At Kawana Hotel, the past lingers in the salt air and hand-carved wood. This 1936 cliffside retreat once hosted Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’s honeymoon, and still offers the same cinematic grace. Mornings begin with sun rising over the ocean and fairways on one of the world’s top 100 golf courses, and end with sunsets steeped in old-world charm. Between rounds of golf and poolside memories, indulge in local flavors and timeless hospitality. This isn’t just a hotel—it’s a classic that offers you an escape from the everyday.
The Kawana Hotel opened before the Second World War, in 1936, and knowing its history as a classic hotel will make the significance of your stay even more fascinating. It was seized by the Japanese Imperial Army during the war and by the American and British Occupation Forces after the war. It is said that famous industrialist Rockefeller once visited Kawana and was inspired to build his Hawaiian resort after seeing the location. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio visited the hotel on their honeymoon, and it has served as the host for visits by the Showa Emperor, as well as the former Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and as the location for the Japan-Russia summit meeting with Russian President Yeltsin. It would not be overstating the importance of the hotel to call it not just a Japanese asset, but a global asset.
