Hotel Guide
Which Beach Is My Hawaii Hotel On?
29 resorts mapped to their actual beaches with water quality ratings. The beach name on your hotel’s website isn’t always the same as what locals or the DOH call it.
Why This Matters
Tourists often don’t know the actual name of the beach in front of their hotel. The Hyatt Regency Maui is on Ka’anapali Beach, but the beach the DOH just flagged for 10x bacteria levels is Hanakaoo Beach Park — also called “Canoe Beach” — just a short walk south along the same coastline. These distinctions matter for water quality.
Hotels on different beaches have very different bacteria risk profiles. On Kaua’i, the Grand Hyatt sits on Poipu Beach (tests clean), while the Marriott sits on Kalapaki Beach (100% bacteria failure since 2016). Same island, completely different water quality.
🌴 O’ahu
🏨 Hilton Hawaiian Village Moderate
Beach:
Duke Kahanamoku Beach (western end of
Waikiki)
Man-made lagoon + protected beach. Calmer water than the main Waikiki strip. Same general Waikiki water quality profile.
🏨 Royal Hawaiian Moderate
The “Pink Palace” sits right on the main Waikiki Beach strip.
🏨 Moana Surfrider Moderate
Oldest hotel in Waikiki. Same stretch of beach as the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton.
🏨 Outrigger Waikiki Moderate
🏨 Sheraton Waikiki Moderate
🏨 Turtle Bay Resort Low
Beach: Turtle Bay (North Shore)
Private bay, open ocean, low development density. One of the cleanest resort beaches on O’ahu. Winter surf can be significant.
🏨 Four Seasons Ko Olina Moderate
Man-made lagoons that self-clean via ocean current exchange. Near former Waimanalo Gulch Landfill, but lagoons test well.
🏨 Aulani Disney Resort Moderate
Same lagoon complex as Four Seasons Ko Olina. Calm, kid-friendly water.
🌴 Maui
🏨 Hyatt Regency Maui Moderate
Sits at the south end of Ka’anapali Beach.
Hanakaoo Beach Park (“Canoe Beach”) is immediately south — that beach hit 10x bacteria limits in Feb 2026. Ka’anapali proper has different water dynamics but is close enough to warrant awareness.
🏨 Sheraton Maui Moderate
At the north end of Ka’anapali, at the famous cliff diving rock. Popular snorkeling spot. Farther from Hanakaoo’s issues.
🏨 Grand Wailea Low
South Maui is the driest coast on Maui. The Wailea-to-Makena corridor is consistently the cleanest coastline on the island per Hui O Ka Wai Ola monitoring data.
🏨 Four Seasons Maui Low
Same pristine Wailea Beach stretch as Grand Wailea.
🏨 Fairmont Kea Lani Low
Excellent water quality. Same dry South Maui coast as Wailea and Makena.
🏨 Andaz Maui Low
Beach:
Mokapu Beach (South Maui,
Wailea area)
Small crescent beach at the northern end of the Wailea resort strip. Clean water.
🏨 Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Low
Sheltered bay with excellent water quality. Frequently ranked among America’s best beaches.
🏨 Montage Kapalua Bay Low
🌴 Big Island (Hawai’i)
🏨 Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Low
Beach: Mauna Kea Beach (Kohala Coast)
Private-access crescent beach on the dry Kohala Coast. Excellent water quality, virtually no rainfall.
🏨 Westin Hapuna Beach Low
One of the cleanest beaches in all of Hawaii. Wide open coast, no streams, no cesspools nearby.
🏨 Mauna Lani Resort Moderate
Beach: A-Bay (Anaeho’omalu) (Kohala Coast)
Anchialine ponds behind the beach are ecologically sensitive. Ocean water quality is good — dry coast with minimal runoff.
🏨 Fairmont Orchid Moderate
Beach: A-Bay (Anaeho’omalu) (Kohala Coast)
🏨 Hilton Waikoloa Village Moderate
Beach: A-Bay (Anaeho’omalu) (Kohala Coast)
The hotel has a man-made lagoon and dolphin pool on property. Actual ocean swimming happens at A-Bay, accessible by a short walk or the hotel tram.
🏨 Four Seasons Hualalai Low
Beach: Kua Bay (Manini’owali) (Kona Coast)
Exclusive access to a pristine stretch of the Kona coast. Low rainfall, open ocean, no contamination sources.
🏨 Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa Elevated
⚠️ Kahalu’u hit 15x bacteria limits in Jan 2026. UH Hilo confirmed cesspool wastewater reaches the shoreline. Popular snorkeling but elevated bacteria risk.
🏨 Sheraton Kona Resort Elevated
Same bacteria concerns as above. Check for active advisories before swimming.
🏨 Royal Kona Resort Moderate
Beach: Magic Sands Beach (Kona)
Also called La’aloa or White Sands Beach. Sand disappears in winter swells. Moderate risk — better water quality than nearby Kahalu’u.
🏨 Courtyard King Kamehameha Moderate
Beach: Magic Sands Beach (Kona)
🌴 Kaua’i
🏨 Grand Hyatt Kauai Moderate
Dry south shore, tests clean. Best water quality on Kaua’i. Lifeguards, keiki wading area.
🏨 Sheraton Kauai Moderate
🏨 Koloa Landing Resort Moderate
🏨 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay High
⚠️ Hanalei Bay has been DOH-impaired for enterococcus since 2004. Over 360 cesspools in the watershed. The hotel’s beachfront location is beautiful but the water quality at the bay — especially near the river mouth — is consistently problematic. The western end of the bay (near the hotel) tends to be cleaner than the river mouth area.
🏨 Marriott Kaua’i Resort Very High
⚠️
100% bacteria failure rate since 2016. Every sample collected at Kalapaki has exceeded safe limits. Persistent brown water advisory since Dec 2025. This is the worst water quality of any resort beach in Hawaii. Consider
Poipu Beach (25 min south) as an alternative.
🌴 Lāna’i
🏨 Four Seasons Lanai Low
Beach: Hulopo’e Beach (South Shore)
Marine preserve. No development, no streams, pristine water quality. Spinner dolphins frequent the bay.
Understanding the Risk Ratings
Low — Open ocean, no streams, no cesspools nearby. Consistently tests clean.
Moderate — Generally clean but some risk factors present. Avoid after heavy rain.
Elevated — Near stream mouths or drainage. Check advisories before swimming.
High — Chronic contamination issues. Swim with caution, especially after rain.
Very High — Persistent test failures. Consider alternative beaches.
Ratings are based on DOH monitoring data, Surfrider Foundation testing, and geographic risk factors. They are not real-time measurements. Learn how rain affects water quality →
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
Safe to Swim Hawaii is an independent passion project — it is not affiliated with the Hawaii Department of Health or any government agency. Water quality ratings are estimates based on publicly available testing data and geographic analysis. They are not real-time measurements and may not reflect current conditions. “No DOH Alerts” means no advisory is currently posted — it does not mean the water was tested and found safe. DOH only monitors a fraction of Hawaii’s beaches, and some areas have no regular testing at all.
Always verify current water quality conditions with the Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch before entering the water.
When in doubt, don’t go out. 🤙