Haleiwa Hotel, Haleiwa, HI

Object/Artifact

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Hawaii's History, A Personal Collection

Author's Personal Collection: The name Haleiwa means "house (hale) of the frigate bird (iwa)" and although the hotel closed its doors in 1943, the name Haleiwa stuck and many of the surrounding businesses had already adopted it, literally placing Haleiwa on the map of Oahu and making it one of Hawaii's top tourist destinations.
Author's Personal Collection

The name Haleiwa means "house (hale) of the frigate bird (iwa)" and although the hotel closed its doors in 1943, the name Haleiwa stuck and many of the surrounding businesses had already adopted it, literally placing Haleiwa on the map of Oahu and making it one of Hawaii's top tourist destinations.

Name/Title

Haleiwa Hotel, Haleiwa, HI

Description

The Haleiwa Hotel In 1898, Benjamin Dillingham, owner of the Oahu Railway & Land Company (OR&L), built a railroad line that ran from Honolulu to Haleiwa. At the end of the line, he built The Haleiwa Hotel - a grand Victorian hotel with 14 suites all with the added luxury of both hot and cold water, which was a feat in those days considering how far removed Haleiwa was. Guests could play golf and tennis, go fishing, canoe, ride a glass-bottomed boat, tour the Waialua Sugar Mill, and could even take a carriage ride to Wahiawa and back. A two-day excursion from Honolulu to Haleiwa, plus a night at The Haleiwa Hotel cost $10 (about $300 today). The hotel was a huge success and rivaled many of the grand hotels being built in Europe and the U.S. at the same time.

Created By

[email protected]

Create Date

April 22, 2026

Update Date

April 22, 2026