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If you’re looking to go on a tropical vacation whilst staying within the U.S., some of the top destinations to travel to include Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. While Florida and Puerto Rico have amazing beaches and both have warm weather year-round, Hawaii is a truly breathtaking and otherworldly destination with pristine beaches, mountains, and opportunities to witness nature that you wouldn’t see in the mainland U.S. or the Caribbean.
If you’re visiting Hawaii for the first time, Honolulu (and the island of O’ahu) are must-visits, and I highly recommend carving out time to visit the city and explore the rest of the island during your trip. Unfortunately, as Hawaii is one of the most expensive U.S. states to live in and is one of the most visited states by tourists, finding affordable accommodations in Honolulu can be difficult.
Hawaii has been on my bucket list for years, and last year during Christmas, my family decided to visit Hawaii during January. Winter is one of the high seasons to travel to Hawaii, and in anticipation of booking my vacation to Hawaii, I decided to open a new credit card that would cut down costs for my family's trip: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
When I opened the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card in 2025, the (now expired) bonus on the card was 5 Marriott Free Night Awards after spending $5,000 or more within the first 3 months of account opening. These free night awards were integral to enabling my family's ability to afford traveling to Hawaii, as each free night award is worth up to 50,000 points a night, unlocking a value of up to 250,000 points that you can use to book hotels with instead of paying outright with cash.
If you're looking at the card today, the current offer is up to 4 Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after meeting spending thresholds in the first few months (still a strong offer for a first trip to Hawaii).
Since it was my family’s first time traveling to Hawaii and to Honolulu, we wanted to stay in the Waikiki Beach area, as it is known for its famous beach, shopping, and views of Diamond Head.
During my trip to Honolulu, we wanted to experience and stay in a resort that had access to the famous Waikiki Beach. I stayed in Honolulu for four nights in early January, right after the New Year’s holiday, and the cost for the four nights was 212,000 points and $256.42 in daily resort fees and taxes & fees.
If I were to pay for the hotel out-of-pocket with cash, it would’ve cost me nearly $2,000, as resorts such as the Moana Surfrider can run up rates of several hundred dollars a night to be able to enjoy a property right on the beach with the relaxing resort ambience.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Hotel | Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach |
| Location | Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii |
| Length of Stay | 4 nights (early January) |
| Points Redeemed | 212,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (paid with 4 Free Night Certificates + 12,000 points topped off) |
| Resort Fees & Taxes Paid | $256.42 |
| Estimated Cash Value | ~$2,000 |
| Total Out-of-Pocket Cost | $256.42 |
| Estimated Savings | ~$1,743 |
The Moana Surfrider is one of the most beautiful properties I’ve stayed at. The resort is listed as one of the hotels on the National Register of Historic Places, and this is evident when you walk on the street right in front of the resort, as well as when you walk inside.
The structure of the hotel and the inside are adorned with Ionic columns, reminiscent of Victorian and Colonial-style architecture that really captures people’s eyes and impresses guests from the second they walk in. I can certainly say that my family and I were very excited to start our vacation the second we walked into the resort after over 12 hours of traveling.
When we checked in, we were each given complimentary orchid blossom leis, which we thought were beautiful and became an integral part of our trip as we often took the leis with us to take pictures wherever we went.
We stayed in a two-queen bedroom in the Banyan Wing, which was right above the main part of the resort, where you would walk into the lobby and then walk straight into the pool and beach area.
Even though our room was a little small, the beds were still comfortable, and we enjoyed what the rest of the hotel had to offer for our trip. In the back area of the resort, there was a lounging/dining area, equipped with a restaurant, mini cafe shop, chairs, a pool, and most importantly, direct access to Waikiki Beach.
The resort provided guests with complimentary towels and chairs to use at the beach, and the beach came with beautiful sand and views of Diamond Head to the east. While the water was warm, my only complaint about the beach was that it was really rocky. When I was trying to wade in the water and walk out further, I often hit my feet on rocks, causing discomfort and affecting my swimming experience.
While I didn’t try it out, the resort provided a restaurant, spa, mini cafe, and other amenities that guests could pay to enjoy. My family and I mostly enjoyed the beach and numerous chairs around the property that allowed us to sit, relax, and enjoy the views of either the city or the beach.
The resort also came with a breakfast buffet restaurant service, but it wasn’t included for free in our reservation. Instead, my family would often visit the Honolulu Coffee at Moana Surfrider that is conveniently attached to the resort, and came with drinks and pastries that would satisfy our breakfast hunger and cravings.
Since my family wanted to see the rest of the island of O'ahu, we rented a car from the airport, which we would need to park somewhere. The Moana Surfrider offered valet parking for $65 a night, which we found extremely steep. Instead of parking our car at the hotel, we opted to search for cheaper parking on spothero.com, and we saved about $20 a night parking at the nearby Waikiki Galleria Tower garage and walking to and from the resort, which was less than 10 minutes one way.
I definitely recommend venturing out of Honolulu to explore the rest of O'ahu, as the Ko'olau mountains are truly breathtaking and some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen. I highly recommend renting a car and driving out to the windward side of O'ahu to Kaneohe, where you can explore places such as the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden and Byodo-in Temple, which both offer stunning views of nature and the picturesque mountains.
If you're planning a trip to the Moana Surfrider in 2026, there's good news: the resort completed a full multimillion-dollar renovation across all 791 guestrooms in May 2026, timed to the property's 125th anniversary.
The Banyan Wing (where my family and I stayed) was one of the first phases completed in early winter 2025, with refreshed rooms featuring curved furniture and artwork inspired by local Hawaiian culture. The former Diamond Wing has since been renamed the Surfrider Wing, with surf-inspired interiors and custom local artwork throughout.
The historic lobby has also been refreshed, and a new oceanfront event space now sits on the ground floor of the Tower Wing. In short, the rooms are better now than when we visited, which only adds to the case for staying here.
Overall, my stay at the Moana Surfrider was an unforgettable experience and a perfect introduction to Hawaii for my family’s first visit. The resort’s historic charm, unbeatable beachfront location, and classic Waikiki atmosphere made it feel like a truly special place to stay, especially during a high-demand travel period like winter break.
From a value perspective, using Marriott points and Free Night Awards was absolutely worth it. Redeeming points instead of paying nearly $2,000 out of pocket significantly reduced the cost of our trip and reinforced why hotel loyalty programs can be incredibly powerful when used strategically. While the daily resort fees, valet parking costs, and slightly rocky beach are worth noting, these downsides were outweighed by the convenience, views, and overall resort experience.
If you’re planning a first trip to Honolulu and want to stay directly on Waikiki Beach, the Moana Surfrider is an excellent choice, especially if you can offset the high nightly rates with points or free night certificates. With the right credit card strategy, a stay at this iconic resort can be far more attainable than it initially appears.
Yes, the Moana Surfrider is worth it if you value beachfront access, historic charm, and a central Waikiki location. It's especially worthwhile when booking with Marriott points or Free Night Awards, which can cut the cash cost way down.
Yes, the Moana Surfrider has direct access to Waikiki Beach. Guests can walk straight from the resort to the sand, making it one of the most conveniently located beachfront hotels in Honolulu.
Yes, the Moana Surfrider charges a daily resort fee. This fee covers amenities such as beach towels, chairs, and other services, but it is charged separately even on award stays.
No, breakfast is not included for most guests. The resort has a breakfast buffet and on-site cafés, but these come at an additional cost unless you receive complimentary breakfast through elite status or a specific promotion.
