Turtle Bay Resort

Hours: Turtle Bay Resort is a majestic and beautiful place with a stunning location, awesome view, and a great lobby area. The property itself is stunning with tremendous potential. It offers a private beach, though it is shared with other hotel or Airbnb guests, and there are three pools, including one adult-only pool and a smaller one attached to a water slide. The resort provides palapas and bungalows at the beach. There are many things to do, including watching the surf school from the rocks. The staff are generally friendly, welcoming, and awesome, with the valet team highlighted as prompt and professional. Service was good at the sunset and lobby bar, though the beach bar area was very slow. During an emergency, the staff were absolutely great, very welcoming, and provided comforters, pillows, drinks, and snacks. However, the resort does not fully meet typical Ritz-Carlton standards, feeling like a rebranding without full retraining. The standards are not there as it is still transitioning. Rooms can be run down, worn out, and look dirty, with linens that did not look clean. Some amenities are missing, like signature robes and slippers. Amenities like towels and sunscreen are self-serve. The pool bar offerings feel mismatched. There is no security to ensure outsiders are not wandering the facilities, with random people in guest areas and zero monitoring, so caution is needed. Food options are mixed. Most close at 9pm with a limited menu. Room service chicken tenders were disappointing, hard, and dry. However, Roy’s restaurant is exceptional, as is the breakfast service in the main dining room. A coffee shop in the lobby offers cheaper breakfast items, though it often has a long line. There is a market stocked with snacks, drinks, essentials, and souvenirs, plus specialty shops selling clothing, swimwear, and jewelry. Other amenities include free washing machines and dryers, ice machines, and water filling stations. Communication can be frustrating, as with cancelled excursions. Overall, for some, the location is a one-and-done experience unless it revamps, as it is currently not worth the money for the brand. For others, it remains a beautiful resort with many amenities.

1. Kahuku, Hawaii