Awards to Polynesian Cultural Center

Looking for things to do in Hawaiʻi? The Polynesian Cultural Center was awarded USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Award 2024 for 1st Place in “Best Family Attraction in Hawaiʻi.”

Not only does this award place the Polynesian Cultural Center at the top of the best attractions on Oʻahu, but it recognizes the Center as the best attraction among all the islands that comprise the state of Hawaiʻi. The award identifies the Polynesian Cultural Center as a definite “must see” for any guests visiting the islands.

Awards and how they help

Planning a trip and feeling overwhelmed? What do all those awards listed on an attraction’s website mean? Just looking at an awards list can be daunting, especially if you do not know what each award represents or how the venue earned it.

Friend recommendations can be helpful, but also limiting. What if your friends do not enjoy the same types of activities you like?

Awards logos on websites might seem overwhelming if you do not know the presenter or how the award is determined. But using awards you understand as guidelines to plan your trip can be helpful. Below is a breakdown of the awards PCC has received.

USA TODAY

USA Today publishes their 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards annually. Categories include travel, art, cuisine, entertainment, and attractions. A panel of experts within their home cities and fields creates informed nominations. Those recommendations are submitted to the 10 Best editors, who narrow the list to 20 nominees per category.

These nominees are then published online for public voting. Anyone can vote once a day for 30 days. Readers cannot nominate businesses and nominees cannot pay for a listing. This helps prevent bias and ensures that only the best suggestions reach the list.

This award for the Polynesian Cultural Center means experts visited, participated in the activities, ate the food, watched the show, and compared their experiences with other venues throughout Hawaiʻi. The public vote affirmed their selection. PCC was chosen by readers from over 20 different venues across the United States.

When you see a travel option with a USA Today Reader’s Choice Award, you can be confident the experience has been reviewed and recommended by knowledgeable travelers.

Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor has awarded the Polynesian Cultural Center the Travelers' Choice Award 2024.

This means travelers have chosen the Polynesian Cultural Center as one of the top 10 percent of attractions worldwide.

Tripadvisor offers two different awards: Best of the Best (its highest honor) and Travelers' Choice. A panel of experts reads and reviews guest ratings and comments from the past year. Nominations are catalogued, ratings are tallied, and awards are presented.

PCC has received this Travelers' Choice Award four times, demonstrating consistent excellence and dedication to quality experiences. Be sure to add PCC to your list of places to visit in Hawaiʻi.

Hawaii’s Best Award

The Hawaii’s Best Award comes from local businesses, recognizing the venues the community believes are the best in their categories.

This award signals that residents recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center not just for tourists, but also when entertaining visiting friends and family. PCC has consistently won first place as Best Tourist Attraction since 2019, and before that placed in the top three from 2009 forward.

This long-term consistency reflects PCC’s commitment to providing an immersive cultural experience for all who visit.

Best of Honolulu

Best of Honolulu is a local magazine that opens “Best of” voting to readers. Ballots are submitted, tallied, and awards presented.

The Polynesian Cultural Center won Best Place to Experience Cultural Activities in 2024, and Best Place to Take Out-of-towners in 2023. Local readers clearly feel PCC is worthy of sharing with friends and family.

Planning on touring Hawaiʻi?

When visiting Hawaiʻi or planning a trip anywhere, awards can help you understand what to expect. These awards reflect the activities, food, and experiences offered. Because these awards are based on expert and guest evaluations, and are not paid placements, they help ensure you can trust the recognition.

The consistent top ratings received by the Polynesian Cultural Center reflect its dedication to hosting guests and portraying the cultures it represents. Mahalo, and happy travels!

About the Author

Peggy Arsenault recognized she could be 50 years old with or without a college degree. She holds a master’s degree in Adult Education. Now living her best life, she volunteers at the Polynesian Cultural Center. She loves dessert for breakfast, traveling, reading, trying new things, and spending time with grandchildren. A baker, research editor, and college professor, her blogs profile new adventures with food, travel, and culture while enjoying life on the North Shore.