Kauai is one of the most expensive Hawaiian Islands and generally one of the most expensive places in the world.

Previously, the best value for money was the Airbnb platform, which is generally very popular in the US and there are a lot of offers, but in recent years the offers are being compared to the most popular Booking.com.

Compare Kauai hotel prices

Where to stay in Kauai

Kauai is a relatively small island with the need to rent a car, which makes it much easier to choose where to stay if you're all about the lowest price.

The problem with Kauai is the relatively small number of hotels and especially budget guesthouses or hostels. On Kauai, the more expensive beachfront resorts and very expensive vacation villas are the most popular, but they can be worthwhile if you are travelling in a group of at least 4-6 people.

Look for the cheapest accommodation in the town of Waimea on the southwest coast, or in Lihue, the main center of the island.

Lihue

South Coast

The second largest city and the main economic centre of the island is also the location of the only airport and therefore a very good location for accommodation. You can benefit from complete facilities (hypermarkets, shopping malls, banks, post office, offices), excellent transport accessibility and a relatively wide range of hotels.

From Lihue even the most remote places of Kauai can be reached by car within an hour and a half / 70 km.

• Cheapest accommodation ( 147 eur/night/2 people) - Kauai Palms Hotel, Tip Top Motel
• Best Hotels ( 366 eur/night/2 people) - The Kauai Inn, Kauai Beach Resort & Spa

Kapa'a and Wailua

East Coast

This bi-city, combined into one larger town, is located on Kauai's east coast and offers the largest number of hotels and vacation homes on the entire island. Here, too, you'll find a full range of tourist facilities in the form of supermarkets, beach and tourist shops and restaurants.

Kapa'a and Wailua are perfect starting points for traveling around east, north and central Kauai, with destinations to the west being a bit further away (about 85 km).

• The cheapest hostel (up to 1 0 eur 0 eur per night for single occupancy) - Kauai Beach House Hostel
• Vacation homes (around 550 eur per night for 4-6 people) - Plantation Hale G14, Waipouli Beach Resort, Village Manor A21
• Best Hotels in Kapaa ( 257 eur per night for 2) - Kauai Shores Hotel, Aston Islander On The Beach

Princeville and Hanalei

North Shore

In the north of Kauai, which is known for the iconic Na Pali Coast, the two largest centers with the most accommodations are the small resorts of Princeville and Hanalei.

Princeville, in particular, consists only of residential villas and luxury vacation homes, but Hanalei has full facilities - shops, cheap restaurants, ATMs and beach equipment rentals.

However, the prices of hotels and accommodation on the north coast are the highest of the whole island. It's indicative of the price level here that the cheapest accommodation, with prices around 0 eur 0 eur per night/2 people , can be found at the Club Wyndham Bali Hai Villas.

Again, in Princeville and Hanalei, if you're travelling in a large group, it's worth renting one of the many holiday homes, which can cost less than 110 eur per person per night. The downside, however, is that these villas are usually only rented for a few days or weeks out of the year, and it can be tricky to come across a vacancy.

• Princeville hotels and accommodation
• Hotels and accommodation in Hanalei

Poipu

South Coast

The largest classic beach resort on Kauai is the town of Poipu, at the very southern tip of the coast. You'll mainly stay in beachfront hotel resorts here, with the lowest rates around 330 eur per night for 2.

• Hotels and accommodation Poipu

Poipu is also home to one of Kauai's top rated hotels , the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. And what price should you expect? Prepare a minimum of 1099 eur per night for 2.

Waimea

Southwest Coast

The small town of Waimea is the perfect base for exploring Kokee Nature Park and Waimea Canyon, as well as the entire sparsely populated West Coast.

There are only 2 hotels in Waimea, but they're among the cheapest on Kauai, so make sure you stay here for your entire stay. What you pass on gas when traveling to the remote east coast, you'll save significantly on lodging.

• Inn Waimea Kauai - cottages and condos with all the amenities you need and prices from 128 eur per night for 2
• The West Inn Kauai - a classic 3* American style hotel with rates from 220 eur per night for 2

Kauai accommodation prices and why is it so expensive?

Kauai is one of the most expensive islands in Hawaii. The average price for 1 night in a 2-bed room in a classic 3* hotel is about 0 eur 0 eur 293 eur.

You can count cheaper hotels on the fingers of one hand and almost exclusively in Lihue, less often in Waimea in the west of Kauai. Even so, you will almost never get a price below 128 eur per night.

Unlike the other islands, there are no cheap hostels on a mass scale on Kauai.

A lower price can be achieved if you travel with a larger group of people (minimum 4, ideally 6 to 8). On Kauai, accommodation is available in many vacation homes with prices around 550 eur per night for a whole house being common.

The downside to these vacation homes is that the owners usually only rent them out for a few weeks or even days a year, so hitting a specific date when the house is available can be a challenge.

The question must be why is accommodation on Kauai so expensive? It is a combination of several factors.

One is the very high cost of land and building permits on the island, where most of the land is strictly protected. In addition, hotel complexes are not allowed to exceed 4 stories in height, which further increases the price.

The second factor is simply the popularity and beauty of the island. Kauai has a "paradise on Earth" stamp, especially among American and Asian tourists, so hotel operators have little reason to keep prices low - they will be full anyway.

When to book accommodation on Kauai

While the larger 3* and 4* hotels and luxury resorts tend to be available across the year, holiday villas and houses, which can work out cheaper if you're travelling with more than one person, are often blocked out months in advance.

A simple lesson applies when traveling to Kauai. Book as early as possible, ideally with free cancellation (which most hotels offer), and check sites like booking.com or agoda.com regularly over time; they don't happen to have cheaper accommodations available.

Book your Kauai hotel in advance