The Short Answer
On a first trip, spend a week on one island, or split 10 days or more between two. Every move between islands means a flight, a rental car return and a half day lost, so fewer moves means more beach time.
- First trip, want a city and a beach: Oʻahu, staying in Waikīkī. Most flights land in Honolulu, Waikīkī is walkable, and you only need a car for day trips.
- Resort beaches, snorkeling and Haleakalā: Maui. Stay in Kāʻanapali or Kapalua in the west, or in Wailea or Kīhei in the south, which is closer to the airport.
- Volcanoes and big, empty landscapes: the Big Island. Split your nights between the dry west coast, in Kona or on the Kohala Coast, and Volcano or Hilo near the national park.
- Hikes, cliffs and a slower pace: Kauaʻi. Stay in sunny Poʻipū, on the green north shore in Princeville or Hanalei, or in Kapaʻa in between.
Two things catch people out. Most big resorts add a daily resort fee and charge for parking on top of the room rate, so compare the total. And several of the best-known sights, including Diamond Head, Haleakalā at sunrise, Hāʻena State Park and Waiʻānapanapa, now need advance reservations for visitors.
Choose Your Base
Tap an island or area for where to stay there, the best part of it for you and hotels at every budget.
Hawaiʻi's Main Bases Compared
| Base | Best for | Airport | Drive from airport | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waikīkī (Oʻahu) | City, food, a walkable beach | HNL | 15–30 min | 3–5 |
| Ko ʻOlina (Oʻahu) | Calm lagoons, family resorts | HNL | 25–40 min | 3–5 |
| North Shore (Oʻahu) | Winter surf, small towns | HNL | 1–1.5 hrs | 2–3 |
| Kāʻanapali & Kapalua (Maui) | Beach walk, resorts, sunsets | OGG | 45 min–1 hr | 4–7 |
| Wailea & Kīhei (Maui) | Sunny resorts, condos, snorkeling | OGG | 20–40 min | 4–7 |
| Kona (Big Island) | Town base, snorkeling, value | KOA | 15–20 min | 3–4 |
| Kohala Coast (Big Island) | White-sand resort beaches | KOA | 25–40 min | 3–5 |
| Hilo & Volcano (Big Island) | Volcano park, rainforest | ITO | 5–45 min | 1–2 |
| Poʻipū (Kauaʻi) | Sunny swimming beaches | LIH | 25–35 min | 3–5 |
| Princeville & Hanalei (Kauaʻi) | Scenery, hikes, Hāʻena | LIH | 45 min–1 hr | 3–4 |
| Kapaʻa & Līhuʻe (Kauaʻi) | A central base, value | LIH | 10–25 min | 3–5 |
Drive times are free-flowing estimates from route planners and hotel directions, rounded up. Honolulu and Maui traffic can add a lot at rush hour.
One Great Hotel in Each Area
If you only want one name per area, start with these. Each guide has more options at every budget.
Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani
Helumoa Rd, behind Halekulani, Waikīkī
Our top pick: in Waikīkī, Halekulani's sister hotel, a block from the beach, at a mid-range level.
Best for: Style without the splurge
- Sister hotel to Halekulani
- Infinity pool with hot tub and cabanas
- Halekulani Bakery on site
More about this hotel
Halekulani's sister hotel stands a block back from the beach, with an infinity pool, hot tub and cabanas and the Halekulani Bakery on site. You get much of the Halekulani polish at a mid-range level, minus the beachfront.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Peaceray, CC BY-SA 3.0
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
Ko ʻOlina, west Oʻahu
Ko ʻOlina: a calm lagoon resort with a free kids' club and an adults-only pool.
Best for: Families and couples
- Adults-only pool and quiet beach
- Free kids' club for ages 5–12
- Naupaka Spa & Wellness
More about this hotel
A calm, upscale resort on a Ko ʻOlina lagoon that splits neatly between families and couples: two family pools step down to the beach, and there is a separate adults-only beach area and pool. The kids' club is free for ages 5 to 12.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Ritz-Carlton O'ahu, Turtle Bay
Kuilima Point, North Shore, North Shore, Oʻahu
North Shore: the only big resort on Oʻahu's surf coast.
Best for: North Shore surf season
- Ocean views from every room
- Two golf courses
- Beachfront Ocean Bungalows
More about this hotel
The only big resort on the North Shore, on a point with ocean views from every room, two golf courses and beachfront bungalows. It was Turtle Bay Resort until it became a Ritz-Carlton in 2024; expect a long drive to Honolulu.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Simon_sees from Australia, CC BY 2.0
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
Kāʻanapali Beach, south end, West Maui
Kāʻanapali: big pools, a lava-tube slide and the beach walk.
Best for: Families and first-timers
- 150-foot lava-tube waterslide
- Sand-bottom keiki lagoon
- Drums of the Pacific lūʻau
More about this hotel
A big resort on 40 acres at the south end of Kāʻanapali Beach, with a half-acre pool, waterfalls, a 150-foot lava-tube slide and a sand-bottom lagoon for small kids. The Drums of the Pacific lūʻau and eight places to eat mean you rarely need the car.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US
Napili Kai Beach Resort
Nāpili Bay, West Maui
Nāpili: kitchenettes on a sandy bay, with no resort fee.
Best for: Families and returning visitors
- On Nāpili Bay
- Studios and suites with kitchenettes
- No resort fee and free parking
More about this hotel
A low-rise resort on curved Nāpili Bay, with studios and suites that have kitchenettes. It charges no resort fee and no parking fee, which is rare on Maui.
Fairmont Kea Lani
Polo Beach, south Wailea, Wailea & Kīhei
Wailea: all suites and villas, steps from Polo Beach.
Best for: Families who want space
- All suites and villas
- Villas with private plunge pools
- Adults-only pool plus family pools with a slide
More about this hotel
An all-suite resort steps from Polo Beach at the quiet south end of Wailea, with two- and three-bedroom villas that have their own plunge pools. The family pools are joined by a 140-foot slide, and there is a separate adults-only pool.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: harley photo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel
Kamakahonu Bay, by Kailua Pier, Kona
Kona: on a small sand beach, walking distance to town.
Best for: A walkable town base
- On a small, calm sand beach
- Pool with Billfish Bar & Grille
- Lūʻau on site
More about this hotel
The best-placed hotel in Kailua-Kona town, on the small, swimmable sand beach at Kamakahonu Bay next to the pier. You can walk to Aliʻi Drive restaurants, and there is a pool bar and a lūʻau on site.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
Kaunaʻoa Bay, Kohala Coast
Kohala Coast: the classic resort on Kaunaʻoa Bay, renovated in 2026.
Best for: Beach lovers
- On the sand at Kaunaʻoa Bay
- Adults-only infinity pool and family pool
- Keiki Club (reserve ahead)
More about this hotel
The classic Kohala Coast resort on crescent-shaped Kaunaʻoa Bay reopened in 2026 after a major renovation. It has a new adults-only infinity pool, a family pool and a kids' club, and no resort fee.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0
Volcano House
Crater rim, inside the national park, Volcano
Volcano: the only hotel inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Best for: Volcano views at night
- On the rim of Kīlauea caldera
- Crater-view rooms
- The Rim restaurant and Uncle George's Lounge
More about this hotel
The only hotel inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, on the rim of Kīlauea caldera, with crater-view rooms looking toward Halemaʻumaʻu. The park entrance fee is not included and parking is limited.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Hawai‘i Volcanoes NPS, Public domain
Ko'a Kea Resort on Po'ipū Beach
Poʻipū Beach, west end
Poʻipū: a boutique resort on Kauaʻi's sunny south shore.
Best for: Couples on the sunny south shore
- Direct access to Poʻipū Beach
- Red Salt restaurant and sushi bar
- Pool with daybeds and spa
More about this hotel
A boutique resort with direct access to Poʻipū Beach, a popular swimming and snorkeling beach, plus the Red Salt restaurant and a spa. Guests must be 21 to check in, though children can stay.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: E bailey, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Puʻu Poʻa point, Princeville, Princeville & Hanalei
Princeville: the north shore's luxury hotel, above Hanalei Bay.
Best for: North-shore splurges
- Views over Hanalei Bay
- Three heated pools and Bamford spa
- Seedlings kids' club
More about this hotel
The north shore's big luxury hotel, on Puʻu Poʻa point above Hanalei Bay, with three heated pools, the Bamford Wellness Spa and a kids' club. It reopened on September 28, 2026 after a brief closure for Hurricane Lowell.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort
Coconut Coast, Kapaʻa, Līhuʻe & Kapaʻa
Kapaʻa: a central beachfront base for all of Kauaʻi.
Best for: A central Kauaʻi base
- On the sand
- Infinity pool and kids' splash pad
- Lūʻau on site
More about this hotel
A modern beachfront resort on the Coconut Coast, 10 to 15 minutes from Līhuʻe airport, with an infinity-edge pool, a kids' splash pad and a lūʻau. Its central location makes it easy to reach both Poʻipū and the north shore.
Opens Booking.com with prices for your dates
Photo: Bob Linsdell, CC BY 3.0
How Many Islands for Your Trip?
- 7 days: one island. On Maui or the Big Island, split the week between two sides of the island. On Oʻahu, stay in Waikīkī and add a day trip to the North Shore.
- 10 days: two islands. Oʻahu plus Maui is the classic first trip; Maui plus the Big Island suits people who want beaches and the volcano.
- 14 days: two or three islands, for example Oʻahu, Maui and Kauaʻi, with four or five nights on each neighbor island.
Our itinerary guide lays out each version night by night, with the flights and drives between stops.
Getting Between the Islands
You fly. There are no passenger ferries between Oʻahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauaʻi; the only regular ferry links Maui with Lānaʻi, from Māʻalaea Harbor. Flights from Honolulu (HNL) take about 40 minutes to Maui, 30 to 45 minutes to Kauaʻi and 45 minutes to an hour to Kona or Hilo on the Big Island.
The main airports are Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL) in Honolulu, Kahului (OGG) on Maui, Ellison Onizuka Kona International (KOA) and Hilo International (ITO) on the Big Island, and Līhuʻe (LIH) on Kauaʻi. Outside Waikīkī, plan on a rental car: the resort areas are spread out and buses are slow.
When to Go, and How It Changes Where to Stay
Trade winds bring most of the rain to the windward (northeast) sides of each island, while the leeward coasts, where most resorts are, stay drier. That is why Waikīkī, Ko ʻOlina, Kāʻanapali, Wailea, Kona, the Kohala Coast and Poʻipū are the main hotel areas. The wettest months are November to March.
From about November to April, big swells hit north-facing shores, including Oʻahu's North Shore and Kauaʻi's Hanalei area, and swimming there can be dangerous. In summer the north shores calm down and south-facing beaches get the swells. Humpback whales visit from about November to April, and the Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
In September 2026, Hurricane Lowell hit Kauaʻi and Hurricane Nolo brought flooding rain to Maui and the Big Island. Most hotels are open, but some parks and roads were still closed in early November, so check the state parks notices and your hotel before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to help you choose where to stay.