Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay: vacation rentals in the luxury Turtle Bay Resort

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In a nutshell: On Kuilima Cove just steps away from the Turtle Bay resorts are privately owned vacation rentals. 

Overview of the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay

Enjoy luxurious vacation rentals on Oahu’s North Shore. You’ll find spacious villas (up to four bedrooms), a nice pool, and an excellent beachfront location that will make you feel like you’re really enjoying a fabulous retreat. 

Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay Location

Located just steps from Kuilima Cove at Turtle Bay and a short walk from the main Turtle Bay resort are the ocean villas. This North Shore Oahu location is approximately 1 hour north of the Honolulu airport and 1 hour and 15 minutes from Waikiki. While it’s not that long of a drive, up here in the country you’ll feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu. 

Highlights of the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay

Pools

The Ocean Villas has a pool just steps away from the ocean, complete with sun chairs (with shade), as well as a jacuzzi. The pool is located in the center of the villas, so you will never be too far of a walk away. 

Units

The units at the Ocean Villas range in size: Pick from a studio, 3 bedroom, or 4 bedroom villa. Each comes with plenty of space. Studios are approximately 675 feet, 3 bedrooms are 1700 square feet, and 4 bedrooms sleep 10 and are the largest on site. 

Each unit is individually owned, which means some of the amenities and finishes will be different. That’s why it’s so important to read the details and reviews on VRBO! All of the units include kitchens and lanais. The larger villas have master suites and some include queen sleeper sofas in the living room to accommodate even more guests. 

For unit specific amenities, be sure to read the details listed with each unit. 

Units managed by Turtle Bay Resort

There are a few units that are actually managed by Turtle Bay Resort and you would book those by calling the resort directly. When you book through Turtle Bay you do have access to the full Turtle Bay resort — their resort activities as well as their pool. 

But the drawback is that you will pay significantly more to book with Turtle Bay. When we priced out the difference, it was approximately two to three times more expensive to book through Turtle Bay rather than booking through a site like VRBO. For a week in February 2022, we were quoted a price of approximately $22,000 from Turtle Bay for a three bedroom, two bathroom villa (including taxes and resort fees). A unit rated 5.0 stars on VRBO was $7,000 for that same week in February.

That increased cost can be worth it for some people: the units are held to the Turtle Bay standards and you’ll have full access to their pool and activities. 

Restaurants

There are no restaurants on-site at the Ocean Villas, however each unit comes with a kitchen and there are BBQs on-site. The closest restaurant to the Ocean Villas is the Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi, just a short walk away. 

Additional restaurants are just a few minutes away in the Turtle Bay Resort and include: 

• Sunset pool bar: offers lunch and dinner poolside, great for those days that you just don’t want to leave the pool to eat. 
• Alaia: enjoy breakfast or dinner at Alaia. We went for breakfast and it was a great way to start the day!
• Off the lip: enjoy drinks or light bites in the evening at this bar
• Ho’olana: a beautiful coffee shop near the lobby that serves up simple items for breakfast and lunch
• Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi: Famed chef Roy Yamaguchi created dishes to enjoy for lunch or dinner in front of Kuilima Cove. 
• Lei Lei’s: head down to the golf course for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual environment
• Ocean Club Lounge: if you’re staying in an ocean view suite, room, or bungalow, you’ll have access to the lounge where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and appetizers

Activities

There are no activities on-site at the Ocean Villas, there are plenty of things to do in the area. If you book through an individual owner, rather than with Turtle Bay, you will not have access to the activities and pools that are part of the Turtle Bay resort.

Other activities in the area include: 

• Snorkeling in Kuilima Cove
• Hike or walk the coastal trails 
• Walk to the keiki cove beach
• Surf lessons
• Stand Up Paddle (SUP) lessons

Why We Love the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay

• Vacation rentals: it is difficult to find legal vacation rentals on the north shore of Oahu. If you’re looking to skip the hotel (and hotel prices) and stay in a vacation rental, the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay is a great option.
• Beachfront: Walk outside your villa and within just a few steps you’ll be on the beach. 
• Beautiful and spacious: Vacation rental communities can be hit or miss. Some are kept up very well while others really could use some TLC. The Ocean Villas is a meticulous resort. The grounds are beautiful and you really can’t tell that you’re not part of the hotel. The units are also spacious, which makes staying with a group even easier. 

Things to Know Before Booking the Ocean Villas at Turtle Bay

• Rental fees: All accommodations in Hawaii can come with some (rather large) fees. Whether you’re in a hotel paying resort fees or you’re getting a vacation rental and paying service fees, factor these into your equation. We usually go with VRBO because we’ve found that these fees are usually lower than what you’ll find on other similar platforms. 
• No unit consistency: all of these vacation rentals are individually owned, so there’s a lack of consistency. Some have excellent views and others come with a less impressive view or fewer helpful in-unit amenities. Reading reviews of individual units can always give you a better sense of what to expect before booking. 

Have you booked your stay and now want to get the rest of your trip planned? We have a done for you itinerary that takes you on day trips around the island. These day trips take you on planned out routes to the best sights, experiences, and restaurants. 

Where can I drop a review? We recently visited Oahu and I purchased your itinerary. I can’t thank you enough. I literally felt you helped make the most of our Hawaiian vacation. The itinerary was just perfectly curated from where to go and where to stop on to finding great food spots! Thank you so so much!

Marc F.