FAQ

Why Surfbreak HNL?

Adventure, networking, growth, and connection. We know you work hard toward your success story, and Surfbreak HNL provides you the tools and spaces you need to feel your most inspired and get work done both independently and collaboratively. More than just a coliving space with private bedrooms, we're a community of dynamic, motivated, and talented creatives who seek experience and success through collaboration and travel. This philosophy is woven into everything we do, which means we invest in our space and in you. From the moment you set foot in our 40th-floor penthouse, you'll be introduced to a community of other success-driven adventurers with whom to experience your time on Oahu. At Surfbreak HNL, you show up with a suitcase and a device, and you receive an instant community. We take our selection process seriously to attract the perfect community of warm, fun, successful people who vibe with eachother and will benefit from the diversity of our events, workshops, and volunteer experiences. Our resident members form meaningful connections quickly with their fellow location-independent adventurers.

Who should apply for membership at Surfbreak HNL?

We're a community of dynamic, motivated, and talented creatives who seek experience and success through travel. We dive into self-growth through innovation, collaboration, friendship, lifestyle, and service. At the same time we celebrate individuality, being selected as a member of Surfbreak HNL's ohana includes the social benefits and responsibilities that embody aloha.​ Our residential membership is a mixture of ambitious self-starters and friendly, open-minded creatives. We welcome fun, talented people to come through our doors to build their dreams and build connections. Many of our members have worked remotely before, while others are just beginning to discover the benefits and joy of working remotely. Some are employed by big companies in the tech industry, etc., while others are their own boss. The diversity of our members and their productive focus helps to make Surfbreak HNL a dynamic community. You can meet a life-long friend, or maybe even a future business partner. Because we're a coliving space, living at Surfbreak HNL means sharing your environment with other people. While we strongly comply with all antidiscrimination laws, most resident members at Surfbreak HNL are between the ages of 25 and 40, live without a partner, are self-sufficient with ample incomes, and enjoy the Surfbreak HNL lifestyle by splitting their time between their private bedrooms and the shared common spaces. Activities at Surfbreak HNL are, of course, optional, but most weeks the resident members self-organize in-house dinners, nights out at restaurants and bars, hikes, beach days, freedives, and group date events. We select applicants who we think will become active members of this community and will both enjoy their own experience and help other members become the best versions of themselves they can be.

How are you responding to COVID-19?

As a co-living and co-working community that values self-growth through innovation, collaboration, friendship, lifestyle, and service, it is important that we all act as a responsible force. In order to act with intention toward our own wellbeing and that of others, these collective steps to remain healthy are the most effective way to limit any possible spread:

1. Greet your ohana with the Hawaiian way, with the shaka.
2. We're washing our hands frequently throughout the day. The experts say 20 seconds should do.
3. If we're feeling any mild symptoms of a cold or flu, we'll stay home in our private bedrooms.
4. We're cleaning the shared spaces at a high frequency, with daily cleanings and sanitation. (Bedrooms also come with free bi-weekly cleanings as well!)
5. Our space has an air purification device designed for viruses.

How do I book a room?

We are a membership-based co-living "club". It's important that we be selective to ensure that our members benefit from their shared experiences. In short, in addition to standard requirements and guidelines for residential leases, it's important that anyone who wants to stay with us at Surfbreak HNL pass a "vibe check" for compatibility with our culture. This way, both the applicant and the other members are better assured of a great experience. Accordingly, it is not possible to simply "book a room" at Surfbreak HNL. Instead, anyone wishing to join our community must apply and be accepted. This process is entirely free, and once accepted, you will be provided a list of available rooms and current rental prices.

When should I apply for Surfbreak HNL residential membership?

You can apply for membership on our web site at any time for any stay in the next six months. If your application looks like a good initial fit for one of our membership cohorts, we'll get back to you within a few business days to set up a phone call to answer any questions and learn more about eachother. Note: Only people accepted as residential members of Surfbreak HNL are eligible to rent bedrooms in our coliving space. At the present time, move-in dates are flexible, and if there is room availability, residential members can move in on any day of a month to begin their lease.

What is the space like?

Surfbreak HNL takes up the entire 40th floor of our mixed-use skyscraper a ten-minute walk from the sand of Waikiki Beach. The second you arrive on the 40th floor, you'll know you're in a special place. As the elevator doors open, you're greeted and adjusted into our world with a dark, experiential, video-gallery lobby, presenting a rotating collection of floor-to-ceiling clips from the land, sea, and sky around Oahu. Passing by our Board Room (our glass-enclosed fishbowl conference room) and the Studio Lab (with quiet working areas and a reservable podcast recording space), you enter the Living Room.
Wrapped by walls of floor-to-ceiling glass, The Living Room is our social hub. At one end is a full luxury kitchen with beautiful tilework and modern stainless-steel appliances, where residents can share a snack or prepare a full meal. Extending into the seating area, you'll often see resident members sitting on the high-top kitchen stools, their MacBooks open to work in a casual social setting. At our large farmhouse table, one member might be eating lunch while another spreads out mockups from a design project she's working on. In the refrigerator and in large bowls on the counter are a collection of always-stocked local meals, healthy fresh snacks, and a variety of beverages, each available for a small fee without needing to leave the 40th floor. Recent items have included meals from Da Spot, homemade chia seed pudding, apple-bananas and guavas from neighborhood farmers' markets, local beer from Maui Brewing, and nonalcoholic seltzers. At the other end of the Living Room is a multipurpose lounging area. Couches, sitting balls, and ottomans tend to get moved around every few hours by our resident members to better facilitate the mood: from conversation, to watching Netflix or sports on our large TV (muted except by agreement with those around), or a quietly social Sunday morning spent staring out toward the Pacific Ocean beyond. Radiating off the Living Room are surfboard-lined (resident owned!) hallways leading to private twin, queen, and king bedrooms, bathrooms, and conference rooms.

What co-living amenities are provided?

When you show up at Surfbreak HNL, all you need is a suitcase and a device. We provide the rest. In addition to our co-working benefits, you'll find the following co-living amenities: Inside Surfbreak HNL

• Private bedrooms
  that include a twin, queen, or king bed + a desk, mini-fridge, speed-tested wired and wireless internet, linens, and toiletries (queen and king rooms also include a Samsung television with Apple TV + a safe)
• Bedroom maid service
  included bi-weekly
• Laundry wash-and-fold service
  available weekly (optional extra charge)
• Washers and dryers
  available on floor (charged to account per use) plus an available iron
• Shared kitchen
  with a commercial refrigerator; coffee machine (complimentary drip coffee; espresso/capuccino available at an extra charge); stove + oven; two microwaves; instant-hot water; and all dishware, glassware, and pots/pans needed
• Living room
  social lounge with couches, sitting balls, a television, and magnificent views of Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean
• Private-per-use bathrooms
  shared among the member residents
• Free surfboards
  available for members to check out

What is the minimum stay?

Surfbreak HNL residential members are accepted for stays lasting from two to twelve months. This is intended to foster a strong community of like-minded people who can gain from their shared experiences. On a very occasional basis for exceptional members (usually with a referral or for applicants whose companies publish specific remote-working policies), and subject to additional fees, we may accept a short-term residential member for a minimum 30-day stay. In no circumstances may someone join us at Surfbreak HNL as a residential member for less than 30 days. At the present time, move-in dates are flexible, and if there is room availability, residential members can move in on any day of a month to begin their lease.

Is there parking?

Guest parking is available in our building garage for $6/hour, payable in cash upon exit. There is no monthly parking available at Surfbreak HNL. The following transportation/parking options are available:

• Free Biki bikeshare passes are provided to all residential members, enabling you to ride around Waikiki, Ala Moana, Ward, and Kakaako
• Two Hui car share (like Zipcar) vehicles are available downstairs
• Moped parking is free in the building garage
• A commercial pay lot is available next door, with monthly rates around $220/month

Can couples/guests visit or stay Surfbreak HNL?

Couples residing together Couples wishing to live together for an extended duration at Surfbreak HNL must apply together and each be accepted as members. Such extended-stay couples are only permitted in King Corner rooms and will be subject to an additional monthly fee of $500 + 4.712% GET. Guest rooms for visitors As an amenity for current Surfbreak HNL residential members, we have two "guest rooms" available on a first-come-first-served basis for overnight visitors that are invited by current resident members: one guest room with a queen bed, and a second guest room with a bunk of two stacked twin beds. The use of these guest rooms may only be requested by current Surfbreak HNL resident members and will be charged to the requesting member's account. Visitors staying in guest rooms will not be considered Surfbreak HNL members and will not automatically have the right to partake in Surfbreak HNL activities or amenities without approval. The Surfbreak HNL member will be fully responsible for the behavior of and any damage caused by his or her guests, and the guests may only enter the 40th Floor penthouse Surfbreak HNL space with the member's keycard. Fees for use of guest rooms (charged to the Surfbreak HNL residential member's account as an optional amenity fee):

• Queen guest room | Room 4020 ("Kualoa Ranch")
  $95 + 4.712% GET per night, 7-day maximum
  
  
• Bunk guest room | Room 4001 ("Tantalus")
  $45 + 4.712% GET per individual twin bed per night, 7-day maximum
  Note: this may be a shared room if both beds aren't reserved together

What co-working amenities are provided?

At Surfbreak HNL, in addition to a desk in your private light-filled floor-to-ceiling glass bedroom, you'll have access to the following:

• The Board Room
  a glass-walled fishbowl conference room on our floor
• Studio Lab
  a quiet working room that doubles as a reservable podcast recording studio
• Additional conference rooms
  available with a reservation elsewhere in the building
• Reliable high-speed internet
  provisioned for 1.2 GB of bandwidth for the floor, with wired and wi-fi access points installed in every bedroom
• Sound-resistant working spaces
  construction features include "Quietrock" wall board, R19 sound-deadening insulation, 1/2" resilient floating-wall mounting systems to absorb vibration, solid-core wooden doors to every room, and exterior-grade weatherstripping around doors

Can I work from Surfbreak HNL without living there?

Surfbreak HNL is, first and foremost, a co-living facility provided for our residential members, and it is generally closed to the outside public. The following people are permitted into the Surfbreak HNL 40th Floor penthouse:

• Current Surfbreak HNL residential members
• Surfbreak HNL residential member alumni, upon request on a space-available basis
• Guests of current Surfbreak HNL residential members, subject to limits
• RSVPd outside attendees of Surfbreak HNL special events

How easy is it to connect with other members if I join Surfbreak HNL?

Really easy. The Surfbreak HNL culture is extremely friendly and welcoming. Whenever a new residential member arrives, usually there are other members hanging out or socially working in our Living Room that'll greet the newbie with a hug or shaka. We have an internal group chat that all residential members are invited to, and it's popping throughout the day with announcements, invites by and for members to meals and activities, and the occasional meme and/or candid action photo.

What kinds of events do you guys hold?

Each month we host an onsite event for our Surfbreak Speaker Series. We invite members and selected outside guests to present on topics that we believe would be of interest to our community. Here's a tasting of our past Surfbreak Speaker Series events:

• July 2021: Interactive workshop on "Authentic Leadership" taught by a lecturer from The School of Life
• June 2021: Panel of local experts discussing "Inflation and Hawaii Restate in 2021" in conjunction with High Tide Hawaii

Are the events open to the public?

Quite a few of our events are open to selected members of the public on a space-available basis, but most require RSVPs.

(How) can I host an event?

We are always on the lookout for guest speakers and great in-person content to host at Surfbreak HNL. Reach out to us at info@surfbreakhnl.com with your ideas to see if we can collaborate!

Can I become a vendor or partner?

Please send us an email at info@surfbreakhnl.com with details about you or your business and what sort of partnership you are hoping to set up. We love making new connections and seek collaboration through the spirit of aloha!

How far are beaches, surf breaks, and hikes?

So close. One of the most unrealized and underappreciated aspects of Oahu is just how close world-class activities are. Go two miles from our 40th Floor penthouse space and you're in a tropical rainforest; walk ten minutes and you're at a beach. Beaches

• Ala Moana Beach | 10 minutes by foot with outdoor gym bars, volleyball courts, walking paths, and BBQ areas
• Waikiki Beach | 12 minutes by foot, with beach bars and restaurants (and lots of tourists)
• Kaimanas | 10-minute bike ride (use your included free Biki bikeshare pass!) to a local favorite beach spot

What restaurants and stores are in the nearby area?

Our neighborhood (Ala Moana) is the central shopping and dining hub of Honolulu. You could explore the shops and eateries for weeks and still have more to try. These restaurants are all within walking distance (plus Uber Eats and Grubhub are available for delivery): Breakfast / lunch / smoothies / bowls / light bites

• Honolulu Coffee Company Experience Center (across the street!)
• Olena | vegan + smoothies
• Yogurstory | sweet + savory breakfast/brunch
• Hi Blend | healthy sandwiches + smoothies + açai bowls
• Teddys Bigger Burgers | Hawaii's local answer to Five Guys
• Eggs n Things | traditional breakfast
• Tropical Tribe | Brazilian-style açai bowls
• Brew and Foam | Coffee + açai bowls
• Cinnamons Waikiki | full breakfast overlooking the Ala Wai marina