Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach

The Moana Surfrider is easily identified by its bright, white, colonial-style facade, characterized by grand columns and wide, open-air lanais that face the Pacific. When it opened on March 11, 1901, it stood as the first hotel in Waikiki, back when the surrounding area was a quiet stretch of wetlands and beach houses. Built by local landowner Walter Chamberlain Peacock, the hotel was designed to attract travelers at a time when Waikiki was just beginning to draw visitors by steamship. It was the costliest and most modern building in the islands then, featuring telephones, private baths, and the territory's first electric-powered elevator.