Driving to Aulani Evening Arrival

[NancyK]

We are arriving in Honolulu about 8:30pm on a Saturday evening. We are coming from the east coast.
We are trying to decide between staying at a nearby airport hotel the first night or driving straight to Aulani.
Is it a difficult drive in the dark? While it might be nice to make the drive the next morning we were thinking the traffic and check in will be less hectic Saturday night.
Your thoughts please.

 

[princessbride6205]

Aulani is not that far from the airport. You shouldn't have too much traffic on the Sunday morning either if you choose to stay at the airport. If this was the difference between Sunday night and Monday morning, traffic would be another story. Off-peak, it's under 30 minutes and a pretty easy drive. Get on the main highway until the Ko Olina exit, one or two turns and you're there. In the dark the actual driveway for Aulani is a bit understated, so we missed it on the first pass. Easy enough to turn around. The only real challenge we had was getting out of the airport offsite rental car road, since it's under a highway. If you miss one turn you have to go a couple miles out of the way.
If you are planning to do Pearl Harbor, it might make sense to do that airport hotel night and visit that first thing the next morning.

 

[buffettgirl]

There really isn't much near the airport other than The Airport Hotel and Best Western, both which are crap holes. You'd end up nearly driving the same distance, in the opposite direction before you get a decent hotel. You're much better off just driving to Aulani. There isn't a whole lot to see on the drive anyway - a couple towns and scrubby hills, the back side of pearl harbor and oil refineries.

 

[OKW Lover]

Agree with @buffettgirl above. Avoid the two near-airport hotels mentioned and just go ahead and drive to Aulani. Try to get some sleep on the flight from the east coast because you'll be really tired by the time you get to Hawaii.

 

[NancyK]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like heading to Aulani Saturday night is the best thing for us.

 

[newdeal]

What time zone are you coming from? 8:30 Hawaiian time is super late eastern time

 

[NancyK]

What time zone are you coming from? 8:30 Hawaiian time is super late eastern time

Eastern time zone but my DH will have no issues sleeping on the plane. Going straight to Aulani allows us to totally relax the next day.

 

[frank808]

As a local, i say drive to aulani after you land. Makes it so much more refreshing the next morning. Not kuch to see and the drive is like any interstate freeway on mainland.

 

[nkereina]

Another vote for driving there after you land. Your room will be ready when you arrive, and you can get yourself unpacked and settled in for your first full day. It's not a difficult drive, especially when you don't have traffic to contend with. The only potential benefit of waiting til the next morning is that you won't be as tired and could stop off for groceries, but that can really be done at any point.