HNL airport hotel

Karen Willett

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 27, 2019
So we will end up flying back to hnl from LIH the day before we fly back to the east coast. Trying to decide if we stay at an airport close to the airport or stay on Waikiki beach. Thought's/ suggestions?
 
I would stay in Waikiki. Keep in mind depending on when you arrive it will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to get to Waikiki from the Airport due to traffic, so plan for that. I have had a 12 hour layover before in HNL, and got a room in Waikiki.
 
I would stay in Waikiki. Keep in mind depending on when you arrive it will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to get to Waikiki from the Airport due to traffic, so plan for that. I have had a 12 hour layover before in HNL, and got a room in Waikiki.
45 minutes to 2 hours from the airport to Waikiki? Oh crap!
 


maybe I have never driven in rush hour but I have spend 2 weeks on Oahu and driven all over the place and in my limited experience I could get to the furthest part of the island from Aulani in 1 hour 15 minutes so 2 hours would be a whopper of a traffic jam
 
I would stay in Waikiki. Keep in mind depending on when you arrive it will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to get to Waikiki from the Airport due to traffic, so plan for that. I have had a 12 hour layover before in HNL, and got a room in Waikiki.
What times are considered rush hours?
 
If you arrive after the morning rush hour (so after say 10am) then you will be fine to get to Waikiki within 1/2hr. The main time for traffic IINTO Honolulu is between 6am-10am after that it’s fine. Afternoon rush hour is going in the opposite direction - this is when you do not want to be driving to Aulani, Waikiki is fine.

There are no great hotels near the airport - book somewhere in Waikiki, many many more options for both accomodation and food.
 


What times are considered rush hours?
Generally speaking, 6am-10am going into Honolulu and 3pm-7pm going the opposite way.

I'm with PP - we never experienced a traffic jam that set us back two hours. We arrived around 3pm on a Thursday and while there was some traffic, it took us no longer than 30 minutes to get to our Waikiki hotel from the airport in a taxi. The majority of the traffic was going the opposite way at that time. I would also book a hotel in Waikiki for the one night - lots to do in walking distance and would be much nicer for enjoying your last night of vacation!
 
As a local I would book a hotel in waikiki. The hotels near the airport are just ok and it is not the greatest area. No beach and not really much to do around airport. Well right now with covid waikiki is a ghost town. When date and time are you getting into HNL?
 
maybe I have never driven in rush hour but I have spend 2 weeks on Oahu and driven all over the place and in my limited experience I could get to the furthest part of the island from Aulani in 1 hour 15 minutes so 2 hours would be a whopper of a traffic jam
I'm in agreement that it can take a long time. A rainy Friday during or near rush hour can take a very long time to travel a very short distance entering or exiting Honolulu.

Having said that, I always book something in Waikiki if I have long layovers (or better intentionally plan at least one night as a layover)
 
The airport hotels make the All Stars look nice lol. They're also notorious for hosting loud hotel parties and I would avoid them at all costs.

There are two main routes from Waikiki to the airport. You could either take the freeway or Ala Moana Blvd/Nimitz. Either way, it shouldn't take you more than 45-60 minutes even at peak rush hour traffic. The only time that drives takes two hours is if there is a MAJOR incident such as the freeway being shut down due to an overpass being hit or a traffic accident that involved a fatality. These types of extreme delays only occur once every 1-2 years.

The Prince Hotel is a good option because it's well priced, clean, has good food, and is on the very edge of Waikiki closest to the airport and it's a straight shot down Ala Moana Blvd/Nimitz to the airport.
 
We've stayed at the airport hotels, simply because our flights got in at 10 PM (1 AM at home) and we wanted to get out to Aulani at sunrise... We thought it wouldn't be bad, but the noise kept us both awake, and my husband sleeps deep. I wouldn't do it again.
 
The airport hotels make the All Stars look nice lol. They're also notorious for hosting loud hotel parties and I would avoid them at all costs.

There are two main routes from Waikiki to the airport. You could either take the freeway or Ala Moana Blvd/Nimitz. Either way, it shouldn't take you more than 45-60 minutes even at peak rush hour traffic. The only time that drives takes two hours is if there is a MAJOR incident such as the freeway being shut down due to an overpass being hit or a traffic accident that involved a fatality. These types of extreme delays only occur once every 1-2 years.

The Prince Hotel is a good option because it's well priced, clean, has good food, and is on the very edge of Waikiki closest to the airport and it's a straight shot down Ala Moana Blvd/Nimitz to the airport.
Prince hotel is still closed due to covid. Might want to try ala moana hotel.
 
Prince hotel is still closed due to covid. Might want to try ala moana hotel.

Wow, I didn't realize they were still closed. I keep seeing Friends+Family promotions for $99/night plus free parking so I thought they were open. Thanks for the head's up! I am desperately looking for a staycation once the lockdown is lifted. We've had two Aulani reservations cancelled on us and none of our preferred hotels reopened during the brief time we could travel inter-island. Being at home 24/7 with a 2yo and 4yo (as much as I love them) all day is driving me bonkers lol!
 
Book a stay at Marriott Ko olina beach club. I am staying there and it is peaceful. If you want, PM me and I can get you better prices as an owner.
 
maybe I have never driven in rush hour but I have spend 2 weeks on Oahu and driven all over the place and in my limited experience I could get to the furthest part of the island from Aulani in 1 hour 15 minutes so 2 hours would be a whopper of a traffic jam
We've experienced 2 hours from Aulani to Waikiki, starting out at about 7:30 am. Highway construction was reducing lanes and Waze was routing long lines of cars crawling down tiny dirt roads alongside the highway. This was probably a worst-case, but it did cause us to miss a tour we had already paid for.
 
Book a stay at Marriott Ko olina beach club. I am staying there and it is peaceful. If you want, PM me and I can get you better prices as an owner.
Thank you, that sounds wonderful and relaxing. I've got two young kids, though, and due to the current lockdown I can't spend any time with them on the beach unless we're all in the water.

We've experienced 2 hours from Aulani to Waikiki, starting out at about 7:30 am. Highway construction was reducing lanes and Waze was routing long lines of cars crawling down tiny dirt roads alongside the highway. This was probably a worst-case, but it did cause us to miss a tour we had already paid for.
Being routed down the cane roads is unusual, but a 2 hour commute from Waikiki/Aulani is not abnormal, especially on a Friday afternoon when school is in session.
 
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I would definitely book Waikiki if you have the time. The airport hotels are not nice at all. And yes I have had to stay in them for work. Just prepare for the traffic possibilities and enjoy the end of your vacation in Waikiki.
 

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