Bank segment (HEI only) - Allowance For Loan Losses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	$ 50,038	$ 45,618
Charge-offs	(14,245)	(6,426)
Recoveries	2,977	4,571
Provision	16,763	6,275
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	55,533	50,038
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	4,083	6,320
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	51,450	43,718
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	4,743,619	4,622,068
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	51,759	53,685
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	4,691,860	4,568,383
Residential 1-4 family
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	4,186	4,662
Charge-offs	(639)	(356)
Recoveries	421	226
Provision	(1,095)	(346)
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	2,873	4,186
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	1,352	1,453
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	1,521	2,733
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	2,048,051	2,069,665
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	19,854	22,457
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	2,028,197	2,047,208
Commercial real estate
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	11,342	8,954
Provision	4,662	2,388
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	16,004	11,342
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	80	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	15,924	11,342
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	800,395	690,561
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	1,569	1,188
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	798,826	689,373
Home equity line of credit
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	7,260	6,982
Charge-offs	(112)	(205)
Recoveries	59	80
Provision	(2,168)	403
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	5,039	7,260
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	215	442
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	4,824	6,818
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	863,163	846,294
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	6,158	3,225
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	857,005	843,069
Residential land
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	1,671	1,875
Charge-offs	(138)	0
Recoveries	461	507
Provision	(256)	(711)
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	1,738	1,671
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	789	891
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	949	780
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	18,889	18,229
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	3,629	5,683
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	15,260	12,546
Commercial construction
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	4,461	5,471
Provision	1,988	(1,010)
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	6,449	4,461
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	6,449	4,461
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	126,768	100,796
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	126,768	100,796
Residential construction
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	13	28
Provision	(1)	(15)
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	12	13
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	12	13
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	16,080	14,089
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	16,080	14,089
Commercial loans
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	17,208	14,017
Charge-offs	(5,943)	(1,074)
Recoveries	1,093	2,773
Provision	4,260	1,492
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	16,618	17,208
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	1,641	3,527
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	14,977	13,681
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	692,051	758,659
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	20,539	21,119
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	671,512	737,540
Consumer loans
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	3,897	3,629
Charge-offs	(7,413)	(4,791)
Recoveries	943	985
Provision	9,373	4,074
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	6,800	3,897
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	6	7
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	6,794	3,890
Financing Receivables:
Total financing receivables	178,222	123,775
Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment	10	13
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	178,212	123,762
Unallocated
Allowance for loan losses:
Valuation allowance, balance at the beginning of the period	0	0
Provision	0
Valuation allowance, balance at the end of the period	0	0
Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment	$ 0	$ 0