Rooms with a View at Oahu’s JW Marriott Ihilani turned Four Seasons Oahu

Update: This resort was significantly renovated and rebranded as a Four Seasons Resort in 2016.  See our review of the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

The following review was based on our stay when this resort was a JW Marriott Ihilani.

Room that faces towards to Northwest coast of Oahu at JW Marriott Ihilani
View of Oahu’s Waianae Coast from JW Marriott

If you’re like me, having a great ocean view from your Hawaii hotel room is definitely a plus. I enjoy taking every possible opportunity that I can to admire all those ocean shades of turquoise. One Oahu hotel that offers beautiful ocean views (in approximately 85% of their rooms) is the JW Marriott Ihilani in Ko Olina on Oahu’s West Coast. This luxury resort offers some amazing views of the Ko Olina lagoons, Pacific Ocean and Waianae coastline.

Andy and I spent every moment that we could sitting on the spacious lanai during our stay at the Ihilani. Of the three mornings we were there, twice we splurged on room service for breakfast on our lanai. Take a look at the following photo of our room service breakfast and you’ll understand why we liked it so much.

Room service at JW Marriott Ihilani
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Though we definitely enjoyed our stay, our timing for our visit wasn’t ideal as the resort is undergoing some fairly substantial upgrades. The Ihilani Spa was closed for major renovations, but has now been reopened. Guest rooms are being refurbished with an estimated completion of January 2011.

The room we stayed in hadn’t been refurbished, but we still thought it was quite nice. JW Marriott Ihilani rooms are definitely over-sized with a spacious seating area plus a desk. I liked the foyer-style entry way for added privacy. The marble baths are so luxurious! They’re extra large with a soaking tub, walk-in shower, two separate vanities and a water closet.

I was fortunate to get a property tour and a sneak peek at the new room design so that I could share it with you. I like the new contemporary island design with dark woods and deep shades of blue. The follow photos show a newly refurbished guest room.

Newly refurbished room at JW Marriott Ihilani
Newly refurbished room at JW Marriott Ihilani
Newly refurbished bathroom at JW Marriott Ihilani
Newly refurbished bathroom. (Note that only one of the two vanities is shown.)

Here are a few tips and things to know before you go:

  • Sunsets from Ko Olina are fantastic. Make sure you plan to see at least one when you visit.
  • We really liked the atmosphere at  Hokule’a Bar. It’s a great place for a sunset drink.

    Drink served in a frozen pineapple
    A drink in a frozen pineapple? Yes, please!
  • I enjoyed getting a drink served in a frozen pineapple at the Poolside restaurant.
  • The resort hosts an onsite, oceanside luau every Thursday night. It’s called Fia Fia and has an emphasis on the Samoan culture. We thought it was really well done. See my Fia Fia Luau review.
  • Rooms have small refrigerators and there’s a Costco and Target nearby to stock up on drinks and snacks.
  • The spa renovations included a brand new private spa suite which is the perfect set up for bridal groups and girls’ getaways.
  • The resort has just started offering daily shopping shuttle service to Waikiki ($25 round-trip) and Waikele Premium Outlets ($15 round-trip).
  • Parking is $29 per day.
  • This resort will host the players for the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl.
  • See all our photos from our stay at JW Marriott Ihilani.

Have you stayed at the JW Marriott Ihilani? How was your experience?

8 comments
  1. My goodness they are absolutely stunning. I’ll have to take the wife there for our anniversary. Great way to get away from the kids but still not be too far from home. Not that I don’t love my kids, but who doesn’t want a little change every now and then…

  2. gorgeous view!! No wonder you ate on the lanai. The only reason to leave that view would be to go play in the gorgeous water!

  3. Awesome pics guys, my wife & I are going back in may for 11 days, still prepping for our move there in a year or so ( hopefully ), thanks again for the site.

  4. This place is gorgeous! I’m with you; if I were going to be in Hawaii,I’d want a view of the ocean. Otherwise it just wouldn’t seem real.

    1. Agree, Gray. Oh to be there enjoying that view today!

      We usually spend a lot of our planning time trying to make sure we get the best view that we can afford.

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