Halekulani Hotel

Truly a fantastic place and probably the most classy place in Honolulu. We had 186 guests and spent over $ 14,000 on food and over $7,000 on alcohol. If you spend over $ 14,000 on food, you get the ceremony, cake, two night stay in a hotel suite, and a couple of other perks for free. They respond to e-mails fast and were always professional and kind towards us. It is a little expensive, but the food and service are completely worth it. You speak to any of the locals and they will tell you the Halekulani has the best wedding food on the island.

We had our wedding reception at The Halekulaniand if I could give it a higher rating I would. After much research on Orchids and House Without a Key I decided we wanted to have a private reception as opposed to dinner in a restaurant with other people. Tripadvisor reviews raved about all the restaurants at Halekulani and the quality of food is utmost importance to us. I happened to come across their private rooms on their website. For our party of 9, I decided to book the Kiawe Room and we couldn't be happier. There is no site fee just minimum food revenue of $1500 which includes the cake. This is pretty reasonable when compared to other sites like San Souci Room that is farther from the center of Waikiki and the atmosphere there is more down to earth. Our catering manager, Joel Nishimoto, and admin, Tina Hum, were outstanding to work with from beginning to end. Every question or doubt was answered promptly with the details required. The contract and deposit details were well written and broken down which helped tremendously when planning a wedding without a coordinator. They are professionals and really put my mind at ease as I was a destination bride and have never been to Honolulu before. Upon arrival to the hotel, for our reception, the lady at the front desk immediately escorted us to our room. There, Steven, who looked after us all evening, was awaiting our arrival and had placed the candles and favors we dropped off the day before. The wedding cake was displayed on a smaller table with green cymbidium orchids just as I requested. Everything was perfect and we felt they we were taken care of by family. Steven and the lady (sorry forgot her name) who looked after us all night were attentive yet unobtrusive. My family felt so comfortable they kicked off their shoes and thoroughly enjoyed themselves!! JUST WHAT WE HAD HOPED FOR!! I could go on forever about the impeccable service, but I MUST leave room for the food. While we had our pictures taken we had cocktail hour and 4 butler passed hor d'oeuvres which were delicious: Purse of Smoked Duck, Caramelized Peach and Goat Cheese (YUM our fav and was the least expensive!), Beef Crostini, Chicken Satay, Scallop Wrapped in Bacon (light and crispy). The timing was perfect and they always kept a close eye on our drink refills. Oh BTW they let us bring in our own wine/champagne and charged $25 corkage fee so major plus there. For dinner, we created a 4 course custom menu from their preset menus and it was very reasonably priced. We started with Ceasar Salad with Seared Scallops - the scallops had a layer of cream baked into the top so it was not your standard seared scallops. 2nd course was Ahi Poke with Lump Crab on Top. 3rd course was Filet Mignon with Lobster. The lobster was perfectly cooked and had a really nice sauce. 4th course was Twice Baked Goat Cheese with Fruit. We were stuffed at this point but it was such a nice fluffy and airy pastry that everyone devoured it. For our wedding cake we had 2 tiers and they let us do 2 flavors! I had to try Haupia and Raspberry and Cream on the bottom tier. Though we were stuffed everyone raved about the cake. We had the bottom tier which had fresh berries baked in and was simply divine. Are you drooling yet? Steven wrapped the top tier for us to take home. The reception was the very first thing I booked for our wedding as I wanted to ensure we had a wonderful meal on our special day. We are ecstatic with our experience and would highly recommend Halekulani for any special event! Halekulani will take care of you like family.

Tom at the Halekulani is my hero. He went above and beyond his duties to ensure everything came together beautifully. He worked with the chef to create numerous items not on the menu and a custom design cake, coordinated with the in house florist on the trellis flowers and my bouquet, which was beyond stunning, and briefed security on a possible wedding crasher. Everyone I dealt with at the Halekulani was friendly, professional, and prompt. Their laundry service department did a wonderful job pressing my dress before the wedding as well. A kind man came to my room to pick up the dress, and when I returned to my room later that evening, I found my dress on a rolling cart all wrapped up in sheets like a present. My wedding was at Hau Terrace which is the only private ceremony and reception space in Waikiki with an indoor and outdoor space. No gawkers watching your wedding! Gorgeous setting, wonderful food, and strong drinks. The food station tables come with tropical floral arrangements at no added cost and the small cocktail tables I used came with decorations as well. I did not have to spend money on any floral arrangements except for the trellis, bouquet, and leis. Thats a big budget saver. The Halekulani wedding package is a great value. Venue fee is waived with a small food minimum. Free suite for honeymoon night which was incredible. I think I got lucky and received a better suite than the package provided. Private entrance, large lanai over looking the ocean, 1.5 bathrooms, living room, massive bathroom with walk in closet, and more square footage than my condo. A bottle of champagne, toasting flutes, and chocolate covered strawberries await you when you return to your suite following your reception. The only thing I disliked about the venue, was the fact 2 other weddings were going on around the same time as mine in other locations. They're huge bridal parties were occupying the majority of the photo locations, so we were stuck taking photos all in the same spot. Wish better coordination was in place to keep huge parties from hogging prime space for extended periods of time.

Deciding to hold our reception at the Halekulani set the tone for our entire wedding planning process. Tom and his staff in the catering department were a dream to work with. They were so accommodating, responisve, and professional. We could not have asked for anything more. Every single staff member that we came in contact with over the weekend embodied the quality of service that the Halekulani is known for. The bar tenders and servers went out of their way to make sure that our guests had everything they needed at the reception and the food they served was phenomenal. I love the Halekulani!!

Tom N. was AMAZING! Let me be honest... when we were first deciding on our venue, our top choice was not the Halekulani because we didn't know much about it yet. BUT, once we met up with Tom, got a tour of the place and more specifics of what they offered and how beautiful the place is, we were blown away! After going to other venues (which were all bad experiences because they didn't give the exceptional customer service that Tom gave), we called Tom back and booked them. Every time we had a question, Tom would immediately get back to us! He has a lot of passion in what he does and it shows! Anything we needed for our wedding (with our unique theme) he was more than happy to accommodate. The service throughout the entire experience from the Concierge, to the Room Service, to the FOOD and everyone who worked on our wedding was by far the best! Everyone was raving about the food! Thank you so much to everyone who helped make our day special!

What can I not say about the Halekulani? From the beginning, Joel was easy to work with and very helpful and accommodating of (mostly) all of our requests. He was very prompt in answering our e-mails and The staff provided top notch service throughout, they were very professional and courteous. When it started to rain lightly during our ceremony, the staff was ready with umbrellas and passed them out to all of our guests. The food is excellent. The cake is awesome. The packages they offer are a nice bonus too.

My husband and I loved Halekulani. Joel (the catering manager) was very easy to work with and prompt with answering phone calls and emails. Although he could not fulfill every request that we had, due to Halekulani policies, he did make an effort to make our wedding experience absolutely wonderful. The staff at the Halekulani were very attentive and genuinely nice people. They treated us like VIPs! We really felt the aloha spirit from everyone. (Having been born and raised on Oahu, now living in California, I really missed this feeling of aloha.) The food was ono (delicious) and the cake was very tasty too! The courtyard was a beautiful location for our ceremony, and the ballroom was a perfect size for our reception (130 guests). We were fortunate to have our wedding just after Thanksgiving, so we had two large, nicely decorated Christmas trees that framed the ballroom stage. We also appreciated the wedding packages at Halekulani, because they were one of the few who offered them as I was researching venues on Oahu. (It also enabled us to stay within our budget!) We highly recommend Halekulani for a wedding, big or small.

This is the best place to get married in Hawaii! Joel is excellent and very easy to work with. The prices are low for the quality, everything is amazing! Get married on the Hau Terrace and give your guests an AMAZING experience.

I loved having my wedding at Halekulani. Joel and Loren were both extremely helpful. Excellent service and great food. They also had pretty good wedding packages where ceremony, cake, cake cutting, 1 night stay and parking were inclusive with a food minimum. Fair price considering they are a 5 star hotel and their prices are comparable to most other Waikiki hotels. My only complain is the limited access to the beach at Halekulani, there is only a small area to take pictures on the beach and it was filled with people very early in the morning. Otherwise, perfect, no regrets whatsoever with choosing this venue!

The service is absolutely impeccable! The most professional and prompt staff I have ever experienced. They treat you like you are their only guest. Plus, the hotel is beautiful, intimate, and classy. I would get married again and again here!

Joel was my catering manager for my wedding. He was so very helpful, and he responses to my emails were lightening fast. My grandmother always said, "You get what you pay for," and Halekulani is no exception. The prices are on the high end, but they cater to your every need, and your guests are treated like royalty. We wanted to serve a very special Hungarian family recipe. Joel was able to work with the chef to ensure this was done correctly and to our specifications. Joel also worked with the pastry chef to create an amazing (and delicious) Groom's cake of a Dodge Viper for my husband. The bartender was polite, and everyone loved his drinks. The guava martinis were the best! Halekulani is THE place to go if you want a wedding that is perfect in every way.

the HALEKULANI team made our event happen. with the quality of food and service, this team is hard to beat.

Although I love the Halekulani, it would be a lie to give it a 5. Honestly, the place is gorgeous...both the Hau Terrace and Ballroom are great venues. Reasons why the Halekulani does not get a 5: 1) Signature Drink Disaster My signature drink turned out to look like dirty water. When I had sent images and instructions of the drink, the catering manager said the bartender could do it. The drink was suppose to be a turqouise coloured drink...instead it looked like mirky blue! I expected a 5-star hotel would try its best to match the image sent. 2) Sushi Line At my rehearsal, my wedding coordinator asked if I wanted to get an extra bartender during cocktail hour to avoid the guests waiting in line. However, I should have been asked about an extra sushi chef! I had some guests wait in line for the entire hour to get sushi! The hotel should know that 1 sushi chef is not enough for a wedding for 150 guests 3) The Sunday Brunch As part of the platinum wedding, there's a complimentary brunch at House without a Key. When my husband called to make reservations, the restaurant said it was booked. He even told the hostess that we had gotten married at the hotel the day prior. That didn't get us in. She pretty much said to walk-in but couldn't guarantee anything.

If you are planning to get married in Hawaii. You must do it at Halekulani. They are amazing. I can't believe how smooth it was. No problems as I was anticipating. Their staff is the best. Besides the excellent service, the hotel is beautiful and you feel like a queen. I can't say enough about this place. The catering staff is wonderful, they get back to you right away and they help you with any concerns or questions. They offer free food tasting (most places don't), you get a complimentary suite on your wedding night, free parking and they throw in the wedding cake too. The food is so awesome.... people are still talking about how great the food was. A+++

Haleuklani was wonderful. Everything about the hotel was great and we got rave reviews from our guests. The hotel staff was very courteous and accomodating, and were very pleasant. The food was EXCELLENT and had many compliments from our guests. I do not have a single complaint about the place. I would definetely recommend Halekulani for anyone to have their wedding. On top of the great service, it was a wonderful place to stay.

I believe Halekulani is the best place to have a wedding. They did a terrific job at our wedding. The catering manager, Ai was VERY good at helping us with a lot of the details. We splurged on our guests (100) with a 4-course sit down meal but it was worth every penny. The food was very delicious. You cannot go wrong with Halekulani. Our guests raved about the food and the drinks. The bartenders made very good mojitos and margaritas for our guests. This hotel may be more pricey compared to others but if you want the best, this is the place to go. Also, the service from the wait staff was the best we ever had. Another word of advice: If you plan to have your wedding here, make sure you reserve at least a year in advance. We booked our wedding 1.5 years in advance which was good because another couple actually that same date and time.

Ai was our coordinator at the Halekulani and she was very organized, super helpful and resourceful and overall we are extremely impressed with her and with the service at the hotel. Everyone here was amazing, from the valet staff to the concierge to the banquet manager...there is not one thing we could suggest as an improvement because everything was phenomenal. The food was fantastic and we LOVED our cake (the pastry chef is very talented!) and our room was beautiful as well. I HIGHLY recommend the Halekulani.

Loved everything at the Halekulani. Halekulani was actually not my first choice for venue, but I'm so happy that I ended up having my wedding there. Service from all the staff, from coordinator, catering, everyone, was the best. Food was excellent, and the Hotel very beautiful. I would totally recommend this hotel.

Halekulani Hotel, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the perfect place for our wedding. Exceptional service, delicious food, helpful staff -- what more could you ask for? My friends and family are still talking about the beautiful garden ceremony and the wonderful dinner reception. The staff truly made it a day to remember, for all of us.

Simply put, nothing can beat Halekulani. Their service is exceptional, the venue is beautiful and the food is sooo ono. Joel was super easy to work with and was so on top of things. His style really fit well with my husband's and I's. They completely take care of you at Halekulani. I love it there!!!!