Bunk Beds, Pool Cabanas and the Spirit of Waikīkī—This Hotel is an Ideal Home Base by the Beach

It’s only a little more than a month into the new year, and I’m already in need of a vacation, or at least a change of scenery.

Although you never really need an excuse to book a trip with your gal pals, my friend Daniela and I decided to celebrate Girls’ Day early with a sleepover at the Ambassador Hotel of Waikīkī, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Group travel has been on the rise since the pandemic. In 2024, a survey by luxury travel adviser Embark Beyond found that 61% of Americans were interested in traveling with extended family or small groups of friends. From multigeneration family trips to weekends with your inner circle, more travelers are seeking meaningful connections. After all, it’s one of the best ways to bond and create shared experiences.

Whether you’re in need of a staycation or a getaway for Girls’ Day on March 3—or any weekend—the Ambassador Hotel is an ideal home base in Hawaiʻi’s famous beach town.

Here, each guest is welcomed like a friend. From the open-air check-in area and the restaurant that feels like a cool clubhouse to complimentary poolside Pilates classes and bikes that you can borrow, the hotel invites guests to play, explore and unwind.

Operated by Highgate, a leading real estate and hospitality management company in the Islands, the Ambassador Hotel joined Hilton as the first Tapestry Collection property in Hawaiʻi in 2025. This collaboration with Hilton gives guests more benefits, including access to Hilton Honors, its award-winning loyalty program. Each Tapestry property strongly reflects its neighborhood, and here, that spirit feels distinctly Waikīkī.

Fresh renovations bring sunrise hues, ocean-inspired artwork and midcentury design elements that nod to the hotel’s 1960s roots. As we step into our home away from home for the weekend—connecting rooms with one king bed and bunk beds—Daniela says, “I feel like my inner child has been healed.” The Ambassador Hotel offers a range of sleeping accommodations including one- and two-bedroom suites and Waikīkī’s only lofted bunk bed rooms.

Conveniently located, the Ambassador Hotel puts guests in easy reach of Waikīkī’s shops and attractions. Guests can check out complimentary cruiser bikes to peddle around town. And the hotel’s perks extend to other businesses in the area. Guests receive credit to rent gear from Beach Candy Waikīkī as well as access to FIT Waikīkī, a gym and wellness center at ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach. The hotel and its team have all the connections and know all the best spots in town.

After exploring the hotel, Daniela and I stroll to our favorite shops in Waikīkī and down to the beach. After a quick surf check, we decide to spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool.

Perched on the third floor of the hotel, the pool deck is lined with tropical palms and a row of lounge chairs and orange-striped cabanas. It quickly becomes one of my favorite hideaways.

Waikīkī Swim and Social Club, the pool bar, serves refreshing cocktails fitting the retro glam vibes. My favorite is the effervescent Après Surf, an Aperol infused with hibiscus and grapefruit with prosecco and Fever Tree club soda. Daniela opts for the Hawaiʻi 5.0, made with Bacardi and Kōloa coconut rum and mixed with prickly pear, banana, pineapple and lime. The menu also includes wines, beers, seltzers and mocktails. For an afternoon snack, we order shishito peppers and hummus so fresh you can taste the chickpeas.

For dinner, we stop at Favorite Son. The hotel’s signature restaurant is a nod to Hawaiʻi’s golden child, Olympian and legendary waterman Duke Kahanamoku. Here, the vibes are laid-back, the staff warm and friendly and the decor reminiscent of a swanky cocktail lounge.

The playful menu points to comfort food made with fresh ingredients and infused with the essence of the Islands, from smoked ‘ahi dip to meatballs, baked penne and pizzas.

We start with a creative special: an ʻahi cannoli—a crispy shell stuffed with spicy tuna. Since we’re reliving our childhood sleepover memories, we share a pizza, too: the Verde, a flatbread with Gruyère cheese, basil pesto, spinach, onion and garlic. For a bit of healthy greens, we also split the Waipoli Greens mixed salad, which is topped with edamame, walnuts and radish and drizzled with green goddess dressing.

While we could easily spend the night in our suite and be content, the draw of Waikīkī is that there’s always something to do. That evening, Daniela and I head to the ʻAlohilani Resort Waikīkī Beach for Kimié Miner’s first performance of the year. To celebrate Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, or Hawaiian Language Month, the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning singer and songwriter performed some of her newest music, including “Kuʻu Hawaiʻi,” her first original mele in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. The song is the title track of her new album, which is a heartfelt collection of songs inspired by Miner’s ʻohana and the ʻāina. It’s a beautiful, heartwarming evening on the deck of Swell Pool & Bar, and as Miner finishes her final song, a light drizzle falls.

On our way back to our hotel, Daniela and I stop in at The Lei Stand, the cocktail lounge at Romer House Waikīkī. We’re lucky to snag the last table on a Friday night. An ode to Hawaiʻi’s lei stands, the cocktail bar moved from Chinatown to Waikīkī almost a year ago. Here the cocktails are carefully crafted and the food hits the spot. We grab a late-night snack of local-style Chex mix, hurricane fries loaded with furikake and spicy aioli, and the geisha sushi roll, packed with shrimp tempura, tuna, snow crab and topped with spicy mayo, unagi sauce and tobiko. It’s our second dinner of the night!

Guests from the Ambassador Hotel can also dine at 855-Aloha, also tucked in the Romer House Waikīkī, and receive 15% off. It serves contemporary dishes inspired by nostalgic Island favorites and is open until 10 p.m., later than most restaurants in the neighborhood.

Daniela and I make the short walk back to our hotel; we’re back before midnight and crawl into bed at a decent hour.

In the morning, we visit Favorite Son again for breakfast. We fuel up on avocado toast, fresh fruit and a BEC—bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel. Daniela, who is from New York, says it’s one of the best breakfast sandwiches she’s had outside of her home state, and that’s high praise: New Yorkers, she says, take their bagels and sandwiches seriously.

Then we go for one last stroll through Waikīkī before claiming a pool cabana for the afternoon.

Tips for Creating the Ultimate Waikīkī Sleepover :

• To check availability and to reserve the Family Connected Bunkbed Room at the Ambassador Hotel of Waikīkī, email reservations@ambassadorwaikiki.com
• Enjoy one-time use of a cabana at Waikīkī Swim & Social Pool, with a complimentary seltzer cooler
• Sip on the POG Star Martini and try the ʻulu and artichoke dip, seared ʻahi sandwich and garlic prawns at Favorite Son
• Ask about nostalgic board games from Favorite Son

For more information and to book your next stay, visit the Ambassador Hotel of Waikīkī’s website. Check out the Ultimate Waikīkī Sleepover offer, spend 4 nights or more to save 20% with your resort fee also waived.

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Grace Maeda is the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.