Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club Review: plenty of room to spread out

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In a nutshell: villa-style rooms give you plenty of space at this leeward Oahu resort. 

Overview of Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club

The Ko Olina resort was developed in the 1990s and has grown in popularity since then. Located on the sunny leeward side of the island, the Ko Olina resort is a master-planned, oceanfront 640-acre community. As part of this resort, there are three hotels: the Four Seasons, Disney’s Aulani, and the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club. 

Learn more about Ko Olina in our full guide. 

Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club Location

Enjoy Marriott’s sunny spot on Lagoon Three in Ko Olina, a resort development on the sunny leeward side of Oahu. Located 30 minutes west of the Honolulu airport and 45 minutes from Waikiki, Ko Olina is a bit secluded and it can take a while to get to other sights on the island. But you trade lack of accessibility for a dreamy, sunny, beach resort location. 

Highlights of the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club

Pools

The Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club has plenty of pools on-site for you to enjoy: a lagoon pool,  the Nai’a pool, and a quiet reflection pool. 

Rooms

This is the standout feature of the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club: room variety! You can choose a regular guest room or get more space with one of their one or two-bedroom villas. The villas come with separate living and dining spaces, lanais (patios or balconies), and fully equipped kitchens. 

Restaurants

You have a few options to choose from for on-site dining. And of course, if you’re in a villa, you’ll be able to cook and prepare some of your own meals in room. 

Restaurants on-site include:

• Longboards bar & grill: beachside dining open for lunch and dinner
• Longhi’s restaurant: a Hawaiian island chain featuring Italian food, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Nai’a Pool Bar: open seasonally, get drinks poolside here

There are more restaurant options within Ko Olina, including Roy’s (lunch and dinner) and restaurants in Ko Olina Station, like Eggs n Things and Monkeypod. And if you are looking for a quick place to pick up snacks, check out Island Country Market. 

Activities

On-site activities aren’t a huge focus here, but they do offer a few options, like lei making and hula lessons. 

I’ll be honest: there aren’t as many on-site activities as you’ll find at a hotel like Disney Aulani. But it also helped the stay at the Marriott feel less overwhelming. There were fewer organized activities to do, so we felt like we had more space to go out and explore. When we stayed at the Disney Aulani Hotel, we felt like we were trying to take advantage of everything they offered on-site. This was definitely a more laid-back experience, which appealed to me. 

If you’re looking for more to do without leaving Ko Olina, one of our favorite Oahu snorkeling tours leaves from Ko Olina. And if you’re not interested in snorkeling, hit the water with them on their sunset cruise. 

Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club Review: Why We Love It

• Ko Olina Lagoons: If you want to enjoy the water without worrying about currents and waves, Ko Olina’s man-made lagoons are perfect for you. Four sandy lagoons make up the Ko Olina resort area with a walking path that connects them all. We love taking our kids to the Ko Olina lagoons so we can all more easily enjoy swimming in the ocean. 
• Doesn’t share lagoon access with another hotel: All beaches in Hawaii are public, so anyone can access lagoon 3, which is where the Marriott is located. But unlike the Four Seasons or Disney Aulani, which are both located on Lagoon 1, the Marriott is the only hotel located on this lagoon.  
• Get space with the villas: If you’re traveling with a group or kids and you are looking for space, the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club is great. Get a regular room that includes a sofa bed and a balcony, or stretch out a little more with their one and two-bedroom villas or penthouse villas. 
• No resort fees: Hotels in Hawaii generally charge a resort fee, so it is very refreshing to find one that doesn’t. Resort fees are usually $30 or more per night, which can really add up over a stay. 
• Sprawling and never feels overly crowded: This is a large resort, but somehow, it never feels overcrowded. We’ve never had an issue finding a pool chair at one of the three pools on-site. And eating at the on-site restaurants has never been difficult. 

Things to Know Before Booking Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club

• Parking fee: While we are cheering over the lack of a resort fee (!!), we are cringing at the parking fee. Yes, parking charges are standard with hotels on Oahu. But that fact still never makes it easier to pay them. As of December 2022, the parking fee was $40 per night. 
• Dated rooms: While you do get a lot of space with the rooms here, the actual finishings leave something to be desired. The rooms are a little dated and tired. 
• Location on Oahu: we love Ko Olina. We lived there for two years and we always have a wonderful time taking our kids back. But it is quite a drive from the other sights on the island. If you are hoping to explore more of the island, staying in Waikiki is much more central. 
• Location in Ko Olina: Ko Olina is actually rather large and when we lived there, walking around the lagoons used to be part of my daily workout. But if you’re hoping to skip the Marriott restaurants and head to the restaurants located in Ko Olina station, be prepared for a walk. Ko Olina station is located directly in front of Lagoon 1, and the Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club is located on Lagoon 3, approximately a 15-minute walk. 
• Timeshare: You may not even notice, but this is a timeshare property. Yes, you can book it like a regular hotel, but there will be signs alerting you to the opportunity to purchase a slice of this heavenly spot. 

Ready to plan the rest of your vacation? We have you covered with our Oahu itinerary. This download and go itinerary takes you on a planned out route around the island, seeing the best sights and eating at the best restaurants.

I started my Hawaii family vacation planning so overwhelmed. Deciding what island, then what area of the island, then what hotel, then what activities???? It seemed almost too overwhelming and I contemplated just bagging it to be honest. When I found  you guys I was able to pick the island that would meet our needs with confidence. I then purchased the Oahu guide and as I am starting to glance through what it offers I am again so relieved that I have the resources to plan the most amazing trip for my family (there are 11 of us going). I know to some you may be just making “helpful guides and videos for Hawaiian vacations” but to this Mama you are doing something much greater, you are making it possible for us to plan our dream vacations and create the most amazing memories with way less stress. Again I am thankful!! Keep doing what you are doing.

Sam D.