Waikiki or Ko Olina with kids: picking your Oahu base

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa

Ko Olina, on the first lagoon

Disney's Hawaii, built around a volcano: the Waikolohe Stream lazy river is open to all ages, Keiki Cove is a splash zone for kids 5 and under, the Menehune Bridge water play is for kids 48 inches and under, and Rainbow Reef is a snorkeling lagoon of fish with its own entry fee. The Wailana pool is adults only.

Aunty's Beach House is the kids' club, and the villas have kitchens for a longer stay. The lagoon in front is one of the four, about 0.3 km to its center.

Cribs

Yes

Pool

Yes

Waterslide

Yes

Kids' club

Yes

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

Ko Olina, next to Aulani

Two family pools step down toward the beach, with a Keiki Pool close to the lagoon and the sand, an adults-only beach and pool at a quiet end, and a lap pool at the spa. Kids For All Seasons takes ages 5 to 12 at no charge, and there's a separate center for 12 and up.

Cribs

Yes

Connecting rooms

Yes

Suites

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Pool

Yes

Kids' club

Yes

Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club

Ko Olina, on its own lagoon

The 550 villas, on a lagoon of their own, come in one, two and three bedrooms, each with a full kitchen, a washer and dryer and dining space for six to eight. The one-bedroom is 920 square feet for four and the three-bedroom 1,800 for eight.

There are heated outdoor pools with whirlpools, a children's outdoor pool, a play area and an activity center for ages 5 to 12 with daily programs, and the MarketPlace on the first floor of the Hale Kona tower does coffee, deli sandwiches and snacks.

Cribs

No

Suites

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Kitchenette

Yes

Pool

Yes, heated

Laundry

Yes

Beach Villas at Ko Olina

Ko Olina

Two- and three-bedroom villas of 1,171 to 1,650 square feet with separate living and dining areas and a full kitchen with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, in partial ocean or ocean view. The pools are three: a quiet lap pool, a family lagoon pool and a kiddie wading pool, each with its own spa tub, and the sandy lagoons are out front.

Suites

Yes

Kitchenette

Yes

Pool

Yes

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

Waikiki, west end

Twenty-two acres on the beach next to Duke Kahanamoku Beach, with five pools: the Super Pool with the shallow Keiki Pool beside it, the Paradise Pool with three slides including a lava tube, the Tapa Pool, an adults-only pool at the Kalia Tower and a private one for Ali'i Tower guests. The Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon is five acres of calm saltwater with a circulation system, for aquacycles and a first swim, and the fireworks go off on the beachfront every Friday night.

One-bedroom suites in the Diamond Head and Tapa towers have a living room with a sofa bed and a separate bedroom, and the airport is about 20 minutes. Ala Moana Regional Park, with the Magic Island lagoon held in by seawalls, is about 1 km.

Cribs

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Pool

Yes

Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk

Beach Walk, a block back from the beach

Every room is a one- or two-bedroom suite with a separate living room, a sleeper sofa, a mini fridge and a microwave. Breakfast is free and made to order, there's a free evening reception on the Grand Lanai, and the Grand Lanai also has a heated pool, a hot tub and a kid's splash pool.

Liliha Bakery is next door on the second level of Waikiki Beach Walk, and Kuhio Beach Park's swimming enclosure is about 0.8 km along the beach.

Cribs

Yes

Suites

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Pool

Yes, heated

Free breakfast

Yes

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach

Waikiki, Diamond Head end

A 280,000-gallon Oceanarium in the lobby, with an educational program run by the resort's dive team, and an infinity pool upstairs. Cribs are free on request, and there's a self-service laundry on the fifth floor.

It's directly across from Kuhio Beach Park and its swimming enclosure, with the Waikiki Farmers Market about 0.25 km and the Honolulu Zoo about 0.45 km.

Cribs

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Pool

Yes

Kids' club

Yes

The Royal Hawaiian

Waikiki, on the beach

The Pink Palace, built in 1927 on Waikiki Beach, with the Historic 3 Bed Family Room (a king and two doubles for up to six in 540 square feet, with a crib allowed and some rooms connecting) and the two-level Mailani Family Loft Suite, a king in the loft and two doubles below. The quiet Malulani Pool is the hotel's own, and the Helumoa Playground pool next door, shared with the Sheraton, has the water slide.

Hula, ukulele and storytelling for children happen in the garden, with lei making alongside. Duke's Waikiki is about 0.2 km down the beach.

Cribs

Yes

Fridge

Yes

Pool

Yes