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About the Kahala Hotel & Resort

Location of Dolphin Quest Oahu

Dolphin Quest Oahu is located at the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii. Learn more about the world-class hotel and home to Dolphin Quest Oahu below!

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.