You can switch over to their additional parking lot (instead of the garage) for the last night. It’s a bit closer.
As others have suggested do you really need the vehicle for the entire stay? We live right across the street from the HHV without a car. We either walk or take the inexpensive BUS to go to most places. When we do major shopping at Sam's and Walmart($300) we do take a cab home ($12). Besides the high cost of daily parking in Honolulu there is also the difficulty and cost for parking wherever you are going. One of the residents in our building who does have a car was going to downtown Honolulu for a meeting. She asked about how to use the bus rather than finding and paying for parking down there. Many people who live in Honolulu do have cars and struggle to park and deal with the traffic since that is what they have always done in the their lives so they continue to do it. We come from Long Island and we always had cars and that is what we always did until we took our first vacation in Miami South Beach without a car. That was a life changer for us. We realized that vacationing without a car is not only possible it is freeing; we don't concern ourselves with drinking and driving. We don't drink and drive but we do drink!
Isn't that the same for most major cities?
Yes, I believe that is true. It's also true that people who drive in major cities might not be as sensitive to the parking fee at HHV. Most of the major hotels in San Jose, where I live, charge $45 per night, and they go over $80 per night in SF for self-parking.
We usually also skip the car when staying in Waikiki, however this fall we will staying at the Grand Waikikian with my son, DIL and the two grandkids. With multiple car seats required, we are planning on a renting a vehicle.
Am a huge fan of the BUS. One of the best municipal systems I know (including our own in San Francisco), and their senior pass is one of the absolute greatest bargains around. Inexpensive, effecient and very easy to use.
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I’ve cut through the first floor of the HHV Garage but I’m not familiar with the first option. After you walk through the Kalia Tower where is the ballroom entrance?
You could park in the paved lot closer to MVC Waikiki. It is uncovered but just about 150 yards from MVC.
From the elevator in Kalia tower go up to the 4th or 5th floor. You exit on the ballroom floor then walk across the ballrooms. Take the elevator or escalator down to first floor. Then walk across the garage to the Grand Waikian garage elevators and walk out the passageway to lobby. Or from the garage walk you could walk through to the Lagoon Tower elevator bank cutting through the gatage entrance. I only use this way if it is raining. Saves me from getting wet till you have to exit Kalia tower and cross Kalia road to Hale Koa parking.
Got it! Thanks
Thank you...that's brilliant! We've owned Lagoon since 2008 and had no idea where was a 'waterproof' route across that end of HHV.
Yeah, I could see that from the top floor of the Waikiki property. Even though I probably drive right past it at one point I wasn't exactly sure how to find it so just opted to go back to the garage.
Our Daughter, SIL, and two Grandchildren came to Waikiki for a 10 day stay in 2017. We booked a 3 BR in the Lagoon Penthouse for the 6 of us. We walked or took the BUS to get around Honolulu most of the time. We did rent a minivan for 1 day to tour the island. We would have not considered to rent a car for the entire 10 days.
I don't know. As I mentioned we lived on Long Island which is very are oriented with what we consider poor Public Transportation. We have also visited New York City, Washington DC, Miami Beach, San Francisco, San Diego, and Las Vegas without a car. However, all of those trips have been after our 2001 Trip to Miami Beach without a car.
Some years back I did a visit to the east coast, so cities I'd lived in (Philly - undergrad, Boston- grad school, NYC - born there). I had a one-way car rental. While in NYC, the car stayed in the hotel garage at $30+/night (this was almost 30 years ago, so this was a lot) and we took public transportation. I figured we couldn't park closer than we already were. Long answer to say "yes, this is the way of things in most major cities."
To me the biggest difference isn’t the cost per se but rather that we regard paying for parking as normal.Long answer to say "yes, this is the way of things in most major cities."
It is all about perceived value. Like paying shipping costs on package delivery of that online order, people don't see value from a parking fee.
I never drive at HHV or in Honolulu not because I mind the $50 as much (I think like you do about that) as I mind the time and energy to deal with parking garages, looking and strategizing for parking, and driving in a crowded city I don't know. I go to Hawaii to have a peaceful vacation, and in a place that has the BUS using that is the way to get it. There are a few stops within a short walk from the Kalia Tower and only a little farther than the rest, and for all I know there may be stops closer to that end of the resort as well. And it goes everywhere on a schedule that runs on time.
I agree with your thoughts about not having a car in major cities but needing one in the "burbs" suburbs. Long Island is a huge New York City suburb and is very car oriented. NYC has great public transportatation but many people still drive. People drive into Manhattan during rush hour rather than take public transporation. The bridges going into Manhattan are famous for having 30-45 minute wait times during rush hour, and then they have the concern about parking which can cost $50 or more per day.Some years back I did a visit to the east coast, so cities I'd lived in (Philly - undergrad, Boston- grad school, NYC - born there). I had a one-way car rental. While in NYC, the car stayed in the hotel garage at $30+/night (this was almost 30 years ago, so this was a lot) and we took public transportation. I figured we couldn't park closer than we already were. Long answer to say "yes, this is the way of things in most major cities."
Once you're out in the burbs, as we are now, it is easier. Driving into SF, though, is a parking challenge.
Cheers.
LOL. Living 4.5 yrs in Manhattan, not only did I not own a car, I spent more time in airplanes than in cars, incl taxis, in that period. If I lived in Honolulu, good chance we wouldn't own a car. Cars? I knew and cared so little about cars that when we moved out of Manhattan, I bought the same car a friend of mine had just bought. I heard he had just bought a car and knew he did a lot of research on that stuff, so tha twas good enough for me.
note line 20 is being discontinued after the Skyline light rail westbound extension opens 10/1. it's being replaced with a proposed W line which might no longer turn on Kalia st but I imagine would stop near HHV. Bus frequency is going up considerably which is a good thing.