Wudy15

What is the best way to get to the Waikoloan from Kona airport? We are at the hotel for 4nts paid and 6 ALON so 10 days Rental Car is a bit long. Is there a bus or does it have to be a cab? Also is there a rental desk at or nearby the hotel?
Cheers
Alan

FancyNancy

Alan - The Hilton Wailoloa Village (HWV) is 18 miles north of the airport and about 25 miles north of Kona. Check out the HWV web site to see the prices of transportation ranging from $18 pp on Shuttle ot $42 for a cab ride.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/i...tyhocn=KOAHWHH

My husband and I have visited twice for 6 days each and have always rented a car. The HWV is fairly remote, and even though it is a beautiful resort you do not want to miss the beauty of the Big Island, especially Kona. I recommend planning your day trips so that you can rent a car for at least a week and get around the Island to all the unique areas. Best of Luck!


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Fancy

MisterNice

I once called the HWV and they would get a O/W cab for about $50 as they wanted $79/day for a car (later it went down to $33/day). The bus service comes and goes depending on the HI state grants. I would not count on it for airport travel. I would say I certainly would want a car if I was staying there for 10 days. So any fantastic places to go and see especially on that nice Big Island (dry Kona, wet Hilo, active volcanoes, non-active volcanoes, macademia nut farms (nice fresh free samples too}, lovely biological gardens, coffee plantations etc etc). Cars are usually inexpensive in HI, often about $20/day. I always get a car. You can always turn it in early if you dont use it. BTW if you park the car yourself, it is free (ie dont use the valet).

MisterNice

I like it free

I will be staying at the Waikoloa in 6 weeks with a ALON award.
I am a Diamond and am hoping for an upgrade.
From earlier topics I gather that means a sixth floor room in the Ocean Tower.
Are these rooms suites ?

hateUAL

Some might be - but I dont think all are.
I was on the 5th floor -

Flying High

I've stayed there 4 times in the Ocean Tower but never got a suite. The rooms are fairly ordinary but if you get a ocean view, you can hang out on the balcony all day long. You definitely want to make sure that you get access to the lounge. Their breakfasts are WONDERFUL with fresh fruit, breads and juices. They also have hor d'orves (sp?) at 5pm that is decent. If you're not a big dinner person, you can just have that for dinner.

The property is GREAT!!!! The staff is fabulous!!! And you'll have a wonderful time.

Enjoy!

unagi1

Yes, you'll hang out on the balcony all day long when you think of the effort involved in getting to the other side of the property.

I had a lot of trouble getting lounge access in July. I hope things have changed.

Good luck!

Karen2

We have been there several times as Gold and always gotten lounge access even if the rooms are not special. I don't care about the view nor about getting around. I am on vacation and have nothing to do but ride a leisurely boat from place to place.

MiamiFlyer

We stay there once or twice a year, and pretty well know the hotel policies. Popular place (especially for awards), so sometimes the club rooms are not available. If not, they will give you breakfast certificates for the buffet restaurant (really pretty good) in the middle of the Ocean Towers building if you press the issue politely. You can also ask to be placed on the waitlist for the executive club access rooms. Their policy is pretty strict on not letting you have access to the club (space limitations) unless you are in one of the exec rooms. Sorry, they won't upgrade you to a suite (we have tried multiple times)

While you are there, definitely go to Roy's for either lunch or dinner - yum yum and close to the hotel. The shuttle drops you right at the door almost.

Aloha!

not2bgrounded

We just got back from an absolutely wonderful stay there. As Diamonds and with some help from HHonors staff we were on the 5th floor in the ocean towers and had access to the Executive Lounge. We were told that the 4th and 5th floors are nonsmoking and the 6th and 7th are smoking. The room was not a suite and our view was across some of the pools and lagoon areas, even more colorful than an ocean view.

It is a trek to the other side of the hotel, but I just considered it a warm up to get to the great fitness classes at the Kohala Spa. If you feel you need to get from one place to another quickly while staying there you might be frustrated but it just requires a different mindset to enjoy the walk or waiting patiently for the boat or tram.

The service in the Lounge, restaurants and front desk was very good.

It probably won't be so crowded in 6 weeks, I like it free, so you will be likely to have an easier time getting an upgrade.

I agree with MiamiFlyer about Roys and it's even possible to walk there (only about twice as far as across the hotel grounds).

teammjs

1. if i can't get upgraded as a Gold VIP, is the breakfast better in the Ocean Tower?? that is, is it worth pushing the issue (and enduring the walk) if they offer breakfast in another complex i might be placed at?

2. how successful are people in getting off the "wait-list"?? is it even possible to put oneself on the wait-list before arriving?? wondering if the decision is made on each day for the entire day, or whether it's possible to access the club during off-peak times (if capacity is the main concern).

thanks-- interesting report!

unagi1

The breakfast buffet is much better, IMHO, in the restaurant, I think its called Palm Terrace, than in the lounge. A minor warning, there were a gazillion birds flying around and scavenging in this restaurant when I was there in July.

MiamiFlyer

Teammjs -

The waitlist is a local hotel thing, so I doubt you can do it in advance. No, they won't let you in the lounge off hours if you are not in one of the exec rooms (unless you know one of the staff and they let you in). Ocean Towers is fairly big, so chances are you can get a room in that complex if you want. UNAGI1 makes a good point, don't sit near the pond in the Palm Terrace if you are trying to avoid the birds. Finally, once you are on the waitlist after check-in, they will call you if a room becomes available. They called us on day 4 of our 6 day stay and we simply didn't feel like moving at that point. ----Aloha----

dhacker

This was not the case when we were there on an ALON award in August of 1999. I was Gold and asked for an upgrade or lounge access at check-in. There were no upgrades available and the room we got was basically a parking-lot view at the other end of the complex from the Ocean Tower and the lounge (near the spa). They also said they couldn't grant access to the lounge because it would cause crowding to allow access to peolple in non-upgraded rooms. I didn't press the issue.

The next day, the front desk called to say that an upgraded room was not going to become available during our stay, but that we could have the lounge access. That saved the four of us hundreds of dollars because we were never hungry for dinner after going for hor d'orves. That first morning (before the call), we had spent $35 for a simple breakfast at the coffee shop.

We are planning a return visit in Nov. 2002 for a wedding. Maybe we can get an upgraded ocean view room this time!

mwp2paris

We were there for 6 nites in June...at check we were given an ocean view room with club access in the Ocean Tower. I politely asked if there was an upgrade to a suite available for a Diamond and the agent disappeared into the great beyond for 5 minutes only to reappear and inform us that, in fact, there was an Ocean Suite available--you can see these if you look at the spacing of the doors on one side of the middle circle in the Ocean Tower--they are the size of two rooms with a large living room on one side and a large bedroom in the other. With 3 daughters it was perfect. (Although a step down from the Imperial Suite we had just enjoyed at the Westin Maui!)

We love the HWV and the club access is a BIG $$$ saver. There are plenty of birds in the club as well!