The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club is a mid-century-modern boutique tucked a couple of blocks back from the beach on Lewers Street, reimagined in 2016 from a 1960s walk-up motor lodge into one of Waikiki's most design-forward stays. The pool — with its hand-tiled "Wish You Were Here" message visible from above — is the property's signature image and a near-constant Instagram backdrop. Original commissions from local artists run throughout the rooms and lobby, Olive & Oliver supplies the in-house coffee and Hawaii-made retail, and Mahina & Sun's, from the team behind Town and Kaimuki Superette, plates farm-to-table island cuisine in the open-air lobby restaurant. Live music spills into the pool deck most evenings, and the hotel is pet-friendly with no amenity fees. It draws creative travelers, design-minded couples, surfers, and anyone who wants Waikiki personality without resort sprawl.
"Ranked top 10% of hotels worldwide by TripAdvisor — and you can see why. The pool, the art, the music in the lobby at sunset — it just feels different from anywhere else in Waikiki."