Australians love Hawai‘i – according to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, over 324,000 of us visited the Aloha State of America in 2018. Many come to experience Waikiki and its world-famous beach, but in such a popular holiday destination, outdated and overpriced hotels and resorts are widespread.
Like a waft of salty sea air, the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger offers a fresh alternative on these overdeveloped shores. Doors officially reopened in April after a $35 million makeover, and Outrigger now describes the property as a ‘stylish lifestyle hotel … oasis amidst the energy of Kalakaua Avenue’ (one of the busiest thoroughfares in the tourist district).
The hotel is just a block away from famous Waikiki beach
First Impressions
From street level, a giant escalator transports us to the lobby, where the design aesthetic is an appealing blend of beach culture meets aloha spirit: rattan seating in wavy driftwood shapes; carpets channelling the colours and patterns of a swirling sea and sand; and walls with hand-drawn murals of native flora.
At the front desk, the effervescent host tries to accommodate our request for an early check-in but our room category is unavailable. “The [Deluxe Ocean View Room] is one of the best, and there’s not many of them, so people tend to maximise their stay and check out as late as possible," she explains. “It’s worth the wait," she assures.
Lounging poolside proves to be a welcome detour: we soak in the hot tub, laze on canopied daybeds, and graze on eggs, waffles and locally roasted coffee from the onsite cafe.
The hotel is just a block away from famous Waikiki beach
The rooms
Our room is ready well before the standard 3pm time and indeed, worth waiting for. Inside, the coastal vibe – prevalent through the hotel’s common spaces – is amplified: pendant lights of exposed bulbs and woven rope, wall hangings of coiled raffia, splashes of ocean blue and sunset orange.
Behind the bed is an oversized shot of underwater imagery from Zak Noyle, internationally renowned professional surf photographer and O‘ahu local, whose work is showcased throughout the hotel.
Its best ‘design’ elements, though, are the sweeping views of iconic Waikiki sights – the Diamond Head volcanic ridge, ‘pink palace’ Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and an endless watery horizon of shimmering, marbled turquoise.
Slow elevators and resort fees (ubiquitous in Waikiki) are minor drawbacks, but easily offset by highlights that include a restaurant from Maui Brewing Co, Hawai‘i’s largest craft brewery, serving up boutique beers and locally inspired fare created with island-sourced ingredients, such as ahi tuna tostadas and plates of loco moco.
A refreshing escape indeed.
Hawaiian patterns in the bathroom’s partition
The IT verdict
Drawing inspiration from sun and surf culture, the hotel is high on Hawaiian hospitality and daringly different to other accommodation options around.
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Location: 9/10
Unbeatable location right in the pulsating heart of Waikiki with designer stores, markets, bars and restaurants at your doorstep… and the beach a block away.
Style/character: 8.5/10
Laid-back beach living fused with an authentic, aloha spirit.
Service: 7/10
Warm and friendly. Front desk queues can be lengthy, if your timing clashes with a conference.
Food and drink: 7/10
No room service; but two third-party venues at the hotel and a wealth of drinking and dining options within blocks mean you won’t go thirsty or hungry!
Value for money: 8.5/10
We paid $361 per night for a Deluxe Ocean View Room – a bargain for the million-dollar vistas.
All IT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.
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Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.
1. Route 66, the Main Street of America
Travelling with: Ricky French
Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)
Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.
2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)
You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.
3. Museum-hop in New York City
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)
Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.
4. The USA’s music scene
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)
If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.
5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)
Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.
6. Cruising Alaska
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.
Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.
7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico
Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead
Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.
For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)
Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.
9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia
Travelling with: Katie Carlin
Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)
World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.
10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.
The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.
11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada
Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes
Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)
No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.
12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.
Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.
