My wife and I stayed at Turtle Bay resort it was one of the best vacation of our lives. The property was beautiful and the horseback riding on site was great. The service was wonderful, and the staff was unbelievably pleasant, even the security guard was friendly and told us some of the best restaurants on the island. The rooms were very nice and the overall stay was perfect, could not ask for anything more.

My husband and I stayed at the Olsons Villa at Turtle Bay Resort in May. We felt we had the both of best worlds getting a larger unit then the hotel for less money but also being able to dine and enjoy all that the resort had to offer. We were just yards from the beach and the villa was very nice. The only problems we encountered was getting into the condo later then we planned. The owners failed to get our key to us before we left and we had to wait for a person to get them to us who was over an hour away. When he finally did show up around 4:30 the maid still hadn't cleaned the room. This was a bit upsetting to us after traveling 12 hours and wanting to get to a place to relax and clean up before dinner. We also did not get any instructions on where the lockers were or what was in them for our use. We ended up renting snorkeling gear for 25.00 which we could have avoided if we had known. We were disappointed in the snorkeling there compared to other places we have been. The security person there at the villas also did not know how to get into the locker and had to get someone to help her. Other then these issues the villa was comfortable and quiet and the resort was beautiful. The resort does close down early with not too much night life, restaurants were closed by nine so if you plan on going out late think again. The food was very good there but plan on spending a good amount. We would strongly recommend this resort for its quiet relaxing setting but if night life and excitement is what you like Wakkiki is the place to go.
Kara & Mike Buck, Lincoln Nebraska

We recently stayed at the resort for 8 days for our honeymoon. Like everyone else we were reluctant to book with the hotel due to some of the bad reviews but it was a very nice stay. We stayed in the beach cottages (room 141) and it was beautiful.
Room: If you want privacy ask for this room since it is located the furthest from the hotel (5-10 minute walk). For couples ask for a King cottage which will have a wet bar, a king bed and a little more square feet. The beach is located right in front of the cottage. There is a little backyard with a lanai, a shared hammock and where people walk thru (sometimes) to go on trails. Note there are roosters roaming around the grounds. We found them interesting at first but the early morning wake up calls got annoying. The local birds were also interesting at first but got REALLY annoying if you eat on the lanai. The room was spacious and beachy but the TV needs updating. The central air worked OK but could've been better. The room is a little dark with the lights on if you don't open the blinds completely. The bathroom was bright with a large tub and walk-in shower. Maid service was excellent and room very clean. Yes the room smells a little musty from the ocean air. We both received leis (free) and the gift basket (extra - not worth it) upon arrival as well as drinks and champagne. You get a fruit of the day everyday as well as some coconut macaroons (wrap in banana leaves) at nighttime.
Food: room service was good. The seafood chowder was excellent. Palm Terrace buffet just so-so. 21 degrees was OK. Ola's was the Best of the bunch (and that would be the only dining option that is worth a repeat visit). The Sunday brunch is also worth a try. The Lua was terrible (food was poor) but entertainment OK if you want to experience one.
Spa: we did the seaside couples massage and it was excellent. Spa facilities excellent.
Grounds: Nice and clean. We didn't utilize the pools or hot tubes but they seemed nice. The beaches right in front of the cottages are beautiful but rocky and wavy. You have to go to either coves for a sandy beach and calmer waters. We went to the further cove past the horse stables (about 20-30 minutes walk) where absolutely no one went to (probably because of the walk) but you essentially get your own beach but it was amazing.
We did that twice. Tennis courts, horse stable, golf courses we didn't use. Hotel staff were nice and friendly and the main hotel seem decent.
Other: Foodland supermarket about 10-15 minute drive either way, out of the resort. Ted's bakery so-so (everyone thinks this place is good because there is nothing else on the North Shore). Shrimp trucks very good. We liked Mack's the best. Local fruits stand interesting. Starbucks also down the road. Not much dining options outside the resort on the North Shore. Can't stand the slow speed limits on the roads (45mph limit on the highways, 25-35 on roads). Polynesian Cultural Center is OK. Dole Plantation OK. Waikiki very busy. Aloa Moana shopping center is huge and beautiful (a must for shoppers). Diamond Head hike was nice. Manoa Falls hike so-so. Kayaking in Kailua was excellent. Food tour (hole in the wall tour) was good.

We stayed for two nights at the Turtle Bay Resort during a trip for my 40th birthday.

For years we had been wanting to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort, but it always got such bad reviews that we never did, opting instead for hopping to other islands.

Recently, the reviews have been getting better, so we decided to save the money and time it would take going to a different island, and give it a try, inserting it in between two stays in Waikiki.

We drove up to Turtle Bay and arrived at about 2:45pm as we had some spa treatments scheduled for 3:30pm. This was the only portion of the stay that we were disappointed with, as we had booked a Beach Cottage, and it wasn't yet ready for us. We thought 3pm was a bit later than acceptable to release our room (it was still being cleaned) especially when we had booked over $1000 worth of spa packages that they knew we would be arriving for around this time.

Fortunately, the Beach Cottages have their own concierge, and the gentleman who was down at the Beach Cottage area when we arrived organized everything so that he could get our luggage into our room while we were at the spa. He was very friendly and accommodating, so that sorted out that problem.

The spa itself was one of the better ones I've had the pleasure to go to. There was a waiting area in an outdoor shaded patio area overlooking the gardens and sea, where you could wait between treatments. The locker room also had a steam room, something not present in enough hotels, which was lovely.

The treatment staff were good and professional, and I specifically enjoyed the massage, which was excellent... not too hard, and not too soft.

In fact, I had a facial, which I usually don't enjoy, and it left my face so soft that I ended up going back to enquire about the products they had used on my face and purchasing two of them.

We gathered from other reviews that people who had stayed at the Beach Cottages generally wrote good reviews, while others wrote bad reviews, and we certainly weren't disappointed.

I should point out a few things about these cottages. Firstly, they are not freestanding. There are 3 cottages within one structure, with the back patios separated by walls, so you do hear your neighbors a bit when they're outside. We had a rather large family with young kids staying next door, and we could certainly hear them, but not through the walls, just outside when they were on the grassy areas.

I should also point out that we had a King Bed beach cottage. I believe there are kings, queens and two doubles depending on the cottage. They told us that the King Bed cottages were larger, and also have a wet bar in the living room area, which the others don't. They weren't telling a lie. Judging from the width of the rooms, our room was MUCH larger than most of those around us, so it's worth getting a King if you can.

Our cottage was absolutely palatial, with the bathroom being quite large too, with a separate and VERY large tub (one of the largest I've seen... my husband is a big guy and usually doesn't fit in them, but he fit in this one), and separate toilet area within the bathroom. The bathroom was a white, beachy theme and very comfortable.

We had the good fortune to meet up with the Sales Manager who showed us the two other room types available on the property. One is called Villas. The villas are brand new, and Turtle Bay manages them for the owners, so they are like condos. I have to say that if I had a large family, this would be the only option I would consider.

The villas have a kitchen, VERY modern amenities, washer/dryer and up to 4 bedrooms. They are located next door to the hotel, and have their own pool and barbecue area. You can use both the villa pool plus all the hotel's regular facilities, including their beach. Don't think normal Hawaiian condo here... these are first class executive and worth staying in. As much as I liked the Beach Cottage, if I went back, I'd probably opt for one of these.

Next we had a look at a few of the traditional rooms in the regular hotel building. From what I'd read on tripadvisor, I had gathered that these rooms were old and tired and somewhat moldy smelling... not very nice at all.

So I was pleasantly surprised when we entered one and it was quite good really. OK, maybe not the newest or poshest room I've EVER seen, but I'd happily stay in one of these. Most of these rooms have ocean views, and are rather large, with older style but quite acceptable bathrooms. I did notice that they seemed to use air freshener to try and cover up what smelled like a bit of a moldy smell, but it really wasn't a problem for me. If you're particularly sensitive, you might not like this room, but if you're not, it would be quite fine.

These rooms have either a full balcony or something called a Juliet Balcony, which is a sort of curved afterthought of a balcony, still large enough to sit on, but only just. The most recent owners added these Juliet balconies to make more of the rooms have an outside feel.

The lowest level in the hotel lacks any balcony, and merely has a floor to ceiling window that opens fully, so if you want to sit outside, make sure you request not to be on the lowest floor. Other than that, I found both other types of balconies quite acceptable.

The grounds of the hotel are as good as any resort on any outlying island, and the beach actually has sand, but coral if you swim out, so it's quite snorkel-able and comfortable. Again, I felt this was on par with any of the resorts on outlying islands.

As far as food, we were a bit late getting around to eating the night we got there, after our spa treatments, so we went down to the Pub Style food outlet, which was very sparse and ugly and unpleasant.

After a few enquiries, we found out that Lei Lei's, which is located at the golf club, was still opened, and so we got a ride in a golf cart down there. It's not far and walkable, but we saw many people catching rides to and from the restaurant in the golf cart, and they are happy to do it.

Having spoke with several staff around the place, Lei Lei's seems to be considered one of the best food outlets at Turtle Bay if not on the North Shore, and our food was certainly good, and pretty good value for money.

We had breakfast included in our rate, so we ate both mornings at the buffet breakfast, which has a nice view of the ocean. I would call this buffet typical of breakfast buffets. It was certainly nothing special, but did provide a good, solid morning meal, nothing wrong with it.

We also ate lunch one day at the poolside bar area. Other Tripadvisor members have complained about the slow service, and I would have to agree. It took about 45 minutes to get a couple burgers, and they actually tried to bring us the wrong thing prior to getting our correct order to us.

The food itself was fine but nothing special, and the service was less than average.

Finally, the public lawn areas outside our Beach Cottage were very nice and faced the sunset. It was quite pleasant, and on par with some of the nicer resorts we've stayed at in Fiji.

All in all, given the choice between an outlying island or a simple drive up the coast to Turtle Bay, I would definitely consider going back to this hotel again.