Honolulu Heaven

Level up your visit with a stay at Wayfinder Waikiki

Words by RORY EVANS

Take everything you think you know about Honolulu hotels and strip away your touristy stereotypes. Level it up with creative design and inventive food service. Then find yourself — piña colada welcome drink in hand — at Wayfinder Waikiki, the 228-room boutique hotel that launched early last year. A sister property of Wayfinder Newport, 5,080 miles away in Rhode Island, the Waikiki outpost is an 11-story top-to-bottom renovation of a cool-again Brutalist building two blocks from Waikiki beach. Whereas Brutalism was marked by stark angles and blocky concrete, the Wayfinder is infused with warmth, comfort, and color in a way that honors Hawaii’s singular blend of cultures and influences.

The Vanguard Theory, a Honolulu design firm, led the transformation and relied on local Hawiian talent to create lush, inviting spaces rich with soulful touches. In guest rooms, oval headboards mimic surfboards and feature a patchwork of fabrics with Hawaiian motifs like King Protea blooms and monstera leaves and a mix of cultural references, like kimonos and obis. The guest bathrooms have checkerboard tiles that nod to the state’s traditional palaka plaid. Even the bedside pendant lights appear to be wearing leis — of the decidedly chic and unique mongo shell variety.

Public spaces, too, mix modern sensibilities with aloha vibes. Lots of foliage, fronds, and greenery create an oasis around the pool, which has a palm-tree-shaded sliver of an island in the middle (like a little replica of Oahu itself). The menu at Lost + Found, the casual poolside cafe, will lure you with Hawaii-inflected indulgences like Furikake Chex mix and North Shore garlic fries. The B-Side Coffee Bar — named for the hotel’s B-side location on Waikiki’s canal instead of the beach — serves up Maui-roasted coffee, tropical fruit blends, and irresistible (yet shockingly healthy) snacks. For haute Hawaiian fine dining, dip into Redfish, where the menu pops with all the Asian and Pacific Island cuisines and temptations: Filipino lechon kawali (pork belly), Japanese okonomiyaki fries, Vietnamese ribs, Szechuan mushrooms — and those are just the starters. Of course, there might be no more quintessentially Wayfinder dining experience than ordering rainbow poke bowls from room service, relaxing on your private balcony, and watching the sunset over Waikiki. wayfinderwaikiki.com.