The Ritz-carlton O'ahu, Turtle Bay



About
The only resort of its kind set on the North Shore of O‘ahu, Turtle Bay spans across nearly 1,300 acres of lush, historic land, featuring five miles of untouched coastline and twelve miles of breathtaking trails.
Turtle Bay is located approximately 55 minutes from Honolulu International Airport, and a few minutes away from the Polynesian Cultural Center, Historic Hale‘iwa Town, Waimea Valley, and world-famous surf breaks.
With stunning oceanfront accommodations and spa services, golf courses, access to extraordinary water experiences, and holistic dining menus incorporating native culinary traditions, Turtle Bay pays tribute to the rich culture of Hawai‘i while ensuring every aspect of the guest experience deepens a connection to the North Shore spirit.
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Check in went smoothly, if not a little long. I asked about my suite night award, which I have yet to use this year, and was told there were no upgrades available - but they offered me of course to pay the $150 p/p ($300 a night for my stay) to use the Club Lounge (which would've come included with a suite night award). Very disappointing to see so little care for Marriott Bonvoy (platinum member) members. Honestly, they just didn't seem to care. The club was nice but to be frank, a bit nicer than an airport lounge. We tried the snacks for breakfast/lunch/dinner and the most bang for your buck is definitely breakfast (though no mimosas or alcohol which is tacky). Lunch was no more than a United club lounge at an airport, just better presentation. Some chicken/avocado wraps and spam sushi rolls. Dinner apps were okay with a great charcuterie spread and wine available. The biggest issue is the club isn't open all day - for that price, I should be able to get cocktails or sodas anytime of the day. Super disappointing. Overal, I don't think we got our $300 value, but if you can drink your share at dinner, you should definitely go for it. Drinks at the resort at the pool and elsewhere are outraegiously priced and they have a captive audience.
The room itself was unimpressive and did not have the feel of luxury I would expect from this sort of property. To give an example, that bathroom was very sparse with hardly any toiletry amenities or "welcome" towels laid out. When we checked in at the Ritz Waikiki, the bathroom was fully stocked (including a scale) and had welcome mats in front of each of the sinks, all the high end toiletries and just felt luxe the minute you walked in.
Service at the hotel was average. It felt like folks were definitely working for your tip as opposed to doing everything to give you an amazing experience. The Ritz Waikiki was the exact opposite - everyone seemed just fixated on ensuring you were having a memorabe time, tip or no tip. Honestly, the folks at Turtle BAy should be shaddowing the staff at the Ritz Waikiki. It is night and day for service, anticipating your needs, and just absolute luxury you'd expect. On top of which, the facilities at Turtle Bay are old. The patios still have metal grate type balconies as opposed to have clear glass (which provides a nicer view to the ocean). You also look out at the roof of a large building (towards the ocean) that they haven't even bothered to put grass on or attempt to dress up in anyway.
Overall loved the location and view but would rather spend my money elsewhere. Just didn't feel like a Ritz Carlton at all and was disappointed.



The coffee at the coffee shop really isn’t good or strong. Four seasons ko’olina coffee is so much better. Can they get that here? It’s disappointing when you can’t get good coffee and it’s really the only thing around. We traveled with two other families and our friends all agreed. The food options and quality aren’t good at the coffee shop either.
The daybeds used to be front row at the beach. We reserved one, even after checking the map online which showed them in the front and got down here to find they are in the back so we cancelled. We don’t want to pay $100 to sit behind a bunch of people at the beach. I went to use the restroom at the beach and they are under construction with workers tearing them apart. One of the workers told me the women’s was closed, but I could use the men’s and I went in there and it was disgusting and there wasn’t any toilet paper and it was a construction zone. Every other time we have been here the facilities have been nice and usable.
The coconut cream drink at the lounge bar inside was very good.
We ate at Beach House by Roy and the food was great, but we ordered three or four appetizers for the table and they brought them all out at the same time as our food without even apologizing. So we had 3 apps come out with 3 entrees. And we waited a very long time for it, so having the appetizers as appetizers would’ve been nice.
The WiFi has been extremely slow.
We got a poke bowl at the pool. The ingredients were fresh, but there was zero sauce or anything flavorful on top like a normal poke bowl would have. Every other poke bowl I have had on the island has been amazing.
After not loving the poke bowl the next time I ordered garlic shrimp and asked the server what her opinion of it was and she just said “Well we hope it’s good. The ingredients are listed.” She was nice in general, but didn’t make me want to order it. The shrimp was good and flavorful unlike the poke bowl.
We left our towels and water bottles on our pool chairs to run up to the room for 45 minutes and we told the towel staff that we were coming back to not remove our items. It’s very windy so there are plenty of open chairs. We came back down and our stuff was gone including our water bottles. When we asked about them, they just said oh we must’ve taken them. We never got them back and they didn’t even offer to locate them.
We ordered breakfast to the room (which was much better than the coffee shop food) and one of the things we got was sourdough toast. They brought us a bunch of bread that wasn’t toasted.
The staff has been fairly friendly but that doesn’t really make up for the other things that are subpar here now.
Given that they raised their prices by 40% and things have gone downhill we are not feeling great about coming back.
We stayed in the main hotel in an Ocean View Queen room on the east side. It was more like Ocean Front - we had a great view of Kulima Cove. We had 2 queen beds and a tiny balcony that could fit two chairs and a small table. The hotel has two pools - one for adults and one that includes kids and slides, which were a big hit with the kids. There are several restaurants on the grounds and a cafe that serves breakfast and lunch items. Note that there are no other places to eat within walking distance - I recommend stocking up on breakfast items and cold drinks (you do get a mini fridge) at the Foodland nearby.
Kulima Cove is great for snorkeling - bring your own or you can rent for 2 or 4 hours or all day.
Amenities include well furnished fitness center, shuffleboard and pool table in the lobby (which are often taken) and Wi-Fi (which can be spotty).
Why only four stars? Well, I hate hotels charging resort fees and this one charges a whopping $52 per day. This is on top of a room rate that was almost $1,000 per day. Really?? You are going to nickel and dime guests paying that much? In addition, there was no free coffee in the lobby. If you want freshly made coffee not from your room coffee maker, it will set you back $6 per cup. For black coffee.
That said, I would go back in an instant. The beauty of the place is amazing.



Complementing this is caring personalized service from check-in to check-out.
Rooms: All rooms in the three wings have an ocean view, the east side with the sunrise and Turtle Bay, the west side with the sunset and Kawela Bay, can't go wrong. Knowing ahead of time the Ritz had limitations on Bonvoy status, we were pleasantly surprised with the honoring of the platinum suite night upgrade, not a club room with club access, but we'll take it.
Activities: There are many activities available from cruiser bike rides, Hawaiian cultural activities and pickleball/tennis to the paid horseback and guided adventures. The gym had a wrap around view of both bays, and fully equipped with free weights, treadmills and machines. Of course, the best and most convenient is just swimming and wandering along the pristine beach and coastline.
Eats: There are highly rated onsite restaurants and a lobby bar, all with million dollar ocean views. There are also a dozen or so food trucks at the old Kahuku sugar mill, a short 10 minute drive away, offering a ethnic variety the famous Kahuku shrimp and the Seven Brothers Burgers.
Overall, an exceptional stay. The only downside was the high cost, which was justifiable given the quality of the oceanfront resort, amenities and service.

We stayed in an Ocean Front Club King room which included access to the Ocean Club Lounge. That Lounge is worth every penny. I highly recommend it.
The room was spacious and quite clean, well taken care of.
The beach area was also great, although it needs more cleaning as there was some trash around where the waves broke. The beach is open to the public and if you get there late, you won’t find a good spot. I also think that it would have been nice if the exclusive area was only for guests and free. That area was frequently empty as no one wants to pay more than what we are already paying for our rooms and also pay for a tiny private area in the beach. The Ocean Club Lounge was great, great food and paid for by the room reservation. It’s absolutely worth it.
I really loved this hotel as it was secluded from the buzz of Honolulu. I also hope that now that Marriott acquired this hotel and is called the Ritz Carlton, they continue taking care of it. I would go back in a heart beat.
"Always go snorkeling early in the morning before people start coming out to the beach and fog up the water. TAKE THE LEI MAKING CLASS!!!"Read full review
"The resort is comprised of three wings, all have ocean views. Choose an east facing room for the sunrise and west facing for the sunset. "Read full review
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