kmandrew

If you have a membership there is a Costco around a 20 minute drive.

AGS

Even with the 2 $10 certs per day, this is a good option for snacks, etc. We typically stock up at Costco on breakfast and snack items, sodas, etc. Their poke is actually pretty good (for a mainlander).

There is a membership fee, however, and it may not be worth it if this is your only Costco activity.

AGS

particlemn

there is a cereal resterant at the HWV right near the dolphin pool it was called lagoon spoon, they have abowl of mix and match cereal for like 5.5 each they also have a malasada egg sandwich for liek 3 bucks. its not cheap but we had breakfast there twice for about 16 bucks for 3 people. the abc store close to the highway has alkinds of food and the prices are about the norm for hawaii and with gas at 5 bucks a gallon you will add at least 10 to your costco trip. the cheapest way is to pay the 25 bucks and check a bag filled with snacks and dry stuff then just buy milk when you get there

tschwartz

As everyone has said there is no lounge at HWV. The certificates also won't go very far considering the restaurant prices. Costco is a good suggestion and I also recommend the Waikoloa Village Market. It's about a 10 minute drive and has reasonable prices, deli, and liquor.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/waikoloa-vil...arket-waikoloa

vrbaba

It depends on what you really want...

$10 pp was more than enough for us to grab a Coffee and Bagel/Fruit/sandwich, etc. at the coffee shop located at either end of the resort.

bbbb

If you know some one that has a membership you can avoid the cost. Have them buy you a gift card and you will be allow into the club to spend the gift card without a membership.

Suzyrox

I am here now and have a room in Ocean Tower facing back of property -- service area and golf course. Tried to get a better room with limited success. Lower floor and marginally better views. Web site shows ocean front are available. Any thoughts?

Mahalo

mcmitchell

I have not stayed at the HWV property for some years now, but when I did there was a lounge that served a complimentary breakfast, and hand an evening reception. This was in the Ocean Tower.

Last year we stayed at the Oahu property and there was a complimentary breakfast there as well. I had two rooms for 8 people, so there was no suite upgrade on that trip.

Is the lounge at HWV a thing of the past? I was thinking of a 10 night stay this August with my wife and two youngest kids, 10 and 12.

Suzyrox

I believe that the lounges are gone. They now did 2 $10.00 vouchers per day per room if gold or diamond. Manager's cocktail night ended in November. If you have specific questions, I will be pleased to try to get answers for you while I am here.

mnredfox

Lounges were canned back around 2008 I think.

rdculp

Lounges are definitely gone. Stayed a week with 3 kids in August. Search the rest of the thread for more info. You get $20 in food vouchers per day per room for Gold/Diamond. These can be combined and used for any meal on property. We ended buying pastries off site for breakfast and combining vouchers for nice dinner at KPC. Also remember to purchase the meal discount card. Definitely worth it for a stay of more than a couple of days.

sargenet

back in December we booked some award nights for a June 2012 stay. We booked under the standard 50K per night award redemption. Yesterday I was looking at room rates during our stay and saw where they were offering even LOWER redemption rates for premium rooms during our stay.

It was around 44.5K for a partial ocean view or 49K to have a guaranteed ocean view room. I quickly switched my reservation and got the points back in my account. I went with partial ocean view to save on the points. We have been to this property before and we don't spend a ton of time in the room.

In addition, Hilton is offering the 30% rebate promotion on premium rooms and points and cash rates. So it looks like our "final cost" for these rooms will be around 31K per night!!

So if you booked an award stay last year for this upcoming year go back and grab a room at a lower redemption rate.

Also.... we are only staying 3 nights but the rate got even LOWER when you stayed 4 nights!!

bocastephen

Maybe it was being on a Kama'aina package last week, but the front desk manager called me 5 days before arrival to ask me what type of upgrade I would like and in what tower - I requested a Lagoon Tower dolphin view and she did her best to accommodate me even with that tower sold out, and had even proactively upgraded me to an ocean view room in the Ocean Tower before calling. Upon arrival at the FD, she came out from the back office to greet me in person and ask if everything was satisfactory.

Not only that, the FD agent checking me couldn't have been more friendly and pleasant - the only thing missing was an arrival hug. A HUGE change from years past where the agents sneered and hissed at people checking in like we were bothering them.

The $10 coupons were great - a bountiful continental breakfast for about $8...probably the same price as a bagel and coffee at the Lagoon Tower Starbucks outlet.

The only downside - they fixed the parking lot gates! No more free exits!

dmodemd

$8 now? At the main restaurant? It used to be $12 I think, so the $10 voucher would not cover it. Maybe they fixed that! Also, they just brought you a plate and you couldn't get anything from the buffet. I much prefer some other properties that have a continental section of the buffet you are entitled to.

WAHHHhh...

bocastephen

I was speaking of the Big Island Breakfast restaurant, yes. You just tell the waitress which breakfast you want (and yes, they will watch what you're eating and adjust your charge if needed), and select from the room with the fruit/sweets/cereal/oatmeal - note that none of the Japanese selections are included in the continental option, so don't pour that oatmeal in a miso soup cup without letting your waitress know what you did.

The Continental was about $16 and the regular $25 - so with tip/tax the Continental was around $8 or so after the coupon.