Written by Julie Jones, Have Wheelchair Will Travel, July 30, 2025
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa looms large in the heart of Waikiki with 1310 guest rooms. The resort’s prime location, close to shopping, dining and famous Waikiki Beach, makes it a top choice for visitors.
A variety of accessible/ADA guest rooms, including those catering to hearing and mobility needs, are available, and it’s particularly pleasing to see a hotel catering well to families needing accessible accommodation. One of the family suites not only offers three beds, but it also has two bathrooms, one with a roll-in shower and another with a bidet.
A two night stay at Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa gave me the opportunity to check out all the facilities for this review.
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa review
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa certainly put the wow into my Waikiki stay. The hotel’s fabulous location, opposite Waikiki Beach, allowed me to be down by the ocean with the sand between my toes in minutes of leaving my room.
Although I stayed in a king ocean front room I also had the chance to inspect an accessible/ADA suite (scroll down if you are looking for the access part of the review). As people’s access needs vary greatly, I thought I’d share both.
The king ocean front guest room is spacious, offers a king bed and the option of a sofa bed, mini fridge, flat screen television and floor to ceiling windows with views of Waikiki Beach. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member you can have a microwave delivered to your room for free (based on availability) which is handy for heating up leftovers.
The bathroom is compact with a wash basin, toilet and a shower with a small step.
When I wasn’t sleeping in the super comfy king bed, the balcony was where I spent the majority of my stay. With stunning views of Waikiki Beach it was my go-to spot for breakfast and sunset.
Book accommodation at Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa here.
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Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa accessible accommodation review
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa staff were extremely helpful in allowing me to inspect one of the hotel’s accessible/ADA rooms and I was thrilled to find such excellent accessible features within the room.
Heavy hotel doors are the arch nemesis of so many travellers but especially wheelchair users, so it was pleasing to find an automatic door which is activated with a key card pad outside of the accessible/ADA room.
An accessible family junior suite includes a king bed and two double beds and pleasingly, circulation space hasn’t been compromised to accommodate a family in the suite. The room I viewed was a city view room which overlooks a parking garage.
There is room on either side of all three beds for transferring from a wheelchair and space under the beds allows for a hoist/hoyer lifter.
Bedroom facts – entry door 90cm (35.4 inches), bed height 58cm (22.8 inches), clearance under the bed 23.5cm (9.25 inches).
One of the two bathrooms offers good circulation space, a roll-in shower with shower bench, height adjustable shower wand and grab rails throughout.
I was advised that a shower chair is available on request.
Bathroom facts – bathroom door 88cm (33.6 inches), height of shower bench 44cm (17.3 inches), height of toilet to pan 40cm (15.7 inches) and to seat 43cm (16.9 inches).
Air conditioning controls, light switches and hanging rails in the wardrobe are all lowered.
A second bathroom has a bathtub, bidet toilet and wash basin.
A large access button is located inside the doorway which activates the door when exiting the room.
Book accessible accommodation at Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa here.
In general, accessibility around Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa is good. Ramp access leads from the front of the hotel to the lobby. Check-in desks are raised so not ideal for wheelchair users.
Both the room I was staying in and the accessible/ADA suite I inspected are located in the Kealohilani Tower which is connected to the other tower of the hotel via a ramp (see above photo). This is a little steep for manual wheelchair users so if you find it tough going, I suggest using the ramp at the main entrance and enter the Kealohilani Tower via the street entry, which is level.
Within the resort complex there is a Starbucks and two ABC Stores (the store that is on every corner in Hawaii and stocks just about everything you could possibly need from food, drinks, souvenirs to those toiletry items you may have forgotten to pack.)
The hotel embraces Hawaiian culture and offers a range of themed activities including flower lei making, Hawaiian quilting, ukulele lessons and hula. The resort activities board lists activities from 7am to 6pm so there’s no excuse for being bored.
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa may have Waikiki Beach right on its doorstep but the pool is popular with many guests. It may also provide better access than the beach for guests with a mobility restriction wanting to swim with a pool seat available.
It may also provide better access than the beach for guests with a mobility restriction wanting to swim with a pool seat available.
If diving into the pool isn’t your thing, dining with ocean views at Queensbreak Restaurant might be. Accessibility is good and the views are stellar. Time your reservation to coincide with sunset and you have the ultimate combination.
We always love fun and free activities so it was good to see a range of games which will keep the young and young at heart happy if there’s any downtime.
Hotel towels are available with the swipe of your room key making it quick and easy to get fresh towels to use at the beach or pool.
After crossing at the traffic lights outside the hotel there is a lovely level pathway which runs along the waterfront, the perfect spot for a morning stroll with great views.
Beach matting is available on Waikiki Beach just a short walk or wheel from the hotel near the King Kamehameha statue. The matting doesn’t go as far as the hard sand but this no doubt varies greatly according to the tides.
If you are looking for a beach with matting and a water wheelchair, head to Ala Moana Beach Park, about a 10 minute drive from Waikiki Marriott Resort & Spa. The park offers accessible parking, beach matting and the wheelchair.
The water wheelchair is stored at the concessions stand (pictured below) which is located across the road from the beach. We don’t find these beach wheelchairs easy to push on soft sand but the beach matting helps to traverse the majority of the sand but be aware the matting doesn’t reach the hard sand in most instances.
Toilets are located next to the concessions stand but there is no stand-alone accessible bathroom. The accessible stalls are within the ladies and men’s toilets.
There is a path leading from the concessions stand to the beach.
Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa was the perfect way to begin my week long stay in Waikiki. Both the location and quality of accommodation made it a standout.
A friend gifted me the stay at the hotel but I was under no obligation to write about my stay. This was a holiday but it is always hard to turn off my access radar so I couldn’t help but check out the resort’s accessibility so I could share it with you.
Book accessible accommodation at Marriott Waikiki Resort & Spa here.