Waikiki Car Rental Recommendation
In general, we advise our guests to not rent a vehicle from the airport. Instead, we suggest that our guests get settled at their accommodation on their arrival day. When you are ready to venture beyond Waikiki then you rent a ride. If you only rent for the day then you don’t need to deal with finding free parking or pay exorbitant prices. Ride wise, you can rent scouters, motorcycles, Smart Cars, and even high end sports cars. Car rental locations are throughout Waikiki.
Waikiki Parking Options
Overnight parking can be a challenge especially if you are visiting during our busy season. You can score free street parking which is limited and not easy to get. The most abundant street parking is located along the Ala Wai Canal and may mean that you need to walk a couple of blocks to get to your accommodation. Parking along the Ala Wai Canal can be restricted so be sure to read the signs so you can avoid a costly tow.
Hotel parking is an option but that is likely to set you back $50 or more per night. Each hotel has it’s own rules and pricing structure so be sure to inquire.
Another option is the Hui Car Share. With Hui, you can rent a car for an hour or day using their Hui app. All Hui stations are open 24/7 and the rental cost includes insurance, gas, unlimited mileage, roadside assistance, and parking. Hui is just a couple minutes away from hotels like the Waikiki Beach Marriott, Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and Sheraton Waikiki Beach.
Kuhio Village Parking
Your final option is public parking garages. Public parking garages, like Kuhio Village parking garage, offer less expensive rates than hotels. Public parking garages typically charge hourly or overnight rates. If you happen to be staying in one of our Kuhio Village accommodations, the parking garages are in the basement of each tower.
Kuhio Village Guest Review
The below review was from one of our Kuhio Village ocean view tower guests. Valarie provided a review with great information regarding parking in Kuhio Village parking garages.
“The best thing about this place is the location! It is literally two short blocks from the Waikiki Beach (right in front of the Duke’s statue). It has a plethora of food venues all around and a 24-hour convenience store right in the same building that was indeed very convenient.
As many other reviewers mentioned, the parking is very limited. There are two separate parking garages (one with roughly 20 slots and one with probably a few less, since 3 of them are reserved for a car rental company business located on the ground floor), each one under each tower (the two tower buildings are connected at the ground floor and it took us a while to realize there are two separate parking entrances, each facing one street). Both parking garages are actually public parking, so they are not reserved to building guests/residents. Anyone could use them by paying the park meter fare (the hourly fare is pricey, and it’s $25 for 24 hours).
We thought we were doomed to pay for parking every night of our 9-night stay, since we went for the high-season (Christmas & New Year holidays), but if you’re willing to walk 10-15 minutes – and it could be a beautiful walk along the canal – we managed to find free street parking for two thirds of our stay. So it wasn’t too bad. The building has a security office and elevators are activated only with the key fob. So this made us feel pretty safe.” Valorie, 1/1/2022
Warning!
The tow trucks are relentless in Waikiki. Do not even chance trying to park in a non-designated parking area or not pay at a fee lot. The tow companies are located near the airport. You will need to pay for a ride to the tow company and then pay a hefty fee to recover the car. The entire ordeal can set you back over $300.
