Hilton Waikoloa Village Review – A Dreamlike Vacation
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is a dreamlike 62 acre oceanfront Hawaiian resort. The property is literally perfect. It offers a four acre ocean fed lagoon and three pools. There is manicured greenery, a dazzling lagoon, and picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean. I have stayed at a lot of Hilton resorts and this property without a doubt is the most beautiful. In this article we provide a comprehensive Hilton Waikoloa Village review.
Hilton Big Island Review
At 60,000 Hilton honors points a night, I thought this was a bargain. I visited during the summer of 2021 where the room rates were close to a $1000 a night if I had been paying cash. It was amazing that my only expense was parking at $39 a night.
Hilton Waikoloa Pools
As a Diamond member, I have got in the habit of always requesting an ocean view. I had one experience where I was staying at a Hilton property in Honolulu for work and I ended up with a view of a parking lot and dumpster. I decided I would never make that mistake again. I was upgraded to a room in the Makai tower with a clear view of the Pacific Ocean.
Hilton Makai Tower
The upside of the makai tower is that it is close to the parking lot. It is the most convenient location for going on and off the property. The disadvantage is that many of the makai tower rooms are right next to the big pool. This is the pool that has kids yelling and screaming throughout the day. So to enjoy the ocean view over a cocktail, you have to look past a bunch of families swimming about.
Ocean Tower At Hilton Waikoloa Village
If I visited again, and I do plan to, I would request a room in the ocean tower. I really appreciated the openness, space, and tranquility on that side of the resort. Plus this part of the property offered the best ocean views. I spent most days walking over to the chairs on this side of the resort with a couple of whiteclaws, and spent the day staring at the ocean while I read a book. This side of the resort is less crowded because the families head over the big pools by the makai tower.
Hilton Waikoloa Palace Tower
The palace tower is in between the main lobby and the ocean tower. This is on the quieter side of the resort. This was close to my favorite lounging spot right along the ocean. While the ocean tower may offer better views from the room, the palace tower is plenty convenient. Honestly, there is not a bad room location at this resort. It is so large you will be walking around regardless of where your room is located.
Hilton Waikoloa Review
I have heard other visitors refer to this resort as the Disneyland like hotel. It is true! Not only is landscaping breathtaking, but you have the option to get around the hotel by either tram or boat. Seriously, you can move around from the main lobby to either the makai, ocean, or palace tower without even walking. At such a big property for families with young kinds this is not only a novelty but practical.
Related: Hilton Los Cabos Review – A Perfect Vacation
Hilton Waikoloa Village Diamond Benefits
My Hilton Waikoloa Village review would not be complete without mentioning the cuisine. My biggest disappointment with the resort was the food. Over the years, I have had some pretty amazing dining experiences at Hilton properties. Especially at some of the international properties. The food options here were limited.
In general, my favorite meal of the day is always breakfast. So on our first day I ran down to check out Big Island Breakfast by the saltwater lagoon. The menu was limited and the food was way overpriced. Almost as if they expect people to go off site for food. The Big Island breakfast (the large meal) was $42. Even with a $15 dining credit as a Hilton honors member this was a rip off. I tried the Nutella pancakes. After consuming probably 3000 calories, I realized this menu item was probably more geared towards kids.
Hilton Waikoloa Lunch
For the frugal minded, the best value was the Orchid Marketplace. This is where we decided to use our $15 Hilton honor dining voucher on most days. While it can be fun to go off the property for meals sometimes, it can also get tiring. On most days we picked up food at the Orchid marketplace and walked over towards the ocean tower to enjoy the scenic views. Then we went off property to the restaurants at the Waikoloa Village for dinner. The menu has changed since our visit but they have some pretty solid salad and sandwich options. I ended up eating a salad with chicken on most days. I had to get at least some vegetables in!
Kona Airport To Hilton Waikoloa Village
I always like to know how expensive it is to get to my destination. The Hilton Waikoloa Village review would not be complete without this. We took an Uber from the airport. The Hilton does offer a shuttle but it was over priced. The transfer cost averaged around $45. For those that plan to stay on the Big Island for awhile it will make sense to stock up on groceries at Costco or Walmart. The town of Kailua-Kona is about 35 minutes away. Do not be shocked to see that even at Walmart the food prices are higher than on the mainland!
Related: The Best Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Waikoloa Village Restaurants
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is within the broad Waikoloa village community. There are many shops and restaurants within easy walking distance of the property. Our favorites included:
–Lava Lava Beach Club (make reservations)
Hilton Waikoloa Village Hawaii
We rented snorkel gear from Snorkel Bob’s up the street from the resort. Bob’s offers very reasonable pricing. But don’t have high hopes for snorkeling in the saltwater lagoon on the property. There is not much to see other than a few turtles. For those serious about snorkeling, get a rental car, and drive down to Two Step at Honaunau. Plan to get there early before the crowds. The snorkeling is unbelievable. Two Step is a 40 minute drive from Kona.
Hilton Waikoloa Dolphin Quest
While walking around the resort it was enjoyable to watch the dolphins. If you have kids, this a great vacation activity in which you don’t even have to leave the resort. As we walked by everyday on our way to get food, we spent a few minutes soaking in the beauty of these majestic creatures.
Please do not belive the hype about this resort. The rooms at Ocean Towers are not beautiful at all if you are not facing the ocean. When you go down to the lagoon area you have guest swimming, paddle surfing, smoking and riding on big 3 wheel water trykes all in the same water. This was not cool at all. Yes the parking is $39.00 a day and you have to walk back to the hotel, ok hike back to the hotel. Valet parking is $59.00 a day. I did enjoy the tour of the island that I took and the Luau at the Royal Kona but when I visit Hawaii again, I will make my own reservations and not listen to a travel agent. This Hilton Resort especially Ocean Towers needs to have a serious make over because it reminds me of hotel from the late 90’s. The staff at the Ocean Towers except for one are not even knowledgeable on where things are located, like where the ice machines are located. Further reference they are located on floors 4 thru 7. I guess I was looking for more than what Hilton could offer.Very unhappy visitors.
Thanks for providing this reality.
Hi Dee – I am sorry to hear about your experience. I am sure enjoyed my time here. I do agree that this is not the newest resort out there. But what is wrong with guests swimming, paddle boarding, and riding the water trikes in the lagoon?
I just returned from there 3 days ago, and I rarely comment, but I completely agree with the person who left the previous review. The hotel is DATED! Our shower was backed up and maintenance tried to fix it to no avail. The whole place needs a major overhaul. Pools were ok, somewhat small for such a large resort; my children enjoyed other pools at other resorts better, such as the Marriott down the road. I would not return. Airbnb or another resort is your best bet.
Hi Rebekah – Thanks for sharing. I will say that I have stayed at many nice resorts over the years. I thought the pool complex was pretty impressive?