About the Kahala Hotel & Resort

Kahala Hotel & Resort History

• It first opened in 1964 in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, next to the Waialae Country Club private golf course.
• Then known as the Kahala Hilton, the resort cost $12 million to build and was the first major resort to have air conditioning in all rooms.
• There are 364 spacious guest rooms and suites, multiple restaurants, and meeting facilities.
• The location features exotic gardens, the world-famous orchid staircase, an outdoor swimming pool, and an exclusive shopping center.
• Capitalizing on the hotel’s relatively removed location, it became known as a celebrity hideaway and the perfect location for discriminating world travelers.
• By 1967, it achieved a remarkable 90 percent occupancy rate and sealed its reputation as a watering hole for the extremely wealthy and hugely famous.
• The Kahala also became the hotel for royalty, heads of state, and legends of the sporting, musical, and literary worlds.
• Despite its reputation for attracting the rich and famous, the resort also became a legendary gathering place for Honolulu’s local society.
• The resort has one of the largest rooms in Hawaii at more than 550 square feet, with his-and-her bathroom vanities and walk-in closets.
• Every U.S. president from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush has stayed at the resort.
• A beach bar was opened as the location for Rick’s Bar in the TV series Magnum P.I., and it is now the Kahala O Ke Kai, a beautiful oceanfront function room.
• Throughout the years, the Kahala has hosted 20th-century icons such as John Wayne and Frank Sinatra.
• They have housed musical legends such as The Who, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder.
• And welcomed dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth, Emperor Akihito, and Empress Michiko of Japan.
• Also, they have hosted modern day A-listers such as Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage, Sean Penn, Drew Barrymore, Justin Timberlake, and more.