Honolulu Travel Forum

I am going to be in Waikiki for a week. Would you recommend using my hotel safe for laptop computer, electronics, and cash? Would I be better off carrying cash on hand or using the hotel safe? I have read not to ever leave any valuables in my car rental...

Aloha. I can understand not keeping valuables in a car rental, because there is a sticker on the car that tells the bad guys "here is a rental, tourists most likely, and let's check it out for some goodies." I do believe that a good hotel safe in a reputable hotel would be safe for your valuables. I have never had a problem with hotel safes, at least up till now. Always a bit of luck, no matter where you are.

Never, under any circumstance, leave any valuables in a rental car anywhere in the world!

Hotel safes are pretty safe since you enter your own PIN to enable and disable the lock. I have used several in my trips and so far haven't lost anything. And hotel safes are big enough for a laptop, at least the ones I have used.

Happy travelling!
-lifeisatrip

We've discovered some of the in-room hotel safes were not even screwed in to the wall/cupboard. Easy for a thief to take safe and all. I believe hotels have installed these rather than take the responsibility and time it takes for safe custody of items. Suggest you cover all bases by taking cash/credit cards with you and leaving other stuff in safe if its secure. If not DEMAND a room with a secure safe. Not sure if a laptop will fit into most hotel safes I've seen.

The safe in the hotel is fine.

As the others said, don't leave valuables in the car. When we went to Hanuma Bay (spelling error) there were signs about not leaving visible valuables in the car because of break ins.

Oahu in general is safe, so with that being said, don't worry about walking around at night etc, Hawaiians are friendly as long as you don't act like a stupid tourist and say, "Do you accept USD currency?" Some of my friends from Hawaii are the nicest people I've ever met, but when they get started about ignorant tourists....wow do they go off! lol

Don't keep things in your car!!! Especially, if you go to the Dole Plantation. I heard, last year, about someone's trunk was broken into. As for the hotels, I think the safe is good to keep your cash and jewelry. You can leave your laptop out, it won't get stolen. Why do you need cash anyway? I think I took $100 cash that I kept in my wallet and paid for everything by credit card.

>Hawaiians are friendly as long as you don't act like a stupid tourist
>and say, "Do you accept USD currency?"

LOL - we spent 5 days in Hawaii on the way to the west coast USA. Going into airport we passed a baggage screener. A guy asked where we were headed "USA" , "You're in USA." Amazing how many "outsiders" (including us) considered that Hawaii is not USA.

Aloha, sirgaw. You are not alone with other haoles that think Hawaii is not part of the USA, many Kama'ainas consider that Hawai'i is not USA.

LOL! Well i think theyd cut u slack as an international visitor haha, but when you're American and you don't know if Hawaii accepts USD currency that's pretty bad and I'm not even a local.

As someone has said already don't leave anything in plain sight in your car anywhere in the world especially tourist destinations which pretty much covers all of Hawaii.
The one suggestion for taking things in the car is try to limit getting/putting items in the trunk to when you are ready to leave that location since thieves maybe watching.
Some cash on hand is needed but there are ATM's available and many places still take travelers checks although many of those will also take your card.

Locking them in your suitcases is also an aternative. Then walk with the key.