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Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa
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108 reviews for Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa
Been to Honolulu many times but this was my first time staying at the Hilton Hawaiian. Heard lots of good things so had some high hopes which for the most part were met but honestly, for the price you pay I just don't think the room is up to par.
We were on the 20th floor of the Rainbow Tower -- facing the beach and Diamondhead -- amazing views! However, the furniture was pretty dated and the bathroom -- egads, looked like it came straight outta 1975. :-\ I also found the beds to be not so comfortable -- definitely not 'luxury' style linens and mattresses you're used to getting at a nice hotel. I also think the room in general was missing the little extra added features that make you feel like you're staying in a 'nice' hotel -- felt definitely more like a chain, which I guess it is, but for the price you'd think it would be nicer. I know Hilton is capable of nicer too cuz I've stayed in some pretty darn nice Hiltons.
The place is huge and has just about anything you could want on premises but it's almost too much. It's so crowded everywhere on the resort -- the pool, the bars, even waiting for the elevator is a pain cuz there's always a crowd. I found myself wanting to leave the resort a lot to be honest.
I will say the staff is incredibly friendly -- we never once encountered a staff person who didn't smile, say aloha and help us in any way they possibly could. :-)
Would I stay here again? Not unless it was on someone else's dime. I don't think the $ warranted the condition of the room and I didn't really enjoy staying at such a mammoth resort. I also think it's too far removed from all the other parts of Waikiki where the shpping, dining, etc. is -- maybe that's the plan though to keep you on the resort. ;-)
This was home base for our week long honeymoon in Hawaii and we sure did have alot of fun.
We arrived on Monday Sept 21st at about 2:00. Our room wasnt ready yet so they gave us a pager and we kind of hung out and checked out the surrounding areas.
Our pager went off about 30 minutes later and we just had to walk up and get our keys. We originally had booked our room with an ocean view in the Diamondhead tower. Well we were "upgraded" to the Kalia Tower which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
The Kalia Tower has its own pool and its where their spa is located. It was never too crowded and there were always chairs available. It had a rather large hot tub too which was awesome.
The room itself was very nice. Big comfortable bed, a little couch and a desk. It also had a mini fridge located in the bathroom in the corner on the floor which was cool because you could buy bottled water and store it in there. The room had an ocean view even though it was far away. Thats alright though because we live in SD and we can look at the ocean whenever we want. Once you get up close and see the clear water, thats when it makes a difference, but from hundreds of yards away, the ocean is the ocean.
The hotel has a bunch of restaurants and shops as well as an ABC store on sight. The parking garage was right next to our tower which was super convinient since we had a car. The only downside....24 bucks a day to park!!
Our stay was awesome, the hotel was beautiful, and I would definitely stay here again if I come back to Oahu. This is an awesome hotel/resort.
Hotel Location is huge
Room was clean and had views of ocean and Diamond Head
Pool needs more lounge chairs
Nice, comfortable, and has a lot to offer, but meh. No character. This is definitely a conference / family factory hotel. You're either there with some kind of package that gets sold by a travel booker daily or you're there for work. I cringed when I saw what must have been wedding 3 or 4 of the week taking place right around the corner from the front desk. Too weirdly public. So while this Hilton has everything you need, it feels like the output of a vacation making machine.
The complex is comprised of multiple highrise towers and low rise commercial buildings -- rather like a large personality-less resort backed by a mall and food court. A Louis Vuitton store and shapeless sarong outfitters are some of the offerings. The pools are shimmering, clean, and well-kept, but not particularly exotic. You occasionally have to play the vulture waiting game for a lounge chair, but that's to be expected.
The beach, however, is actually pretty great. Many of the hotels in Honolulu (and even some on Waikiki Beach), don't actually have wide sand for you to lay out on. The Hilton has it, in droves. There is also a shallow manmade lagoon that offers a family friend / scuba trainee friendly beach experience. So that's a definite plus.
I ate in the Tropics (beachfront) restaurant once and was not particularly pleased. Bland, uninspired fare.
Overall I wouldn't stay here again. I'd scrounge for a deal on the Halelukani (beautifully manicured property a few doors down on Waikiki Beach) or something else with a bit more character.
If you're not particularly picky about that 'hidden gem' type ambience, however, this could do the trick.
Mandara Spa. I thought I would say WOW but with my experience was really bad. My massage was not very good. I wanted a Deep Tissue but my therapist did not give me what I wanted. I felt like i was getting a Swedish Massage.
I then ask to speek to a manager but the front dest said she was no where to be found (Kathlyn?). The front desk informed me that she is never at work and doesnt do her job.I did not have to know that.
Overall, i was not satisfied. I would not recommend this spa to anyone.
Absolutely amazing. The Rainbow Tower is as good as it gets. Oh, no wait. I forgot, the furnishings are older and it has a old tube TV instead of a HD flatscreen. So everyone should stay away from the Rainbow Tower. There's no reason why you'd want to stay there. Me? I have a new couch and a big screen plasma in my living room. What I don't have is an oceanfront view of one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Seriously though, I have no idea why you would stay ANYWHERE else in Honolulu. Yes, it's expensive, but you really do get what you pay for.
PROS: Unimaginably awesome. Extra amenities include a luau, fireworks, restaurants and shopping, activities and wildlife, all within the resort.
CONS: Price. But it's worth every penny.
This is a good hotel if you are looking for a family friendly resort filled with convenient shopping and dining experiences. It is a good resort for your first trip to Honolulu. It caters to tourist and I think that it has a great selection of activities for folks who have never been to Hawaii before. That, unfortunately is not me... this last trip was probably my 10th time to Hawaii, and about my 4th time to Honolulu. Personally I prefer the quite laid back resorts where the emphasis is more on relaxation. But since I seem to find myself back at this resort again and again for work, it has grown on me.
The rooms are not bad. Apparently the Tapa tower is the most recently renovated, but I prefer the rooms in the much nicer Ali'i Tower. I suggest you pony up the extra dough and stay there. Partial ocean view and resort rooms suck. Get the ocean view, you will appreciate it.
The shops and restaurants are good. You won't really need to leave the resort to shop. They have just about everything there between what they call the "Rainbow Bazaar" and the main lobby area. There are some highlights like Tropics for dinner and drinks at the Tapa Bar, but I would suggest trying some of the finer cuisine the area has to offer.
The staff is great. The convention/event staff is a pleasure to work with. They are all very accommodating. They will get you what you need. But sometimes, they are running on island time. It is a pleasure working with them every time I have the opportunity. If you are looking to have a function here, I say, go for it!
With large pools, beachfront property, a lagoon and a massive resort to walk around, first timers will find themselves fully entertained while staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
My family and I have stayed at various hotels and resorts around Oahu and the Hilton Hawaiian Village ranks as one of the top places that we've stayed at. We stayed in the Ali'i tower, which had it's own private lobby / check-in area and it's own pool on the 2nd floor. They also had a nightly reception that served free hors'dourves. The rooms are pretty spacious, with a large balcony and a pretty big bathroom. As all Hiltons, the beds were quite comfortable. Both of the rooms we had were really clean.
As for the resort itself, you have everything there from an ABC Store, Benihana's, a huge Vegas-style pool, work-out rooms, clothing stores, a luau, penguin and flamingo exhibit, Starbucks, etc. And it's only less than a mile's walk from the center of Waikiki (International Market / Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center)
A couple of downfalls are 1) if you rent a car, prepare to pay $24/day for self parking 2) if you get hungry at 10 pm and don't want to order expensive room service, you're basically S.O.L., unless you don't mind ordering a pizza from Round Table (which we did twice we were there).
I also heard that this hotel is haunted, but I didn't see any ghosts on my balcony =)
Ut oh. A conference in Hawaii. Although it sounds exotic, a three day conference where you need 15 hours on each side of the trip to travel doesnt quite make this relaxing trip. Also looking forward to three days of rubber chicken, dry donuts, over brewed coffee, and the universal green/yellow/orange colored fruit salad conference food...
After getting my rental car, my trusty Garmin guides me right to my destination.
Too busy not getting lost, I finally arrive and look around at my surroundings......GASP!!! I think I went back in time 30 years. Overall, the Hilton HV grounds just looks kinda dingy and dated, that 60's Hawaiian village look. Stark, sparse vegetation. I guess I was spoiled on Maui and Kawai. Honolulu/Waikiki is definately a city.
However things started to look up. I was in the Kalia Tower. This building is both hotel and timeshare apartments mixed together. The lobby was well appointed and staff attentive and sharp. (I guess this down economy is making people appreciate their jobs more these days...) Here is how it went...
The Room:
It was one of the better Hilton rooms I have been in. Hilton has a high standard of excellence and this room doesn't disappoint. Ok...it's not the Broadmoor or Ritz, but it is quite decent for $177 a night.
Appointments are nice, room very clean, furniture good condition and not worn.
Very convenient to the beach which is on the property. Many shops on the premises hence the Village part of the name, albeit a little pricey. 4 stars
The Food:
A SURPRISE!!! It was actually pretty good considering they had to feed over 300 people in one sitting.
1. The one lunch was buffet style. The teriyaki chicken and soy sauce based fish were not overcooked but were right on the money.
2. Sushi was served as an afternoon snack they it was superb. The tuna was clear and fresh, the smoked eel was done perfectly.
3. Green tea somen in a soy based sauce. Quite a surprise to see this at a conference but it was pretty good. I had four bowls of the stuff.
Overall, the food was a solid 4 stars.
If in Honolulu you dont want to drive or walk far, but just want to relax and hang near both a pool and beach, this Hilton is a pretty good choice.
This place is like a beach & city in and of itself! You have your choice of either the huge built lagoon or the real beach just on the outskirts of the hotel. Part zoo (yes, yes, the African penguins), part arboretum given all of the diverse flowers and trees, and part shopping mall (LV anyone?), the hotel also has a nice collection of show-cased art and sculptures. It was definitely luxurious staying here - everything was within reach. Sadly enough, I think that's why some folks who stay here don't even need to leave the resort to explore the island! They even bring live entertainment nightly and a weekly lu'au here. We stayed in the Tapa Tower on the 16th floor with a great view of the City.
As much as I enjoyed my stay, as a young couple, we wasn't too thrilled with how far the resort was from Central Waikiki and nightlife. They intentionally built this resort to rest in its own secluded space away from the hustle and bustle. This hotel is great, though, for families and older folks who just want to relax without the hassle of going anywhere.
I've stayed at this hotel with my family every year for the last 8 years. In the beginning we liked it so much that we bought a timeshare in the Lagoon Tower. We are still happy with that, although this last year we were unable to get into it. Still wanting to be in Hawaii, we chose to stay in the hotel for 2 weeks. We were given rooms in the Rainbow Tower. Besides the Ali'i Tower, the Rainbow Tower is supposed to be their nicest tower (due to proximity to ocean?). Was thoroughly disappointed with rooms. We had 2 rooms, and both were in need of a face lift. The furniture and rooms are dated! Beds comfy tho...
My biggest GRIPE is having to wait in line AT ANY OF THE POOLS before 8AM to guarantee yourself a seat. They have a major seating problem at all of their pools. If you do not wait in line, you will be out of luck all day. Thy need to figure something out!
Crazy style! So we came here after being in Maui for 7 days and it was a total change of pace. The hotel itself was decent enough, we stayed in the rainbow tower, I think there are four towers total. We had a ocean front room which was nice. Our room was spacious and clean and the bed was very comfortable with a nice size balcony.
Now this place is like it's own city, it's insanely busy all the time. it's very family friendly from what I could tell. There was always a wait for the elevators. Always. The pool situation is insane here. They have like 4 pools total but one is a private tower pool. You literally need to get to the pool by 8 AM. to get a spot on a chair or you're screwed, we figured that out the hard way. I mean people wait in line and lay there towels down for hours and leave to save there seats. The hotel does have a sign saying they have a right to dispose of unattended items which I saw many guests do and would've probably done too if we didn't get lucky with seats.
I definitely think next time we go to Honolulu we will stay somewhere much more chill. This hotel also charges for pretty much everything...like 13 bucks a day for the gym??? Really, please. Luckily we ran along the beach everyday but I think it's pretty shady they charge for that.
Really, if you didn't want to you would never have to leave this place. There's like 20 restaurants, an ABC store and shopping galore which is why it's perfect for families. We like to go out and explore though and this place was a couple of blocks from all the action.
This is a full service resort that offers a great deal for families and tourists. They have a good number of pools, including a lagoon and direct access to the beach. Unfortunately, for us, it was TOO big and too busy.
This being our second trip to Hawaii together, we were looking forward to staying on the opposite end of Waikiki, as we stayed at the Hyatt last time. Unfortunately, we did not experience the warm hospitality that we became accustomed to. The resort seems too "business-like" and I felt that the staff was only focused on keeping people moving. I didn't feel as if it was hospitality driven.
The grounds are very attractive with beautiful foliage and wildlife, however...that is all that it has going for them. Take two steps away from the faux serenity and you're plunged into a type of city craziness with high end fashion stores and low end food options. For any resident of San Francisco, you will understand the comparison when I say, "Take two steps away from Union Square and you're in the TL."
We stayed in the Rainbow Tower. BIG MISTAKE. I have never had a worse experience with elevators. There were 6 elevators. When going up to your room, it was at least a 5 minute wait and chances are, you'd have to bypass a couple cars because there were SO many people waiting. When going down to the main floor, your best chance of getting into a car would be to ride up and then back down...that is, after at least a 10 minute wait, and you would probably end up doing so because the arrow indicators would show "down" and you'd enter the car and end up going up.
As far as the buffet is concerned, this was one of the worst, and I am a big fan of buffets. The selection was lackluster and when you're paying about $30 a person, there should be more than 6 or 7 hot trays.
I personally don't recommend staying at this resort unless you want a full service resort that doesn't require that you explore outside of the property and you don't mind walking at a snail's pace because there are too many people that you can't weave in and out through crowds.
I stayed here for 8 days back in May/June and I was extremely impressed with this hotel. It's on par with a hotel in Vegas size-wise, minus the casino. There are 6 different towers you can stay in (my friend and I were in the Tapa Tower), 2 pools, a beach right on the hotel property, two bars, a bunch of restaurants, and many many stores. The grounds are beautiful--they even have flamingos and penguins. Our maid did a great job every day (although I would like to note that I am ridiculously neat and organized, so it's not like the maid had a lot of cleaning up to do, LOL).
I am deducting one star though, because the drinks were WAY overpriced. It was close to $10 for a mixed drink, $8 for a beer. And I wanted to buy a sweatshirt, and I couldn't find one for less than $60. That's the only drawback. We paid $135/night for a double room, which was apparently quite the deal for the Hilton, according to some people we met on the trip.
However, to save money, you could go to the ABC Store on the property and buy a six pack for $5. You can even buy bottles of vodka, tequila, rum, etc there.
The Hilton Hawaiian is a GREAT place to stay in Waikiki. The resort has several towers, four pools, a full service spa and many shops that range from basic to high-end. Best of all, the beautiful beach is located just steps from the large pool area.
My room (in the Tapa tower) was fairly large and had a great deck. Housekeeping did an excellent job each night and I felt really comfortable in my home-away-from-home for the five nights that I stayed.
The animals on the property were really cool, and I loved seeing the flamingos on my daily walks around the grounds.
On the day of my checkout, I was encouraged to take advantage of a complimentary courtesy room, as my flight was not scheduled until late that evening. I signed up at the front desk for a room at 6 p.m. At five of, I simply picked up a room key at the front desk and had access to a clean, stocked guest room for half an hour. It was so nice being able to take a quick shower and change clothes in a comfortable, private room before my departure.
My only issue with the hotel was the quality and price of the food and beverage options. I had a grilled chicken salad and diet coke that cost $15 (plus tax and tip) at the poolside grill one afternoon. The salad had obviously been refrigerated for some time and the chicken was barely edible-- certainly not hot off the grill as I was expecting. The two other times I ate at the hotel were for breakfast. On both occasions, I had an egg white omelet with hash browns, toast and coffee, and each meal was easily over $30, including tax and tip. It's always expensive to eat out while traveling, but compared with prices at home, the markup was around 100%, which is not acceptable. I had far less expensive meals at the more glamorous, non-chain hotels further down the beach.
Food and beverage issues aside, I would recommend the Hilton Hawaiian Village to anyone who wants to stay at a place with every possible amenity at his or her fingertips.
There are lots of reviews, so I'm going to hit the basics here.
I've stayed at this hotel many, many, many times and find that my favorite towers are the Tapa Tower and the Rainbow Tower.
Rooms: Here goes the tip. If you're traveling with someone who brings the sexay, you will enjoy a room like 2957 in the Tapa Tower. Corner room, large, beautiful ocean view and a nice balcony to boot (see pics for proof). Now, if this person brings out that lil sumthin sumthin, you could *easily* knock boots on the balcony. They are very private and, provided you made sure there were no lights on in your room as a backdrop, you could get away with a little frisky business. Sadly, the most action my balcony saw during my stay was one night of eating ice cream and another night of having a beer. *Sigh*
The rooms are clean, spacious, and the beds are comfortable. I enjoyed the flat screens I had on both recent visits, but the coffee service sucks. Coffee is good, but sure would prefer the liquid creamers over the powdered ones. It's those little things...
Food: If you are a Diamond or Gold member, you'll get access to the VIP lounge for continental breakfast every morning. It's very continental. So much so that it's a con. You get: fresh fruit, fruit juices, one or two types of pastries, hard boiled eggs, coffee and tea. That's it. This is drastically different from the lounge benefits I got in Guam all the previous week: their HHonors lounge featured pancakes, sausage, eggs, cereal, toast, and plenty of other things including fresh fruit.
Gym time/running options: There's a nice gym in the Mandara Tower (4th floor) that is nicely outfitted. Honestly, I did sit ups and push ups in my room and elected to run outside. From the hotel, you can take Ala Moana towards Kalakaua, turn right, run a quarter mile past the Aquarium, turn around to return to the hotel and complete about a 3.5 mile loop.
General info: They really do nickle and dime you for stuff when it comes to the beach, pools and internet. I couldn't tell you what the parking charges are since I've never used the garage, but there is a car rental on site that we found to be cheaper than most places. The hotel is within walking distance of many great and wonderful restaurants, as well as the famous Ala Moana shopping center.
Under ideal traffic conditions, you're looking at about a 20 minute drive from the airport.
The place is huge and there are plenty of pools to lounge around at.
Happy travels.
I would really like to give this more stars but customer service at this place SUCKS!!! My wife asked 2 simple questions when we checked in. "Do you have a refrigerator?" and "What tower will we be in?" Stupid idiot didn't know if they had freaking refrigerators in the room. B!tch said you will probably be in the cheap room and not sure which tower that was in. Yea we paid $129/night and it was cheap but don't you freaking know what towers have the cheap rooms? WTF?!?!?!
So we end up the in the Tapa tower (very ez to spot, it's the building with the 2 tall antennas at the top). We had somewhat of an ocean view if you look at the balcony and out to the right. The Diamond Head tower across had some visible openings through the window where you can see a glimpse of the ocean.
As for the room it was spacious. Except the king size bed only came with 3 pillows. Man I need 3 pillows to myself!!! The freaking toilet seat had freaking stains on it and it was nasty. The TV wasn't even an LCD. It was still an big old CRT TV. We called guest services for more pillows and towels and it took em 40 minutes to deliver it to us. Another thing to note is that they have a live band playing at the Tapa Bar and it can get very loud if you sleep early.
The property is very nice. If you have kids than check out the pools by the Grand Waikikian. They have 4 water slides there. It's a blast. The freaking lagoon sucks though. The sand is hard as cement and the water is cold and murky. You are better off going to the beach. The rentals are overpriced though.
8AM is penguin feeding time and also you can check out the birds with your kids. The round table is small and a lil overpriced but they have LCD TV's for you sports fan. Can never go wrong with Lapperts Ice Cream.
If you surf you are by some good breaks. Ala Moana Bowls, Rockpiles, and Kaisers are right by you. As long as you are not a kook and you respect others and follow surf rules you should be ok.
Ala Moana mall is a 15 min. walk away.
I am a definite fan of the "Village".
You can definitely call it a village when it has it's own shuttle terminal (at the back), stores (Louis Vuitton- need I say more?), and an ABC Store at one of their inner side walks.
What would a village be without recreation, right? They have their own animal- pseudo zoo showcase. Penguins, birds and lots of them. A private beach to call your own away from the crowded beach of Waikiki (West end of the Waikiki beaach). Name an activity and they have it.
The rooms are clean and the staff is friendly. The only part that might need improvement is their food selectivity. I have to walk out of from the village to find me some good grub.
But I lounged and rolled on the sand with my mai tai after at the bar by the beach.
And if only I could bring them to a more central location this will be a 5 star.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/29/2008
It is a wonderful place. It's almost a resort on its own. It's a little secluded from the "city" but… Read more »
I recently stayed in the Rainbow Tower. My room was on the 12th floor and had some great views the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the boat harbor, the man-made lagoon below, and the sun setting into the Pacific Ocean.
This truly is a resort, so you could come straight from the airport and spend your entire vacation here, without leaving the grounds. There are three separate towers of rooms. Below there are two large swimming pools, one for adults and one for the kiddies. Meandering waterways filled with large koi fish, a turtle and penguin lagoon, and a myriad of restaurants and shops. The concierge can set you up with virtually any activities the island has to offer.
My room was quite nice and appeared recently refurbished. There are numerous elevators to ensure to get up and down swiftly. There was a luau going on down below that could be heard until about 10pm one night, but that wasn't too much of an inconvenience.
If you are looking for a resort style vacation for the family this would be an ideal destination. My accommodations were a gift, so I am not sure of the cost per night, but probably in the range of $350-400 per night. I'm sure there are package deals available making it much less. The one thing I noticed about staying in Honolulu is how expensive everything is. Definitely a tourist zone with tourist prices.
On the last portion of our honeymoon, the wifey and I stayed here for two nights to check out Waikiki and Pearl Harbor. A polar opposite of the Hilton we stayed at on Kauai, the Hawaiian Village was a lot of fun, just super sized.
If you want a hotel that has everything -- shops, tons of bars and restaurants, tons of swimming pools, towers everywhere, and more people than you know what to do with, this is your place. It is a city within a city. It is the NYC/Vegas of hotels. Relaxing it is not.
But, the room we stayed in was great, in the K tower, and the service wasn't bad. Everyone we dealt with at the pools was miserable, as if they hated giving us a towel. The waiters at the restaurants were fun, the guys who set up the shuttles were very helpful, and the front desks were great. Just a black eye for the pool guys.
The beach is clean, they comb it every night, and the water is warm and very, very calm. Great for kids and swimming.
The prices of food are outrageous. Eat lunches at the hot dog stands, bring your own alcohol, etc. Or, even better, Yelp places to eat off site. Great food just walks away.
And you can't do to-go desserts at Tropics, the restaurant. Found that very odd. Guess they don't want you taking away business from the room service.
I LOVED this hotel.
I'm not old yet, so i enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life, and the Hawaiian Village, on Waikiki Beach, was perfect. There were always PEOPLE everywhere. Mostly this was a plus, except when it's not, such as when the pool has 600 people in it and everyone can only stand around because there's no room to swim.
I really love vacations where I can just stay in the resort most of the time. And this is great...there were many many restaurants, shops, activities, beaches, lagoons, landmarks...anything you want! Amazing place for a family vacation. We had a 3 year old with us and he absolutely loved it.
This is my first recommendation for a lodging in Honolulu, and I will definitely stay here again when I return.
Staying at the timeshare portion was fun. Good private beach, decent pool, lots of pretty fishies to watch as you walk along the various walkways in the hotel lobby, it's good.
However. This place is infested with weddings! I know you can just say don't go there,but if I"m on a vacation, I don't want to have to worry about walking around worrying about ruining someone's picture because a topless guy is in the background. Just my $0.02
Ahhhh, Hawaii.
It was hard to leave the Hilton Hawaiian. We stayed in the Rainbow Tower, which seemed very dated and old, but the views were awesome. We stayed in a corner room with a couple of balconies overlooking the harbor and the ocean and even some of the other high rises on Waikiki.
Checking in was a breeze, even though the line was quite long, it moved pretty fast, considering there were many guests who needed a translator.
The grounds are expansive, with almost anything you'd need. There is a shopping center with an ABC Store (of course) and an ice cream place to splurge and a pizza place for a quick meal.
The beach was pretty quiet (in late February) and though the snorkeling is not that great, the water was warm and it felt pretty safe. The lagoon was pretty warm, too, and a good alternative to the ocean.
Maybe not the best for a relaxing vacation since it is pretty busy, but since you're on Waikiki, enjoy the hustle and bustle.
I've stayed at the Rainbow Tower once and the Lagoon Tower several times, where my parents have a timeshare. I got back today from my most recent one-week visit.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a hotel that seeks to prove that "you get what you pay for," by giving you the opportunity to always get a little more. For instance, if you want a refill of Coke at the Tropics restaurant, the refill will be $5. If you want an umbrella and two chairs for the beach, those are $30 a day. At the Lagoon Tower, you can even get turn-down service, for additional fees on top of timeshare annual maintenance. All these little add-on costs can make a visit feel like an a la carte vacation.
In general, the rooms at Lagoon Tower are spacious. In specific, all of the buildings have too few elevators, which is an annoyance, in particular on the weekend when guests are arriving and leaving, since there is no freight elevator. The resort's pools are full of scarcely-supervised children, and all but the Tapa Tower pool are closed by 8:00 PM. While the grounds are beautiful and varied and the staff is helpful, I don't think that the Hilton Hawaiian Village is an especially good value in light of the cost, and most off-site attractions are a hike from the resort.
Grand Waikikian, lovely property. A bit away from all the action if you like that. No shortcuts to the village, you've got to trek through the tower's lobby, past the front desk and down steps to Lagoon Tower and out. Getting to Ala Moana main drag was a breeze though.
Biggest complaint: the front desk checks in both Waikikian and Lagoon Tower residents. They have got to be the slowest/most inefficient front desk in my experience. The Elite line which is supposed to get you in and out fairly quickly took longer than the regular line. Why would you man a front desk with only 2 people at a 4pm checkin time around a holiday?
I slammed them for their unresponsiveness and speed in the web survey and actually got a live response due to the poor scores but did you think the Hilton offered any incentive to return, even a 10% discount? NOTHING. Good thing my husband stepped in during our abismal checkin experience and got the front desk manager to credit the parking fee for most of our stay. At $29 per day for valet, that racks up when you're staying a week or more. As we didn't have to deal with the front desk for the rest of our stay, we were able to enjoy the rest of our vacation.
The best thing about the Hilton Hawaiian, if you don't want to leave the property, you don't have to. The resort is fully contained.
Would I stay again? Only if the Lagoon Tower is fully booked. We're Hilton Timeshare Owners and staying at a HGVC property vs hotel, you get the most bang for your buck.
I was shocked to see the sign on the door in my hotel room that it was $600 per night! Wow! I'm so glad I got a great deal from my travel agent.
I love how they let all their animals roam freely on the grounds. I got some amazing photos.
Ofcourse I had to go visit the penguins.
The only complaint I had was that one of the employees was being a jerk and told us to wait at the wrong place for the bus that was taking us to our luau. Clearly we were supposed to wait at the bus stop where everyone else was waiting. I saw that there was two bus stops in the area. Instead of telling us which one it was, he points to the corner far far away from the 2 bus stops and said it was that one. Yea right! I then asked his coworker who was much more helpful and he gave us the correct info.
The beach was just a few feet away!
I would definitely stay here again.
ALOHA! We stayed at this resort for 10 days, and enjoyed every second of it. The room was beautiful, and how can you resist a hotel that has a doorman that runs to open the door for you as soon as he sees you coming. The penguins, and exotic birds added to the beauty of this paradise. There are several pools, a lagoon, and you are just steps from the beach. A massage at the spa is a must.
When you come down from your room, you can stop by the concierge desk to plan a full day of activities if you'd like. Bars, restaurants, and shops are right on the premises, and if you need incidentals, the ABC store is there too. They had everything from sunscreen to swimsuits, to beer and snacks.
A free trolley comes at specific times every day to take you downtown to shop, or just to ride around to see the downtown area. I would stay here again because it was so convenient, beautiful, and I felt pampered from the moment we checked in. Oh yeah, the nightly torch-lighting ceremony on this property is something you've got to see.
Ah, nice. The rooms are spacious with a lovely balcony. Thank goodness they have a fridge- it came in handy for storing leftovers, fruit, and water bottles. No microwave though; I suppose that's their way of encouraging you to eat out at their overpriced restaurants. Housekeeping every morning. Everything inside and outside the building was constantly cleaned so I never saw trash in the hallways or around the pools. They have flamingos, ducks, penguins, and koi fish to see as you walk towards the beachfront. Oh, the beach front view is gorgeous. It's the one thing I really liked about this resort.
The only reason why I take off one star is because they will ding you for everything. Nothing is complimentary. I received a fax from a tour company about a change in date and they charged me $0.52 for it. Although it's only $0.52, it left me with an unpleasant feeling that they can't even cover a two page fax. They charge you to use beach chairs and umbrellas so bring your own picnic cloth/towels. Wi-fi, parking garage, gym- there is nothing that they won't charge. I guess that's what it takes for the Hilton sisters to live their extravagant lifestyles.
Don't order room service unless necessary. I wanted a hamburger one evening but was too tired to leave the room. Took one look at the menu and was shocked at the prices. Ended up eating at one of their restaurants which was still pricey but better than the room service prices. Try not to eat inside the village; walk into downtown which is only a 10-15 min. walk for tastier, cheaper food. A lot of the other resorts have better food for decent value as well.
To those who work the parking valet; kudos. One of them waved down a taxi for me and opened the door for me to get in. Thank you for being so kind! You guys are the best :)
Not sure if I will be coming back to this resort for my next Waikiki vacation trip. It wasn't bad but wasn't special either. I did not like the fact that nothing was complimentary and would prefer staying at other hotels that are willing to give a little extra for their customers to have a happy, memorable stay. Since there are a ton of resorts jam packed along the beachfront, it wouldn't hurt to try out another one.
The hotel grounds were nice and I loved the pool with the slide and the waterfalls. The lagoon was also nice.
The rooms were pretty tiny and the bathroom was size of a closet.
They gave us a free upgrade to Rainbow Tower with ocean view but the problem was that we had booked 4 rooms separately for our families (and we specifically asked them to put us close together). But they only upgraded 3 of the 4 rooms and put my brother and his family in a different tower.
We were tired after a long flight with tons of kids and the guy at the front desk was being all sarcastic and giving us an attitude.
Then the next morning, we ran into more attitude when we went down for the breakfast buffet. We had a big party and they told us that if we had a party of 8 or more, 18% gratuity would be added. So then we said we would just sit by families in different tables. So as we were being seated, they deliberately made sure we sat as far from each other as possible. When I asked, could we sit closer to that table, she told me, "No, you didn't want to pay the 18% gratuity..." What was this vindictive attitude? The other server explained that they couldn't put too many tables for one server... It was a buffet... they didn't have to do a thing.
And on the bill, they stamped this thing that said, "15% Gratuity is a sign of good service" or something like that.
It was like they were trying so hard to get that tip- I wondered if Hilton paid them at all or did they make them earn their entire salary on tips or something- it kinda ruined my whole breakfast experience- which wasn't even that good.
At least not for $24 (though it was included in the package).
It was nothing like the $24 breakfast at Kea Lani (in Maui) or the JW Marriott breakfast (in Ko Olina).
Some employees were very friendly but service was definitely hit and miss.
And when you are traveling and paying all this money, you expect the employees of this expensive hotel to at least not give you any attitude.
I know they are all human and have their bad days and all, but they are in the service industry. And with the economy what it is, their attitude and lousy service is definitely not going to help their job situation or their companies.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village has several towers. We stayed at the Kalia Tower which is at the entrance of the Village. On the fourth floor, there's a small pool and a jacuzzi. I would say the stay was very comfortable. There was no need to call for housekeeping. Everything we needed were there and ready for us everyday. I would say it is pricey because of all the amenities the Village provides. Since parking is usually difficult in Waikiki with all the fancy shops, finding parking can be a pain in the butt and expensive. Although Kalia Tower was the farthest away from the beach, it was only 4 min. walk to the beach.
I need to subtract 1 star for being very pricey.
Before moving to Hawaii, I would visit an stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village has several hotel towers, all with great views. The customer service was always excellent when I stayed there, and they have some of the best amenities of the hotels along Waikiki Beach.
The hotel is located on the far end of Waikiki and therefore the beach just in front of the hotel is often only used by hotel guests, making the waters clearer, the beaches cleaner and it's generally easier to get a spot for your towel. There is a small "lagoon" on the side of the beach where smaller kids can play in the water in relative safety. There are shower located along the edge of the sand, so you can rinse off before re-entering the hotel.
The hotel has two large swimming pools, and a fireworks/hula show ever Friday night at 7 pm. You don't need to be a guest to view the show, but you do need to be a guest (and come early to reserve a spot) if you want to go into the pool area and see the show, up close. There is also a penguin area where you can watch then penguins feed and play.
The hotel has restaurants (which all validate parking, if you're not a guest) and shops throughout. Most are much better than the ones you'll find along the Waikiki strip. There are also smaller bars, coffee shops and lounges located throughout the hotel.
The rooms itself are all very comfortable and I've never had a problem in dealing with any of the hotel staff. The price is somewhat high, when compared to the other hotels along Waikiki - though I think it's worth it not keep from being in the middle of the chaos of Waikiki. There are also great places to eat and shop just outside the hotel grounds.
Overall, it's pricey, but a great place to stay while visiting the island.
One star for the hefty extra fees charged for parking, fitness center, internet, etc... Nothing is complimentary here.
Two stars if we had stayed at this resort during the peak seasons (summer & the holidays). Though we went when the island was only 70% occupied, it was too crowded for us. I can't imagine what it's like at 100% occupancy!
Three stars for SOME of the staff who were helpful. Others, such as the concierge, were utterly helpless. We would've been more resourceful on Google.
Four stars for the semi-private beach, the peaceful lagoon, the awesome luau, the convenient location, and a variety of shops on the property, including the Honolulu Cookie Company and the ABC store.
Five stars if we had children. This place is so kid-friendly! It's a mini zoo, featuring penguins, flamengos, turtles, koi, birds, etc.
For more details, please read Steve L's 300th review!
Review #300!! Why #300? Why not!
Never visited Oahu in the Fall, but we were here because my wife had a conference in Honolulu, and it was held here at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV). This is a huge hotel complex, comprising of 6 hotel towers, one conference center, many pools, a private lagoon, and lots of shops and restaurants. There's also a beach at the back of the hotel property. If you choose to do so, you can stay here for your whole visit and never leave the complex (but why?).
When we first arrived into the resort, we were confused on where we should check in. Each building has its own registration, so you had to know which tower you're staying. After one miss, we found out were staying in the Lagoon Tower. This was a one-bedroom suite was next to the Resort's private Lagoon, and our room faced the Lagoon Green, which was where the resort hosted it's luau twice a week. In fact, we can see the whole show from our lanai. The room had a full kitchen, large dining room table, and a 42" LCD flatscreen TV. The refrigerator came in handy to cool off drinks and store food and snacks.
The village itself is overwhelming with all the shops and restaurants on the property. We did walk around the shops one evening, but we spent a lot of time roaming around the city and the Island.
Last time we were in Honolulu, we stayed along Kalakaua, across the street from Kuhio beach. The location of this resort is north Waikiki, but much further away from the crowds. Also, this place is a 10 minute walk to Ala Moana Shopping Center. This was a great location, not only because it's relatively quiet, it's a great launching point for us drive anywhere in the city and the island.
Other than grabbing some ice cream at Lappert's Ice Cream, which is located in HHV, we didn't dine in the Village. We went out and drove to the local places for our dining and snacking (we did lots of this). Fortunately, there is a fitness center run by Mandara Spa, but the downside is that it will run you $12 a day to use. We were planning on some serious eating while we were here, so I needed to workout!
After we were out and about during the day, we came back to hang out at the Lagoon or the beach. Weather at this time of the year is unbelievable....mid 80's in the day, mid 70's in the evening. Even with the rain, the weather was still pleasant. The beach had a nice view of Diamond Head, and it wasn't crowded.
Very nice and pleasant place to stay. The Hawaiiana ambiance was a little too over the top, and may be OK for first timers, but us frequent visitors, we like to venture out and hang out where the locals go.
I'm pretty torn on how to rate this hotel. There are lots of pluses to staying here - there are a ton of shops (you don't have to leave the "village" if you don't want to), there's a private beach and if you're a Hilton Diamond member, unless the hotel is booked solid, you're going to get an upgrade to the Rainbow Tower which has the iconic Diamond Head view outside of your lanai. Also, if you're a Diamond member, you can choose whether to get internet or free breakfast. I chose internet because hotel breakfasts are blah and over-priced and god knows I use the internet, so that was a no brainer.
Everyone that assisted me - from the staff at the check in, to the bell hops, to the guys grabbing you a cab were super friendly and accomodating.
As far as the room goes, they've seen better days. (The towers are going through renovations, so I am sure they'll be back to Hilton standard after they are done. ) That being said, the rooms have what you need - comfy beds, a mini fridge, a safe and a flat screen tv.
I didn't pay for my room (used my beaucoup Hilton points) but I know that it is pretty pricy to stay here. It's probably not worth the money if you're paying just because you can get a nicer place somewhere else in Waikiki. Also, if you're interested in nightlife, it's better to stay in Waikiki proper (past Fort DeRussey) so that you can walk to all the nightlife and not pay for a cab coming back.
Oh and don't rent a car - self park is $24 and valet is $28 a day. You really don't need one anyways unless you are going to drive around the island - it's much better to just rent a car in Waikiki and not deal with the parking situation.
So yeah...there are better places to stay in Waikiki but in my particular situation, staying here was a-ok.
I loved my visit to The Hilton Hawaiian Village. My stay was a while ago but it was wonderful enough that I knew I should sing it's praises.
I tagged along for a week while my Mom was there for business. Every morning I went to their continental breakfast and upgraded for an extra 5 dollars to the hot buffet breakfast. They had a wide selection ranging from fresh pineapple to french toast, miso soup to bagels and cream cheese.
The room was spacious and very clean. Of course any visit to Hawaii is magic but staying there made it even that much better. The layout of the grounds is nice and the beach is great for families since the waves come in very easy because of the breakers.
I've stayed at several different places in Hawaii and this one is one of my favorites.
I didnt stay here, but we walked around and visited enough to be able to form an impression. This place is a family resort.
The plus side. Its Disney/Vegas-esque. Lots to do, lots of fun, and everything your heart could desire is on the premises (which are enormous) including lots of shops and restaurants. Very splashy. Lots of kitsch.
The negative side..its very Disney/Vegas-esque. its on the far side of the beach, and definately not the better side of the beach; its so big its overwhelming; and most of all, its a madhouse zoo of people, family, kids. Its very easy to feel lost here, and not get the benefits of smaller hotels with more personalized service and people who remember you.
I lived in Hawaii for 3 years and never stayed anywhere but a few nights at the Hale Koa with my family and a few nights at crummy hotels when I partied too much, so when I got the chance to stay at HHV during a recent business trip, I was actually excited about it.
My room was really nice, clean, on a high floor with an excellent view of Diamond Head. My only complaint about the room was that Hilton doesn't provide body lotion. Everything you could possibly need is in the hotel though. I can see how it can get very expensive very quickly. Luckily, I could use the base facilities and was able to go next door to the Hale Koa and have a meal that costs $25.00 for $6.00, I didn't have a car to park, I picked up free wi-fi by opening my balcony door, and $15 a day to work out? I'll work out next week!
During my 4 night stay here, I encounted various ups and downs. Hence, the 3 star review.
Pros:
I booked an ocean view room in the Kalia tower for $300/nt. When I arrive to check in, the front desk informed me that since the Tower was closed, they were upgrading everyone to oceanfront rooms at the Rainbow Tower. SWEET!!
The view was gorgeous. Balcony was very nice. Beds were comfy. Hotel has lots of things to do, I didnt have to venture too far to get food. Beach was right there! That was a major plus. Pools were aplenty. Housekeeping did a good job cleaning.
Cons:
Everything was super expensive. I ate at the same Japanese restaurant 3 times and average meal was always over $15.
People were kinda rude. Yes, the hotel staff. Since they didnt have a room key ready for me, I had to wait for the security guy to let me into the room. You know how long it took him to get his ass there? fuckin 25 minutes! WTF? Don't tell me to go to the room and stand there waiting when the dude aint gonna be there. LAME. Then the guy shows up and bust attitude with me. I asked him something and he said, "I dont know. I'm just the security, call ext 54." Nice answer buddy. So, you are affirming that you dont know jack shit?
Kids everywhere. Too many kids! It was like 50% kids.
I booked a king bed in my room, but got 2 doubles. When I asked to be changed, they said they had a king room, but it wasnt as nice a view. I said fine, I'll keep the view.
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Would I come back? Maybe.. but I would like to check out a different hotel. This place is decent for what you pay for I suppose. *shrugs*
Awesome...the lagoon (it even has its own resident fish - so safe for little ones), the new pool (with slides!), and the new lobby (the Lagoon tower shares it with the Grand Waikikian) are fantastic! Even the side doors to the new pool make getting in and out of the pool to your room a breeze (esp. when you have little ones). We got to stay at the penthouse this time (thanks to the MIL & FIL), same decor as the other 2 bedrooms, but more living space, two stories...3 bed/3bath, and a half bath! Very nice...
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12/8/2007
This is our fourth stay at the Hilton timeshare. We stayed here for two weeks for this trip, and I… Read more »
I love this hotel. I needs me a sugar daddy so I can ditch my job and spend my weekends here!!
I stayed here for 2 weeks and loved it. The rooms aren't anything extravagant, I wish I could get a job designing layouts and colors because honestly the room was pretty tacky BUT it's Hawaii... get your a** out of the room and onto the beach! The room service was awesome, nothing stolen or out of place and they came everyday at 11 on the dot. There's a small fridge in the room for you to stock all the cheap food you bought from the ABC store that way you don't spend an arm and a leg on what they provide in the room.
The hotel has pools, shops, restaurants, and an outside lobby area to order drinks and listen to live bands at night. Oooh! They also have penguins! Too cool. At night they have fireworks and even have a parade for your kids to be in on the weekends. This is pretty cool because at check in if you have a little one they hook you up with a back pack filled with goodies. My nephew totally lucked out!
The beach isn't far from the hotel. All you do is walk straight and you're there. During my visit I didn't rent a car so I ended up walking everywhere. It's really not that bad. From the Hilton to the Waikiki International Market all you have to do is cut through this park and you're there. Plus along the way you get to check out the shops. If you want to go to the mall it's only about a 10 minute walk. You cross this mini bridge on the street and cross again and you're right at the lower level of the parking garage.
I love this place. Definitely a worry free and entertaining stay. Let me also add that the last time I stayed here I was single and I had a BLAST! I know it should be a romantic getaway but it was like a Vegas trip for me. Beware vacationers... Islanders got it goin' on so either keep your ring on tight or get your game right!!!!!
