Sunset over the coast at Wailea, Maui, Hawaii

Where to stay · Pacific

Hawaii: top-rated resorts and flying private

By the JetChalet editors · Updated · How we check facts

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash

Hawaii lies far out over the Pacific, and only four of its hotels hold AAA's top rating in 2026: three Four Seasons resorts and ESPACIO at Waikiki.1 The flight from Los Angeles runs non-stop for about 5 hours 30 minutes.8 Between the islands, small planes do the short hops.13

  • 4hotels in Hawaii with AAA Five Diamond status in 20261
  • 2,217 nmLos Angeles to Honolulu, about 5 hours 30 minutes non-stop by super midsize jet8
  • $42,000–$56,000one way from Los Angeles on a super midsize jet (evoJets, September 2026)7

The short answer

  • Four Hawaii hotels hold AAA Five Diamond status in 2026: three Four Seasons resorts on Lanai, Hawaii Island and Maui, and ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki on Oahu.1
  • Los Angeles to Honolulu is about 2,217 nautical miles and about 5 hours 30 minutes by super midsize jet, non-stop, because there is nowhere to land on the way.8
  • That needs a super midsize jet or larger. evoJets publishes $42,000 to $56,000 one way on a super midsize jet and $55,000 to $75,000 on a heavy jet from Los Angeles to Hawaii (September 2026).7
  • Between the islands, small scheduled planes and charters do the short hops.

Hawaii's AAA Five Diamond resorts

Five Diamond is the top level of AAA's hotel rating, given after inspections. These are the four Hawaii hotels that hold it in 2026, with one reason for each.1

  1. Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

    Wailea, Maui · AAA Five Diamond since 1991

    For the longest run of the four at Five Diamond, AAA's top level: since 1991, at Wailea.1,5

    Check availability

    Details about Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

    3900 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea, HI 96753

    Hotel's own website

  2. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

    Kaupulehu, Hawaii Island · AAA Five Diamond since 1998

    For the Big Island: the only one of the four on Hawaii Island, at Kaupulehu.1,5

    Check availability

    Details about Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

    72-100 Kaupulehu Drive, Kaupulehu, HI 96740

    Hotel's own website

  3. Four Seasons Resort Lanai

    Lanai City, Lanai · AAA Five Diamond since 2016

    For Lanai: AAA lists it first on its Top 10 for 2026.1,5,6,13

    Check availability

    Details about Four Seasons Resort Lanai

    The only one of the four on Lanai, which has scheduled small-plane flights from Honolulu.1,5,6,13

    1 Hulopoe Heritage Trail, Lanai City, HI 96763

    Hotel's own website

  4. ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki

    Waikiki, Oahu · AAA Five Diamond since 2022

    For Honolulu: the only one of the four in the city, at Waikiki.1,5

    Check availability

    Details about ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki

    2452 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815

    Hotel's own website

The four resorts compared, side by side1,6,8,13 · no prices: room rates change daily

The US has no national hotel star rating of the kind France has, so we use AAA's top rating, Five Diamond. Its 2026 list, based on 2025 inspections, has four hotels in Hawaii; the year is when each one's current run at Five Diamond began.1 The addresses come from OpenStreetMap.

What sets each apart, from AAA's 2026 lists.

The four resorts compared
ResortIslandFive Diamond sinceGood to know
Four Seasons Resort Maui at WaileaMaui1991The longest Five Diamond run of the four.
Four Seasons Resort HualalaiHawaii Island1998At Kaupulehu on the Big Island.
Four Seasons Resort LanaiLanai2016AAA lists it first on its Top 10 for 2026; Lanai has scheduled small-plane flights from Honolulu.
ESPACIO The Jewel of WaikikiOahu2022The only one in Honolulu, the airport Monarch Air Group prices its Los Angeles flights to.

Three Four Diamond backups

One level down, AAA's 2026 Four Diamond list has 39 Hawaii hotels by our count. These three have held it the longest; the year is when each one's current run began.2

  1. Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

    Kohala Coast, Hawaii Island · AAA Four Diamond since 1991

    For 32 oceanfront acres by Pauoa Bay, about 29 minutes by car from Kona airport (KOA).2,3

    Check availability

    Details about Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

    1 North Kaniku Drive, Kohala Coast, HI 96743

    Hotel's own website

  2. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

    Poipu, Kauai · AAA Four Diamond since 1991

    For Kauai: the one hotel there with a Four Diamond run as long as the Fairmont Orchid's.2,5

    Check availability

    Details about Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

    1571 Poipu Road, Koloa, HI 96756

    Hotel's own website

  3. Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

    Wailea, Maui · AAA Four Diamond since 1999

    For the Wailea coast, with the third-longest Four Diamond run in Hawaii.2,4

    Check availability

    Details about Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

    On the same coast as the Four Seasons Maui.2,4

    3850 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea, HI 96753

    Hotel's own website

We list no room prices: rates change daily. "Check availability" opens our booking partner (Stay22) with live availability; if you book there we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

A beachfront resort on Maui, Hawaii, seen from above
Photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash

Flying a private jet to Hawaii

Los Angeles to Honolulu is about 2,217 nautical miles, non-stop over the ocean, so it takes a super midsize jet or larger.7,8

Details

  • About 5 hours 30 minutes from Los Angeles

    Los Angeles to Honolulu is about 2,217 nautical miles: about 5 hours 30 minutes on a super midsize jet and 5 hours 40 minutes on a heavy jet (Monarch Air Group, page of 16 Oct 2026).8 evoJets gives about 6 hours from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

  • Non-stop, so range matters

    There is nowhere to stop between the West Coast and Hawaii. Monarch lists only super midsize and heavy jets for the route, and evoJets does not recommend anything smaller than a super midsize jet.7

  • Maui or Honolulu

    evoJets suggests flying from Van Nuys to Kahului on Maui, with Honolulu as the other option. Pick the island of your resort: three of the four are off Oahu.

  • Equipped for the ocean

    Besides range, the aircraft needs special equipment for the long flight over water.11 Ask the operator whether the jet is equipped for it.

  • Flexible dates

    An empty leg, a jet flying without passengers to its next job, can cost less than a normal charter if your dates can move; our guide to empty legs explains how they work and the catch.

What a private jet from Los Angeles costs

evoJets publishes one-way ranges for the whole jet from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Monarch Air Group and Global Charter give estimates for the same trip, under the table.

What a private jet from Los Angeles costs
Jet sizeevoJets, LA to HawaiiFlight time
Super midsize jet $42,000 to $56,000about 5 h 30 to 6 h
Heavy jet $55,000 to $75,000about 5 h 40 to 6 h

Seats vary by model and layout: a seat in every layout, a seat only some layouts have.

One way, checked 3 to 6 Nov 2026. Monarch Air Group estimates $55,000 to $60,000 to Honolulu, from a super midsize to a heavy jet. Global Charter gives from $49,950 for Los Angeles to Hawaii, without a jet size. Not quotes: the price depends on the date, the aircraft's position and demand. A round trip with days on the island can cost close to double; see one way or round trip. Price a flight on another route.7,8,9

How to get quotes

A super midsize jet

It is the smallest class the brokers put on this route, and the cheapest that makes it non-stop.

Our pick

Super midsize jet

$42,000–$56,000one way from Los Angeles

Best for: up to eight people from the West Coast to Hawaii.

8 to 10 seats

  • The lowest published prices on the route
  • About 5 hours 30 minutes to Honolulu7,8
More
  • evoJets' example aircraft seats eight
  • The lowest published prices on the route: $42,000 to $56,000 one way (evoJets).
  • About 5 hours 30 minutes to Honolulu, the quickest in Monarch's table.
  • Eight to ten seats at most; evoJets' example aircraft seats eight.
  • A smaller cabin than a heavy jet for six hours over the ocean: ask about luggage space for a long stay.

For bigger groups

Heavy jet

$55,000–$75,000one way from Los Angeles

Best for: groups of nine or more, or anyone who wants a bigger cabin for six hours.

10 to 16 seats

  • Monarch's estimate: about $5,000 above its super midsize one
  • Gulfstream GIV, G450 or Global 50007,8
More
  • A bigger cabin for six hours
  • Ten to sixteen seats; Monarch names the Gulfstream GIV, G450 and Global 5000.
  • Monarch's estimate is only about $5,000 above its super midsize one.
  • evoJets' range runs up to $75,000 one way.

Taxes on a flight to Hawaii

Hawaii has its own rules among the federal flight taxes. Ask the operator whether its quote includes them.

  • Hawaii departure tax$11.70 per person

    For 2026, on domestic flight segments that begin or end in Hawaii, charged on departures only.12

  • 7.5% excise taxask

    Monarch Air Group says the 7.5% excise tax does not apply to flights to Hawaii or Alaska the way it does on the mainland. Ask how much of your trip is taxed.10

Between the islands

Mokulele Airlines runs short scheduled flights between the islands, with up to nine passengers on a Cessna Grand Caravan.13,14

Details

Mokulele Airlines runs short scheduled flights between Honolulu, Lanai City, Kahului and Kapalua on Maui, Hana, Kailua-Kona and Waimea-Kohala on Hawaii Island, and two airports on Molokai.13 Its Cessna Grand Caravans carry up to nine passengers.14

For a private hop, Mokulele points to Surf On Demand, the charter arm of its parent company Surf Air Mobility.15 Lanai, home to one of the four resorts above, is on Mokulele's route map, so you can fly in on a large jet to Honolulu and finish in a small plane.

Questions people ask

How much is a private jet to Hawaii?

evoJets publishes $42,000 to $56,000 one way from Los Angeles to Hawaii on a super midsize jet and $55,000 to $75,000 on a heavy jet (September 2026). Monarch Air Group estimates $55,000 to $60,000 to Honolulu, and Global Charter gives from $49,950.

Can a light jet fly to Hawaii?

Not from the mainland. The flight must be non-stop over the ocean, and the brokers put the minimum at a super midsize jet.

Which Hawaii resorts have AAA's top rating?

By AAA's top rating, four in 2026: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Four Seasons Resort Lanai and ESPACIO The Jewel of Waikiki.

How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu by private jet?

About 5 hours 30 minutes on a super midsize jet and 5 hours 40 minutes on a heavy jet for the 2,217 nautical miles, per Monarch Air Group.

Where every number comes from

JetChalet is an independent guide: we do not sell or operate flights and we do not book hotels ourselves. Every number on this page comes from the source named next to it, in our own words, with the day we read it. Prices are published ranges, not quotes. The small numbers next to each fact link here.

All 16 sources
  1. AAA Newsroom: AAA Five Diamond Hotels 2026, checked 3 Nov 2026
  2. AAA Newsroom: AAA Four Diamond Hotels 2026, checked 4 Nov 2026
  3. Fairmont Orchid, checked 4 Nov 2026
  4. Grand Wailea: official website, checked 6 Nov 2026
  5. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), searched through Nominatim: resort addresses, checked 4 Nov 2026
  6. AAA Newsroom: AAA Diamonds Top 10 (June 2026), checked 6 Nov 2026
  7. evoJets: Los Angeles to Hawaii route page (updated 10 Sep 2026), checked 3 Nov 2026
  8. Monarch Air Group: Los Angeles to Honolulu (page modified 16 Oct 2026), checked 6 Nov 2026
  9. Global Charter: private jet to Hawaii (no date on page), checked 6 Nov 2026
  10. Monarch Air Group: private jet charter fees, checked 3 Nov 2026
  11. VistaJet: can private jets fly to Hawaii?, checked 3 Nov 2026
  12. IRS: Instructions for Form 720 (rev. June 2026), checked 3 Nov 2026
  13. Mokulele Airlines: destinations, checked 3 Nov 2026
  14. Mokulele Airlines: fleet, checked 3 Nov 2026
  15. Mokulele Airlines: charters, checked 3 Nov 2026
  16. evoJets: pricing basics (seats and example aircraft per jet size), checked 3 Nov 2026

Keep going