This post about the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort on Oahu was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung, was sponsored by Curacity and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
I know it’s overwhelming trying to find a good place to stay in Waikiki with kids. There are SO many options and it’s hard to tell what might be right for your family.
I’m a Hawaii travel consultant for families and I have a lot of first-hand knowledge of what works (and what doesn’t) in terms of Waikiki family hotels.
| Location | 2335 Kalakaua Ave, right on Waikiki Beach |
|---|---|
| Check-in and check-out | 3 pm and 11 am |
| Resort fee | $50 plus tax per room, per night |
| Parking | Valet only, $60 per night with in-and-out privileges |
| Pool | One pool, closed Oct 5 to Dec 18, 2026. Guests can use the pools at the Outrigger Reef, Beachcomber, and Paradise. |
| Kids’ club | None on site. The Coral Kids Club (ages 5 to 12) is at the Outrigger Reef. |
| Kids stay free | Up to 2 kids ages 17 and under, using existing beds |
| Cribs | Free on request |
| Connecting rooms | Yes |
| In-room dining | From Hula Grill Waikiki, 7 am to 9 pm daily |
| On-site restaurants | Duke’s Waikiki, Hula Grill Waikiki, Blue Note Hawaii |
| Club lounge | Voyager 47, closed for expansion until January 2027 |
| Honolulu airport | About 7 miles, or 25 minutes to an hour by car |
Is the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort good for families?
The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort is perfect for families who want to be in the heart of Waikiki. People looking for a quieter part of the neighborhood should skip it.
I want to be fully transparent that I haven’t stayed at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort, but I’ve eaten at Duke’s more times than I can count over the past few decades.
I’m also super familiar with OUTRIGGER properties. I’ve stayed at the OUTRIGGER Reef in May 2022 and I’ll be staying at the OUTRIGGER Kauai in November 2026. Many of my clients have stayed at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort though, so I do have candid reviews from them.
Because of all of this, I can confidently say that YES the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort is a great Waikiki resort for families. My clients who have stayed here have loved the location, the on-site restaurants, and the beach access.
| OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort | OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | On Kalakaua Ave in the heart of Waikiki | Tucked away near Waikiki Beach Walk |
| Beach | My pick for little kids and for learning to surf | Beachfront, but I prefer the stretch at the Outrigger Waikiki |
| Pool | One pool next to Duke’s, closed Oct 5 to Dec 18, 2026 | Fairly deep with no little-kid area when I stayed in May 2022 |
| Kids’ club | None on site | Coral Kids Club for ages 5 to 12, daily 9 am to 4 pm. $60 to $75 for a half day, $120 to $150 for a full day. |
| Restaurants | Duke’s Waikiki, Hula Grill Waikiki, Blue Note Hawaii | Monkeypod Kitchen, Kani Ka Pila Grille |
| In-room dining | From Hula Grill Waikiki, 7 am to 9 pm | From Monkeypod Kitchen, 7 am to 9 pm |
| Live Hawaiian music | Daily at Duke’s (4 to 6 pm and 7 pm to midnight) and Hula Grill (2 to 4 pm) | Nightly at Kani Ka Pila Grille |
| Cultural activities | Hawaiian vow renewal on the beach Mondays and Thursdays at 8 am, plus free classes at the other Outrigger Waikiki hotels | Hawaiian wood carving demonstration Wednesday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm, plus free classes at the other Outrigger Waikiki hotels |
| Best for | Beach kids and families who want to walk to everything | Families who want a kids’ club and a quieter spot off the main drag |
Should you book during the 2026 pool closure?
This is a personal call. My kids are pool kids, so I’d wait until it was re-opened because that’s a big part of our Hawaii vacation lifestyle. However, this hotel is literally right on Waikiki Beach, which is much more of a draw than any hotel pool. If you have beach kids, I wouldn’t let this pool closure hold you back.
In case you missed it, the pool and Duke’s sun deck closed on Oct 5, 2026 and it will re-open around December 18, 2026. But in the meantime, guests can use the pools at the Reef, Beachcomber, and Paradise. The Voyager 47 Club Lounge is also closed until January 2027.
I’ll talk more about the Reef later in this post but I did want to highlight that I didn’t consider their pool very toddler/preschooler friendly and I ended up getting a lifejacket for my son so we’d both feel a bit safer.
Is it too busy for your family?
This is the question too many families don’t honestly ask. The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort is located in the heart of Waikiki, which means it might be louder and livelier than you expect. If you are concerned about this, you might want to look into Ko Olina resorts or The Kahala Hotel & Resort as an alternative.
Personally, my kids don’t like crowds or loud noises BUT they have never had any issues in Waikiki. I had a client who said that they could hear the music from Duke’s at night from their room, so you might want to request a room away from the restaurant.
OUTRIGGER Waikiki or OUTRIGGER Reef for families?
So back in May 2022, I booked a renovated king room with city view at OUTRIGGER Reef for myself and my son, who was 6 years old at that time. I thought the rooms were really bright and airy and the open lobby was great. The pool was fine but didn’t have any wow factors, especially for kids. But the Reef has a kids club, which is a nice perk.
But that’s where Kani Ka Pila Grille is, which is an awesome place to hear really good live Hawaiian music. I danced hula for 20+ years, so it always brings me joy to hear live music in Hawaii and sometimes see hula on the stage!
The location of the Reef is a bit tucked away from the main area of Waikiki. It’s close to Waikiki Beach Walk but it’s definitely not the main drag.
On the flip side, it’s really hard to beat the location of the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort right on the better stretch of Waikiki Beach. There are more on-site restaurants, in-room dining (which is huge for families), and it’s so easy to walk to tons of places to eat and shop.
My clients say the view from the ocean rooms is also a lot more impressive.
Is there a kids’ club at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort?
No, they don’t have one on site. But you can use the Coral Kids Club at the OUTRIGGER Reef. It’s for kids ages 5-12 and it runs daily from 9am-Noon and 1pm-4pm. It’s $60-$75 for a half day and $120-$150 for a full day (as of October 2026).
Does it have connecting rooms and family suites?
Yes, the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort has connecting rooms, which can be perfect for larger families. Their standard rooms are about 360 square feet and have two queen beds and sleep 4 people.
Their suites are 555 to 685 square feet. Up to two kids 17 and under stay free in existing beds and cribs are free (but you need to request them). There’s also a two-bedroom oceanfront club suite at 803 square feet that sleeps six people.
Is Duke’s Waikiki good with kids?
OMG yes! And I say this for the Hula Pie alone! My older son usually gets the kids cheeseburger (hold the cheese) and my youngest gets the fish and chips. What’s really cool about coming here for dinner is that there’s live music from 4-6pm, 7-9:30pm, and 9:30pm-midnight (as of October 2026).
I came here a lot in my 20s to sip Duke’s legendary mai tais while listening to Hawaiian music and soaking in the Waikiki sunset vibes. Now, I come for the early dinner because we’re all a bit hangry by late afternoon.
I also used to like to come here for breakfast before I had kids. My kids don’t eat much at breakfast so I have a hard time justifying it. But if you like big family breakfasts, Duke’s is pretty awesome!
I also want to mention Hula Grill, since that’s also on-site and has live music from 2-4pm daily. This is the restaurant that provides the in-room dining, which is an amazing option especially for the day you land and your kids don’t want to leave the room.
Is the beach in front of the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort good for young children?
Absolutely! This is a much better stretch of Waikiki Beach than the Reef’s (especially for little kids). It’s also a great spot to learn to surf.
They have Faith Surf School on the beach out front and they offer surf lessons, paddleboarding, and even outrigger canoe rides (which is still on my bucket list!)
I had a client who signed up her 8 year old and 10 year old for surfing lessons here and she said it was the highlight of their trip!
What cultural experiences can families do here?
As someone who danced hula for half my life, I’m pretty passionate about Hawaiian cultural experiences. The OUTRIGGER does an awesome job with providing free classes across their OUTRIGGER Waikiki hotels. This speaks volumes about their commitment to connecting guests with Hawaiian culture.
They have lei making, hula, Ê»ukulele, kukui and ti-leaf bracelets, name tags, proverb bookmarks, surfboard key chains, wood carving. These activities are at the Reef, Beachcomber and the Paradise but you’re welcome to participate if you’re staying at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort.
But if you want to know what’s actually on-site, there’s the beach vow renewal every Monday and Thursday at 8am. Plus the world-famous Henry Kapono performs at Duke’s on Sundays from 4pm to 6pm.
Do you need a car at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort?
Personally, I’d group your off-site days (like heading to Kualoa Ranch or the North Shore) so you just rent a car for a couple of days, not your whole trip. That will save you stress and money. They just have valet parking and it’s $60/night (which actually isn’t crazy for Waikiki).
What’s nearby for a family night out?
Okay so my new favorite thing is Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana and it’s at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beachcomber hotel. The shows run Wednesday through Sunday at 5:30pm and 8pm (as of October 2026).
I did this with my oldest son in February 2026 (he was 12 years old) and we both loved it! You can read my full review. These were media tickets but it’s been a show I’ve wanted to see since it premiered.
It has all the classic elements of a Cirque du Soleil show, but they also include lots of Hawaiian language, hula, and instruments. The costumes are also incredible. Plus, it’s only 80 minutes, so it isn’t a huge time commitment if you have squirmy kiddos.
We did the 5:30pm show and it was the perfect timing for us. We ended up grabbing musubi from the ABC store on the walk over and then we went out to dinner after the show.
Who should book, and who should skip it?
I’d say you should book the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort if you have kids who love the beach, want to walk to yummy food options, and who might want to skip renting a car for your whole trip.
But, if you have pool kids, you might want to wait until it re-opens in December. It’s also not a good fit if you need an on-site kids’ club or you’re wanting a quiet retreat.
FAQ
Does the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort have a pool?
Yes, they have one pool and it’s near Duke’s. But it’s closed from Oct 5-Dec 18, 2026. They do have sister-hotel pools available, though.
Is the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort right on the beach?
Yes, it’s beachfront on the iconic Waikiki Beach.
What is the resort fee and what does it include?
The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort fee is $50 plus tax per room per day (as of October 2026). This covers Wifi on four devices (awesome for families), in-room coffee and tea, phone calls, water bottles, and a tote bag.
How much is parking?
Parking at the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort is valet only. It’s $60 a night with in-and-out privileges (as of October 2026).
Is the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort noisy?
It can be. The live music at Duke’s runs until midnight, so if your room is nearby, that could definitely make it noisier than other rooms. It’s also right in the heart of Waikiki so you might hear the occasional loud noise from tourists.
Are the rooms renovated?
Yes, the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort rooms have been newly renovated. There’s Zak Noyle photography and a really cool Kamea Hadar mural.
Does it have a club lounge?
Yes, but not right now. Voyager 47 is closed for expansion and scheduled to reopen in January 2027.
How far is it from the Honolulu airport?
The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort about 7 miles away, which is only 25 minutes to an hour by rideshare.
What time is check-in and check-out?
The OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort check-in is at 3 pm and check-out is 11 am.
I really hope this helped you figure out if the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort is the best place to stay in Waikiki for your family. If you still aren’t sure, I offer 1:1 Zoom consultations where we walk through your entire trip.
 | About the author: Marcie Cheung is a Hawaii travel consultant for families who has visited Hawaii more than 40 times. She is the founder of Hawaii Travel with Kids and host of the Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast. She offers one-on-one Hawaii trip planning consultations and itinerary reviews for families, couples, and honeymooners. |