Halekulani Hotel
Reviews for Halekulani Hotel
GUEST




I was born and raised in Honolulu and have always wanted to get married in the halekulani since I was a little girl. I actually looked at several other venues prior to halekulani but was not impressed. The catering staff was not knowledgeable, didn't explain the menus or packages. It was only after visiting all other hotels did I decide to visit halekulani. I initially neglected the hotel because I thought it would be out of my price range. But I'm so glad I stopped by.
-the hotel is 5 star. It is classy, elegant and has the open air plantation feel. It is very unlike other hotels in Waikiki. While other hotels plow people thru, you feel at ease in the hotel. It is very quiet.
-their wedding packages are awesome. If you spend over 6k in food, they will hook you up with a free hotel room for your wedding night (champagne and all). Package also includes a wedding cake! They provide cake cutting tools. Valet is free for all your guests. If you add up all the little details, halekulani ends up being cheaper than most of the other venues in Waikiki. Oh forgot to mention, if you spend 6k on food, they waive the ceremony location fee. That's like anywhere from 2500-5000 saved!
-I no longer live in Hawaii ( so this is a destination wedding) so all communication with the banquet manager was done via email. Which I loved because it saved time.
-you cannot beat the service. Everyone, from the reception, to the bell boy, to the wait staff. They all give 5 star service. They will go out of their way to make your stay comfortable. I've never felt like such a queen.
-the food was good. All my guests were pleased with the food and drinks. I had 4 course meals and the average price was about $75/person.
-you cannot beat the view. I got married on the Hau terrace which overlooks the ocean. Absolutely stunning. Our guests , especially the out of town guests ( which were 80%) loved it.
Definitely check it out. It was my best wedding decision.
GUEST




Quality of Service: They went above and beyond to accommodate our guest. One of our guest brought a toddler that was not yet accommodated to the time change. They brought out the a crib such that she could sleep on the lanai and the parents could stay and enjoy their meal and the reception. They also gave me and my bridesmaids spa slippers after the long day of wearing heals, which was a great relief.
Responsiveness: I planned my wedding from the east coast and corresponded mostly through email. I worked with only one person, such as to ease communication. All emails i sent, i got a response within 24 hrs. The one time i was able to visit the venue, i was able to meet with the one person that handled my wedding. Everything was quick and VERY easy.
Professionalism: The waiters and staff was amazing and very professional. They asked, noted, and accommodated every dietary restriction and qualm my guest had about food (even ones we were not able note) and they made sure they got all the orders correct. Everything tasted amazing according to our guest.
Value: The meal i thought was delicious, and many of my guest thought it was the best meal they had ever at a wedding reception. The Guava juice was amazing, the best I had ever had growing up in Hawaii, because it is made only from Guava, not diluted. It was pricey, but it was worth every penny to have such an amazing meal.
Flexibility: Catering food, they accommodated every noted allergies, as well as those that were not noted. Some guest, although they didn't have an allergy, didn't like some of the courses containing fish. They took their plates and replaced them with delicious substitutes, even though they weren't noted.
GUEST




Just had both my wedding ceremony and reception at the Hau Terrace of Halekulani and it was one of my most wonderful and memorable experiences! Halekulani offers a really nice and reasonable wedding package which includes a junior ocean suite with unparalleled ocean-front views. The food at our reception was great and the staff was friendly and world-class. Our catering manager Loren was really helpful and fast at responding to our questions (within one day), and our guests raved about how fast their drinks got refilled. In my option Halekulani's location is also superior compared to other hotels-it's not right on or super close to the main shopping street so it's less crowded and not as loud. I'm really glad that I chose Halekulani for my wedding as I wouldn't be nearly as happy with any of the other options around.
GUEST




Perfection cannot be put in words and that is what Halekulani strives for. From the moment we did a venue visit to the time we got married and departed the Halekulani treated us with class. They were very courteous and answered everything without once losing patience.
Lauren at the catering department is simply outstanding. At one point we felt that she was more worried about everything going well than us which made us feel very good about the professional approach of the entire staff this hotel hires.
The food was impeccable. Chef Vikram created some special Hors on my request and my guests could not stop talking about them.
If you want a wedding done right Halekulani is the only...
GUEST




First off, you really get what you pay for here. I couldn't believe the amount of compliments we received after the wedding. All of our guests were so happy with the service and the food. My husband and I would have completely regretted our decision if we had gone with another venue.
We worked with Loren Petrowski the entire time, and she was just so understanding with everything. Very prompted in emails and so very professional. I asked a billion questions, and she was always so patient with me. Everything during the planning process ran so smoothly. Which lead to a very smooth day of (from the brides point of view). I'm not too sure if anything went wrong behind the scenes, but I didn't hear anything of it, which kept the day of..so stress-free.
We had both our ceremony and reception at the Halekulani. We had a dinner buffet for our wedding. I don't know many hotel venues in Hawaii that allow you to do a taste testing free of charge. From my recollection, you need to have a plated dinner in order to have a taste testing. That was a pleasant surprise. We also had our wedding cake done through them. We had a special request so it was considered an upgrade. The pastry chef did an excellent job in replicating the design of our request. Not only did it look AMAZING, but it tasted amazing too!
And lastly, it was it was so important to us that our guests were happy. Being that there was free validated self-parking and free validated valet (plus gratuity) was just the cherry on top. I mean FREE, in the heart of Waikiki. That’s just unheard of! My Dad had been waiting for the car and they offered him bottled water. They really go above and beyond!
We had such a great experience with them, and I'm so glad we chose Halekulani for our special day. We can't thank the staff enough for their amazing efforts to put together everything, just as we...
GUEST




What a dream it is to get married in Hawaii AND to get married at one of the most prestigious hotels on Oahu~! To be honest, I didn't even visit the venue before we booked it - it's so highly regarded and recommended that I felt totally comfortable just going for it :) Planning a wedding from Seattle, I wanted to make sure that I had a team of vendors that I could trust that would make my life easier and THAT was definitely the Halekulani.
Some details - we had 150 guests, opted for the nicer buffet, and had our ceremony in the garden courtyard and the reception in the ballroom. All of our guests were impressed with the 5-star service, and everyone was looking forward to the food. Just an FYI - their buffet is not necessarily the "cheaper" choice...it's actually more expensive than manyof their plated meals, so we were actually upgrading to the nicer of the two offered buffets). For our chafing dishes, we chose the steamed onaga (a signature dish), london broil, and the seafood curry (with scallops and sea bass - THIS was the surprise hit of the evening. I would have never imagined serving curry at a wedding, but it was just so flavorful and delicious that I had to go for it and everyone thanked me for that~!). We also had the prime rib as another main dish. The salads, appetizers, and desserts are to die for....the poke is DELISH, and the bread pudding..WOW...WOW..WOW~! SO GOOD!!
Though the Halekulani is a more expensive venue, if it's important to you to have top-knotch service, excellent communication, and impeccable execution of details - then I would highly recommend Halekulani. It's actually more affordable than I thought, so make sure you at least check it out!! I felt Loren went above and beyond for us, and we were exceptionally pleased every step of the way~! Every detail at Halekulani is just so impressive...my heart was full of appreciation~!!!
GUEST




Wow, Wow, Wow!
We were very happy with the quick responses we received in the lead up to our wedding. And then we saw the venue for the first time 4 days before the event after arriving from Australia. We were blown away. Great location, amazing set up, everything about the Hau Terrace just felt amazing.
They were very accomodating in regards to handling favours, decorations etc for us prior to the event. On the day, all the staff were incredibly helpful and of the higest standard. They did a fantastic job handling our fresh leis before we arrived. They also created a beautiful wedding cake to our request. All our guests (as we are) are still talking about the quality food served and it helped make a truly memorable night! Whilst it isn't a budget venue, it was still good value as we have never experienced such a beautiful venue and accompanying food. Just make sure your music request is suitable for the venue. It was a brilliant venue for our reception.
GUEST




We had our wedding reception dinner at the Halekulani Hotel in the Kalia/Kiawe private rooms. Our experience was seamless from start to finish. Joel the Director of Catering was our contact throughout the process and was such a pleasure to work with. He was very responsive and paid attention to each detail. He even had the chef prepare a special meal for my mom who can't eat many foods. The rooms were set up beautifully and the banquet captain and staff working with us that night were on point. I heard from several of our family and friends that anything they wanted they got. My maid of honor was jokingly talking about her hang nail and how painfuil they are, and within minutes someone was there with a nail clipper. Wow! A little pricey but well worth the money for the kind of imaculate and intimate experience a wedding reception begs for. Excellent!
GUEST




What an amazing and classy venue to have your wedding! Service at this hotel is unmatchable. Every single staff member I encountered was professional and courteous. Its not a really huge hotel which is what I liked about it. Pool is secluded from the marriage sites and ballroom. No kids running wild. We went with the buffet for our guests and received tons and tons of great feedback about the food. Even the wedding cake that they provided for me was delicious! Banquet captain was great as well. I would highly recommend the Halekulani!
GUEST




I dunno what more can be said about the Halekulani other than WOW, WONDERFUL JOB! The Halekulani and their staff was very friendly and helpful with our wedding. The venue was beautiful and the food.... the food. The food was so delicious and ono, we just wanted to take the entire buffet line home for leftovers! The cake came with with our wedding too, and the cake was so light and fluffy, It was balanced just right!
Planning to have your wedding at the Halekulani? Trust me, you can't go wrong!
GUEST




Truly a fantastic place and probably the most classy place in Honolulu. We had 186 guests and spent over $ 14,000 on food and over $7,000 on alcohol. If you spend over $ 14,000 on food, you get the ceremony, cake, two night stay in a hotel suite, and a couple of other perks for free. They respond to e-mails fast and were always professional and kind towards us. It is a little expensive, but the food and service are completely worth it. You speak to any of the locals and they will tell you the Halekulani has the best wedding food on the island.
GUEST




We had our wedding reception at The Halekulaniand if I could give it a higher rating I would. After much research on Orchids and House Without a Key I decided we wanted to have a private reception as opposed to dinner in a restaurant with other people. Tripadvisor reviews raved about all the restaurants at Halekulani and the quality of food is utmost importance to us. I happened to come across their private rooms on their website. For our party of 9, I decided to book the Kiawe Room and we couldn't be happier. There is no site fee just minimum food revenue of $1500 which includes the cake. This is pretty reasonable when compared to other sites like San Souci Room that is farther from the center of Waikiki and the atmosphere there is more down to earth.
Our catering manager, Joel Nishimoto, and admin, Tina Hum, were outstanding to work with from beginning to end. Every question or doubt was answered promptly with the details required. The contract and deposit details were well written and broken down which helped tremendously when planning a wedding without a coordinator. They are professionals and really put my mind at ease as I was a destination bride and have never been to Honolulu before.
Upon arrival to the hotel, for our reception, the lady at the front desk immediately escorted us to our room. There, Steven, who looked after us all evening, was awaiting our arrival and had placed the candles and favors we dropped off the day before. The wedding cake was displayed on a smaller table with green cymbidium orchids just as I requested. Everything was perfect and we felt they we were taken care of by family. Steven and the lady (sorry forgot her name) who looked after us all night were attentive yet unobtrusive. My family felt so comfortable they kicked off their shoes and thoroughly enjoyed themselves!! JUST WHAT WE HAD HOPED FOR!!
I could go on forever about the impeccable service, but I MUST leave room for the food. While we had our pictures taken we had cocktail hour and 4 butler passed hor d'oeuvres which were delicious: Purse of Smoked Duck, Caramelized Peach and Goat Cheese (YUM our fav and was the least expensive!), Beef Crostini, Chicken Satay, Scallop Wrapped in Bacon (light and crispy). The timing was perfect and they always kept a close eye on our drink refills. Oh BTW they let us bring in our own wine/champagne and charged $25 corkage fee so major plus there.
For dinner, we created a 4 course custom menu from their preset menus and it was very reasonably priced. We started with Ceasar Salad with Seared Scallops - the scallops had a layer of cream baked into the top so it was not your standard seared scallops. 2nd course was Ahi Poke with Lump Crab on Top. 3rd course was Filet Mignon with Lobster. The lobster was perfectly cooked and had a really nice sauce. 4th course was Twice Baked Goat Cheese with Fruit. We were stuffed at this point but it was such a nice fluffy and airy pastry that everyone devoured it.
For our wedding cake we had 2 tiers and they let us do 2 flavors! I had to try Haupia and Raspberry and Cream on the bottom tier. Though we were stuffed everyone raved about the cake. We had the bottom tier which had fresh berries baked in and was simply divine. Are you drooling yet? Steven wrapped the top tier for us to take home.
The reception was the very first thing I booked for our wedding as I wanted to ensure we had a wonderful meal on our special day. We are ecstatic with our experience and would highly recommend Halekulani for any special event! Halekulani will take care of you like family.
GUEST




Tom at the Halekulani is my hero. He went above and beyond his duties to ensure everything came together beautifully. He worked with the chef to create numerous items not on the menu and a custom design cake, coordinated with the in house florist on the trellis flowers and my bouquet, which was beyond stunning, and briefed security on a possible wedding crasher.
Everyone I dealt with at the Halekulani was friendly, professional, and prompt. Their laundry service department did a wonderful job pressing my dress before the wedding as well. A kind man came to my room to pick up the dress, and when I returned to my room later that evening, I found my dress on a rolling cart all wrapped up in sheets like a present.
My wedding was at Hau Terrace which is the only private ceremony and reception space in Waikiki with an indoor and outdoor space. No gawkers watching your wedding! Gorgeous setting, wonderful food, and strong drinks.
The food station tables come with tropical floral arrangements at no added cost and the small cocktail tables I used came with decorations as well. I did not have to spend money on any floral arrangements except for the trellis, bouquet, and leis. Thats a big budget saver.
The Halekulani wedding package is a great value. Venue fee is waived with a small food minimum. Free suite for honeymoon night which was incredible. I think I got lucky and received a better suite than the package provided. Private entrance, large lanai over looking the ocean, 1.5 bathrooms, living room, massive bathroom with walk in closet, and more square footage than my condo. A bottle of champagne, toasting flutes, and chocolate covered strawberries await you when you return to your suite following your reception.
The only thing I disliked about the venue, was the fact 2 other weddings were going on around the same time as mine in other locations. They're huge bridal parties were occupying the majority of the photo locations, so we were stuck taking photos all in the same spot. Wish better coordination was in place to keep huge parties from hogging prime space for extended periods of time.
GUEST




Deciding to hold our reception at the Halekulani set the tone for our entire wedding planning process. Tom and his staff in the catering department were a dream to work with. They were so accommodating, responisve, and professional. We could not have asked for anything more. Every single staff member that we came in contact with over the weekend embodied the quality of service that the Halekulani is known for. The bar tenders and servers went out of their way to make sure that our guests had everything they needed at the reception and the food they served was phenomenal. I love the Halekulani!!
GUEST




Tom N. was AMAZING! Let me be honest... when we were first deciding on our venue, our top choice was not the Halekulani because we didn't know much about it yet. BUT, once we met up with Tom, got a tour of the place and more specifics of what they offered and how beautiful the place is, we were blown away! After going to other venues (which were all bad experiences because they didn't give the exceptional customer service that Tom gave), we called Tom back and booked them.
Every time we had a question, Tom would immediately get back to us! He has a lot of passion in what he does and it shows! Anything we needed for our wedding (with our unique theme) he was more than happy to accommodate. The service throughout the entire experience from the Concierge, to the Room Service, to the FOOD and everyone who worked on our wedding was by far the best! Everyone was raving about the food! Thank you so much to everyone who helped make our day special!
GUEST




What can I not say about the Halekulani? From the beginning, Joel was easy to work with and very helpful and accommodating of (mostly) all of our requests. He was very prompt in answering our e-mails and
The staff provided top notch service throughout, they were very professional and courteous. When it started to rain lightly during our ceremony, the staff was ready with umbrellas and passed them out to all of our guests.
The food is excellent. The cake is awesome.
The packages they offer are a nice bonus too.
GUEST




My husband and I loved Halekulani. Joel (the catering manager) was very easy to work with and prompt with answering phone calls and emails. Although he could not fulfill every request that we had, due to Halekulani policies, he did make an effort to make our wedding experience absolutely wonderful.
The staff at the Halekulani were very attentive and genuinely nice people. They treated us like VIPs! We really felt the aloha spirit from everyone. (Having been born and raised on Oahu, now living in California, I really missed this feeling of aloha.)
The food was ono (delicious) and the cake was very tasty too!
The courtyard was a beautiful location for our ceremony, and the ballroom was a perfect size for our reception (130 guests). We were fortunate to have our wedding just after Thanksgiving, so we had two large, nicely decorated Christmas trees that framed the ballroom stage.
We also appreciated the wedding packages at Halekulani, because they were one of the few who offered them as I was researching venues on Oahu. (It also enabled us to stay within our budget!)
We highly recommend Halekulani for a wedding, big or small.
GUEST




This is the best place to get married in Hawaii! Joel is excellent and very easy to work with. The prices are low for the quality, everything is amazing! Get married on the Hau Terrace and give your guests an AMAZING experience.
GUEST




I loved having my wedding at Halekulani. Joel and Loren were both extremely helpful. Excellent service and great food. They also had pretty good wedding packages where ceremony, cake, cake cutting, 1 night stay and parking were inclusive with a food minimum. Fair price considering they are a 5 star hotel and their prices are comparable to most other Waikiki hotels. My only complain is the limited access to the beach at Halekulani, there is only a small area to take pictures on the beach and it was filled with people very early in the morning. Otherwise, perfect, no regrets whatsoever with choosing this venue!
GUEST




The service is absolutely impeccable! The most professional and prompt staff I have ever experienced. They treat you like you are their only guest. Plus, the hotel is beautiful, intimate, and classy. I would get married again and again here!
GUEST




Joel was my catering manager for my wedding. He was so very helpful, and he responses to my emails were lightening fast. My grandmother always said, "You get what you pay for," and Halekulani is no exception. The prices are on the high end, but they cater to your every need, and your guests are treated like royalty. We wanted to serve a very special Hungarian family recipe. Joel was able to work with the chef to ensure this was done correctly and to our specifications. Joel also worked with the pastry chef to create an amazing (and delicious) Groom's cake of a Dodge Viper for my husband. The bartender was polite, and everyone loved his drinks. The guava martinis were the best! Halekulani is THE place to go if you want a wedding that is perfect in every way.
GUEST




the HALEKULANI team made our event happen. with the quality of food and service, this team is hard to beat.
GUEST




Although I love the Halekulani, it would be a lie to give it a 5. Honestly, the place is gorgeous...both the Hau Terrace and Ballroom are great venues.
Reasons why the Halekulani does not get a 5:
1) Signature Drink Disaster
My signature drink turned out to look like dirty water. When I had sent images and instructions of the drink, the catering manager said the bartender could do it. The drink was suppose to be a turqouise coloured drink...instead it looked like mirky blue! I expected a 5-star hotel would try its best to match the image sent.
2) Sushi Line
At my rehearsal, my wedding coordinator asked if I wanted to get an extra bartender during cocktail hour to avoid the guests waiting in line. However, I should have been asked about an extra sushi chef! I had some guests wait in line for the entire hour to get sushi! The hotel should know that 1 sushi chef is not enough for a wedding for 150 guests
3) The Sunday Brunch
As part of the platinum wedding, there's a complimentary brunch at House without a Key. When my husband called to make reservations, the restaurant said it was booked. He even told the hostess that we had gotten married at the hotel the day prior. That didn't get us in. She pretty much said to walk-in but couldn't guarantee anything.
GUEST




If you are planning to get married in Hawaii. You must do it at Halekulani. They are amazing. I can't believe how smooth it was. No problems as I was anticipating. Their staff is the best. Besides the excellent service, the hotel is beautiful and you feel like a queen. I can't say enough about this place. The catering staff is wonderful, they get back to you right away and they help you with any concerns or questions. They offer free food tasting (most places don't), you get a complimentary suite on your wedding night, free parking and they throw in the wedding cake too. The food is so awesome.... people are still talking about how great the food was. A+++
GUEST




Haleuklani was wonderful. Everything about the hotel was great and we got rave reviews from our guests. The hotel staff was very courteous and accomodating, and were very pleasant. The food was EXCELLENT and had many compliments from our guests. I do not have a single complaint about the place. I would definetely recommend Halekulani for anyone to have their wedding. On top of the great service, it was a wonderful place to stay.
GUEST




I believe Halekulani is the best place to have a wedding. They did a terrific job at our wedding. The catering manager, Ai was VERY good at helping us with a lot of the details. We splurged on our guests (100) with a 4-course sit down meal but it was worth every penny. The food was very delicious. You cannot go wrong with Halekulani. Our guests raved about the food and the drinks. The bartenders made very good mojitos and margaritas for our guests. This hotel may be more pricey compared to others but if you want the best, this is the place to go. Also, the service from the wait staff was the best we ever had. Another word of advice: If you plan to have your wedding here, make sure you reserve at least a year in advance. We booked our wedding 1.5 years in advance which was good because another couple actually that same date and time.
GUEST




Ai was our coordinator at the Halekulani and she was very organized, super helpful and resourceful and overall we are extremely impressed with her and with the service at the hotel. Everyone here was amazing, from the valet staff to the concierge to the banquet manager...there is not one thing we could suggest as an improvement because everything was phenomenal. The food was fantastic and we LOVED our cake (the pastry chef is very talented!) and our room was beautiful as well. I HIGHLY recommend the Halekulani.
GUEST




Loved everything at the Halekulani. Halekulani was actually not my first choice for venue, but I'm so happy that I ended up having my wedding there. Service from all the staff, from coordinator, catering, everyone, was the best. Food was excellent, and the Hotel very beautiful. I would totally recommend this hotel.
GUEST




Halekulani Hotel, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the perfect place for our wedding. Exceptional service, delicious food, helpful staff -- what more could you ask for? My friends and family are still talking about the beautiful garden ceremony and the wonderful dinner reception. The staff truly made it a day to remember, for all of us.
GUEST




Simply put, nothing can beat Halekulani. Their service is exceptional, the venue is beautiful and the food is sooo ono. Joel was super easy to work with and was so on top of things. His style really fit well with my husband's and I's. They completely take care of you at Halekulani.
I love it there!!!!
GUEST




Halekulani was the perfect setting for our wedding. The location is beautiful, the service was wonderful and all our guests really enjoyed the food. The cake was beautiful and we loved staying at the suite in the hotel. They have many weddings here and were able to anticipate all our needs.
A few quirks that may not suit every wedding: no DJ/dancing, limited ceremony seating, and short window for ceremony due to regular nightly music outside.
GUEST




All services by Halekulani Hotel was superb. Food was amazing. My husband and I still go to the hotel on special occasions.
GUEST




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GUEST




This hotel's service and their staff are outstanding.
They are very courteous and really take care of you.
They even packed us food and delivered it to our room to enjoy after the reception!
All of our guests had a great time.
Yes, they may cost a bit more in terms of the reception but I think the service, quality and staff more than make up for it.
GUEST




We had a beautiful reception at the Halekulani after our wedding ceremony which was at the Kahala Manderin Hotel.
We used the upstairs room - it was beautiful and nicely decorated with a huge Christmas tree and white lights because of the holiday season so we didnt have to do much decorating except for the tables. The cake was prefect- had a sea shell theme and the chef put shells all over the cake=- it was perfect! pretty $$$$$$$$$ though- the bar was crazy!
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