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The Best Hotels in Honolulu, With the Fee Each One Adds

The advertised rate for a Waikiki room is not what you pay. On top of it come a daily resort fee that can add fifty dollars a night, parking that can add another sixty, and a tax stack that reached close to nineteen percent when Hawaii raised its accommodation tax on 1 January 2026. This page ignores star ratings and lists what each hotel actually charges, from its own website, checked in August 2026. One of them charges no resort fee at all.

Best all-round: Halekulani

See availability in HonoluluLive prices for your dates
By Emma13 min readPublished Prices checked August 2026
Table of contents
Diamond Head seen along Waikiki beach, the stretch Honolulu's hotels sit behind
Photo: Jackie Gleason · Public domain

In Brief

What is the best hotel in Honolulu?

Halekulani, and the reason is on its own FAQ page: there are no resort fees at Halekulani. Every other hotel checked here adds 37 to 52 dollars a night before tax. Wayfinder Waikiki is the value pick with the lowest published fee at 37 dollars. Ignore both if you are driving, because parking here runs 45 to 68 dollars a night on top.

Key takeaways

  • Halekulani is the only hotel checked that states plainly it charges no resort fee
  • Published resort fees run from 37 dollars at Wayfinder to 52 at Park Shore, before tax
  • Parking runs 45 to 68 dollars a night, and is charged separately again
  • Hawaii's accommodation tax rose to 11 percent on 1 January 2026, taking the total stack near 19 percent

Which one fits how you travel

Find the row that sounds like your trip. Every pick below names the traveller it is wrong for, so you can book on fit rather than on rank.

If you areBookWhy
Comparing what you will actually payHalekulaniThe only hotel here that says in writing it charges no resort fee, which is worth roughly 350 dollars plus tax over a week.
Watching the budget but want it all publishedWayfinder WaikikiThe lowest published amenity fee at 37 dollars, with the tax rate, the inclusions and the pool hours all stated up front.
Driving a hire carPrince WaikikiSelf parking at 45 dollars plus tax is the cheapest published rate here, and it is the only hotel offering self park at all.
Here mainly to swimPark Shore WaikikiEight minutes from the middle of the strip and facing the Kuhio Beach end, which is the calmest water in Waikiki.
Wanting the quiet endKaimana Beach Hotel, or Queen KapiolaniBoth sit past Kapiolani Park at the Diamond Head end, with Queen Kapiolani keeping you inside a ten minute walk of the strip.
Swimming after darkWayfinder Waikiki or Prince Waikiki, not Park ShoreWayfinder publishes 8am to 10pm and Prince Waikiki 7am to 10pm, while Park Shore's pool closes at sunset.
See availability for your dates in HonoluluCompare every hotel below on one map · Small independent hotels a few streets back from the sand
  • Free cancellation on most rooms
  • No booking fee
  • Prices on Trip.com
Flights to HonoluluCompare airlines and dates

What the bands mean

The room rate is the part of a Honolulu bill you can compare online, and it is the part that matters least. What you cannot see in a search result is the daily resort or amenity fee, which on the hotels checked here runs from nothing at Halekulani to 52 dollars plus taxes at Park Shore Waikiki, and the parking, which runs from 45 dollars plus tax for self parking at Prince Waikiki to 68 dollars a night at Halekulani. Then the state takes its share. Since 1 January 2026 Hawaii's transient accommodations tax has been 11 percent, up from 10.25, counties may add up to 3 percent on top, and the general excise tax of about 4.5 percent applies to most of what the hotel bills you, including the resort fee. Together that is close to 19 percent. The symbols below are relative room tiers only, cheapest to dearest, and they deliberately do not tell you which hotel is cheapest to stay in.

€
Small independent hotels a few streets back from the sand
€€
Mid-range Waikiki hotels, most with a pool and a resort fee
€€€
Beachfront and near-beachfront full-service hotels
€€€€
The luxury names on the water

The 9 hotels, and who each one is wrong for

Walking times are to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki. Measured in August 2026 on OpenStreetMap foot routing at about 4.3 km/h, from each hotel's own published address to the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Kalakaua Avenue, which is the middle of Waikiki and about as close to a town centre as this stretch has. Waikiki is flat and compact, so the differences are small, and the two that stand out are the two worth knowing about: Prince Waikiki at half an hour and Kaimana Beach Hotel at twenty minutes are both genuinely outside the strip.

  • The quiet western end of Waikiki beach by Fort DeRussy, seen from the army museum

    Kalia Road, Fort DeRussy end

    Halekulani

    €€€€
    Rated 4.7 out of 5 on Google Maps from 4,313 reviews, as of October 2026
    Best all-round

    The grande dame of Waikiki, on Kalia Road at the quieter Fort DeRussy end, and the only hotel checked for this page that removes the biggest hidden cost entirely. Its own FAQ says it in five words: there are no resort fees at Halekulani. Over a seven night stay that is roughly 350 dollars you do not pay, before the tax on top of it.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    15 minutes at 1,102 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Anyone comparing all-in prices rather than headline rates, where the no-fee policy closes much of the gap.
    Wrong for
    Drivers. Overnight parking here is 68 dollars a night, the highest on this page.
    The catch
    It is the most expensive room rate here by a distance, so the fee saving narrows the gap rather than closing it, and the 68 dollar parking claws some of it straight back.
    Check dates and prices for HalekulaniOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The Ala Wai Canal along the back edge of Waikiki, with a paddler and the towers behind

    Ala Wai Boulevard

    Wayfinder Waikiki

    €€
    Rated 4.2 out of 5 on Google Maps from 750 reviews, as of October 2026
    Best value

    A reworked mid-century hotel on the Ala Wai Canal side, and the most transparent operator in Waikiki. Its FAQ gives the amenity fee as 37 dollars plus 18.712 percent tax as of 1 January 2026, lists exactly what the fee buys, and states pool hours of 8am to 10pm year round, which almost nobody else here does.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    9 minutes at 658 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Travellers who want to know the whole number before booking and will trade a beachfront address for it.
    Wrong for
    Anyone who wants to walk out of the lobby onto sand, since the beach is a nine minute walk across the strip.
    The catch
    Valet is the only parking at 49 dollars a night, rising to 57 for anything over 18 feet long or 6 foot 6 tall, so a hire car with a roof box is an expensive mistake.
    Check dates and prices for Wayfinder WaikikiOpens the live rate for your dates
  • Swimmers and surfboards on the busy central stretch of Waikiki beach

    Kalakaua Avenue at Kuhio Beach

    Park Shore Waikiki

    €€€
    Rated 4.2 out of 5 on Google Maps from 2,389 reviews, as of October 2026

    On the corner where Kalakaua meets Kapahulu, facing Kuhio Beach at the Diamond Head end of the strip, which is the best beach position of any hotel on this page. Its policies page publishes the amenity fee at 52 dollars plus taxes a night, valet at 55 dollars a day plus tax with in and out privileges, and pool hours of 8am to sunset.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    8 minutes at 565 m, the shortest on this page to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    People who want to cross one road to the best swimming end of Waikiki beach.
    Wrong for
    Anyone who swims in the evening, because this pool closes at sunset rather than staying open late.
    The catch
    At 52 dollars plus taxes it carries the highest published resort fee here, which over a week is more than 400 dollars once the tax lands on it.
    Check dates and prices for Park Shore WaikikiOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The Waikiki shoreline running east towards the Diamond Head end, away from the hotel strip

    Kalakaua Avenue past Kapiolani Park

    Kaimana Beach Hotel

    €€€
    Rated 4.4 out of 5 on Google Maps from 1,812 reviews, as of October 2026

    Out past Kapiolani Park on the far side of the crowds, facing the small beach below Diamond Head that locals actually use. The daily resort fee is 45 dollars and includes Hawaiian cultural classes, cruiser bike rentals, towels, chairs and reef safe sunscreen, which is a more useful list than most fees buy.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    21 minutes at 1,499 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Repeat visitors who have done Waikiki and want the calm end with a real neighbourhood beach.
    Wrong for
    First timers who want the strip, because at 21 minutes on foot you are committed to the walk or the bus each way.
    The catch
    Valet parking is 55 dollars a night plus tax and there is no self park option, so the distance from the strip does not buy you cheaper parking.
    Check dates and prices for Kaimana Beach HotelOpens the live rate for your dates
  • High-rise towers around Ala Moana, west of Waikiki and closer to the harbour

    Holomoana Street, Ala Moana harbour

    Prince Waikiki

    €€€
    Rated 4.5 out of 5 on Google Maps from 4,372 reviews, as of October 2026

    A harbour-front tower on Holomoana Street at the Ala Moana end, facing the yacht basin rather than the surf, and the only hotel on this page that publishes both a self park and a valet rate. Self parking is 45 dollars plus tax and valet 50 plus tax, and the pools run 7am to 10pm with poolside cabanas available from 11am to 7pm.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    32 minutes at 2,318 m, the furthest on this page to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Drivers, since 45 dollars self parking is the cheapest published rate here and you are next to the Ala Moana shops.
    Wrong for
    Beach people. At 32 minutes on foot from the middle of Waikiki, this is not a walk to the sand.
    The catch
    Its FAQ confirms a daily resort charge applies to every booking but does not say how much it is, which makes an all-in comparison impossible before you reach the booking screen.
    Check dates and prices for Prince WaikikiOpens the live rate for your dates
  • Open lawns and banyans in Kapiolani Park at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki

    Kapahulu Avenue at Kapiolani Park

    Queen Kapiolani Hotel

    €€

    Across from Kapiolani Park on Kapahulu Avenue, looking at Diamond Head one way and the beach the other, with a ten minute walk to the middle of the strip. Its FAQ publishes valet parking at 60 dollars a day plus tax and check-in at 3pm with check-out at 11am, and does not list any resort or amenity fee at all.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    10 minutes at 719 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Travellers who want the Diamond Head end without the Kaimana walk, and the park across the street.
    Wrong for
    Anyone bringing a car, because 60 dollars a day valet is the second highest parking charge on this page.
    The catch
    No resort fee appears anywhere in its published FAQ, which is either genuinely good news or an omission. Confirm it in writing at booking rather than assuming.
    Check dates and prices for Queen Kapiolani HotelOpens the live rate for your dates
  • A Biki bike share rack on a Waikiki side street a few blocks back from the beach

    Nohonani Street, inland Waikiki

    White Sands Hotel

    €
    Rated 3.8 out of 5 on Google Maps from 982 reviews, as of October 2026

    A small, low-rise independent on Nohonani Street, a few blocks back from the sand, built round a courtyard and a pool rather than a lobby and a tower. It is the kind of place Waikiki had a lot more of before the towers went up, and it is a ten minute flat walk to the middle of the strip.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    10 minutes at 735 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Travellers who would rather have a courtyard and a low rate than an ocean view and a fee.
    Wrong for
    Anyone who needs a resort's worth of facilities, because this is a small hotel with a pool and not much else.
    The catch
    Its website does not publish a resort fee, a parking price or check-in times anywhere reachable, so the all-in cost cannot be worked out in advance and is recorded here as unconfirmed.
    Check dates and prices for White Sands HotelOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The Waikiki Beach Walk shopping and restaurant strip inland from Kalia Road

    Kuhio Avenue

    The Laylow

    €€€

    A mid-century revival hotel on Kuhio Avenue, one street back from Kalakaua, with the pool deck and the bar a floor above the traffic. It is the most designed hotel in Waikiki and a ten minute walk from the middle of the beach, which is the trade it asks you to make.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    10 minutes at 681 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    People who want the room and the bar to be the point rather than an ocean view.
    Wrong for
    Families wanting pool space, since this is a compact deck built for evenings rather than for children.
    The catch
    The page reached on its own site during this check carried no resort fee, parking rate or check-in information at all, so its all-in cost is unverified here rather than filled in from a booking site.
    Check dates and prices for The LaylowOpens the live rate for your dates
  • The Diamond Head crater rim under cloud at the eastern end of the Waikiki shoreline

    Lewers Street

    Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club

    €€€
    Rated 4.5 out of 5 on Google Maps from 1,414 reviews, as of October 2026

    On Lewers Street at the back of Waikiki, best known for the pool with the words Wish You Were Here written across its floor. It is a small independent with a courtyard, a restaurant and a genuinely different feel from the towers, at fourteen minutes from the middle of the beach.

    Walk to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    14 minutes at 1,000 m to the Duke Kahanamoku statue in the middle of Waikiki
    Right for
    Travellers who want a pool with a personality and do not mind that it is a small one.
    Wrong for
    Anyone whose day revolves around the sea, because this is the furthest inland hotel on this page.
    The catch
    Its FAQ page returned a 404 on this check, so no resort fee, parking rate or pool hours could be verified at source and none are stated here.
    Check dates and prices for Surfjack Hotel and Swim ClubOpens the live rate for your dates

Where not to book in Honolulu

There is no bad part of Waikiki, but there is a bad way to book it. Never compare Honolulu hotels on the room rate alone. On the nine hotels checked here the published resort fees ran from zero to 52 dollars a night and parking from 45 to 68, which between them can swing the real cost of a week by more than a thousand dollars without the headline rate moving at all. Then add the tax stack, which since 1 January 2026 has been an 11 percent state accommodation tax, up to 3 percent more from the county and about 4.5 percent general excise, close to 19 percent in total, and note that the general excise applies to the resort fee too. The other trap is assuming silence means free. Three of the nine hotels on this page publish no fee information on their own sites, and Prince Waikiki confirms a resort charge exists without saying what it is. Get the number in writing before you book.

When to book

Book Honolulu around the two demand walls rather than the weather, which barely changes. The peaks are mid-December to March, when North American winter and whale season overlap, and late June to mid-August. The value windows are late April to early June and September to early December, when rates soften and the water is still warm. One 2026 note worth building into the budget: the accommodation tax rise that took effect on 1 January is now on every night you book, so a quote you saved from 2025 is out of date. If you want a specific hotel at the Diamond Head end, book earlier than you would for the strip, because Kaimana and Queen Kapiolani have far fewer rooms between them than the towers do.

Best hotels in Honolulu: FAQ

The questions travellers ask most when picking a hotel here.

On all-in cost rather than star rating, Halekulani leads because it publishes that it charges no resort fee, which is unique among the hotels checked for this page and worth roughly 350 dollars plus tax across a week. Park Shore Waikiki has the best beach position, eight minutes from the middle of the strip and facing the calm Kuhio Beach end, though it carries the highest published fee at 52 dollars plus taxes. Wayfinder Waikiki is the most honest mid-range option, publishing its 37 dollar fee, the exact tax rate on it, and its pool hours. Prince Waikiki is the answer if you are driving, at 45 dollars plus tax for self parking.

Three stand out and all three ask you to give up the beachfront. The Laylow on Kuhio Avenue is the most designed, a mid-century revival with the pool deck raised above the street. Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club on Lewers Street has the pool with Wish You Were Here written across the floor and the strongest sense of place. White Sands Hotel on Nohonani Street is the plain and cheap version of the same idea, a low-rise courtyard hotel from the era before the towers. Be warned that all three published less fee information than the big hotels did: on the checks for this page none of them stated a resort fee or a parking rate on a reachable page.

On the hotels checked for this page in August 2026 it ranged from nothing to 52 dollars a night before tax. Halekulani states it charges no resort fee. Wayfinder Waikiki publishes 37 dollars plus 18.712 percent tax as of 1 January 2026. Kaimana Beach Hotel charges 45 dollars. Park Shore Waikiki charges 52 dollars plus taxes. Prince Waikiki confirms a daily resort charge applies but does not publish the amount, and three hotels published nothing at all. Because general excise tax applies to the fee as well as the room, the real weekly cost of a 50 dollar fee is closer to 365 dollars than 350.

Not in Waikiki, and it is an expensive thing to have there. Every hotel on this page is inside a flat 32 minute walk of the middle of the strip and most are inside ten minutes, while parking runs 45 to 68 dollars a night on top of everything else. TheBus covers Oahu cheaply and the Biki bike share is dense across Waikiki. A car earns its keep only if you are driving the North Shore or the windward coast, and even then renting it for the two or three days you actually need it costs far less than parking it all week.

Hawaii raised its statewide transient accommodations tax from 10.25 percent to 11 percent on 1 January 2026 to fund what the state calls the first climate impact fee in the country, widely known as the Green Fee. It is intended to raise around 100 million dollars a year for climate resilience and environmental work. Counties can still add their own surcharge of up to 3 percent, and the general excise tax of about 4.5 percent applies on top, which is how the total reaches close to 19 percent. One part of the law did not take effect as planned: a federal appeals court ruling at the end of 2025 blocked the state from applying the tax to cruise ship passengers.

The Diamond Head end if you want calm, the middle if you want convenience, and the Ala Moana end only if you are driving. Measured to the Duke Kahanamoku statue, Park Shore is eight minutes away, Queen Kapiolani, White Sands and The Laylow all ten, Surfjack fourteen and Halekulani fifteen, so most of Waikiki is genuinely walkable. The two outliers change the character of a trip: Kaimana Beach Hotel at 21 minutes sits past Kapiolani Park in a quiet residential pocket with a local beach, and Prince Waikiki at 32 minutes faces the yacht harbour rather than the surf and is really an Ala Moana hotel.

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Photo credits (9)

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.

  • The quiet western end of Waikiki beach by Fort DeRussy, seen from the army museum: Masayuki (Yuki) Kawagishi - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • The Ala Wai Canal along the back edge of Waikiki, with a paddler and the towers behind: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Swimmers and surfboards on the busy central stretch of Waikiki beach: Prayitno from Los Angeles, USA - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • The Waikiki shoreline running east towards the Diamond Head end, away from the hotel strip: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • High-rise towers around Ala Moana, west of Waikiki and closer to the harbour: Tooru - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • Open lawns and banyans in Kapiolani Park at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki: Syced - CC0 · source
  • A Biki bike share rack on a Waikiki side street a few blocks back from the beach: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • The Waikiki Beach Walk shopping and restaurant strip inland from Kalia Road: Prayitno from Los Angeles, USA - CC BY 2.0 · source
  • The Diamond Head crater rim under cloud at the eastern end of the Waikiki shoreline: Mds08011 - CC BY 4.0 · source