Neighborhood 48H guide
West Waikīkī / Fort DeRussy: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Fort DeRussy’s lawns, sunset hula at House Without a Key and the Hilton Hawaiian Village lagoon.
The Ewa (west) end of Waikīkī is wider and calmer: the grassy Fort DeRussy Beach Park, the Halekulani, and the 22-acre Hilton Hawaiian Village with its lagoon, by the Ala Wai Harbor.
Photo gallery
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Fuzheado · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
The widest beach in Waikīkī, with Ala Moana a short walk west.
Who it's for: Families and travelers who want more space on the sand.
Extend the trip: North Shore: day trip from Honolulu →
Pros
- Wider, calmer beach
- Big family-friendly resorts
- Walk to Ala Moana Center
Cons
- Hilton Hawaiian Village is huge and busy
- Farther from Diamond Head
- Resort fees
48H in West Waikīkī
Beach lawns, a lagoon paddle and sunset hula.
08:00 – Fort DeRussy Beach Park
Shade trees and wide sand.
10:00 – Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
Calm water by the Hilton Hawaiian Village for paddleboards and kids.
17:30 – House Without a Key
Hawaiian music and hula under the kiawe tree at the Halekulani. Terrace seats are walk-in.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Drink
Drink
House Without a Key
2199 Kalia Rd
Sunset cocktails with nightly Hawaiian music and hula at the Halekulani.
Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Fort DeRussy Beach Park
Kalia Rd
Waikīkī’s widest beach, with lawns and shade.
Photo: Fuzheado · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →Outdoors
Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Man-made saltwater lagoon, good for paddleboarding and small kids.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Halekulani
2199 Kalia Rd
Calm, all-white luxury hotel on the sand with no resort fee.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
2005 Kālia Rd
22-acre beachfront resort with five pools and a lagoon.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for West Waikīkī / Fort DeRussy.
Waikīkī is resort-zoned, so short vacation rentals are allowed here. Many condo-hotels add resort fees and parking, so check the total.
Browse vacation rentals in West Waikīkī / Fort DeRussy on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Honolulu
- Central Waikīkī — The Moana Surfrider’s banyan, the Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar and the Duke statue on the sand.
- Diamond Head End / Kapahulu — The Diamond Head summit trail, Kapiʻolani Park, malasadas at Leonard’s and plate lunch at Rainbow Drive-In.
- Ala Moana / Kakaʻako — Locals’ beach at Ala Moana, sunset on Magic Island and Kakaʻako’s murals next door.
- Downtown / Chinatown — ʻIolani Palace, Chinatown’s lei stands and markets, and dinner at Fête.
- Kāhala — A quiet resort beach past Diamond Head, dolphins in the lagoon and dinner at Alan Wong’s.
- Ko Olina — Four calm crescent lagoons, Aulani for the kids and dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen.
- Kāneʻohe / Windward — Byodo-In Temple under the Koʻolau cliffs, Kāneʻohe Bay and the drive to Kualoa.