Honolulu: Hotel Renew - an Aqua Elite hotel - Traveler Reviews - Loved Hotel Renew - TripAdvisor

Honolulu: Hotel Renew - an Aqua Elite hotel - Traveler Reviews - Loved Hotel Renew - TripAdvisor

Missy20 and her sister hired our red convertible MINI during their Waikiki vacation and had a blast. They stayed at the newly-renovated Hotel Renew, which is currently offering a great package deal when you rent a MINI. They left a great review of their experience on TripAdvisor.

Check out our MINI rental reviews on Yahoo Local

Thinking of renting an exciting exotic convertible during your next trip to Honolulu? Can't decide on a car yet? We could tell you until we're blue in the face that you'll have the most fun renting a MINI Cooper. But don't take our word for it. Check out our excellent customer reviews on our listing Yahoo Local listing.

Our customers know even better than we do how a "Mini Cooper convertible and the roads of Oahu are a match made in paradise." We'd like to thank our loyal customers for the positive feedback & fantastic photos with a great big MAHALO!

Top 10 Reasons to rent a MINI instead of a Jeep in Honolulu

#6 - MINIs are 49.85% Better Able to Handle Honolulu's Roads

Believe it or not, the beautiful, exotic island of Oahu does have a few imperfections. One of those are the roads. Those of you who have been here know what I'm talking about: narrow, potholed, one-way roads with names too crazy for most visitors to pronounce. Although we at Little Hawaii can't do much about the condition, direction or pronunciation of Hawaii's roads, we can provide you with one of the only rental cars that can flip a U-turn in roads as narrow as 18 feet.

With a turning radius of just 17.4 feet, our MINI Coopers blow away the large, clunky competition's radius of 34.9 feet.

You may ask yourself why small turning radius is such a big deal when considering a rental car in Honolulu. Well, when you get here and make a wrong turn and find out you need to be going the opposite direction, you'll be glad you rented a MINI.

Top 10 Reasons to rent a MINI instead of a Jeep in Honolulu

#7 - Free 24-Hour MINI Roadside Assistance

When you rent a MINI Cooper from Little Hawaii you'll be able to relax. This seems like a necessary thing to do while on vacation, right? You'll be able to relax, because if you accidentally lock the keys in the car, run out of gas or run over an nail, all you have to do is dial the 1-800 number for MINI Roadside Assistance, and they'll come rescue you anywhere on the island. For free. No, we're not kidding. For free. You don't even have to purchase our insurance coverage to receive this excellent service. Here's a sample scenario:

-You drive our convertible Cooper S to the North Shore
-You go to the beach and relax
-You get tan and return to the MINI
-You see the keys on the seat & the doors are locked
-You laugh & say "silly me!"
-You call the 1-800 number for MINI Roadside Assistance
-You go back to the beach for a few minutes until someone comes to unlock the door
-You go out to dinner and have a great rest of the day

No panicking.

No worrying.

No crying.

(and no complaining from your spouse or kids!)

Top 10 Reasons to rent a MINI instead of a Jeep in Honolulu

#8 - We Deliver Your MINI Rental To Your Door

Renting a convertible MINI Cooper for the first time may be one of the more exciting, and easy, things you do on vacation. Not only can you quickly & easily book one of our MINIs directly from our MINI Reservation Website, we'll also deliver it directly to your hotel or vacation rental. We'll give you a call when we're 5 minutes away to give you enough time to roll out of bed, grab your license and mosey on downstairs to the lobby. It only takes a second to sign some forms and then we'll show you a few of the outstanding features of your finely-detailed MINI. I don't know of any Jeep rentals that come with this kind of service.

This means you can be wearing your PJs when you book a rental and when we deliver it to you.

Now that's vacationing.

Top 10 Reasons to rent a MINI instead of a Jeep in Honolulu

#9 - FREE BRAGGING RIGHTS INCLUDED WITH EACH RENTAL

I hear people all the time talking about their last vacation. They talk about the city they visited and how amazing it was, where they ate and how delicious it was, the activities they did and how crazy they were, and even sometimes who they met and how incredible they were.

But rarely do returning vacationers brag about their rental car.

Why? Because usually there's nothing to brag about. Nothing that makes you want to say "OMG, I've got to tell you about this car we rented..." even though half the vacation was spend driving around in it.

At Little Hawaii Car Rental Co., each of our MINI Cooper rentals inherently includes post-vacation bragging rights. You will find it difficult to NOT tell everyone about your amazing cruise through paradise in a MINI. You may even have to exercise a little more self control than you're used to so you don't annoy your listeners.

Top 10 Reasons to rent a MINI instead of a Jeep in Honolulu

#10 - OTHER MINI OWNERS WILL SMILE & WAVE TO YOU.

I drive MINI Coopers all over the Oahu, and everywhere I go I get a friendly wave & a smile from other MINI motorists along the way. Whether I'm driving our hardtop Cooper S to the beach or delivering our convertible chili red Cooper to a rental customer; whether I'm on the freeway, at an intersection, or in a parking lot; or whether I'm parked or driving. Its kind of like the common motorcycle wave, but with cars instead of bikes. Is there any other car in the world whose owners do this?

Now, I'm not to say that Jeep drivers don't wave to each other, but I never see them waving. My brother owns a Jeep, but he doesn't wave at other Jeeps when he's driving.

Feel more loved on Oahu: rent a MINI.

An unexpected tragedy leads to long-awaited upgrade

Many of you have heard of the unfortunate and extremely frequent vehicle break-ins on Oahu, especially in Waikiki and at popular tourist attractions. That's why each time we deliver one of our detailed MINI Coopers to a new rental customer, we caution them to keep valuables either back at the hotel or in the secure trunk of the MINI, out of sight of potential thieves.

Well, on a gloomy day last January we didn't follow these suggestions, which resulted in a broken window and a stolen computer bag (luckily sans computer). So after quite a bit of online research, we decided to go with The North Face Striker sling backpack as our new official company bag.

The striker has everything we need in a bag, and then some: an uber-comfortable shoulder strap with Velcro & clasp closures, elastic cellphone pocket, mesh zippered hip pocket, padded & insulated laptop/lunch compartment, water bladder hook & hose outlet, headphone flap, waterproof nylon fabric, waterproof zippers, side compressions, stitched foam back panel, tons of inside pockets (including one for our tire pressure gauges), and even a built-in safety whistle for the next time I see someone trying to break into a car. And for only 70 bucks, it's a great deal.

(Mini) Wedding of a Lifetime

Last year we were invited by Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine to take part in a all-expense paid dream wedding giveaway. Two lucky local lovebirds would be chosen by viewers to be flown to Oahu to be pampered, fitted, dined and wed like celebrities. And since celebrities don't usually do what everybody else does, the winners couldn't ride in limos like everybody else does.

Instead they were chauffeured in Mini Coopers!

Since most of our MINIs were rented for the weekend, the MINI of Hawaii dealership pitched in a few brand new convertible MINIs for the occasion. We all had a blast driving from the luxury Hawaii Prince Hotel to the elegant Ocean Crystal Chapel of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, through Waikiki while honking and waving to cheering onlookers, to the Homestead reception in Aina Haina.

To see pics of this incredible event, pick up the latest copy of Hawaii Bride & Groom Magazine, available in stores all around the islands as well as online at www.HawaiiBride.com.

Cruise in on a Boat, Cruise around in a Mini

Few things can ruin a perfect vacation faster than having a disappointing last day. This is especially true for cruise ship passengers who might choose to settle for mediocrity after their ship docks and before their plane taxis.

Diana & Robert understand the importance of an unforgettable last day, so when they found us online while out at sea, they quickly reserved our chili red convertible MINI for their last two days in Hawaii. Having enjoyed a wonderful week-long cruise, they skirted around our tropical paradise reflecting on their memorable activities of the prior week while blissfully soaking in the last few rays of our setting Hawaiian sun.

Now, I ask all our customers to send us pictures of themselves & their rented MINIs, but it seems as though returning to "real life" causes this request to be forgotten. So until I get a pic from Ronald Miller & his wife, I'll liven this post with a pic of a pre-Dr.McDreamy Ronald Miller.

Find a Mini Rental anywhere in the world!

The Mini Cooper Rental Portal is the official source for finding Mini Cooper rentals anywhere in the world. Have you ever wanted to rent a Mini on a vacation, but weren't in the mood to call every rental car company in the area to find out who had one? Well, they guys over at MCRP have done all the work for you. Just type in a city anywhere in the world, and if there are Mini rentals there, it will be listed. You can also scroll their list of cities on the left side of the site.

Each Mini rental company's blog post on MCRP lists their contact info, pricing, and available Minis. There are even some posts that have customer reviews and special pricing for MCRP visitors. And don't expect to just read some boring post with a few mundane company specs; MCRP has a few witty, even funny, posts. I actually sat there and searched quite a few cities and just to read what they wrote. It also got me thinking about how I really need to take a vacation back to the mainland.

Obviously, we're listed at the Mini Cooper rental company for Oahu, Hawaii, and appreciate the traffic MCRP has sent us the past few months. We believe they're doing the Mini-lovin' community a huge favor by rescuing vacationers from the doldrums of boring vacation car rentals! Thanks guys.

Free $50 bill offer for BridesClub.com subscribers

For a limited time, valued BridesClub.com subscribers, and their friends & family, will receive a FREE $50 BILL when they either rent a MINI Cooper on Oahu for at least 3 days, or when they purchase MINI rental gift certificates for a 3-day rental. We'll hand you a crisp new $50 bill when we deliver the MINI, or we will send one in the mail if you choose to purchase a gift certificate.

To take advantage of this offer, please call our reservation line at (808) 347-2886 and let us know you're a BridesClub.com subscriber.

Renting MINIs to Rockstars on Oahu

I dropped off our chili red convertible Cooper S to a customer named Jessee last month who wanted to take a a few days & cruise the North Shore. It turns out Jessee is the keyboard player for the band Motion City Soundtrack.They stopped in Oahu to play a show before continuing on to Australia & Japan. He had so much fun driving around the island that a few hours after we picked it up from him, their drummer, Tony, called to rent it for a day. And, of course, he had a blast as well.

MCS has a new single called "This Is For Real" and I'd recommend checking out my favorite track called "Antonia" off their Even If It Kills Me album.

Four Days of Hawaiian Bliss in a MINI

Jerry & Anna had a blast cruising around Oahu in our chili red Cooper Convertible back in January. They had a wonderful time during their stay in Ko'olina (mostly, I think, because of their choice in rental car!). Here's what they said about their tropical experience:

"My wife and I planned the perfect vacation to Oahu. Even though we stayed at a beautiful resort (Marriott Ko Olina), we wanted to see the island from top to bottom. My wife loves Mini's so I thought it would be a great opportunity to try one out. Additionally, we wanted something fun to drive and easy to park.

The sound system in the car was great. It was super clean and completely detailed out. Picking up and dropping off the car was quick and easy. Just like renting from a major chain.

Recommendations:

- If you rent a convertible and your wife has long hair; bring a scarf or a hat.

- We brought along an FM transmitter so we could listen to our favorite tunes from our iPod."

Jerry

Lindon, Utah

Crazy MINI Cooper Ads from around the world

Full Collection of Crazy Mini Ads � Marketallica

I sure enjoy seeing the creative MINI Cooper ads around town here in Honolulu, but they're nothing compared to some of the ads I found on Marketallica's blog in the link above. Check them out for a few good laughs, as well as possibly for some good marketing ideas!

My favorite is the "COPS HIDE HERE" sign. Any of you who have rented a MINI from us here at Little Hawaii Car Rental Co. and have motored around Oahu know we could use a few of those signs. They sure would reduce the cost of vacationing for a few of our old customers!

Electric Mini: 0-60 in 4 Seconds: It Has Motors In Its Wheels : TreeHugger

Electric Mini: 0-60 in 4 Seconds: It Has Motors In Its Wheels : TreeHugger

I didn't believe this article from treehugger.com at first, either. An electric Mini? 4.5 seconds to get to 60 mph? 150 mph?! Yeah right.

But its true.

The only thing I'd like to see now is one of these electric conversions on a '63 Austin Mini. And then I'd like to see that person call me and let me drive it! Seriously. 808-347-2886.

Mini Cooper + Hawaii = Winter Amnesia

Although Victoria, British Columbia, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it still gets cold there. Really cold. And come December when the beauty of spring, summer & fall are long forgotten, each Victorian must ask themself, "Do I want to stay here and stick it out until spring, or do I want to...


CRUISE HAWAII IN A MINI COOPER!?"

Claire & Sheldon chose NOT to stick it out and had a blast, as you can see. After just a few minutes of cruising in the MINI with the top down, I'm sure all their woes of Canadian wintertime were long gone.

Come marathon season next year, I look forward to more of their enthusiastic MINI rental pictures. Although, maybe next time Claire could give Sheldon the wheel for a few minutes. Or they could just rent two.

What can you see with a 1-day Hawaii MINI rental? LOTS!!

Rich & Teena, owners of a new '07 MINI convertible, decided to rent our red hot MINI Cabriolet for a day while staying in Waikiki. Some people may ask what all you can see on Oahu if you rent a car for only one day. Just ask these guys from Colorado. They took it all around the island back in August, and I'm sure they'll want to rent it for a few more days next time!

Here's what they had to say about their Hawaii MINI experience:

"Little Hawaii Car Rental Co. was able to help us affordably enjoy motoring in a MINI around the North Shore and other parts of the island...perfect to see in a convertible. Here are two pictures...one near Chinaman's Hat and the other along the "mysterious" rock piles towards the North Shore. Thanks again for your friendliness and making our vacation complete with a MINI."
-Rich & Teena, Longmont, Colorado

Thanks, guys. Hope you can make plans to come back soon!

Can MINIs float in the ocean?

Our 2006 MINI Cooper S did, thanks to our friends of Superferry Hawaii.

On February 4 I pulled up to the dock in Honolulu and loaded our hyper blue MINI Cooperonto the Superferry, a gigantic double-hulled catamaran that carries people and their vehicles between the Hawaiian islands. After securing the MINI downstairs, I headed up to the plush, leather-trimmed passenger lounge, fully equipped with flat screen TVs, 2 snack bars, gift shop, balcony and, of course, panoramic views. The crew members were very polite and helpful, and the variety of seats (I tried them all out) were more comparable to my family room sofa than an airline seat.

I must admit, it was a pretty bumpy trip, but I just happened to catch a ride during a large winter storm. I was assured that it is usually much smoother. After 3.5 hours of pictures, drinks, and 2 features films, we arrived in Kahului safe and sound.

$20 Nova Scotian discount on all MINI rentals!

As embarrassing as it is, I must admit I was surprised at Keith's excellent English when he called to book a MINI rental last month. He told me that he, his wife and daughter were already in Waikiki visiting from Nova Scotia, and I thought I would be booking a rental for my first Russian customers. I'm glad I didn't say that out loud.

I'm now better educated about our fellow North Americans, and am glad we could offer them a few days of go-carting around Oahu in our chili red Cooper Convertible. At first they could only book it for 2 days because of our filled schedule, but when I came to pick it up, I told them we had a cancellation and they gladly requested a 2-day extension.

We're looking forward to their return to Hawaii in June, and hope their neighbors come take advantage of our new $20 Nova Scotian discount.

MINIs: the perfect cherry for a tropical vacation sundae

A few weeks ago I was driving around town in one of our convertible MINIs with our huge 46-inch magnets on the side which audaciously read "MINI RENTALS." Chris and Jane happened to see me when I passed them in Waikiki (which is the point of the magnets!) and excitedly called a few minutes later to book a MINI rental. They were about to fly back to the frigid Northeast, and must have wanted to end their sunny vacation with a bang.

They had a blast driving all around the island, taking pictures of the scenery, themselves, and the MINI everywhere they went. The gladly sent me a few of their favs when they returned.

Is there a better way to cruise 229 miles of fantastic island roads in 2 days? Nope.

Resolution 2008: Rent a MINI on my next vacation!

The first month of the new year has almost come to a close, which is a reminder to many of their new year's resolutions. Some people might want to eat better, work out more, work less, invest more, eat less, or call home more. Others might want to take a vacation sooner. And to those eager travelers, may I suggest a new resolution: Don't Rent Boring Cars On Vacation In '08.

Oahu is such a beautiful island, filled with scenic views, exotic foliage, and world-famous beaches. It is a shame to tarnish such an attractive vacation with an unattractive, boring rental car.

We, at Little Hawaii Car Rental Co., would like to help you keep this resolution by extending all of our January MINI Cooper rental specials through the end of February. These specials include $99/day 2-day rentals and $89/day 3-day rentals, which all include free delivery to your hotel and unlimited mileage. Our MINIs also arrive in a spectacular, detailed condition. To get these special prices, please call our reservation line at 808-347-2886.

Let's start the new year off on the right foot: the one that presses the gas pedal of a beautiful convertible MINI Cooper to the floor!

I'll trade you one of my MINIs for one of your........anything!

Our Hawaii MINI Cooper rentals are now available on trade to members of bartering networks around the world. We recently joined two bartering networks: PCX here on the island, and BizX on the west coast. Both companies have affiliates all around the world, so no matter what network you may be a part of, our MINIs are all revved up, ready for you to drop the top and drive away into the sunset.

Although we have been trading our services for only a few months, we have enjoyed both the professional services offered by these companies as well as the high caliber of customers they have referred to us. Tiki's Grill & Bar in Waikiki was our first PCX customer, purchasing gift certificates for their end-of-the-year party. Then no more than 24 hours after we received our welcome packet from BizX, Rich & Gloria cruised around sunny Oahu in a convertible MINI for 3 days using their BizX trade account.

One of our trade customers who is driving our Cooper cabrio for 6 days as I write this, came to Hawaii a year ago with a friend who paid for her entire vacation on trade. After her friend explained the bartering system to her, her exact words were "I've got to get on that!" And she did, and has traded her high-end hand-made jewelry for a week in paradise. Why isn't every small business owner part of a network like this? I have no idea.

So what do we spend our bartered currency on? You name it. But I can tell you what we DON'T spend it on: Hawaii vacations, obviously.

MINI vacation packages from Hawaii-Aloha.com

Little Hawaii Car Rental Co. has teamed up with Hawaii-Aloha.com to bring you 3-day vacation packages, which include a 3-night stay at the newly remodeled Hotel Renew in the heart of Waikiki, along with, of course, a 3-day MINI Cooper rental. You really can't beat their package prices, starting from just $503!

For more information, please visit the Hawaii Travel Vacation Packages page of Hawaii-Aloha.com, or call Tara at 1-800-843-8771 ext.36.

Maui MINI Cooper rentals now available (finally!)

Due to an overwhelming demand to rent our amazing little MINIs on Maui, we will be making MINI rentals available on Maui beginning January 31st, thanks to the new Hawaii Superferry. Our first Maui MINI rental customer will be renting our shiny hyper-blue Cooper S from Jan 31 - Feb 29. So after March 1, anyone is welcome to book the most sporty, cutest, most curve-hugging vehicle on the island.

This Maui-bound MINI will be complete with detachable luggage rack and cargo net for convenient airport pick-up, surf rack, full-length glass retractable moon roof, matching blue interior accents, mp3 input, and more horsepower than logically necessary. If you're ready to break out of the boring-rental-car mold and cruise Haleakala's volcanic paradise in a supercharged street-legal go-kart, give us a call at 808-347-2886 or email MINI@LittleHawaiiRentals.com.

banner

button

Special offers for Hawaii.com/101 Things To Do subscribers

Welcome to the official blog of Little Hawaii Car Rental Co., Hawaii's exclusive MINI Cooper rental company. Sit back and enjoy cruising around our tropical spot on the blogosphere, where you can find all our hot new specials, read happy customers' reviews, and find out more about the only company to offer you convertible MINIs on Oahu!

For a limited time, all recipients of the email from Hawaii.com/101 Things To Do may receive 20% OFF ANY MINI RENTAL booked by Jan 31, 2008, for 2 or more days. Simply mention the subject of the email you received when making the reservation.

For more information, please call our reservation line at 808-347-2886 or email mini@littlehawaiirentals.com. You are also welcome to visit our company website at www.LittleHawaiiRentals.com.

Mahalo!

MINI rental GIFT CERTIFICATES now available from Little Hawaii

We've had so many requests to purchase Gift Certificates for MINI rentals, that we decided it's about time we start offering them officially. The make great birthday or anniversary presents, are perfect for honeymoons, and are the perfect gift for those people you know who can't stop talking about how cool MINIs are and how they wish they owned one.

Give us a call at 808-347-2886 and you can place an order over the phone. You can request the certificate to be either mailed or emailed to you as a PDF or JPEG. In the near future they will be available for purchase either on our website or through Paypal.

O Come All Ye Faithful MINI Fans in Georgia

Murry over at murmini.com has invited MINI motorists there in Savannah to come out to Hawaii and soak up some rays in our MINI ragtop rentals. As a special thanks for the great plug, we'll offer all murmini viewers 20% off any rental over 2 days, as well as all the other standard free stuff.

And since you're reading this, check out their sweet MINI shirts. That's got to be one of the coolest designs I've seen in a while, and they're only $18 and shipping is free.

These guys broke my MINI, and had a blast!

Rich and his wife, Gloria, decided to rent a non-boring car on this trip to Waikiki. And a hot chili red Cooper Cabrio with black bonnet stripes is definitely a non-boring rental car. Two days into their rental they called me to say the rag-top is broken and will not retract. So I drove down to Waikiki and swapped out that MINI for a Cooper S Convertible, and even though it was bright outside, I swear I saw Rich's eyes light up. At the end of the rental, I could tell from their slicked back hair, wind-tattered leis and toothy grins that they appreciated the swap.

Funny thing is, after I picked up the "broken" MINI, I pulled into a parking lot, inspected a few things and the rag-top worked just fine. I've never had someone sabotage one of our MINIs just to drive the Cooper S. I'll keep an eye out for that in the future.

By the way, Rich and Gloria were our first customers that were BizX members. BizX is a business bartering company that assists businesses to trade their goods or services for other stuff. So now I could go spend my trade currency on something exciting like a trip to Bahamas, diamond earings for the Mrs., or a new plasma TV. I got my teeth cleaned instead.

This Mini video almost made me cry

When we started our MINI rental company out here in Hawaii earlier this year, we wanted our initial fleet to consist of 2 MINI cabrios and 1 classic Austin Mini. However, because of insurance reasons, we had to get a Cooper S hardtop instead (which is still an incredible drive!). Then today I find this nostalgic video on http://www.motoringfun.com/, and almost needed a tissue. At the end of the video, we swore to add a classic Austin Mini to our fleet by the end of next year.

So find your box of tissues, turn up your volume, and check out the video

Mini Cooper en action
Uploaded by Minno02

WARNING: Driving MINI Coopers may be habit forming

Driving around Oahu in a rented Convertible Cooper S might result in an additional vehicle being parked in Nolan & Denise's snowy driveway when they return home from vacation next week. They have been considering purchasing a MINI Cooper for some time, and have even spent some time on MINI's official webisite building their dream MINI. Now, after cruising around Kailua and Laie behind the wheel of a supercharged go-cart for a few days, they might be ready to take the leap into ownership. And Denise may have even warmed up to bonnet stripes.

Nolan and Denise, we look forward to welcoming you into the MINI family soon!

It's never too late for a honeymoon in Hawaii

Simon and Sarah were stoked to find out they could rent a convertible MINI Cooper on their belated honeymoon this week in Waikiki. I am so glad we were able to rescue them from having to rent a boring Mustang. And also a special congratulations to them for being the first customers to book a MINI rental using our new online reservation system.

Although they tied the knot a year ago, this smart couple from Australia knows it's never too late to go on a honeymoon. And we look forward on seeing them on their next honeymoon in 2008, as well as the next one in 2009, and 2010....

And for those of you planning a little getaway to Australia, be sure to check out the many MINI rental companies on their little continent by visiting the MINI Cooper Rental Portal.

MINI or Harley? Tough decision on a Hawaii vacation

Sheldon and Claire from British Columbia were trying to decide between renting a Harley Davidson motorcycle or one of our MINI Cooper S Convertibles for a cruise to the North Shore of Oahu. They made the right decision and went with our MINI. Lindsay definitely got the sweet end of the deal, since she spent the majori