The Best Hotels in Honolulu, With the Fee Each One Adds
Best all-round: HalekulaniThe 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.
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.
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 are | Book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing what you will actually pay | Halekulani | The 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 published | Wayfinder Waikiki | The lowest published amenity fee at 37 dollars, with the tax rate, the inclusions and the pool hours all stated up front. |
| Driving a hire car | Prince Waikiki | Self 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 swim | Park Shore Waikiki | Eight minutes from the middle of the strip and facing the Kuhio Beach end, which is the calmest water in Waikiki. |
| Wanting the quiet end | Kaimana Beach Hotel, or Queen Kapiolani | Both sit past Kapiolani Park at the Diamond Head end, with Queen Kapiolani keeping you inside a ten minute walk of the strip. |
| Swimming after dark | Wayfinder Waikiki or Prince Waikiki, not Park Shore | Wayfinder publishes 8am to 10pm and Prince Waikiki 7am to 10pm, while Park Shore's pool closes at sunset. |
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- No booking fee
- Prices on Trip.com
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.
Kalia Road, Fort DeRussy end
Halekulani
€€€€Best all-roundThe 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
- Wrong for: Drivers. Overnight parking here is 68 dollars a night, the highest on this page.
- The catch
- 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.
Ala Wai Boulevard
Wayfinder Waikiki
€€Best valueA 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
- 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
- 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.
Kalakaua Avenue at Kuhio Beach
Park Shore Waikiki
€€€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
- Wrong for: Anyone who swims in the evening, because this pool closes at sunset rather than staying open late.
- The catch
- 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.
Kalakaua Avenue past Kapiolani Park
Kaimana Beach Hotel
€€€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
- 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
- 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.
Holomoana Street, Ala Moana harbour
Prince Waikiki
€€€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
- Wrong for: Beach people. At 32 minutes on foot from the middle of Waikiki, this is not a walk to the sand.
- The catch
- 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.
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
- Wrong for: Anyone bringing a car, because 60 dollars a day valet is the second highest parking charge on this page.
- The catch
- 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.
Nohonani Street, inland Waikiki
White Sands Hotel
€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
- 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
- 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.
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
- Wrong for: Families wanting pool space, since this is a compact deck built for evenings rather than for children.
- The catch
- 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.
Lewers Street
Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club
€€€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
- Wrong for: Anyone whose day revolves around the sea, because this is the furthest inland hotel on this page.
- The catch
- 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.
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.
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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