Standard gratuity
For private chauffeured transfers, 15 to 20 percent is customary. For hourly or as-directed service, the same range against the total. Cash and card both work.
When it is already included
Some quotes and corporate accounts include gratuity. If it is included, we say so on your confirmation, and no further tip is expected.
Small things that help
Send your flight number, tell us your real bag count including golf and dive gear, and mention car seats when you book. Aloha goes a long way here, in both directions.
Gratuity on longer days
On a full chauffeured day, where the driver is with you for eight or ten hours, planning stops and holding your gear, guests commonly tip toward the upper end of the range or a flat amount per day. There is no expectation and no awkwardness either way. A note to the office about a chauffeur by name is worth as much internally as the tip is.
Local etiquette worth knowing
Shoes come off at private homes and many vacation rentals. A wave to let someone merge is standard courtesy here and horns are rare. On narrow North Kohala roads the uphill vehicle usually yields. If a chauffeur declines a route because of weather, surf, or road conditions, that judgment is local knowledge rather than reluctance.
