greg0ire

I was very happy with the Lagoon Tower. Is there a way to stay there without being a Vacation member?

gvaughn

Yes, you can make a reservation there from Hilton.com (last time I checked).

pjrice

Wow sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience at the HHV, I was in the area in November 2009 and saw the rooms in the Tapa Tower as I am planning a group trip in 2011 and was impressed with their rooms. They were recently updated and very nice. Generally, I stay at the Alii Towers and I
have stayed in the Rainbow Towers twice, but our rooms were very nice with an ocean view.

As a Gold member I have been upgraded to partial ocean view rooms and given coupons for a reduced rate for breakfast, however, now I think they have changed this to only the continental breakfast rather than the full american.

kalia0718

Sorry to hear your stay didnt go well at HHV. I recently stayed at the HHV (one week ago) while some conference was going on at the hotel. The hotel seemed like it was almost sold out but the lady checking us in was still able to find us an ocean view room at Tapa Tower. She said i originally had a room in the Rainbow Tower ( i am Gold member). After reading your reviews of Rainbow i am glad that i got a room in the Tapa Tower ( our room was ok no problems). View was great. Although i was not part of the conference, the conference actually made the hotel more lively. The conference ppl checked out on Wed/Thurs and it seemed like the hotel was half dead.

BrlDsguise

Mostly out of curiousity was anyone offered a January Sale rate at this property? I have two stays booked at both ends of my May/June Hawaii trip and can't find a January rate offer for any weekend, even though it is offered through the properties web page.

HerpaYvr

Well I am glad someone else spoke up as well. We stayed at the Doubletree for four nights and the HHV for four nights ending on Jan 28th. When we checked in we asked for an upgrade in the Rainbow tower ocean view and they offered that for $70 extra per night so we said no. We were given a large room in the Diamond Head tower 5th floor. When we checked in the Dragon at the HH check in counter looked down at us and said we were there at the special rate and I guess we were treated as (special). We booked under the VISA 25% discount.

The grounds were nice, safe area, great pools and protected beaches. That was all nice, but expensive. We left the grounds for food and entertaiment. One day I needed a mask to snorkel and it was $18 per day to rent so 75 feet over at whalers (ABC wanna be) I bought a nice set (mask and tube) on sale for $9.99!

The housekeeping staff was nice, we had lots of towels, but nothing special, no water, no snacks, no net access as it was $16 per day. Went to the vacation tower and got their password and used that. McDonalds and Doubletree both a few minutes walk had free net access.

It was nice having the pools, beaches, grounds right there, beach towels were right there and plenty. The rooms were dated and everything was expensive. We met an Australian family and they said at $276 a night they thought it was cheap and that included net access. So for some markets it may be cheap, we only paid $141 for two double beds on the 5th floor facing the park, big room with fridge and safe. I read that Diamond members score the best value so perhaps this will be a Diamond reward stay from now on.

ABC stores are great and wal-mart ten minutes of walking away was a bonus as we bought all of our water and pop there!

MayorMcKnife

Got a postcard today from HHV for a "7th night free with Luau" offer. Also good at the Waikoloa (Big Island). Call Hilton resi or book on their respective websites and use plan code "P7". Good until 12/2010. T&Cs didn't indicate it was a targeted offer.

CreveCoeur

Read every thread I've found on HHV over the last couple months for our honeymoon in two weeks. Unfortunately the posts are mostly outdated. Booked 6 nights with the AMEX promo for 170,000 points before Jan. 15 when the points were devalued. Just printed up the online reservation and it says cat. 7 1 king Diamond Head Tower 300,000 points now- I assume that's what I would get charged if I had to modify the reservation.

I have some questions I would really appreciate being clarified from someone who has been there recently. I'm a long time Diamond, had 900,000+ points but never really used them till this trip- travel to much for work as it is, was saving for retirement.

1) There are a lot of posts about breakfast certificates; Do you get breakfast in a lounge or in a restaurant. Is it only cold stuff or full breakfast.

2) Are the Tapa Tower xx30 the best rooms and does a Diamond on honeymoon have good chance at one? Do they have a fridge/microwave?

"I would highly recommend all future ALON award holders to try to get the Tapa Tower room xx30 (much bigger than xx29) in the higher floor (upto 35 floors). Rooms in Ali Tower looks good; however, they are smaller than rooms in Tapa Tower."

But also read Ali is best:
"We stayed in the Tapa tower on a high floor facing Diamond Head which provided very nice views. We were told the Allii tower (which is the best) is only for paying customers. Our room seemed to be updated and had plenty of space."

3) Would it be wise to email a manager at the hotel or call the week before? Can someone pm me a manager email or suggest where to search?

4) For two people with 2 pieces of carryon luggage each, what is the most economical way to get to hotel? Super shuttle or is the bus to much of a hassle? We won't have a car and are hoping to take the bus a couple times to see some sites & hiking.

5)Do they charge a resort fee (how much?) Is internet free for Diamonds or at least free in a lounge?

6) I couldn't tell from the hotel pics, does the gym have a power rack and anyone know how heavy the dumbbells go too? Is there a good comercialgym close, in walking distance or bus route? Any pull-up/dip bars on the island like at Santa Monica, CA or South Beach, FL to work out on the beach?

Any tips on free/discount stuff there or in the area?

Saw somewhere there are Fireworks on Friday & penguin feedings on weekday mornings and there is a boardwalk that's about a five minute walk to Subway Sandwhich, McDonalds or a variety of other sit down restaurants.


Heard if you go talk with their information desk you get some free water and a Hilton bag to use at the beach or shopping.


Thanks

CC

wbl-mn-flyer

"travel to much for work as it is, was saving for retirement."

Bad move given the uncertainty of points value, better to burn on high quality resorts when you can -- Waldorf Astoria, the various Conrads, etc -- see end of message for more on this topic

HHV typically gives you a cold breakfast only and charges for the upgrade. Pay for the upgrade, it's very much worth it. The Rainbow Tower has the best breakfast location, in my opinion.

I have had various suites in Tapa on every visit to HHV but have not been on property for a number of years now. Hilton in general is pretty bad about suite upgrades these days but it sure won't hurt to let them know it is your Honeymoon. Let them know ahead of time, call or email the General Manager and call day before and also day of arrival.

Our suites always had a fridge and I think microwave too but not sure on the 'wave.

#3 yes absolutely, I have no contacts there as it has been too long. Just call the property and ask for the name of the General Manager.

#4 this is your honeymoon. Don't take a shuttle! Oahu is a great place to explore by car and well worth the expense for rental and hotel's valet fee. But if you don't want a car, or at least not for the whole stay - consider taking a car service - should be about the same price as taxi if you find a decent one which the hotel might be able to help with.

#5 no resort fee

#6 no clue about the gym

Have fun in Hawaii and if there is any chance to extend your trip and include a few days on Maui at the W=A that would be very nice for you and your spouse.

Don't forget to check out the other hilton properties on island while you are there, to be able to judge if the Embassy Suites (for example) is a good choice for your next visit to Waikiki.

As far as discounts go, you might want to try the ENTERTAINMENT book. It's got some OK values in it, we certainly were able to make it pay for itself - just at one place, the Kobe Steaks which is right around the corner from HHV.

Aloha!





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trm2

Was there last May, reward stay, but paid a nominal fee to get into Ali'i Tower. The rooms are not huge, but very nice.

Breakfast is in a lounge - I think in the Rainbow Tower - typical fruits, pastries, etc. Nothing hot. Internet is free in the lounge, but paid if you want it in your room. The Ali'i tower has a private pool and mini gym which is only open to people staying in that tower. There is also an evening little reception when staying in the Ali'i tower. Free snacks, but pay for booze.

If I think of anything else, I'll post more.

Roger Lococco

CreveCoeur

Thank you for all the replies so far. I'm really relieved about the free internet in the lounges; I just need to log on once or twice a day.

That's also great news there are fridges in the upgrades.

So it sounds from the replies so far the Alii Tower is the newest and best one to be in...? Which are the best rooms to request? All the towers look pretty nice: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hote...ommodations.do
How do you pay nominal fee to guarantee Alii tower and how much?

I'm confused about the gyms. You only get to go to the gym in the tower you are staying? Also I thought gyms where always free in Hiltons for Diamonds? Never paid for a gym at Hilton, even where they where real gyms (ORD & DC Hiltons)

$10 for each person to upgrade for warm breakfast in all the resturants, more than I anticpated? No hot food in the lounges (eggs/oats?)

One more question about the lounges. Can you get coffee/tea & soda(do they have diet Pepsi?) all through day?

Thanks again for all the help.

nigos

We stayed at the HHV this past weekend and the benefits for a Diamond are not very exciting. We were upgraded to high floor with good view in Tapa Tower. The room was spacious and clean and mostly updated. However internet would have cost an extra $16/day. They gave us access to the executive lounge in the Rainbow tower for continental breakfast but there was no option to use the "breakfast" in the executive lounge as a down payment on a "real" breakfast. In fact the breakfast in the exec lounge was a huge disappointment. The selections included a low quality croissant, a tiny pastry, a hard boiled egg, miscellaneous pieces of fruit, and coffee/tea - They did not even offer cold cereal. The only good part of the exec lounge was the use of free wireless. As a diamond you can also turn down the benefits i.e lounge access and room upgrade - in exchange for free internet access. I think the HHV is trying to vacuum money out of our pockets. They even charge extra to use the Gym. Their prices are out of step with the products delivered. Next time we will stay at the other Hilton which was recently remodeled or at the Embassy suites. Neither are on the water but the experience is much better for the money paid.

Redeemed

We have had several stays at the HHV, both reward and paid, the last visit just 2 months ago staying in the Ali'i tower (paid stay). The benefits have certainly been whittled down. As a diamond had access to the Rainbow lounge, breakfast items suited us fine-not much offered however but beware of the coffee-the nasty pre-mixed type. There are a couple of Starbucks onsite however if you need real coffee. The Ali'i tower no longer has an evening hor'duoerve offering-that was discontinued sometime this past fall-after we had reserved in this tower. The best thing the Ali'i tower has going for it is the private pool with great cushy pool chaises. There were always plenty available. The other pools looked to be a madhouse-with all chairs taken. There is a very pleasant view right out to the ocean from the Ali'i pool deck. Even though we reserved an Ali'i garden view room we were given a complimentary upgraded a few categories to an oceanfront room. This was very nice but I missed the Diamondhead view that you sometimes get form the Rainbow tower rooms. Only the oceanfront corner rooms in Ali'i would give you that view. In the past we have received Rainbow tower rooms on award stays. The NOR-1 option should be available to view on your reservation-perhaps it will give you the option of a paid upgrade to the Ali'i or Rainbow towers--you can check this out by clicking the more info. tab. Maybe others have different experiences with the NOR-1 at HHV. Thus far we've been able to be upgraded without having to pay for the NOR-1 option.

bwc175

Was just there last week, so will add what info I can...

There is no SuperShuttle in Hawaii that I am aware of, but there are similar services. Roberts Hawaii is the largest of these and charges $9 one way or $15 round trip. The service works but you will pay in time what you save in money over renting a car or using a taxi. I have used the service a few times when necessary and the buses seem to wait at the airport until they decide they have enough people to justify the trip and then take whatever routing to and through Waikiki that they choose. HHV is often one of the first stops, but they can and do just as easily take the highway to the Diamond Head end of Waikiki and make a dozen stops on a maze-like journey and get you to HHV 2 hours after you left the airport. The return trips for me have been better, arriving at the scheduled time and went straight from HHV to the airport.

Another option I have used to avoid parking charges is rent a car at the airport, run any shopping errands along the way to the hotel, drop everything off at the hotel, and return the car to a rental location in Waikiki. I have used rental car awards for this and the only cost has been $3-4 of taxes. Several rental companies have locations in Waikiki.

There is also same-bus transit service from the airport to Waikiki, but no luggage is allowed.

There is a Hawaiian show at the central "Super Pool" on Friday evenings, followed by a fireworks show. The fireworks are performed on the beach off the end of the Rainbow Tower. If you are in Rainbow, it will be very loud because of close proximity, but nice views can be had from the Diamond Head facing rooms, and spectacular from the south-facing end rooms.

Penguins are fed at 8am on weekdays, along with a talk from the keeper and sometimes a close-up encounter with the penguins.

All the rooms I've been in have had refrigerators, though I've been gold or diamond during every stay, so it's possible not all rooms have them.


I believe I read somewhere that the Ali'i is the most recently renovated tower, but it is not the newest building in the resort.
Only Ali'l has its own gym. The other gym in the resort is at Kalia.

A breakfast upgrade option is no longer available, a serious downgrade from the previous offering. To summarize what others posted and what I experienced, Gold & Diamond members will only be given access to the "Rainbow VIP Terrace," which is open from 5:30am-10:00am. The available food is not impressive (especially in comparison to the previously offered continental breakfast certificates to the Rainbow Lanai with upgrade option). There is complimentary wireless internet in this room with a code provided inside. I didn't check back at any other time of day to see if the room was open or internet available after the published 10am closing time, but I would assume neither, so no coffee/tea/soda during the day.