JimEddie

I will be travelling to the Big Island in about a week and, whilst I have booked a room at the Sheraton, I was wondering whether there were any better options on the island.

mrsjon01

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Beach in January and although the room itself was older and dated, the grounds were excellent. Our son loved the pools and said it was his favorite swimming pool area at any hotel he's been to (we lived in Florida so he knows).

747FC

Probably just about any other hotel is a better option. In particular, the Manua Kea Beach Hotel, the Hapuna, the Four Seasons Hualalai, The Hilton Waikaloa.

linsj

I stayed two nights at the Sheraton a few years ago on points and hated the location. It seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere.

Have stayed at the Hilton multiple times, and it's one of my favorite hotels. As mrsjon01 said, the grounds are excellent, and I like the Waikoloa resort area. I loved walking through the outdoor "museum" from the Ocean Tower to the lobby/entrance and to the other end of the property. (Yeah, I know a lot of people complain about this walk in the hotel thread--but not me.) I ended up eating more on the property than I normally do since gold and diamonds get $20/day in restaurant certs.

El_Duderito

I am at the Hilton Waikoloa right now and have been at the Sheraton Kona a few days ago. Rooms at both locations are dated as stated before. The Sheraton has a better location if you want to go to the volcanoes, coffee farms, Kona, ... I also recommend Coffeeshack (google it) for breakfast - did not have breakfast at the Sheraton.
The Hilton has a nice pool area and is a typical resort with the added cost. As Gold/Diamond you only get a $10 off voucher per day which isn't enough to cover the $30 breakfast. There's also a $27 parking fee. I got the Sheraton for cheap (<$150 all in via hotelplanner.com) and it's not worth much more than that - even on Big Island. I am not a resort guy which means the Hilton ain't perfect either. I'd probably book the Courtyard in Kailua-Kona next time, esp. if I only want a room to sleep in ;-)

lhgreengrd1

I'd remove the Hilton Waikoloa from that list (I despise the layout and the impracticality of getting from one end of the hotel to the other). Also, the Hapuna Prince was in need of a renovation when I was last there - but to compensate, some great deals were available for it - especially via Priceline - and it is on a great beach.

You also omitted what are, IMHO, the two nicest places on the Kohala coast short of paying the sky high tariff for the Four Seasons Hualalai: The Fairmont Orchid and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel.

747FC

My bad

PBQ

My neighbor's children were hospitalized for several days this summer with E-coli O157 after they shared an under cooked hamburger poolside at the Hilton Waikoloa.

WE'll be staying this winter at the Marriott down the street.

harryhood

If you are with family, look into condos at the Mauna Kea resort. Most will offer you an amenity package for $200 extra for your entire stay which gives you and your family access to both Hapuna Beach hotel and Mauna Kea Beach hotel (and their amazing beaches), with free parking on site and use of all hotel facilities.

We are paying $250 a night for a nice condo across the highway with a view. Plus you can save big bucks on breakfast and dinner by eating in for a lot of the time.

VRBO is a good place to start.