Never left a one star review before because we've always been happy with National's Emerald Club membership and the ability to simply step into a car and go. However, this would be a zero star review if possible because NO cars were available at the Lihue Airport on Kauai this afternoon. Thirty-plus customers waited more than an hour for a vehicle because the agency is short-staffed on cleaners. When we said we booked our rental eight months ago and showed our club membership confirmation email, we were told we have to simply "wait our turn." Still waiting 50 minutes after arrival. VERY disappointing to say the least! read more

Prefer National for their easy to use Emerald Isle and good rates. Docked one star because the Emerald Isle this time had 7 Malibus, all the same except for color. No real choice. Also, please mark where Emerald Isle users are to go. It was unclear and had to ask for assistance. read more

I have never regrets with booking our Jeep wrangler through National. After reading horror stories of some of the cheaper companies, I decided that I would rather pay a little more for a better and smooth experience. That's what I got. After a very quick check in, the staff directed us to the parking lot with a long row of new Jeeps in all colors and styles waiting for us with the keys in the ignitions. They just said to take whichever one we wanted. It was amazing and fun to be able to walk around and take our time picking our favorite one. Once we did, we were off just like that. Checking the Jeep back in was just as smooth. Will definitely use them again. read more

National Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

I want to sincerely and wholeheartedly thank Alamo, especially the manager named Gili, who completely changed what had been a really difficult day. I had just landed on my first ever trip to Kauai. It was hot, humid, and I was traveling with my large service dog Zeno. I did not have much, just a regular backpack and my dog, but between the heat, a long workday and travel, and trying to navigate somewhere new, I was already feeling overwhelmed. To be honest, I had not planned ahead well enough. I did not book a rental car in advance and quickly found out how big of a mistake that was. As I walked from booth to booth through the different car rental companies, sweating, tired, and carrying the emotional and psychological weight of a long day, I kept hearing the same thing: no cars available or prices that were far too high. Even though the counters were near each other, walking outside in the heat with my dog while feeling stuck and hopeless made everything heavier mentally and emotionally. I was exhausted, borderline defeated, and I could feel the excitement of arriving in paradise slipping away. Then I walked up to the Alamo counter and met Gili. She was, without exaggeration, the saving grace of my entire trip. The very embodiment of the aloha spirit. It is one thing to help someone with logistics, but it is another thing entirely to help someone from the heart. That was Gili. She did not just ask how she could help, she saw me. She noticed the weight I was carrying emotionally more than physically, and she met it with compassion, calm, and genuine care. She welcomed me and Zeno with such warmth that I felt my shoulders drop for the first time since getting off the plane. She made sure we were taken care of, not just with a car, but with kindness and dignity. It was not a sales interaction. It felt like someone reaching out because they care, not because they had to. Her staff that evening reflected that same energy--patient, warm, and efficient. You could feel the mutual respect in that team. They made me feel like more than just another tired traveler. And I cannot emphasize this enough: what Gili offered in that moment was more than service. It was the spirit of Aloha. Because of her, what began as a draining and stressful day ended in calm, gratitude, and even joy. It completely reframed my first night on the island. Instead of feeling defeated, I felt seen. I will remember this trip not for its rough start, but for how it turned around because one person chose to show up with heart. Traveling with a service dog is not always easy. There are many logistics, and not everyone is understanding or accommodating. But Gili and her team treated Zeno with so much kindness and respect. She never made me feel like an inconvenience. That gesture meant more than I can express. When you travel with a service animal, you often prepare for rejection. Instead, we were welcomed. And that made both of us feel at ease. This level of care should not go unnoticed. It speaks volumes not only about who Gili is, but about the culture you are building at Alamo when people like her are empowered to lead with compassion. What she gave me was more than a rental car. She gave me peace and a reminder that one person can make a difference. Alamo, you are lucky to have someone like Gili leading with empathy and professionalism. People like her are rare. She did not just solve a problem, she created a moment I will always remember. She represented your company in the best way and reminded me what real customer care looks like. I will absolutely be renting from Alamo again and recommending you to others because of how I was treated that day. You turned a nearly ruined day into something beautiful. And for that, I am truly grateful. If there is a way to nominate someone for outstanding service, Gili deserves it and more. I hope this message is shared with your leadership so they know how deeply her kindness impacted my trip. Sincere gratitude from both me and Zeno. Mahalo nui loa. read more

Can't imagine a better overall experience to rent a car in Kauai. The shuttle service was running regularly. Arrived to a friendly greeting and the car was ready to go. Made note of a small amount of damage and the person at the exit gate was friendly and documented. When I returned, the return agent was friendly and efficient. The shuttle was there without a wait. Overall a great end-to-end experience. read more

Shady company, shady manager, RJ, and even shader employees. Had a reservation for an Emerald Aisle vehicle. There were not any vehicles on-site available for rent and people waiting forever. We were told to go inside to check in by an employee and the counter guy told me because I have status I needed to go back outside to the booth, but he confirmed they would give us an SUV. We waited for over 2 hours before they tried to give us a car with a smashed in front passenger quarter panel. The thing didn't look roadworthy. Does National and RJ car about customer safety? Nope, just get them off the lot ASAP! The car (correct, not SUV) we did receive was filthy inside and out and has had multiple issues. I complained directly to National and they said rhis was not their fault they were short on vehicles. (Kind of sounds like a Seinfeld episode). They didn't even attempt to make this situation better. One couple was waiting over 3 hours for the Jeep they had reserved. Rj finally told theu that was not going to happen and they could either take whatever he decided to give them or they needed to cancel their reservation and leave the property. I have rented hundreds of cars in my life and have never had a more shady experience as we did with National in Lihue. They ruined out vacation and many others this week. I wish I could give negative stars. And to RJ, may you be cursed with 1,000 years of uncontrollable bloody anal itching! read more

Great service! Got off flight and took a short bus ride with an excellent driver who gave us some great insights to the island. Got off rental bus and walked right to our car and on the road in 5 minutes! Great service National! read more

I only got positive things to say about National Car Rental in Lihue! As a former commuter to the neighbor islands, it wasn't uncommon for me that I would end up using some kind of rental car service - 70 to 100 times a year, but ever since 2020, my commuter travels for work have ended and now I barely travel, or rent cars anymore. Being that I've been out of the loop for two years, renting a car in Lihue kinda feels new to me, as Kauai wasn't a regular work destination for me. Lucky for me, National Car Rental is the vendor of choice, as the company I work for encourages us to use National Car Rental exclusively, whenever we need to rent a car. A few things I like about National Car Rental - 1. The rental car fleet is pretty new, and National definitely keeps their cars very clean. 2. The rental process is pretty quick & painless. Normally when I show up to the customer service counter, I just show my ID, and the paperwork for my car is ready. I just pickup the paperwork, then head straight to the parking lot to pick up my rental car. Easy peasy........... 3. I like that National Car Rental provides Clorox wipes in their rental cars, and they also put this plastic steering wheel guard over the steering wheel to keep everything Covid-19 free, and clean. 4. When it's time to return my car, the check out process is so quick! After the clerk checks the rental, they will send you a bill to your email address, or if you need a physical hard copy, they will print a bill out for you on the spot. 5. Whether it's the person at the customer service counter, the clerk that helps check your car when you return it, or even the bus driver that picks you up/and drops you back at the airport...........the staff at National Car Rental is friendly, helpful, & very courteous. Should I ever have to start commuting regularly again, for sure National Car Rental would be my rental car vendor of choice! read more

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The whole point of a loyalty program is to reward loyal members. National struggles with this concept regularly, but so much so in Kauai that they just send you to Alamo to get your car. I recognize that they are both owned by Enterprise Holdings, but if the National booth was closed maybe you should let people know on advance? Upon arrival, we were in line for almost 20 minutes - which is atrocious. They clearly don't have a functioning emerald aisle at the Alamo location and when we finally got to our options... There were 2 vehicles, and they were both pretty atrocious. No upgrade offer, no recognition for our executive elite status. Temper your expectations here and even if you have status, I recommend just grabbing a cheaper vehicle from another company. read more

Highly recommend renting from them! Just picked up our suv today. Couldn't have been easier. If you're Emerald Club all you have to do when you get off the shuttle is walk up to the person standing outside at the little counter. They will ask if you are Emerald or Executive status then direct you to the Executive or Emerald Aisle section based on what you reserved. I reserved a "standard suv". Walked up and down the suv section and Executive before finding a 2025 Mazda CX-5 with less than 1k miles and a sunroof! Did have to wait like 15-20 minutes to actually get out of the lot but also wasn't in a rush. If you want a stress free vacation rent from National. You might have to pay a little more but it's worth it! read more

Emerald lot is very slim, do not expect upgrades here. Even if you call in advance to check policy & availability, they will bait- switch- pay for upgrades. Will never rent National Kauii again. read more

We had a fantastic rental experience in Kauai through National Car Rental at the Lihue/Airport. We were visiting from the mainland for 10 days over the holidays. We originally reserved a mini-van but soon found we did not need that size of vehicle and preferred a mid size/smaller SUV. We took the mini-van back after 3 days and switched it out. Couple notes about the whole process. 1) Getting to the rental place from baggage claim is swift and easy via the shuttle 2) The line was a bit longer at the rental spot to get to the desk person and we didn't realize having booked already we could just go straight outside to the person and get our information. That would have probably cut 10-20 mins and helped 3) The original mini-van was on the older side w/a lot of dings/damage outside, but relatively clean inside 4) When we wanted to switch to an SUV they were super kind and helpful and let us do that. The employees were very kind and funny when we first arrived. I was surprised at how easy this was and super thankful for the mgr to let us do this 5) The Mazda SUV rental we switched to/SUV was super new and clean and awesome. My 12 year old niece now says she'll buy one someday when she is old enough and makes enough money lol 6) Return process super easy and quick. Ride back to airport fast as well and driver was so nice. (family in Oregon and WA) We were 100% satisfied with our National Experience. Kudos to the Lihue team for doing a GREAT job. thank you read more

dropping off our rental at the Lihue Airport on Kauai went reasonably smoothly. lines trudged along at a snail's​ pace but the shuttle was waiting when i handed over the keys and the driver was courteous and helpful with our bags. but the pick up was unnecessarily difficult. there were two people working the counter. we were second in line but it took nearly thirty minutes for two groups in front of us to get their cars. i blamed it on their being ill-prepared​ so i made sure i strolled to the desk with my reservation, driver's license, and Visa in my hand -- it still took nearly half an hour to get keys. poorly organized, not remotely interested in processing things quickly, but i did get the full-court press on upgrades (pre-paid gas, bigger/sportier car, insurance). and when did a car that felt like riding in a beer can on wheels qualify as a "full-sized" vehicle​ ???? read more

Felt very special, like a celebrity or VIP status! My ohana and I waited for the National Shuttle to pick us up from the airport. Our driver was sweet and gave us some of the ins and outs of what to do and where to eat while on Kauai. We specifically asked which places were open this late because we took one of the later evening flights out. Nice talk instead of the awkwardness since we were the only passengers. The driver radio'd in my name and as soon as we got there, my Jeep was ready, car started, lights on, and the trunk was open for our luggage!!! Literally 15 maybe 20 steps from where the shuttle dropped us off! No need to lug the luggage around inside, wait patiently and anxiously to check in, paper work, blah blah. Nope, it was ready! We jumped in, pulled up to this guard shack, handed her my license and credit card, took maybe 5mins and BAM! Vacation has officially begun! Oh the perks, I love it. Enterprise is the parent company of National and Alamo. It was a small lot and Kauai is smaller less populated island so I was prepared to already request/reserve an upgrade from my usual full size car. I also didn't mind choosing the color Jeep since it's just a rental and temporary for our trip. Just as long as I notated any damages prior to taking off. read more

Everyone I dealt with, from the shuttle driver to the employees on the lot, were nice and courteous. No issues there. My issue is with the selection of vehicles in the Emerald aisle. When I arrived at the location, I was presented with only two options to pick from: a Nissan Sentra and a Nissan pickup truck. Both were in really shabby condition, dented and scratched on the outside and dirty on the inside. I asked about the possibility of taking many of the other cars scattered across the lot but was told they were all "reserved". Being in a rush to go back to the terminal to pick up the rest of my party, I went with the Nissan Sentra, the only option really when you think of it. From my experience at other locations, one is presented with a good 6-12 options at a minimum in the Emerald aisle. I understand this location may not be as big in size as other places, but at the very least I expected the staff to work with me. I do not believe for a second that everything on the lot at that moment was "reserved". For that reason, I'm disappointed. Will I use National again when visiting Kauai? I'm not sure. Side note, I got an email the day after I returned my rental from someone from the staff at this location, asking about my experience and if I had any feedback. I let them know about the issues above but never got a response or heard back in any way. What's the point of asking for feedback if you're not going to at least acknowledge that you've received it?! read more

My experience with National Car Rental in Lihue is ALWAYS amazing. Prompt service. Great quality and selection. Anytime I've had an issue, they are quick to resolve and put a smile on my face. The shuttle from the airport is quick and the drivers are always so friendly. Top notch rental company that takes care of customers that frequently use their services. read more

I wanted to say what a wonderful experience I had with Alamo/ National Car Remtal in Lihue. I had heard so many horror stories about car rentals in Kauai and my nerves where present shot but upon getting to the rental counter all went smoothly. They were extremely helpful and professional. Thank you Alamo for getting my long anticipated vacation off to a wonderful start. read more

Emerald Aisle is so super easy! I love being able to not wait in a line, pick what vehicle I want and get out quickly. I got awesome service late at night, just minutes before they closed. The location isn't in the airport loop, but about a mile or two away. Definitely worth the extra few minutes drive! read more

National Car Rental - Late at night, pick any car you want when booking with Emerald Aisle. - Car Rental Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

My favorite nationals thus far has been on these islands and this one on Kauai is no different. It's a very small station but it's super quick in and out. They'll have your car pulled up front and ready for you before you even get there. The entire staff, from those at the station and the shuttle drivers are insanely friendly. For those of you in executive emerald section, I saw several suvs like Nissan rogues. read more

This place deserves like ten stars For full coverage, seven days and a decent sized sedan it was under 700. Excellent customer service, a variety of choices of which car we wanted (most are fuel efficient) and smiles all around. The other car rental spots when we were at the airport were either did not have a representative there because they were doing something else-- or *cough* Hertz! it was almost two hundred dollars more for the same deal. The woman working the counter was super friendly and easy to talk to-- when we dropped off the stuff she remembered us heehaw.. then again.. central coast yelps are hard to forget *snickers* read more

We might have been lucky... but it was an easy and painless experience. Waited ten minutes for the shuttle from the airport to the car rental, it was about a ten minute ride there with all the loops to get out of the airport. We were the only one so it was easy, they even let my husband register as a second driver for free since we are married. They weren't too pushy with the extra coverage, and in a few minutes we were out to their small lot and shown which car was ours. All their cars were newer (as in within a year) no clunkers in site. The return was just as easy they scanned the bar code on the window checked the gas and mileage and we were on our way, the airport shuttle already waiting for us. TIP: Make sure you know where you picked up the car, it's the same place you drop it off. Keep the address for them. read more

The selection for Executive aisle was slim picking and upon my arrival the National agent assumed I was traveling with the guy who arrived at the same time as me. He ended up getting the last 4x4 vehicle in the Executive aisle and he wasn't even Executive status. What is the point in asking who is executive on the shuttle bus if they is not going to be any action taken? Once I brought the agents mistake to attention, she quickly made the situation right. She apologized, explained that she thought we were traveling together, and then retrieved a 4x4 vehicle for me. This is not the first time someone has mistaken my solo travel style as a weekend trip with my significant other. read more

National Car Rental in Lihue was great. Walked off the shuttle and our reserved car pulled up to us fresh off the car wash line. The only comment I have is that the 800# reps needs better information about your many locations. I specifically called in advance to find out if Lihue had an Emerald Executive aisle and was told no. But when we arrived your location rep advised you do in the busier summer months. If that is true your website and 800# reps should have the details about when it is or isn't in effect. Mahalo to the wiki wiki and friendly staff in Kauai! read more

National Car Rental - Car Rental Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

I don't believe I have ever had such quality service in the rent car business as I received with Kellianne. She met us immediately off the shuttle, helped pull one of our bags in, got us checked in, provided a modest vehicle upgrade without additional charge, took us directly to our vehicle, showed us its features, and gave us directions to our destination, all with friendly courtesy. I have rented many cars in my life and have found many agencies, depending on the particular locale, to be absolutely awful. What a welcome difference at this agency. read more

We rented a standard car from National at Kauai Lihue Airport and all of the cars we looked at were not clean, there is dirt everywhere and the car reeks of urine smell, do not recommend. read more

We were provided with a van, like I reserved. However, I was very disappointed in the car seats provided. I have a 2.5 yr old and 14 month old.  Despite reserving the correct car seats weeks in advance we were given a flimsy booster seat, which he is too young for and an infant car seat, which she is too big for. Neither car seat was very sturdy. They both seemed old. The expiration dates need to be checked. The desk workers were nice enough but everything was not ready when we arrived, after almost 12 hours of flying... I would never place my children in either car seat at home, as they are unsafe for their sizes.  My husband returned the car for our flight out and the shuttle got him back to the airport quickly. read more

My wife and I rented a mid-sized SUV through Priceline.com and ended up with National Rental Car. The customer service people were very friendly and we picked up our SUV without incident. I did a thourogh pre-check of the car before leaving the lot and upon returning the car after our vacation. All was well, until a month after returning back to California I recieved a demand payment for a broken front bumper ( $1200). My wife and I are 59 yrs old with no kids and I was the only driver. I sent National Rental Car copies of my pre-check forms and they still insist I was at fault. They provided no other proof of the damage and deny the possiblity that an employee or subsequent renter could be responsible for the alleged damage. I think they are trying to take advantage of mature adults who they think have the means to pay for unproven damages. Consequently I warn all car renters to take cell phone photos of your rental car before leaving the lot and upon returning the car. Save those photos and get the service rep to sign on the car drawing that there is no damage to the car when you return it. I'm using Hertz from now on. live and learn read more

Short story - would rent from National again, but would avoid this location - management shows very little concern for personal safety. However, the front desk staff were very friendly, efficient, and helpful when renting the car. The location is also clean and well-located. Our problems came when our car broke down. To be clear, cars break down occasionally, this was not National's fault. Our car broke down beside a very busy road, just outside Lihue. After calling National's roadside assistance, I began to wait. As it was getting dark, I was starting to worry about my safety - stranded car in a dark area with no lights beside a busy road. After two hours of waiting, I was informed that it would be at least another two hour wait for the tow truck. With it now dark outside, I called the Lihue rental location to request a ride or a taxi ride back to the rental location to wait for the tow truck to bring the car. However, I was told by management (through their front counter staff) that I was not under any circumstance allowed to leave the car. I felt forced to wait in the car beside a dark road with lots of traffic. Even after expressing that I was concerned for my safety given the location, they refused to send a ride or pay for a taxi back to the location. This directly contradicted what the National Car Rental roadside assistance staff told me. As management showed absolutely no concern for my personal safety and had no desire to help out a stranded customer, I would highly recommend avoiding this location. They were fine if you don't have any problems, but since management's apparently values their vehicles above my family's safety, I cannot recommend this location. read more

My experience with National Car Rental at Lihue airport was great. After I got declined at another rental service because of my non existing credit history (I'm from Germany), I went to the NCR terminal and asked for the cheapest car available. 5 Minutes later, and I was on the shuttle towards the pick up location. When I arrived, I was asked if I would like to take a slightly better car since they had them available. The extremely friendly service was remarkable from the day when I picked it up to the drop off. read more

I'm an Emerald Executive member. I rent from National on a weekly basis. This particular location shines poorly on the company. When I arrived i was told that I could choose from the "emerald" isle of only the back row because other customers were "paying" for better cars. The lot manager for that evening had no regard for my executive status, as it wasn't worth anything. The car selection also sucked something awful. Of all of my experiences with national this is one of the only sour ones. I may just have to go with a different company next time I visit Kauai. read more

The pickup and drop off location are about a mile from the airport. Slow service...beware!!! However, this is Kauai and they run a slower operation then the other islands. I just rented from National in Kalispell, MT and I was very pleased with that operation. I suggest leaving yourself an extra hour for the pickup and drop-off process in Kauai. read more

National Car Rental - It doesn't get any slower than this! - Car Rental Near Me - Lihue, Hawaii

They are open 5:15 am to 10:00 generally. Calling them is not an option; we tried numerous times to call them and nothing went through for the phone number: 808-245-5636. We also tried their 800 number and got connected with a woman not in Hawaii who said she booked for their rent a center all over the world but wouldn't be able to look up their phone number, connect me, and she had no info about this location at all. I had pressed 1 to take the survey but I was denied the survey... When picking up the car at the airport they had someone there at their booth at the airport. Paperwork was fast; she tried to sell me all the extra insurance but we didn't need it because our insurance covers it. In glad she asked though. She did get me to buy the gas in advance so we could drop it off without having to fill it up-- I shouldn't have done that since we weren't going to drive as much-- I blame that move on my lack of sleep. I had wanted a ford fusion and when we got there they were out when I asked for one so the guy gave us an automatic upgrade to a 2012 Mazda 6 and we were very happy with it. The car was very clean on the inside which is amazing considering we were in Kauai and there's sand and the red dirt everywhere. The car worked great- no problems all week. We returned the car right at 5:15 am at the drop off location. Since we had gotten the pre-paid gas thing and returned it with half a tank, she did give us a discount from the amount it was going to be for that without us even saying anything, which was really nice of her. We got into the shuttle and were on our way to the airport! read more

our experience was Great from the minute we arrived to the departure. yes they were busy, and yes, we had to search for a car that fit our needs, but all were smiling and helpful. Over all a very good experience Jon read more

I was a little too excited to finally go on vacation to notice my travel agency did not complete the booking for my car rental. Being a National Emerald member I had no doubt we could get this resolved quickly and be on our way. Sure enough Ms. Chelsie V. and her team were ready and waiting at the fully staffed rental counter. I got the Jeep I wanted and at a better price than what the agency quoted, all in under 10 minutes! The next day I received a follow-up e-mail asking about my experience and if there was anything else I needed. I had one little item so I replied back and sure enough Chelsie responded that day and immediately address my concerns. I have rented from National all over the world while on business. I am very pleased to find the same level of quality customer service from the garden island of Kaua'i for my personal adventures as well. Thank you! read more

Jennifer (Manager) was extremely helpful, spending the time needed to solve an issue with my driver's license and CC, going out of her way to make sure things were read more

I was not super impressed with the location (off-property from the airport). I was also not impressed with our Jeep, which seemed to be falling apart. At the end of the day, it got us where we needed to go. When we got it, the gas was supposed to be full. It was 1/4 below full so we had to call and let them know. They were nice about it, and didnt bill us. Jeep Wrangler X for 4 days total: $309.72. read more

It couldn't be any easier to rent a car. We took the shuttle to National, they saw we were part of their Emerald Club and said "pick a car". We had to ask a couple of times because we couldn't believe it was that easy. So my husband and son chose the car and we were off to explore the island. Wonderful and easy experience. I highly recommend. read more

Friendly team, and convenient shuttle service to the air port. I forgot my favorite hat in my rental car, and when I boarded the shuttle to head back to the car rental shop the shuttle driver radio'd into the office and instead had the next shuttle bring back my lost-hat. It was very kind, and awesome of them to save me the trip. Made it to my flight on time, with my favorite hat on my head. read more

Shuttle driver and staff members helpful and courteous. Very pleasant rental experience. Would definitely rent again. read more

We visited over the Christmas and New Year Holidays, and were very happy with the collection of our vehicle, as the attendants actually came out in the rain to help us select the best auto. We were also very impressed with the outstanding customer service from Matt the branch manager, who was polite, professional, knowledgeable and efficient at handling our paperwork, and helping us understand the wonders of Kauai. They run a great operation there and all of the people we spoke with were happy and had positive attitudes. It was easy to return the vehicle also, and the man who drove me back to the airport (a native Hawaiian) was very friendly and service oriented, and made our ending experience with National on Kauai delightful. read more