (which I would never pay for). If you’ve ever seen the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which if you haven’t – you need to go see that ASAP, especially if you’re planning on staying at Turtle Bay), the main characters stay side by side to each other in two beach cottages. Maybe one day I’ll be able to afford to stay in the Kapua suite. Does it even exist?
The beach cottages have their own small, private parking lot; however, should you choose to valet, the valet parking is free for those with beach cottages. The cottages are within walking distance to the main part of the hotel; however, they offer free golf cart rides to and from the resort – particularly useful when you need to haul your bags to and from check-​in/​checkout.
Even though we paid the majorly discounted rate, we got treated like celebrities for staying at the beach cottage! The beach cottages have their own private concierge who ONLY service those staying at the cottages. Within a few minutes of getting dropped off to the cottage, our private concierge Dennis brought us all kinds of goodies, leis, bottled water with ice, and fresh watermelon juice. Dennis made our stay so awesome! He’s as good of a worker as it gets. When we left, he gave us chocolate bars and more goodies! He made us feel special and like VIPs even though we weren’t lol.
The beach cottage itself is gorgeous. Apparently all of the cottages were recently renovated, and it shows. The cottage has a bathroom to the left immediately upon walking in. The bathroom is GORGEOUS. It has marble floors and counters, which I’m fairly certain were part of their recent renovation. There’s a walk-​in shower as well as a tub! They also give pump sized spa quality shower, body wash, conditioner, and lotion. I took those home (lol). 3 pairs of bath slippers also went home with me. There were also bath robes for use, but they had a sign to accompany them that if you take them home they will charge you $ 125. I did not take any of those home. ;D There was even a working guitar in the room. I didn’t take that home either.
I believe the different cottages might have different bed setups, but ours had a King sized bed and the cottage was extremely spacious. There was a nice, mini «living room» area with additional seating and a couch that could easily sleep another person. There isn’t a kitchen in the beach cottage, nor was there a microwave. There was, however, a mini fridge (empty) and a Keurig machine. Feel free to bring your own beverages/​snacks for the mini fridge – just know there won’t be a way to heat up your food. Although I wonder if the private concierge would be able to do that for you… Other amenities included are free wifi and access to the gym!
The cottage is literally only a few steps away from the beach, yet not SO close that you’d have to worry about the tide splashing into your room. You can literally slide the doors open and wake up and see the waves from your bed. It is breathtaking. There are sliding screen doors as well with a lock, so you can still appreciate the fresh air without worrying about any bugs getting in. There is a beautiful patio outside with a table, regular chairs, and a huge/​comfy love seat style chair where you can watch the sunrise/​sunset. There are also hammocks right behind the patio that are really comfortable. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any problems with bugs or mosquitoes when I was outside. Maybe the close proximity of the ocean keeps them away? I’m not sure.
I highly recommend Lei Lei’s for dinner. We were almost going to eat at Kula Grille for breakfast, but after realizing how amazing the beachside view was at the cottages, we opted for room service instead.
My only regret is not booking two nights at the cottage. I would LOVE to come back and stay at the cottages again, but next time I’m staying two nights MINIMUM. It was that amazing of an experience. I really hope they do another special for the cottages (hint hint).
I also found out as I left and saw a woman walking her dog by the valet, that apparently it’s a pet friendly hotel. The valet guy told me the regular rooms are pet friendly, but unfortunately the beach cottages are for service dogs only. Guess you gotta get your dog a service dog vest from Amazon for «anxiety» lol. Bummer, because the beach cottages are the perfect place for dogs since they’re so secluded. Would’ve loved to have taken my dog for the weekend.

Both times I’ve stayed at this resort, my room has been burglarized. The first time I lost over $ 1,000 in electronics, and although there were strong indications that the theft was by hotel staff and one of the phones was subsequently used all over the island, the hotel did virtually nothing to identify the thieves, recover the property, or compensate me for my bad experience. They seemed almost indifferent. It took me years to return, and when I did, once again something was stolen from my room (a $ 150 item that I’d forgotten to lock up one time). The rooms at Turtle Bay are nice, though more like a 3-​star than a 4-​star hotel, but really the thing that pulls me back is that I love this part of Oahu and the surrounding land is just beautiful. Just lock up your stuff every time!

Celebrated Christmas Brunch with the family here at Turtle Bay.
What an awesome spread, the King Crab was so sweet, Miso Butter Fish was the best I’ve had, and the Roast Pig was a special treat.
Mahalo to the Chef and his team, to add to great food was the exception service and team work in the dining /​banquet room
Mahalo Nui Loa

This was my first time staying at Turtle Bay and it was for a staycation with my boyfriend. We got a great kamaaina rate online and when we were checking in, we did a $ 40 upgrade to be on the top floor with an ocean view + soaking tub. It was a great deal for the already reduced price we paid for our stay.
Although the weather wasn’t very ideal (windy and kind of rainy), I still had a great time. The room was nice and clean and the staff even brought up another bathrobe even though we didn’t request one, since there was only one in the room when we arrived.
We made reservations at Lei Lei’s for dinner and ate at Kula Grille for breakfast. We only had to pay $ 7.95 for a breakfast buffet for two because we were given vouchers by the person who checked us in. I had a great time here and would love to have another staycation here away from the hustle and bustle of town!

Turtle Bay is the only option when it comes to North Shore resorts. The landscape is beautiful, with great rooms, activities, staff and food. Whether it is a family vacation or a romantic excursion for a couple, we really felt Turtle Bay offered something for everyone, which is a hard thing to do. Here’s a few highlights/​suggestions:
The Rooms: They are furnished beautiful, the bed is really comfortable, bathrooms are huge, and the balconies are divine, with comfy seating to relax for a sunset. The sound of the surf is better, and stronger, than any hotel we’ve ever stayed at. Leave your door wall open while you sleep and be amazed! Ask for a room on the highest floor you can get, so you can get better views of the surf breaking over the trees.
The Staff: We’ve never been to somewhere that had nicer staff, specifically the housekeeping staff. They went above and beyond to be super friendly and accommodating, going above and beyond, which was noticeable and appreciated! Likewise, nearly everywhere else people were friendly and seemed to enjoy being there.
The Activities: Wow, what a selection! They have an activities center, which is manned daily with tons of different things (literally TONS) that you can do. Sure, you can relax by the pool and choose not to partake, but you’d be missing out. Do something, or several things! People had a great time going to the luau at the Polynesian Culture Center, and we enjoyed our Stand Up Paddle Boarding Lessons. They took us to a private bay just to the west of the resort, which was calm and so beautiful. We saw turtles and got great instruction from RAYE! (if you can ask for her, do so, she was so fun and great to be around)! The people that came with our group to surf also couldn’t stop talking about how great their experience was too. On the walk to the bay, we saw a Tree and trails featured in Lost and other TV shows, just another fun item.
The Pool: They offer a great pool area, a separate pool area for kids too which gives nice separation. The pool area has a nice bar with good food, and then just outside the pool area are comfortable chairs to sit and watch the sunset and surfers, it was a favorite area of ours. The pool is not heated, so be prepared. Wasn’t a deal breaker by any means. There is also a great shop down by the pool to get tons of snacks, drinks and other Hawaii apparel and merchandise, check it out.
The Beach: They have a private beach area that we didn’t check out, but people were having fun and it is nice and enclosed, plenty of room to relax and spread out.
The Food: It is a resort, so it is expensive, along with the drinks. Be prepared. Upgrade your breakfast buffet so it isn’t just continental, the breakfasts were great. The food by the pool was also good, but $ 15 for a sandwich or burger. Beers are $ 7 – 8, mixed tropical drinks $ 10 – 12. They can add up quick, but they offer great pool side wait service too. We ate at Ola, on the beach, as well. That was the one negative of our entire trip… We went on a night that was slow and the manager was trying to close very early (2 hours early), asking us to come in early or not come at all. It made us very uncomfortable while eating, and we felt not welcomed as we watched him pace back and forth around the kitchen, even while plenty of people were still eating and other couples came in after us. I’ve never felt more un-​welcomed at a restaurant before… nonetheless, I assume that was an isolated bad night for him. The food was decent, the hummus appetizer trio was great.
Overall, we’d definitely come back to Turtle Bay. If you’re looking for a true resort experience, outside of Waikiki, head to the North Shore and spend a few days, relaxing and doing some fun activities, you’ll be glad you did!

What can I say about this place. It has too much to list here. You name it they have it: surfing (lessons from beginner to intermediate), FREE SNORKELING with hotel stay, mini fridge in every room, great customer service, loose adherence to the rules (I.e., no one hounded us to get out of the pool at 10PM), every part of the hotel had a view, many walking trails heading north or south, lots of recreational options available (horseback riding, golf, scooter rentals, etc.), and an excellent location at the top of the North Shore.
There were all walks of life there, from European globe trotters to professional surfers. You will enjoy staying here and we will return one day. Thanks Turtle Bay for the great stay!

When you go on holiday to Hawaii is there really anything more delightful than a warm pool and a beautiful beach? I think not.
Turtle Bay Resort delivers on ever level. The rooms are well apportioned, the pool is a tropical oasis, and the general atmosphere is so laid back that if you don’t relax — you’re in need of some serious psychotherapy. Topping it all is an absolutely amazing staff of attentive, catering and courteous professionals.
A couple of obvious cues — the resort is old and shows its age in some places. In addition, it’s situated on the North Shore of Oahu — so in the winter months there is always a threat of rain. However — those things aside, it is a top rate resort that is well worth the visit.
We will most certainly be back!
A word to the wise — get a premium room. .. It’s worth it. And, rent a car — as the food on the resort underwhelms for the foodie class. It is, However, every bit edible and enjoyable for the non-​gourmet with little kids to feed — just stay away from the room service as it is a bit over priced and truly without a great deal of flavor merit.

The entire stay at Turtle Bay was relaxing and it was truly a beautiful and vibrant resort.
Pros
Amenities: There are quite a few amenities that the hotel offers. For starters (1) free wifi in every room! I know it might not sound like an amenity to the list, but some hotels these days don’t offer «free» wifi. (2) Free Beats by Dre Pill for you to use during your stay at the hotel — just request it from room service once you arrive in your room (you have to do it once you enter your room and call room service). (3) Free 2 hour rental of snorkel gear every day you stay at the hotel. Just come down to the beach and rent one out. (4) Free usage of beach lounge chair only for guests at the hotel!!. (5) Free 24 hour rental of Go Pro camera for your entire stay (so if you stay for 5 days then you would only get just 1 day of rental) –disclaimer — bring your own Micro SD card, if you don’t, then you need to pay $ 50 for it at the hotel. If you forget to buy one then you can travel 20 minutes away to a local Radio Shack and buy it for half the price.
Service: Aloha and Mahalo is all I heard throughout my stay. The staff are incredibly friendly. After reading reviews, I was honestly scared of getting horrible treatment from the staff but I’m glad each staff member I encountered with during my stay was fantastic. The front desk, valet attendants, housekeeping, and concierge was super friendly! Housekeeping in particular was incredibly awesome. I had a odd colored stain on my bed as soon as I checked into the room and after notifying housekeeping service, they automatically took care of the issue and apologized many times for any inconvenience. They even came by during the evening to ask if I needed my room and bed cleaned out since I had a «Do not Disturb» sign on my door the whole day. Be sure to have change in handy to tip the housekeeping since they do an thorough job keeping the rooms clean and organized for you.
Rooms: I got the Junior corner suite, which was spacious, modern, and the view was spectacular. The furnished balcony was a great addition to the rooms so you can sit comfortably in their cushioned seats or couch looking over the ocean. The bathroom and the hot-​tub was huge and clean and equipped with all your basic bathroom necessities. All their rooms within the hotel have an ocean view regardless of where they are. Only some of their Villa rooms do not have an ocean view, but you’ll get the garden view.
Location: This depends on your perspective and how you like to spend your vacation. If you want to get away from the touristy hotels and shopping centers in Honolulu, then this place is for you! Also I personally loved that the beaches on the resort and other beach spots close by the resort were way less crowded compared the beaches on Honolulu and Waikiki. If you like to explore and love to eat, Turtle Bay might be a concern. The only food options within a 30 minute drive is the resort restaurants and food trucks especially shrimp trucks which tend to close early. You would need to travel to other side of Oahu for more restaurants and food options which is an hour away!
Overall, truly a 5 star hotel that deserves to be recognized for friendly service, gorgeous location/​scenery, and an unforgettable time the minute you drive in. I would return to Turtle Bay Resort in the future!

**note
I have never stayed at the resort. Review is based on enjoying the little cove.
We usually stop at the resort whenever we are far north shore. The drive up is beautiful. Fancy houses mixed with little old school cottages. Glimpses of the beach and ocean between each house we pass. There are also fruit stands along the highway on the way up. Once you arrive to Turtle Bay the first thing you notice is the enormous golf course. If you drive all the way in there is free public parking and a lot of it which is really nice. I also noticed security patrolling so you don’t have to worry about anyone messing with your car. My girlfriend and I like coming to the little cove to snorkel. There’s a good amount of colorful fish. It’s really safe as well. No matter how big the surf is on the north shore, the cove is surrounded by reef that slows the waves from coming in. They also have clean bathrooms to freshen up after your swim.

Clean, spacious, friendly staff and great location w/​fabulous beach view. We had an amazing time in Turtle Bay. The hotel offers free 2 hour snorkeling gear for all guest staying at the hotel, has a great staff to help you plan out activities for your day, walking distant to restaurants and shops. They also offer many spas and facial treatment. Their fitness center is spacious and clean. Highly recommend staying here at Turtle Bay Resort.

My boyfriend had been raving to me about this hotel/​resort for the longest time, so for one of our anniversaries in December, we spontaneously took a day trip to the north side of Oahu and stayed there for the night. What followed was a magical experience! Even though it was overcast and gray when we arrived, everything was gorgeous and amazing– the room, the restaurants and convenient resort shops, facilities, and beach really do make you feel like you are in paradise! Since it was December, there was a gingerbread house contest display downstairs, as well as many festive decorations.
It was an absolutely luxurious experience. Absolutely loved the Kinetic Spa shampoos and soaps in the hotel room bathroom. We were booked with a «partial ocean view» room, but got an amazing view of the ocean, which was visible from our beds. At night, we sat on our balconies and enjoyed the live music playing at the poolside, then walked around the resort and stargazed, watched the waves crashing on the rocks and the blowhole near the shore.
We had a delicious dinner at the hotel bar, had free champagne compliments of the hotel in celebration of our anniversary. The bartender was extremely friendly and fun, took our photo for us and made it a lovely evening. We visited the beach-​side and lobby bars, then fell asleep to the relaxing lull of the ocean waves. In the morning at sunrise, we took a breathtaking walk on the beach and took in the wild Hawaiian coastline, then ate a delicious breakfast in a restaurant in the lobby. Before checking out and leaving, we soaked in the Hawaiian sun at the gorgeous Turtle Bay beach.

Days and weeks and many, many years of going back to Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii.
As you get off your plane, there is the most intoxicating scent of fresh stephanotis, stocks, plumeria, and soooo many other flowers that grabs your sense of smell as you get «leid». Gorgeous flowers!
Every year, our Family went to Hawaii during Christmas, then on our return trip, would spend an additional week with the kid’s Aunt and Uncle in San Francisco. I’ll leave my San Francisco review for another time.
Lazy days, lots of snorkeling, and Turtle Bay does have the sea turtles, and oh my goodness, there is so much more to do on this island. Fresh fruit stands lining the highways, pineapple fields galore. I won’t go on. You have to see it for yourself.
Go here. You will have the time of your life ;)
Bring boo-​coo bucks. ;)

I had a chance and take part in my best friend’s wedding. Turtle Bay was the host hotel and the most beautiful resort I’ve ever stayed at! This hotel was also featured in the movie «Forgetting Sarah Marshall».
This hotel is very secluded and hour plus drive from Honolulu. Majority of the rooms had an ocean view. The rooms were well kept and very spacious. The offer also offers a Beat by Dre Pill, which can be requested via front desk, to use with your blue tooth enable music device. The banquet hall used for the wedding reception accommodated 100+ guest easily. The beach is very accessible from the hotel. There are signs in the hotel to guide you to the beach fronts.
The only downside is that parking can get very scares after 8pm.
If you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Turtle Bay will provide that with beautiful scenery!

My wife and I along with a friend stayed at Turtle Bay Resort last month. We were so excited to stay in the North Shore and experience something different than downtown Honolulu or Waikiki. We were only going to be here for a night since we were hopping back over to Maui the next day. Even after looking for AirBnb or VRBO, Turtle Bay ended up being about the same price for a single night somewhere, so we booked it.
Prior to our vacation, I checked recent reviews and they were mostly negative, primarily due to a film crew being there and closing off certain areas of the resort. I reached out to the manager to make sure the stay would go well and mainly to hear of any closures so we wouldn’t be surprised. The manager did call me and say there wouldn’t be any issues during our stay and that he upgraded our room (so far so good!). That was really nice of him and not something I expected. He also said to call him so he could meet us personally when we checked in.
When we checked in, I guess he was not there that day. That was fine, I mean we were just average guests. We couldn’t decide which of their 5 or 6 restaurants to eat at and ended up just going to their main Grill restaurant. A few were really spendy (like $ 40 a dish) and this one looked middle of the road for our small group. The food was actually quite good. We had a beet salad and a couple of fish dishes along with a pizza buffet. The waitress was young and didn’t do so well with the drink orders. My wife ordered a French 75, which is a champagne cocktail, and they brought out a glass of Pinot Gris. It’s not her fault, but the bartender should look up a drink he doesn’t know and not guess. My buddy wanted a specialty cocktail, but the bartender didn’t have most of the ingredients. Seems like they just stick to their premade mixes for their $ 15 drinks. For such an expensive resort, I would expect better bartending service.
We checked out their younger looking bar, Surfer, with the hopes of having a good, booze filled evening. They have a stage and lights and looks like they do music and events here, but this night was absolutely dead. There were a few members of the film crew hanging out in the bar, but other than that, it was super quiet.
That night my wife and I were woken up by some music by the pool. It was around 2 AM and I couldn’t quite tell what was happening down at the pool, but someone had some speakers playing music. I saw a few staff people walking around and someone else actually in the pool, but I’m still confused on what it was and why they didn’t have them turn off the music. It was incredibly bothersome.
We walked around the grounds the next morning and it really is a nice piece of property. We decided we would just head back into town early, so we checked out and left. I guess we thought such a nice resort would have a different vibe about it. It was really quiet and lacked a lot of energy. It didn’t live up to our expectations, but if you are a family that doesn’t want to leave a hotel and spend a lot of money, then this place might be for you.

I came for the 4^th of July event today and I just have to say… they were pretty organized this year with the event. First time there was a $ 5 parking fee but it was worth every penny. Our kids could go swimming while we set up a place for everyone to relax. Once they’re done there were plenty places for them to rinse off. We got to watch the sunset and enjoy the view of the sherbet clouds and relax in the cool breeze.
They had the «Eat the Street» event going on and there were so many great vendors to choose from for lunch and dinner. We spent a lot of $$ on food but everything was delicious and it was nice to know we were supporting local. We would totally come back for this kind of event.

Perfectly located resort on the North Shore — epic ocean views guaranteed. Epic bills are also guaranteed, but at least you know what you’re getting yourself into when you book the room beforehand. $ 400 a night is hefty.
Then again, we’re here for vacation and Turtle Bay Resort supports exactly that. Spacious rooms, comfortable beds, bathrooms in good standard. Balcony and ocean views.
The resort has a large spa section including gym, there are outdoor pools and jacuzzis, and a private beach that’s great for swimming and snorkeling.
If you don’t like the pricey hotel food it’s only a short drive to several food trucks including Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck.
I had a great time at Turtle Bay Resort — Mahalo!

I live for those moments when you see your partner happy and content. I knew it was all worth it.
It was worth it to keep the trip a secret, until he got onto the plane.
It was worth working all those OT into the wee hours of the night.
It was worth paying a pretty penny to give both ourselves the time to get away from it all.
From the chic decorated hotel room with the wonderful bed and spacious bathrooms. The Keurig machine that brewed my decaf coffee so I could enjoy it while watching the couple getting married on the lawn. The balcony where you can sit in the mornings and watch the sun rise. The stunning (!!!) ocean views. The refreshingly spiked strawberry-​basil lemonade by the glittering blue colors of the pool … alongside the equally powerful waves of the fabled North Shore. To the protected cove that is Turtle Bay.
The moment of quietness alongside other couples, families and staff who gathered poolside at sunset, watching the sun as it glows a mighty red color seamlessly disappearing into the ocean.
We were relaxed.
Rejuvenated.
Revived.
Mahalo Turtle Bay.