Find Hawaiian heaven at the JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa on Oahu
KO OLINA, Oahu, Hawaii -- JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa might be the best golf resort on Oahu.
It has played host to many NFL Pro Bowl players during the January all-star game over the years. Built in 1993, the AAA Four Diamond Award-winning resort overlooks a protected, secluded oceanfront cove perfect for families with young children.
The hotel's unique design showcases a collection of saltwater ponds filled with reef sharks and stingrays. Children can feed the sea creatures during an interactive program called the Reef and Ray Adventure.
All 387 guest rooms and suites were refreshed in 2011 with sea blue and sand colors to reflect its oceanfront setting. The Ihilani Spa, refurbished in 2010, offers traditional Hawaiian lomi lomi massages and an authentic Thalasso treatment in a jetted tub filled with seawater piped in from the ocean. A separate pool and rooftop tennis courts complete this relaxing 35,000-square-foot retreat.
Across the street, Ko Olina Golf Club has been regularly holding LPGA Tour events since the 1990s. Man-made waterfalls and landscaping have created a pretty palette for golf in paradise. The resort course designed by Ted Robinson plays fair with a few dramatic shots thrown in for fun.
Splurge on dinner at Roy's Ko Olina Restaurant next to the clubhouse. Or stroll down to Paradise Cove for a Hawaiian luau. These are just a few of the reasons Ko Olina translates in Hawaiian to "place of joy."
(based on 2 reviews)