The First Lady of Waikiki

The Moana Hotel opened on March 11, 1901 as Waikiki’s first hotel and became affectionately known as the First Lady of Waikiki. Original owner Walter Chamberlain Peacock opened it to the public with 75 rooms at $1.50 per night, and the Lucas Brothers, known for their construction of Iolani Palace, served as contractors. Among the resort’s notable associations was the radio show Hawai’i Calls, which aired weekly from the Banyan Courtyard beneath the banyan tree from 1935 to 1975. In 1932, Matson Navigation Company, owner of the Royal Hawaiian, bought the Moana Hotel for $1.6 million and operated both resorts until 1959, when it sold them to the Sheraton Hotel chain, the same year Hawai’i became a state and jet airline service first reached the islands. Today the Moana Surfrider continues Hawaiian hospitality and the island’s deep-rooted heritage as a Westin Resort and Spa.

Honolulu, Hawaii · United States