Hawaii Vacations Blog - Hawaii Travel by a Hawaii Expert!

In Hawaiian, moana means "open sea" or "ocean."  The Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikīkī, is a famous historic hotel on the island of Oʻahu.  Built in the late 19th century as the first hotel in Hawaiʻi, the Moana opened its doors to guests in 1901, becoming the first large hotel in Waikīkī. The Moana Hotel has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places & has been through many changes and yet still retains much of its Victorian charm and historic beauty. 

Moana (1901)

The Moana was built by Walter C. Peacock as a private residence on a tract of secluded Waikīkī beachfront property known as Ulukou (kou, "tree grove") until the 1860s. The mansion was in front of the royal estate of ʻĀinahau—home of Princess Miriam K. Likelike and her daughter and heir to the Hawaiian throne, Princess Victoria Kaʻiulani.

The Moana’s architecture was influenced by European styles popular at the time, with Ionic columns and intricate woodwork throughout the mansion. The Moana had an elaborate veranda-enclosed courtyard built around a banyan tree. A pathway led from the mansion’s courtyard over to a private pier. Peacock installed the first electric-powered elevator in the islands at the Moana, which is still in use today.

On March 11, 1901, when the four-story Moana hotel opened it was the first beachfront resort on Waikiki Beach, and one of Oahu’s tallest and most elaborate buildings. As soon as the Moana Hotel opened, a non-stop flood of tourists from the mainland United States poured through the Moana’s doors.  The Moana Hotel had 75 guest rooms, telephones and private baths, a billiard room, saloon, parlor, library and the first electric-powered elevator in the Territory. These were true innovations for its time. It was and is the only resort hotel in Hawaii that reflects the Beaux-arts design of the early 1900’s.

 In 1918, two wings were added along with two additional floors, for a total of 225 rooms in the main Banyan Wing building. The addition of these wings formed a courtyard around the historic Banyan tree.

The Moana’s most famous guest came in 1920. The Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VIII, galavanted around the Moana Hotel property and reportedly fell in love with the private pier from which he frequently dove into the ocean. 

 In 1952, the SurfRider Hotel opened, under the same ownership of the Matson Company.  In 1969, the 430-room SurfRider Tower opened.

Duke Kahanamoku, the legendary Olympic swimmer and popularizer of the sport of surfing, frequented the Moana Hotel restaurants and private beachfront. The Moana Hotel became a favorite stomping ground for Kahanamoku’s famed group, dubbed the Waikīkī Beach Boys. 

The hotel underwent a $50 million historic restoration in 1989 as a result of which it has received numerous local and national awards including the President’s Historic Preservation Award, the National Preservation Honor Award, Hawaii Renaissance Award, and the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International Golden Bell Award.

In May of 1999, the resort announced the $2 million completion of its historic Banyan Wing exterior enhancement project. The Banyan Wing is the Moana’s main building, easily recognizable from Kalakaua Avenue by its grand white colonnade, colonial banisters and archway picture windows at the porte cochere.

The opposite site of the Banyan Wing faces the hotel’s historic Banyan tree, outdoor courtyard, pool and Waikiki Beach.

Today, the hotel has expanded to accommodate 793 luxurious guest rooms, including 46 suites (36 with oceanfront lanais/balconies), three restaurants (the Banyan Veranda, Ship’s Tavern and Beachside Café), an oceanfront beawch bar, a freshwater swimming pool, poolside snack bar, cocktail lounge, its own Historical Room and historical tours, a beauty salon, travel desk, more than 15,000 square-feet of function space, and a diversity of boutique stores.

Hotel guests and the general public can experience ten decades of Waikiki’s history with the resort’s Historical Tour. The tour originates on the second floor of its main building, the historic Banyan Wing, twice a day, five days a week, at 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

The second floor features its own historical room to house and display memorabilia dating back to the early 1900’s. The historical tour is a free program provided by the Sheraton Moana Surfrider to educate the general public on the history of this turn-of-the-century resort as well as the evolution of Waikiki as a leading travel destination. The tour lasts approximately one hour.

When visiting the hotel, be sure to visit the Banyan Tree. Among one of the first to be listed on Hawaii’s Rare and Exceptional Tree List, this Indian Banyan tree was planted at the hotel in 1904 by Jared Smith, Director of the Department of Agriculture Experiment Station. When planted the tree was nearly seven feet tall and approximately seven years old. It now stands 75 feet high and stretches 150 feet across.

The Sheraton Moana Surfrider Banyan tree has been selected by the Board of Trustees of America the Beautiful Fund as the site for a Hawaii Millenium Landmark Tree designation. One tree in each state that holds important national and local historic value receives this designation, with the pledge that it will be protected and preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

Nightly music is heard in the Banyan Courtyard each evening as hula dancers accompany musicians to celebrate the spirit of aloha. Located on Waikiki Beach, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider is within walking distance of the International Marketplace, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium.