The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay Lodge Evaluation

From the second I arrived at The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay, I felt an plain sense of calm. 

The resort boasts 1,300 acres alongside the pristine shoreline of O‘ahu’s North Shore, and I may hear and see the ocean in all places I turned. In 2023, the property underwent vital renovations, unveiling refreshed visitor rooms and suites, personal oceanfront bungalows, and redesigned public areas, together with the foyer, a brand new membership lounge, a health heart, a full-service spa, eating shops, and extra. In the summertime of 2024, the resort, which, amongst film fanatics, can also be well-known for being the filming location of the comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” transitioned to a Ritz-Carlton and is now a part of the Marriott household.

The foyer is open and ethereal, with panoramic views from a number of instructions. My ocean bungalow was close to the water, so I left my balcony open at night time and fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves.

Whereas the resort exudes luxurious, it does not really feel pretentious. Although I traveled right here solo, I may simply think about spending a romantic getaway right here with my husband or having fun with the numerous family-friendly actions with my two-year-old in tow. The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay, gives a uncommon stability: a classy expertise for adults with out sacrificing the enjoyable and pleasure that children will love. 

Learn on for all the pieces you should learn about The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay.

The Rooms

The resort gives 408 ocean-view visitor rooms and suites, and 42 waterfront ocean bungalows. Each room carries by way of the design of LA-based designer, Dianna Wong, who led the 2023 renovation. She drew inspiration from the property’s location on the North Shore, which translated into a mixture of supplies, similar to leather-based chairs, wood finish tables, and pops of brightly coloured pillows towards the cream-colored backdrop of the partitions, bedspreads, and couches. “The design celebrates the resort’s relationship with nature, incorporating these environmental components in each element all through,” Wong mentioned.

For bigger events, three oceanfront suites and 14 ocean bungalows can accommodate as much as six visitors. The premium oceanfront rooms, suites, and bungalows have soaking tubs and walk-in showers. Moreover, visitors will discover Lavazza espresso makers and a mini fridge in each room (Bluetooth audio system are additionally obtainable upon request).

There’s additionally an choice to improve to a Membership Lounge room or bungalow, affording entry to a personal lounge, with day by day refreshments and meals, devoted concierge providers, an expansive terrace with prime views of the bay, and limitless use of the seashore cruisers, and pickleball.

If you happen to’re on the lookout for extra privateness and seclusion, contemplate the ocean bungalows. Whereas they’re a brief stroll to the resort, I felt extra immersed in Hawaiʻi’s pure magnificence staying there. A strolling bridge with a gate connects the primary property with the bungalows. Upon entry, a tiki-torch-lined path, surrounded by lush greenery, guides you to your lodging.

My king ocean bungalow had each a sleeping space and a sunken front room. Upon checking in, I discovered two jars of Hawaiian purple clay salt within the lavatory close to my soaking tub. I frolicked studying within the hanging egg chair on my lānai and loved some scrumptious complimentary banana bread. A serene water-front garden stretches in entrance of your personal lānai, the place hammocks, daybeds, chaise lounges, and Adirondack chairs supply loads of choices to take a seat, calm down, and hearken to the ocean. The tranquility pool, reserved for ocean bungalow visitors, had a laid-back vibe, extra so than the full of life foremost pool.

Further bungalow facilities embody complimentary actions like a Kuilima Farm tour and introductory surf classes on the Jamie O’Brien Surf Expertise, the resort’s surf faculty. Devoted concierge providers are additionally obtainable for all of your wants. 

Meals and Drink

I dined at Alaia, the resort’s signature restaurant, for breakfast and dinner. The eatery overlooks the resort’s pool and is a good spot to catch the sundown. The menu is described as “fashionable Hawaiian consolation fare,” that includes a mixture of acquainted, well-executed dishes, like ahi poke and prime beef tenderloin. The drinks checklist contains a wide range of ingenious beverage choices, such because the strawberry vodka cocktail “Do not Contact The Turtles,” which is available in an enormous bronze turtle sufficiently big for 2. 

The resort’s oceanfront restaurant, Seaside Home by Roy Yamaguchi, gives Euro-Asian delicacies, price-fixed choices, and sushi. Moreover, there are two bars with informal bites—Sundown, the poolside bar, and Off the Lip, positioned within the foyer.

Head to Ho’olana, the property’s espresso store, for a light-weight breakfast and grab-and-go choices.

Actions and Experiences

The resort spans 1,300 acres of gorgeous shoreline with seven stunning seashores, trails, and plentiful pure magnificence. The property has partnered with Shaka Kayaks, a North Shore-based tour firm, to supply immersive excursions and experiences within the space.

A golf cart picked me up from the foyer and took me to Kawela Bay Seaside for a turtle-watching tour. Our guides identified a number of inexperienced sea turtles and defined that the bay had been featured in motion pictures like “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “The Starvation Video games: Catching Hearth.” Shaka Kayaks additionally gives a particular tour for film buffs, Shaka PI: The Case of the Lacking Film Scripts, which takes you across the property to discover varied TV and movie areas.

For water sports activities fanatics, the choices are infinite. You may attempt stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling (the nighttime snorkeling expertise is especially thrilling, providing a glimpse into nocturnal marine life), whale watching, or surf classes at Jamie O’Brien Surf Expertise. If you happen to desire rest, you possibly can spend the day lounging on the seashore or by one of many resort’s three foremost swimming pools.

If you happen to’re up for dryland actions, there’s golf, biking, pickleball, and tennis. With its state-of-the-art gear and ocean views, the health heart is ideal for a exercise, and several other health courses are included along with your keep. Visitors also can partake in basic Hawaiian actions, similar to hula dancing, ʻukulele classes, and lei making.

For a very memorable expertise, do not miss the Kuilima Farm tour. I attempted contemporary lilikoʻi (passionfruit) straight from the tree and realized about crops like noni, which Hawaiians use in conventional drugs for its therapeutic properties. The tour begins on the farm stands outdoors the fields, and I extremely suggest grabbing a fried banana lumpia when you’re there.

Equestrians will love the resort’s stables, providing horseback driving and pony rides for the youngest visitors. The resort hosts a weekly Paniolo Lūʻau close to the stables—a Hawaiian cowboy-themed celebration with actions and meals.

The Spa

Nalu Spa is the resort’s full-service spa with an in-house salon. It sources native merchandise, together with medicinal native crops from Kuilima Farm, to make the spa’s all-natural therapeutic massage oils and scrubs.

A strolling path lined with massive votive candles results in a backyard wall on the spa’s entrance.

I obtained a Lomilomi therapeutic massage, a standard Polynesian therapeutic observe from Hawaiʻi. My therapist described the therapeutic massage as “a dance,” with a whole lot of respiratory and lengthy strokes included. I added a CBD enhancement, which left me tingling as soon as my therapeutic massage was full. The therapy room was open on one facet with a curtain, permitting me to listen to the waves. There are additionally rooms with one-way mirrors, enabling visitors to view the attractive greenery outdoors the spa whereas sustaining privateness.

The out of doors rest space is nestled amongst lush vegetation by the ocean. I sat there after my therapeutic massage, listening to the waves, and loved the complimentary hibiscus tea comprised of Kuilima Farm’s māmaki, a local medicinal plant.

Household-friendly Choices

Whereas there is not a devoted youngsters’ membership, this resort gives loads of leisure for the little ones. The primary pool deck options two waterslides that children will certainly take pleasure in. Household-friendly cabanas and daybeds can be found for hire, offering an ideal stress-free spot for folks. 

Upon check-in, youngsters obtain a passport to discover the property. For each exercise visitors take part in, they’ll gather stamps to redeem prizes. Do not miss the enormous chalkboard within the foyer, which lists all of the family-oriented and kids-only actions. Your little ones can expertise native tradition by leaping in outrigger canoes to see turtles, taking beachside ʻukulele classes, digging for sand crabs, or taking a surf lesson with Rocky, the trainer, and his browsing canine.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The resort has 16 ADA-compliant visitor rooms, together with an ocean bungalow, an oceanfront suite, premium rooms, and customary ocean-view rooms.

The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay focuses on sustainability by preserving over 1,100 acres of land for conservation and safeguarding native tradition. Kuilima Farm’s expertise supervisor, Carolyn Unser, highlighted the farm’s sustainable agriculture practices for rising crops used within the resort’s eating places and spa. A walk-through gallery within the resort options shows informing visitors about marine life and the idea of Ahupua’a, the Hawaiian system of land divisions developed to manage and maintain pure assets. The property’s sustainable initiatives embody photo voltaic panels on the rooftop, coastal preservation, biodiesel conversion, and a biodegradable recycling program. 

Location

The resort is positioned alongside O‘ahu’s North Shore, roughly 55 minutes from Honolulu Worldwide Airport. The closest city to discover is historic Haleʻiwa, about 20 minutes away, and Waimea Valley, a nature protect with botanical gardens, is only a 15-minute automotive trip. The world-famous Banzai Pipeline surf break, a part of the so-called Seven Mile Miracle stretch of golden-sand seashores and surf spots, drawing surf fanatics from all over the world, is lower than 4 miles down the highway.

Easy methods to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Since The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay is a part of Marriott, the resort may be booked utilizing Marriott Bonvoy factors. You should definitely obtain the app—from there, you possibly can see the assorted resort gives that will apply to the resort, similar to financial savings and day by day credit.