The Kahala Hotel & Resort

The Kahala Hotel & Resort is a luxury hotel on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. It first opened in 1964 as the Kahala Hilton. Developed as an exclusive retreat away from Waikiki, the resort became a popular destination for celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Elton John; foreign dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II, the Reverend Desmond Tutu, and the Dalai Lama; and eight United States presidents. In the mid-1990s, it was renamed the Kahala Mandarin Oriental and was later known simply as The Kahala. The resort has had captive dolphins or porpoises in its private lagoon since its first year of operation.