The Laylow Waikiki Review (2026): All-King Lanais, Hideout & Real Fees

The Laylow Waikiki review in one line: this is the most stylish and social boutique hotel on Kuhio Avenue, with a king bed and a private lanai in every room, a saltwater pool and live music at Hideout every night. You pay for that with a $50 destination fee ($59.36 a night with tax) and valet-only parking at $65. The beach is a 5-to-7-minute walk. Book it for a couples or friends trip; skip it if you want early, silent nights, a hot tub or a guest laundry.

Where The Laylow Is: Kuhio Avenue, Beside International Market Place

The Laylow stands at 2299 Kuhio Avenue, next to International Market Place and near the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach. A pair of escalators carries you from the street to an open-air lobby with mid-century furniture and a terracotta breeze-block wall that lets the trade winds through. The hotel opened in 2017 after a reported $60 million transformation of the circa-1967 Aqua Wave Waikiki, becoming Oahu’s first Autograph Collection hotel, part of Marriott Bonvoy. It has 251 rooms over 16 floors, and in 2025 Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked it the number two hotel in Hawaii.

The hotel says the beach is five to seven minutes on foot. Walk through International Market Place to Kalakaua Avenue, cross, and you are on the stretch of sand in front of the Moana Surfrider, with the protected Kuhio Beach swimming area a little further toward Diamond Head. Cirque du Soleil’s Auana show is about a five-minute walk, and Avis has a rental counter inside International Market Place. For how this inland street compares with the oceanfront strip, see our Kuhio Ave vs Kalakaua Ave guide.

The Laylow Waikiki Rooms: All Kings, All Lanais

The Laylow is one of the few all-king hotels in Waikiki, and every room and suite has a private lanai. The look comes from Portland studio Official Manufacturing Co.: monstera-leaf wallpaper inspired by vintage bark cloth, rattan accents and shelves of surf-photography and art books. Rooms have smart TVs, LATHER bath products, bathrobes, a walk-in shower, a refrigerator and a safe, and coffee or tea is free on request around the clock. The hotel does not publish room sizes, so the figures below come from Costco Travel and Expedia listings.

Room type	Approx. size	Beds and capacity	Worth knowing
Guest Room, 1 King	330 sq ft	King, sleeps 2	City, mountain or partial-ocean view; floors 2 to 14
Guest Room, 2 Kings	330 sq ft	Two kings, sleeps up to 4	The value pick for friends or a family of four
Cabana Room, 1 King	330 sq ft	King, sleeps 2	Lobby level, opens straight onto the saltwater pool
Deluxe Room, 1 King + 1 Twin	330 sq ft	King plus twin daybed, sleeps 3	Couples with one child
Junior Suite	480 sq ft	King plus lounge daybed, sleeps 3	Two balconies; located near the elevator
Corner Suite, 1 King + 1 Twin Daybed	About 500 sq ft	Sleeps 3	Corner position for extra privacy and wider views
Corner Suite, King + Twin + Queen Daybed	515 sq ft	Sleeps up to 5	Two lanais, dining nook and separate living area

Two things to set expectations. First, no category is sold as oceanfront: views are city, mountain or partial ocean, and the higher you go, the more of the Pacific and Diamond Head you see. Second, the Cabana Rooms put you on the pool deck itself, which is fun at 2 pm and less fun if you go to bed before the music stops. Light sleepers should ask for an upper floor on the side away from the pool.

The Pool, Hideout and the Evening Scene

The saltwater pool and Hideout share the open-air deck one escalator ride above Kuhio Avenue, which the hotel markets as rooftop dining. The pool is tempered rather than heated and there is no hot tub. Towels come from the front desk or the gift shop, reef-safe sunscreen is on hand, and the deck has daily treats of local fruit, infused water and shave ice. Hotel guests get an exclusive poolside happy hour from 11 am to 5 pm.

Hideout is the reason many locals know the hotel. It serves what it calls Modern Hapa Hawaiian food from breakfast to dinner, with sandy-bottom fire pits on the lanai and a daily happy hour from 1 to 5 pm that Honolulu Magazine has recognized for its pau hana. Live music plays from 6 to 9 pm Sunday to Thursday, local artists play on weekends, and DJs take over from 8:30 to 11:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Hideout Coffee pours Big Island Coffee Roasters brews from 5:30 to 11 am, and in-room dining is ordered by QR code. Compare it with the beachfront options in our Waikiki happy hour guide.

What the Destination Fee Gets You

Marriott lists a daily destination amenity fee of $50 plus tax per room, which is $59.36 a night at Oahu’s 18.712% rate. The hotel does not publish an itemized list, but its FAQ confirms Wi-Fi is part of it, and these are the extras it advertises to guests:

• Complimentary cultural activities from 10 to 11 am, such as orchid lei making, arts and crafts and ti-leaf kupee (on select days).
• Free beach cruiser bikes for exploring the neighborhood, and a welcome basket of snacks on arrival.
• Poolside treats (fruit, infused water, shave ice) and the guests-only pool happy hour.
• A 24-hour fitness center with treadmills, ellipticals, machines and free weights.

The Real 2026 Cost of a Night at The Laylow

Here is a night on a hypothetical $250 room rate. Parking at The Laylow is charged the 4.712% general excise tax, not the full hotel tax; our Oahu hotel tax guide explains why.

Line item	Per night	Notes
Room rate (example)	$250.00	Illustration only, not a quoted rate
Hotel tax 18.712%	$46.78	11% state TAT + 3% Oahu TAT + 4.712% GET
Destination fee $50 + 18.712% tax	$59.36	Mandatory, per room
Subtotal without a car	$356.14	What you pay to sleep
Valet $65 + 4.712% GET	$68.06	Valet only; oversized vehicles $80 plus tax
Total with a car	$424.20	Rent a car only for the days you drive

Other charges to know: a one-time pet fee for one dog up to 50 lb (the hotel’s FAQ says $150, its pet-policy page says $200, so confirm when you book), a $350 cleaning fee if anyone smokes or vapes in the room, and package storage from $5 to $20 per package per night. Hideout diners pay just $10 for up to four hours of valet. Check-in is 3 pm and check-out is 11 am. If you plan to keep a car, our Waikiki parking guide lists cheaper garages nearby.

The Laylow Waikiki Review Verdict: Who Should Book It, and Who Should Not

• Good fit: couples, honeymooners on a sensible budget and groups of friends who want a lanai, a pretty pool and a bar with music without leaving the building.
• Good fit: dog owners and Marriott Bonvoy members who want a design hotel rather than a big resort.
• Poor fit: families with young children who want waterslides or a shallow pool, light sleepers on the lower floors, and anyone who needs to do laundry (there is no guest laundry; see our Waikiki hotel laundry guide).
• Poor fit: drivers on a tight budget, since there is no self-parking option.

The Laylow vs Nearby Boutique Alternatives

The Laylow vs nearby boutique hotels: fees, parking, pools and beach access (October 2026)

Hotel	Price level	Resort fee	Parking	Pool	Beach access	Booking.com
The Laylow Waikiki, Autograph Collection	Upscale	$50 + 18.71% tax per night ($59.36/night total)	Valet-only $65/night + tax ($80/night oversized)	Saltwater pool on the open-air lobby deck (tempered, not heated; no hot tub) next to Hideout	5-7 minute walk (about 0.25 mile) to Waikiki Beach	Check prices
Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach	Mid-range	$48 + 18.71% tax per night ($56.98/night total)	Self-parking $55/night; Valet $60/night (6 ft 2 in clearance, no oversized vehicles)	8th-floor Splash Lounge: shallow wading pool, hot tub, cabanas and fire pits (8 AM-10 PM); not a swimming pool	6-8 minute walk (about 0.25 mile) to Waikiki Beach via Seaside Ave	Check prices
Shoreline Hotel Waikiki	Budget	$30 + 18.71% tax per night ($35.61/night total)	Valet-only $45/night + tax	Small rooftop pool with DJ Neff neon murals, 8 AM-9 PM (room key access)	6-8 minute walk (about 0.25 mile) to Waikiki Beach via Seaside Ave	Check prices
Romer House Waikiki	Mid-range	$48 + 18.71% tax per night ($56.98/night total)	Valet $55/night + tax	Heated 2nd-floor wading pool (The Backyard) with daybeds & bar, 8 AM-10 PM	6-8 minute walk (about 1/3 mile) to central Waikiki Beach	Check prices
Wayfinder Waikiki	Mid-range	$37 + 18.71% tax per night ($43.92/night total)	Valet-only $49/night ($57 oversized vehicles); if valet is full, self-parking at a neighboring hotel $35/24 hrs (no in/out); free EV charging	70-foot saltwater lagoon pool + tropical whirlpool & Lost + Found bar	About an 8–9 minute walk (roughly 650 m / 0.4 mile) to Kuhio Beach	Check prices

Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach, about a block away, has bigger deluxe rooms and self-parking but no balconies and only a wading pool; read our Hyatt Centric review. Shoreline Hotel Waikiki on Seaside Avenue is the budget sibling in spirit: colorful rooms with balconies, a rooftop pool and a $30 fee, but much smaller rooms; see our Shoreline review.

If the mid-century mood is what draws you, Romer House, a few blocks away, is adults-only and quieter; our Romer House review covers it. Wayfinder Waikiki, on the quieter canal side of Waikiki, has a larger 70-foot saltwater lagoon pool and a lower fee. Our Wayfinder Waikiki review has the details.

Practical Tips for Your Stay

• Ask for a high floor if views matter: rooms are sold as city, mountain or partial ocean, and height is what turns a partial view into a good one.
• Reserve a fire pit through Laylow reservations if you are celebrating; when they are not booked, guests can usually sit at them without one.
• Use the free bikes early in the morning, before the sidewalks of Kalakaua fill up, for a ride toward Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head.
• Reserve Hideout for weekend dinners. The Friday and Saturday DJ nights draw a local crowd as well as hotel guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all rooms at The Laylow have a balcony?

Yes. Every room and suite has a private lanai, and the Junior Suite and the largest Corner Suite have two. Every room also has at least one king bed; there are no queen or double rooms.

How much is The Laylow destination fee in 2026?

Marriott lists $50 plus tax per room per night, which is $59.36 with Oahu’s 18.712% tax. It includes Wi-Fi, and the hotel’s advertised extras include daily cultural activities, cruiser bikes and poolside treats.

Is there parking at The Laylow Waikiki?

Valet only, available 24/7 at $65 per night plus 4.712% tax, or $80 plus tax for oversized vehicles taller than 6 feet 6 inches or longer than about 16 feet. Hideout diners pay $10 for up to four hours.

Is the pool at The Laylow heated?

No. The saltwater pool is tempered rather than heated, and there is no hot tub. The hotel’s view is that in Waikiki’s heat a cooler pool is what you want, but cold-sensitive swimmers should know.

Is The Laylow pet friendly?

Yes. One dog up to 50 lb is allowed per room for a one-time, non-refundable fee (listed at $150 in the FAQ and $200 on the pet-policy page). Dogs must be leashed, or crated if left alone in the room, and the hotel provides a bed and bowls.

How far is The Laylow from Waikiki Beach?

About a quarter mile. The hotel puts it at five to seven minutes on foot: walk through International Market Place to Kalakaua Avenue and cross to the sand by the Moana Surfrider.