SoCalGal

We are traveling to the Big Island in May, but due to the arival time of our flight in Waikiki, we need to spend the first night in Oahu.

We will be staying at the Waikiki Parc, and would appreciate any advice on transportation. Any ideas on the cost of taxi's? I'd rather save my money for mai tai's... but are the shuttle services a huge pain in the tail? I saw on-line the "Airport Waikiki Express" operated by Roberts Hawaii. Anyone familiar with it?

What about renting a car? Could it be cheaper than a taxi, but more of a hassle?

I'd appreciate any input that any of you might have.

Much Thanks...

ms_go

I took a taxi from the Waikiki Parc to the airport a few weeks ago. It was about $25, plus tip. I would think that is significantly less than a rental car/parking.

SoCalGal

Thank you for the information. What did you think of the Waikiki Parc? It looks nice, but having never stayed there... It's only one night, but we still want to be someplace that's reasonably nice.

ms_go

We really liked the Waikiki Parc. Like you, we just had a short stay -- ours was on the end of a longer trip.

The rooms are pretty small, but for one or two nights that really wasn't an issue for us. We reserved a deluxe ocean view room, and we had a nice view of the ocean and up to the north; the Sheraton next door blocks any view to the south. The balcony was small, but had room for two chairs and a small table. We had lunch on the balcony one day.

What I liked most was the quiet feel to the hotel. Most of the hotels we walked through were crowded and busy in the public areas. The Parc only has about 15 rooms per floor, so it felt much more quiet and relaxed. It also is a sister hotel to the Halekulani, across the street, so you have signing privileges (but not pool or beach privileges) there. If you arrive in time for sunset, I highly recommend the terrace at House Without a Key!

Other than that, I thought the service was great. We asked for and were granted a late checkout, and the staff were very helpful with directions, etc. Our rate included a choice of Japanese or American buffet breakfast, which was quite good.

wolfshin

We had the same dilemma in October when we traveled from the east coast to Hawaii. Fortunately, our airline changed the time of our flight, so it did not become an issue for us, but our plan was to stay one night at the "Best Western The Plaza Hotel" in Honolulu, HI, which is not too far from the airport and has a free 24 hour shuttle to and from the airport. They also have a shuttle to the Arizona for a fee. It sounded very convenient and cost effective considering that our stay was to be for only one night. The cost per room was about $100. Go to www.bestwestern.com and do a search for the hotel, or call them at (808)836-3636 Toll Free Reservations: 800-800-4683 Hope this is helpful.

fun2travel

We were in Oahu in January and took the shuttle to our hotel on Waikiki. The trip was miserable. It took atleast 1 1/2 hours to get to our hotel from the airport! The shuttle picks up passengers from all hotels and drops them off individually taking time to unload everyones bags. Granted our hotel was probably one of the furtherest away but even the "middle hotels" were atleast an hour plus getting to their hotels. We actually sat idle in the shuttle for 15 minutes waiting for one of the passengers to get cash from the instant access machine so he could pay the fare. We were frustrated and exhausted by the time we got to the hotel, should have paid the $$ for the cab, we were just glad we didn't buy the round trip ticket they try to sell you before leaving the airport.

SoCalGal

Thank you for all the input. I think this website is absolutely tremendous! We have decided to rent a car because I was able to get a mid-size for $30.00 through Alamo. The way I calculated it, it's a lot less money than for a taxi (round-trip), and much less of a head-ache than a shuttle. The Waikiki Parc has free parking, so we should be good to go.

Thanks also for the info on the Waikiki Parc. I know that, considering I'll only be there 12 hours, I shouldn't really care, but it's our 10th anniversary and I want everything to be PERFECT!