Hawaii’s Best Family Resorts

Hawaii conjures up images of hula dancing, locally-inspired dining, crystal clear water, live music, vibrant cultural events that offer a taste of Hawaii’s culture and heritage. It’s easy to see why Hawaii has become synonymous with paradise. Start planning your family holiday by reading our list of the best family resorts in Hawaii, as voted by you.

You’ll find Hawaii’s best family resorts on the islands of Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. What makes them the best of the best is facilities and experiences like pools with epic waterslides, surf lessons, cultural activities and snorkelling tours to meet turtles. These beachfront resorts are absolutely perfect for families.

1Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
KO OLINA, OAHU

Enjoy the Disney experience at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. Families can enjoy a holiday full of magical moments with a program of kids’ club activities at the best family resort in Hawaii.

Sign up for Hawaiian-inspired experiences including fireside storytelling and dancing into pool parties with Disney characters. Enjoy character-meet-and-greets with Mickey and friends. Float along the lazy river and plunge down the Volcanic Vertical body slide at the Waikolohe Valley pool area. Or don your snorkel gear for face-to-fin encounters with tropical fish at Rainbow Reef, a private saltwater snorkelling lagoon.

The range of kids’ club activities are suitable for both tiny tots and tweens.

2Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
HONOLULU, OAHU

Located on Waikiki’s widest and most spectacular white-sand beach, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is the best family resort in Honolulu.

It has the longest water slide in Waikiki which winds its way into Paradise Pool, one of the resort’s six pools. Then you can swim, paddleboard or ride an aqua-cycle at Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, a two-hectare manmade saltwater lagoon adjacent to the beach.

With 20 restaurants and bars, six pools, and five towers of accommodation to choose from, this resort ticks all the boxes for dreamy family holidays. And kids aged between five and 12 will love Camp Penguin. The kids’ club takes kids on off-site excursions to venues such as Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium, leaving adults free to dine, golf or visit the spa.

3Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
HONOLULU, OAHU

Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort is the perfect place for a well-deserved family holiday in Hawaii.

Think locally-inspired dining, live music, vibrant cultural events and daily resort activities that offer a taste of Hawaii’s culture and heritage. There’s also a soothing spa with a stellar view. Ocean-front rooms and suites overlook the dazzling waters of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head – the icing on the extraordinary hotel experience at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort.

Take a stand-up paddleboard yoga class, learn the ukulele or enjoy a surf lesson. Or, if you’re feeling luxe, charter the Holokai catamaran for a family sail and snorkel experience.

The resort is located just steps from the sand in the heart of Waikiki’s entertainment, shopping and dining district.

4Ka’anapali Beach Hotel
LAHAINA, MAUI

Your keiki (kids) are well and truly catered for at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. Plus the hotel is located on an extensive stretch of Maui’s gorgeous Kā’anapali Beach.

Everyone will love the daily activities, whale-shaped swimming pool, snorkelling, cultural garden walks and canoe rides.

The resort celebrates Hawaiian culture through its complementary activities. Kids can learn to hula, the history of Olelo – the Hawaiian language – or the cultural significance of the ukulele.

The nearby Pu’u Keka’a (Black Rock) is a haven for marine wildlife, with snorkelling, cliff jumping and stand-up paddleboarding all available.

All rooms either have views of the ocean or the resort gardens. The largest – the Ocean Front Family Suites – accommodate five and can be connected to an adjoining room to sleep another four guests.

5Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
WAILEA, MAUI

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is the only five-star resort of the best family resorts in Hawaii. So if you are after a luxury holiday, this resort should be your pick.

The glamorous oceanfront resort will set up umbrellas and lounges wherever you choose, and organise family activities and picnics. You can play tennis, go snorkelling, paddle in a canoe, enjoy the beach and play in the games room. The free kids’ club caters for children 5-12. They will also love the nightly torch lighting ceremony where they help staff light over 50 torches around the resort.

For mum and dad time, there is an adults-only pool, spa and snorkelling tours to discover underwater caves and green turtles.

6Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort
HONOLULU, OAHU

A pool day never looked as good as it does at Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort. Reserve a hale (traditional hut) or punee (sun lounge) and partake in ‘swim, sunbathe, sleep, repeat’ time. Bottle service and the full Kani Ka Pila Grille menu are even available pool-side.

After the sun sets you can extend your pool paradise experience under star-studded skies, with live Hawaiian music lulling you into a state of bliss. There are also a range of other activities if you want to swap the pool for paddleboard yoga or try your hand at the ukulele.

7Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk
HONOLULU, OAHU

With spacious suites ideal for families and a complimentary made-to-order breakfast, Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk provides the perfect base for all your Hawaiian adventures.

Relax on the Grand Lanai balcony on a chaise lounge alongside a heated pool, whirlpool spa and children’s pool. Head to the beach for some snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding and surfing. If you fancy shopping, the boutiques of Kalakaua Avenue are only a block away.

8Turtle Bay Resort
KAHUKU, OAHU

Turtle Bay Resort is set on the North Shore of Oahu. It is a laid-back beach resort where guests spend their days snorkelling among sea turtles, horse riding along ocean trails, perfecting their golf swing then mastering the Hawaiian hula dance. The resort has more than 340 hectares to explore, including a coastline of idyllic bays. The property’s magnificent views alone are enough to make it hard to leave. Kids will pick up surfing easily as lessons are taught by local pros. Then make a splash in the keiki (kiddie) pool, featuring a 24-metre water slide.

9Sheraton Waikiki
HONOLULU, OAHU

If a day floating on North America’s longest oceanfront infinity pool is your idea of the perfect day in paradise, then you’ve come to the right place. Sheraton Waikiki offers this and a range of other water wonderlands, including the Helumoa playground with a 21-metre water slide, two large whirlpools and an interactive fountain area for kids. The kids’ program will have young travellers five and above bodyboarding, cookie decorating and crafting through the day. Poppins Day Care also offers care for children from three months to 12 years old.

10Hilton Waikoloa Village
BIG ISLAND

Our final winner of the best family resorts in Hawaii, Hilton Waikoloa Village has a huge saltwater swimming lagoon with a waterfall, turtles, fish, snorkelling, SUPs and kayaks. The Kona Pool has a 172-metre long waterslide and pool bar to complete your Hawaiian holiday experience.

You can learn to play the ukulele, make lei and bracelets during the free cultural classes.

The resort also offers all-inclusive packages and two different accommodation towers.