The 15 Best Airbnbs in Hawaii in 2023

If you’re planning a trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii, you have a lot of choices of where to stay. Spread across the eight major islands are thousands of resorts and hotels that offer an outsider’s view of paradise.

Instead of having the same experience as every tourist at the hotel, book an Airbnb for a unique and fun vacation. 

Check out the list below for the 15 best Airbnbs in Hawaii, so you can live stylishly like a local during your stay. All have above a 4.8 rating, and most are from Superhosts to guarantee a good stay.

Why Stay at a Hawaiian Airbnb?

Hawaii is known for its swaying palm trees, bright blue ocean, and friendly, laid-back culture. You can experience the first two at most big chain hotels, but you’ll miss out on the local culture (and no, the resort’s Luau night hardly counts as a cultural exchange). 

That’s why Airbnbs are such a great option for Hawaiian vacations. You can access all of the same beaches and views while immersing yourself in the community more.  Also, Airbnbs offer unique experiences outside of the tourist bubbles around resorts and hotels.

You can stay in a treehouse in the rainforest, a cabin by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or a resort-style private home with a saltwater infinity pool. The best part? You won’t have to share any of it!

The 15 Best Hawaii Airbnbs in 2022

One of our favorite things to do is to look up vacation rentals in places we consider to be paradise. Below, you’ll find our top picks for the best Airbnbs in Hawaii, why we love each one, what to do when you get there, and much more.

1. Dreamy Tropical Tree House

• Location: Fern Forest, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $300

If you’re looking to get away from it all, the Dreamy Tropical Tree House on the Big Island is just the spot. Not only is it set in a tropical rainforest, but it’s also 15 feet off the ground and completely off-grid.

Filled with natural light with 360-degree views, it’s the perfect place to sit back and relax. With a hanging bed below the main living space and a wrap-around porch, you might not even want to venture out to the nearby attractions like:

• Volcanoes National Park (10 miles away)
• The town of Hilo (20 miles away)
• Punalu’u Black Sand Beach (25 miles away)

It’s the ultimate place for a romantic couple’s trip to forget the rest of the world and just focus on each other.

2. Luxury Maui Getaway With Ocean View

• Location: Kihei, Maui
• Average Cost Per Night: $349

Superhosts Rose’s 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo is a luxurious escape from the world. It’s located within the Palms at Wailea complex, which makes it perfect for couples who want to have access to all of the wonderful Maui amenities without staying at a crowded resort. 

The condo has everything you need for a relaxing and romantic Hawaiian vacation–from a fully stocked gourmet kitchen to two lanais with stunning sunset views. There’s also a grill, tropical gardens, and a pool for indoor-outdoor living. 

If you want to venture out, there are three beautiful beaches, a resort and spa, and some of Maui’s best restaurants located within a 15-minute walk (and even more within a short drive). 

3. Aolani House

• Location: Holualoa, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $1,100

If you’re looking for the perfect place to host a family or big group vacation, stop scrolling because you’ve found it. Aolani house sleeps 8, has a saltwater infinity pool, and 180˚ ocean views. 

They also offer a complimentary concierge team that can arrange a private chef, grocery delivery, and daily activities, so you won’t have to stress about anything during your visit. Located in Holualoa, you’ll stay right in the heart of Kona coffee heaven.

So make sure you arrange a tour of one of the nearby farms to learn all about your favorite morning beverage!

You can also visit some world-class restaurants like Rebel Kitchen, explore the burgeoning art scene of the town of Holualoa, or head to the famous Magic Sands Beach–all a short drive away. 

4. Romantic Garden Cottage

• Location: Hanalei, Kauai
• Average Cost Per Night: $500

For a romantic retreat to reconnect with your partner, this garden cottage in Hanalei is perfect. It has views of the gorgeous gardens, a pool to dip into to cool off, and space between you and the rest of the world. 

You can spend your days picking fresh papayas and flowers from the garden or swimming in the private stream and your nights in the private hot tub and pool.

If you can stand to leave the property, beautiful beaches with excellent snorkeling await you only 2 miles away. There’s also the famous Hanakapi’i Falls hike close by, where you can swim underneath a 300-foot waterfall. 

5. Kūono at Volcano

• Location: Volcano, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $450

If you’re traveling to Hawaii for an outdoor adventure, Kūono is the ultimate Airbnb to return to after a day of excitement. With 14-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and a private outdoor space complete with a hot tub, lounge chairs, and fire pit, it’s all about appreciating the natural beauty of Hawaii. 

Volcano National Park is only five minutes away, so you can easily enjoy the famous hikes and views. Or head to some of the nearby beaches and towns like:

• Volcano Village (3 minutes away)
• Papakolea Green Sand Beach (1 hour away)
• The town of Hilo (40 minutes away)

There’s a full cooking kitchen in the cabin, but if you’re too exhausted after a day of hiking, there are also a lot of local restaurants like Ohelo Cafe for wood-fired pizzas. 

6. Hula Hideaway

• Location: Lahaina, Maui
• Average Cost Per Night: $455

For beach lovers, you really can’t go wrong with Hula Hideaway being only 10 feet from the water’s edge. Facing west, you’ll also get to enjoy the incredible Maui sunsets, warm trade winds, and gorgeous views of Moloka’i and Lanai.

Head to the beach all day with the provided beach chairs, umbrella, beach towels, and ice chests perfect for frozen mai-tais. 

If you’re all sunned out, the spot is conveniently located by tons of great restaurants and bars, as well as a full grocery store to stock up the kitchen. You can spend the night in the modernly renovated space, watching the sunset and cooking dinner for your partner. 

7. The Surf Shack

• Location: Princeville, Kauai
• Average Cost Per Night: $450

The surf shack is the perfect place to unwind after a day of crushing waves or enjoying the sun. With 2 bedrooms, it’s a great spot for a couples trip or small family vacation, thanks to its proximity to the beach, pool, and on-property restaurant. 

The hosts have set you up with everything you’ll need for a perfect beach vacation–beach chairs, bodyboards, snorkel sets, umbrellas, beach towels, and a cooler for some ice-cold beverages. It even has a private beach, so you can unwind in peace.

With everything on-site, you might not want to ever leave the property, but if you do, Hanalei Town has everything you could ever need–a golf course, grocery stores, restaurants, and yoga studios. 

8. Hawaii Sunrise Cottage

• Location: Hauula, Oahu
• Average Cost Per Night: $200

For a low-key family vacation, you cannot do much better than Hawaii Sunrise Cottage. This beach bungalow is right on a private white sand beach that’s reef-protected, making it a safe spot to head with the kids. 

It’s the perfect spot to spend some serious quality time with your family, either at the beach or in the brightly decorated house where every room has a view. There’s a full kitchen to make family meals and enough space for everyone to get some R&R.

Even though it feels like its own little world, it’s close to some of the best attractions in Hawaii. The kids will love exploring history at the Polynesian Cultural Center, only five minutes away!

9. Pohailani Crashing Waves Condo

• Location: Lahaina, Maui
• Average Cost Per Night: $380

Pohailani Crashing Waves Condo is a modern, waterfront condo perfect for honeymooners. With ocean views, a rain shower, and lanai seating, it feels like your own private resort.

It’s also located on the second floor, so it’s completely private and quiet.  On the compound, there are two different pools, basketball and tennis courts, and outdoor dining areas with grills, so you can make the most of your visit. 

It’s only 15 minutes away from downtown Lahaina, making it easy to venture into town for a romantic dinner or grocery shop.

10. North Shore Surf Loft

• Location: Haleiwa, Oahu
• Average Cost Per Night: $350

Hawaii loft living doesn’t get much better than North Shore Surf Loft. It’s a modern and chic loft overlooking the ocean, only 6 minutes from the surfing havens of Sunset Beach and Pipeline–a surfer’s dream!

Even if you’re not up next on the World Surf League roster, this place has everything you could need for a relaxing beach vacation–wet bar, Nespresso, outdoor dining, and ocean views from bed!

For foodies, the Surf Loft is especially tempting thanks to its location right near the famed North Shore food trucks like Pupukea Grill and Aji Limo. You can walk off your delicious meal on the 3 miles of sandy beach right in front of the loft!

11. Hawaii’s Only Frank Lloyd Wright Home

• Location: Kamuela, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $950

If you’re an architecture buff or want a truly unique experience, you have to stay at the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Hawaii. Originally made for the Cornwall family of Pennsylvania, it’s now the perfect spot to relax after a day at the beach for your family. 

It has 3 acres of gated property, 3 bedrooms, and indoor-outdoor living complete with fireplaces, a hot tub, and mountain views.

The location is hard to beat, with some of the most beautiful white-sand beaches on the Kohala Coast and the small town of Waimea only a ten-minute drive away. Frank Lloyd Wright meticulously designed this home to be fit for serious family bonding time.

As a result, you’ll find a lot of custom built-in furniture, huge living spaces, and a fully equipped (and appliance upgraded) kitchen perfect for making family memories. 

12. Oceanfront Kaneohe Beach Cottage

• Location: Kaneohe, O’ahu
• Average Cost Per Night: $500

Imagine spending a week on the set of Jurassic Park or Lost–well, now you can! This beachfront bungalow has 3 bedrooms and enough space for up to 8 guests, so bring the whole family along as you take on the waves and dinosaurs of Kaneohe.

The inside was recently renovated to be a serene and modern backdrop to your epic Hawaiian adventure. Furthermore, the outside is tailor-made for fun in the sun.

In addition to beach access, you’ve got ocean, bay, and mountain views, a full kitchen, and a fully fenced-in backyard. The host also provides kayaks, paddleboards, and surfboards to all interested guests, which means you can choose a new adventure every day. 

13. Tropical Garden Retreat on an Organic Mango Farm

• Location: Captain Cook, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $245

This Airbnb Plus retreat is an Indonesian-style, open-air masterpiece. While the bedrooms and kitchen are enclosed, all of the living spaces are seamlessly blended with indoor-outdoor living.

With one bedroom and bath, it’s an ideal place to spend a honeymoon! Lounge around in the exquisite living room or make mango smoothies with fruit from the farm. 

If you can stand to leave this incredible spot, you’ll be rewarded with the beautiful Kealakekua Bay only a mile away, where you can:

• Snorkel
• Paddleboard
• Kayak
• Spot spinner dolphins

If you’re too tired to cook after a day in the sun, there are loads of excellent restaurants nearby like Rebel Kitchen and Beach Tree Bar.

14. Tiny Home on a Volcanic Lava Field

• Location: Pāhoa, The Big Island of Hawaii 
• Average Cost Per Night: $170

A lot of visitors to Hawaii can say they’ve seen the lava fields of the most active volcano on Earth, Kīlauea, but you’ll be able to say that you slept on them. This tiny home sits right on the famous lava fields, but don’t lose any sleep–you’d still have to drive an hour to see flowing lava.

It’s perfect for family or couples vacations because the 2 bedrooms are located in separate pods with a lanai in the middle for privacy. It’s gorgeous and unique inside and out.

While you’ll feel like you’re living on the outskirts of civilization, it’s very close to local farmers’ markets, beautiful beaches, and small-town amenities like grocery stores. 

15. Kona Treehouse

• Location: Kailua-Kona, The Big Island of Hawaii
• Average Cost Per Night: $599

Rounding off the list with another treehouse, this architectural masterpiece sits high enough above 3 lush acres of prime Kona property to have ocean and jungle views. 

With a full kitchen, gorgeous spa-like bathroom, and spacious indoor and outdoor living spaces, it’s the perfect space for honeymooners or a small group of friends. Below the treehouse, you’ll find a hot tub ready to melt all of your real-world worries away.

The hosts have thought of everything and made the following readily available to you on the property:

• Washer and dryer
• Complimentary snorkel 
• Beach gear like chairs, umbrellas, and towels 
• Over 200 different fruit trees
• Farm fresh eggs

Finding the Best Hawaiian Airbnb for You

Now that you’ve found your dream Airbnb for your upcoming Hawaiian vacation, you might be wondering how it will all work.

Checking in and out, amenities available, and location depends on which place you pick, but we’ll go over some general guidelines for renting a Hawaiian Airbnb below. 

How Do You Check In and Out of an Airbnb?

Checking in and out is very simple with Airbnb. While all hosts have different expectations for check-in/out, they will be written in the place listing on Airbnb under the “Show Details” section of your trip plans. 

The two most popular methods to check in and out are meeting up with the host to be given the set of keys or having the keys in a lockbox that you will be given the combination of.

If you have any questions about the process before you depart, Airbnb makes it very simple to reach out to your host for clarification. Checking out will either entail returning the keys directly to the host, putting them back into the lockbox, or leaving them inside of the locked home. 

Before you check out, you should make sure to tidy up according to the rules listed by the host. Some require more than others, so pay attention to what they ask of guests. 

Staying in an Airbnb vs. a Hotel or Resort

Now that you’ve seen the stunning places available on Airbnb, you know there’s no good reason to stay in a hotel or resort while in Hawaii. However, you might be wondering how the two experiences differ. 

Below you’ll find a detailed comparison of different aspects of travel when staying in an Airbnb vs. a hotel or resort. 

Average Prices

The Hawaiian Tourism Authority reports that the average daily rate for a hotel is $333 for a single hotel room without a kitchen, balcony, or access to amenities. 

The average Airbnb rate is $341 for an entire home that usually comes with a full kitchen, private outdoor space, and unique amenities. The kitchen is especially helpful if you’re looking to save some money because you can cook meals instead of going out for each one. 

Available Activities

One of the biggest selling points of the massive resorts dotted along Hawaii’s famed coasts is the activities they offer: jet-skiing, snorkeling, cultural events, catamaran tours, and more.

Because there are no all-inclusive resorts in Hawaii, all of these on-site activities cost extra. Airbnbs tend to have fewer activities available from the property, but they have access to a larger market for each activity they want to do.

Instead of having one locked-in choice and price for a catamaran sunset cruise, Airbnb guests can shop around for the perfect experience.  Plus, most Airbnb hosts are more than happy to help you find and choose activities. It’s like your own personal concierge!

Overall Travel Experience

Airbnbs offer a more private travel experience to one of the most visited places in the United States. Instead of walking out of the hotel door to be greeted by a lot of tourists, you get the space you need to relax and unwind. 

Especially some of the Airbnbs listed above that are set back in the rainforest or on quiet neighborhood streets. You’ll feel like you have your own little slice of paradise. Living like a local also helps you discover off-the-beaten-path places to eat, grab a drink, or take a dip. 

Planning Your Visit to Hawaii

You’ve booked your Airbnb, gotten your flights, and now you just need to start planning your days of fun in the sun. Here’s a list of some of the must-see places on Hawaii’s four most visited islands.

The Big Island

• Hike, experience, and learn all about volcanoes at Volcanoes National Park. The park features one of the most active volcanoes in existence.
• Go on a coffee farm tour in Kona, the coffee capital of Hawaii.

Maui

• Explore the glistening waters that gave Waianapanapa State Park its name.
• Head to the famous Wailea Beach for a relaxing day of swimming, tanning, and snorkeling.

O’ahu

• Hike to the top at Diamond Head State Monument for stunning panoramic views of Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean.
• Soak up the sun at one of the best beaches in the world, Lanikai Beach, known for its bright blue waters and white sand.

Kauai

• Take to the open ocean for a snorkel tour along the Na Pali Coast to see dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, and more.
• Fly high on the Koloa Zipline tour, where you’ll zoom above jungle and ocean for over a mile and a half of pure fun.

Which Hawaii Airbnb Is Best?

Airbnbs in Hawaii are as diverse and wide-ranging as the local flora and fauna. With all of these different options available, there’s a Hawaii Airbnb perfect for every traveler. 

You can ball out in a luxe compound with a saltwater infinity pool like the Aolani House or get off the beaten path and enjoy quality time with your partner at the Romantic Garden Cottage. Whichever you choose, you’ll be sure to have an exciting and unique Hawaii vacation perfect for you.