Company Profile

In 1941, in the little town of Hanapepe on the "Garden Isle" of Kauai, Robert Iwamoto, Sr. started a business as an independent taxi driver transporting soldiers stationed on Kauai. As the business prospered, he bought five more cars and established Roberts Rent-A-Car. Iwamoto's son, Robert Jr., joined the family business at the age of 15, when the company began to offer tours in long 'stretch' sedans. In the late fifties, the company purchased its first bus and moved its center of operations to the newly built airport in Lihue. In 1957, Robert, Sr. purchased an air conditioned motor coach, the first of its kind of Kauai. And in the early 60's, Roberts began to offer "Room and Car" packages, the forerunners of today's Roberts Overnighters. In 1964, the company opened operations on Oahu. This was soon followed by expansion onto Maui and the Big Island. During the same period, the company identified some other unmet needs on Oahu and expanded into baggage handling service and the activities business by offering sunset dinner cruises. In 1974 Roberts purchased 4-luxury motor coaches and began competing on a level with mainland-based Greyhound Tours. The 1980's were a period of major growth for Roberts Hawaii. In 1981, we entered the school bus business and built Ali'i Kai Catamaran, the world's largest ocean-going twin hulled ship. She still operates today, offering nightly dinner cruises off Waikiki. Later in the decade the company went on to purchase Captain Beans' cruises on Hawaii and concentrated on growing its Roberts Overnighter business.

In the 90's, Roberts focused on growing its market share in Hawaii's competitive tourism business. The company now owns the Magic of Polynesia, Waikiki's 'must see' nighttime show. On the tour and transportation side of the company, which represents the firm's roots and still the core of its business, the company has continued to expand its fleet of luxury motor coaches.

The company shows no signs of slowing down, with its growth and future increasingly being guided by third generation family management. Having entered the millennium with a leading edge website, the finest fleet of vehicles and sought-after experiences, Roberts Hawaii continues to stand behind its mission statement.

Rabbit Tales

The story behind the Roberts' Rabbit goes back to a time when Robert Iwamoto, Jr. watched the dog races in Mexico while on leave from his tour of duty with the Air Force. Years later when the company entered the tour business in direct competition with Greyhound Tours, he recalled that the Greyhounds never actually caught the rabbit so he chose as their logo a bright yellow running rabbit similar to the running greyhound mascot of their competitor. A few years later when Greyhound pulled out of Hawaii, the addition of the Rabbit waving "Aloha" to the competition was introduced