Mother’s Day in Hawaiʻi falls on Sunday, May 10 this year. If you are on the islands — or looking for an excuse to be — this is one of the best places on earth to celebrate. Oceanfront brunches with champagne, resort spa treatments with ocean views, sunset dinner cruises, and lei-making classes that double as meaningful souvenirs.

The catch: the best spots book out weeks in advance. This guide covers the top options across all four major islands so you can lock something down before mid-April.

Orchids at the Halekulani — the gold standard for Waikiki brunch. Refined buffet on the oceanfront terrace overlooking Diamond Head, live piano music, and complimentary champagne or prosecco with every seat. The Halekulani is also hosting a special Mother’s Day Brunch & Concert featuring the band Kapena, blending Hawaiian music with the meal. Reservations are essential — this books out by late April.

100 Sails Restaurant & Bar at the Prince Waikiki — harbor-view brunch buffet with a live waffle station, omelet bar, and carving station. 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More casual than the Halekulani but still elevated, and the Ala Wai harbor views hit differently in the morning light.

House Without a Key at the Halekulani — for moms who prefer a quieter, open-air setting under the kiawe tree. A la carte brunch with Hawaiian music. Less formal, more atmospheric. The hula dancer performs during sunset cocktails, but the morning service has its own charm.

Plumeria Beach House at the Kahala Hotel — buffet-style, family-friendly, and away from the Waikiki crowds. The Kahala sits on a quieter stretch of beach east of Diamond Head, making this a strong alternative if the Waikiki spots are fully booked.

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Maui — Hyatt Regency Maui on the Japengo patio overlooking Kaʻanapali Beach. Brunch buffet with sushi, chilled seafood, made-to-order omelets, slow-roasted prime rib, and live music. One of the best ocean-view brunch settings on the island.

Maui — Mama’s Fish House (Paia) — not a brunch spot per se, but their Sunday lunch menu in the oceanfront dining room is worth the splurge for a special Mother’s Day meal. Reservations fill weeks ahead. If you can get a table, this is the most memorable meal on Maui.

Big Island — Mauna Lani resort restaurants typically host special Mother’s Day menus. Call ahead for 2026 specifics. The Kohala Coast setting is hard to beat.

Big Island — Tommy Bahama (Waikoloa) — reliable upscale-casual brunch with island cocktails. No surprises, no disappointments. A solid fallback if resort dining is sold out.

Kauai — Tidepools at the Grand Hyatt Kauai — romantic thatched-roof setting on a koi pond. Not a traditional brunch spot, but they often run special Mother’s Day prix fixe menus. The setting alone makes it feel like an event.

Kauai — Hukilau Lanai (Kapaʻa) — farm-to-table brunch that locals love. Smaller, less resort-y, and the food is consistently excellent. A good pick if your mom prefers real food over a buffet production.

Reservations across all islands fill fast for Mother’s Day. Book by mid-April to be safe.

Naio Bliss Spa at the Prince Waikiki (Oahu) — full-service resort spa with couples treatments, facial packages, and massage options. The Prince Waikiki bundles spa treatments with their Mother’s Day brunch, which makes the planning easy.

Spa Without Walls at the Fairmont Orchid (Big Island) — outdoor treatments in private cabanas along the Kohala Coast. Massages with the sound of the ocean ten feet away. Hard to beat for atmosphere, and the open-air setting makes it feel distinctly Hawaiian rather than generic resort.

Grand Wailea Spa (Maui) — 50,000 square feet with 40 treatment rooms and a hydro circuit that includes waterfalls, saunas, and mineral pools. Block out a half-day minimum. This is the kind of facility where you show up at 9 a.m. and emerge blinking into the afternoon sun wondering where the time went.

Anara Spa at the Grand Hyatt Kauai — garden setting, open-air treatment rooms, lava rock showers. Kauai’s best spa experience by a wide margin. The grounds alone feel restorative.

Many resorts offer Mother’s Day spa packages that bundle treatments with brunch or afternoon tea. Ask when booking — the combined packages are often better value than booking each separately.

Sunset dinner cruise — multiple operators on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai run sunset sails with dinner and an open bar. A Mai Tai at sunset with no reservations to rush to afterward. See our full guide to the best sunset dinner cruises in Hawaiʻi, or browse sunset cruises on Viator.

Lei-making class — several cultural centers and hotels offer hands-on lei-making workshops. A lei you made yourself carries more weight than one from the airport gift shop. The Royal Hawaiian Center on Oahu offers free classes multiple times per week, or ask your resort concierge about private sessions.

Helicopter tour — see the Nā Pali Coast, Maui waterfalls, or Kīlauea volcano from the air. A splurge-worthy gift that most people never forget. Our helicopter tour guide breaks down the best routes and operators on each island, or compare helicopter tours on Viator.

Private beach picnic — companies like Hawaii Beach Picnics (Oahu) and Maui Beach Picnics set up everything: blankets, tropical flowers, food, champagne, all on a secluded stretch of sand. You show up, sit down, and the only decision left is whether to open the bubbly before or after the sunset.

Garden tours — the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai, Waimea Valley on Oahu, or the Maui Tropical Plantation all make for a peaceful afternoon surrounded by plumeria, hibiscus, and tropical canopy. Low-key, beautiful, and easy to pair with lunch.

Not everyone can be in Hawaiʻi on May 10. These gifts bring the islands to her.

Fresh flower lei shipped from Hawaii — multiple farms and vendors ship plumeria, orchid, and tuberose leis overnight to the mainland. A real lei arriving in a box is a different experience from a bouquet of roses. Search Etsy for “Hawaiian lei shipped” or check Big Island flower farms that ship direct.

Hawaiian coffee gift set — 100% Kona coffee from the Big Island, Maui-grown beans, or a multi-island sampler. Coffee is one of the few Hawaiian agricultural products that ships well and tastes as good at home as it does on the lanai.

Hawaiian macadamia nut chocolate — the classic island gift for a reason. Big Island Candies and Hawaiian Host are the standards, but smaller artisan producers have raised the bar in recent years.

Book a future Hawaii trip together — the anticipation is half the gift. A printed itinerary in a card, or even just a confirmed flight booking, signals more thought than any object. If you need a rental car for the trip, Discount Hawaii Car Rental consistently has the best island rates.