Turtle Bay Resort- the North Shore’s Adventure Resort
My Vacation Lady had the opportunity to visit Turtle Bay Resort in December 2011- actually on the opening day of the Banzai Pipeline’s Surf Competition tryouts. All we can say is, if you are looking for adventure on Oahu, Turtle Bay is THE place to stay!
We were thoroughly impressed with this resort. While it is still undergoing some renovations in the lobby and soon in the fitness center and spa, this is a activity lover’s dream. Horseback riding, surfing, tennis and golf are all on site with lots more to do nearby. While the 10 foot waves were churning up the North Shore, the protected beach cove was calm and inviting. No reason to fear the North Shore waves here. 
With 12 miles of hiking trails, helicopter tours, kayaking tours, surf lessons, stand up paddle boarding, segway tours, moped rentals and more, there is little reason to leave the resort. Just in case you want to— the Polynesian Cultural Center is 20 minutes away, shrimp trucks are down the road and Waikiki is just an hour away.
If you remember the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Turtle Bay may look familiar. That’s because this movie, the TV show Lost and the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean have been shot on the grounds of Turtle Bay. With over 800 acres of land, Turtle Bay is not your typical resort in Oahu, nor is it like any other resort in most of the islands.
Part of it’s uniqueness is also the type of accommodations. In addition to the rooms and suites in the main building, the sea cottages offer a degree of separation and seclusion from the main hotel. Just a 5 minute walk down the oceanfront path and over a wooden bridge, the cottage guests can be right at the pool.
sea cottage view
But if they prefer to relax in the hammocks available outside the sea cottages, they can pretend that they in a completely separate resort. The 42 cottages are clustered in groups of six one story units and are great for honeymooners. (These were the rooms shown in Forgetting Sarah Marshall- if I remember correctly). 
The cottages are over 740 square feet or more in size with gorgeous hardwood floors, a great bathroom with soaking tub and great views. They all come with Concierge service. There are limited cottages with King beds but the alternate is a cottage with 2 Queen sized beds.
While the cottages were by far, My Vacation Lady’s favorite of the accommodations, the rooms in the main building were also very nice. All rooms have an ocean view but not all have lanais. In order to get a full lanai vs. a juliette balcony, you need to upgrade to the deluxe oceanfront room.
The resort also offers villas as an alternative to the hotel rooms, cottages and suites. These Ocean Villas are available in a studio, 3 or 4 bedroom condo style villa and were beautiful. All hotel privileges are included when the villas are booked through My Vacation Lady. These are great for families or small groups traveling together since the 4 bedroom units can sleep up to 12. They are owned by private individuals so not all may be available in the hotel allotment. They are in 3 story buildings and some have clear views of the ocean.
The pool complex includes two outdoor spa tubs and three pools: a 70-foot main pool, a children’s pool, and a pool with waterfall and 80-foot slide.
As with many resorts in Hawaii, Turtle Bay has a resort fee that includes free self parking, guestroom coffee and tea, use of snorkel equipment for two for one hour per day, complimentary hour of tennis-court time per day, per room and more.
The spa is set to undergo renovation in March of 2012 and the fitness center may be moved as well. Massages are also available in oceanfront hales in addition to the spa. With 7 dining choices, Turtle Bay guests have their choice of casual to elegant. Twenty One Degrees North and Ola’s both offer fine dining in a beachfront setting.
With evening entertainment and one of My Vacation Lady’s favorite’s—making s’mores at the fire pit, guests can enjoy the daytime adventure and then relax in the evening back at the resort with a wonderful dinner and entertainment.
As a Hawaii Destination Specialist, My Vacation Lady offers our city/adventure Oahu honeymoon and vacation packages. For clients who don’t want to fly to the other islands, you can get the best of both worlds in Oahu and at Turtle Bay. Contact us for more info
