Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Hotels and Places to Stay > Hilton | Hilton Honors
Reload this Page >

[ARCHIVE to 2015] Hilton Waikoloa Village {US-HI}

Old Jan 26, 2014, 12:41 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Canarsie
To jump to the year in which you would like to search, please click on the desired years:

1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

Better yet, please feel free to add links to what you believe are portions of this discussion with important information about the Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel property.

Examples from a different discussion not yet updated here:
Please report any errors such as broken links, for example to the moderators of the Hilton | Hilton HHonors forum.

Thank you.
Print Wikipost

[ARCHIVE to 2015] Hilton Waikoloa Village {US-HI}

Old Feb 6, 2005, 9:31 pm
  #2161  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: louisville,ky usa
Programs: Delta Platinum, HH Diamond, , AA Gold, Bonvoy Titaniu
Posts: 619
We just returned from the HWV (stayed 1/27-2/2 on ALON as Gold). Our experience couldn't be more different from the OP. We requested a room in the Lagoon tower two weeks before our stay and again the day before (our 3 children were with us and the children's pools and activities are there). None available. Not one, not for the entire 6 days we were there. The first room we were assigned (Ocean Tower, 30 minutes to Lagoon Pool) featured dirty glasses, mold on the faucets, torn carpet and a dented, beat up refrigerator which appeared to have dried yogurt (or possibly cream cheese) smeared on the inside.

When we complained to the front desk, we were told that the room was scheduled to be remodeled that year (why tell me this???). The following day we were moved to a service road view room in the Palace Tower (no apology, just a curt message saying the room was ready and could only be held a short time).

I told the desk how disappointed we were in both the original room and the general treatment. Desk manager listened politely and did....nothing.

The public grounds at this hotel are very nice. I loved the hammocks located around the property. The lagoon is cool. The pools are nice (but certainly not as spectacular as I had imagined based on other reviews here a FlyerTalk).

But the service is almost uniformly motelish. For example, we saw extra rollaway beds standing by the elevators every day of our stay (one day there were 6 of them, but on every day there was at least one). Room service trays with congealed, half eaten food lined the halls for up to 24 hours (they were picked up once a day so a late breakfast tray would sit all day and all night until the next day's pick-up). The "Concierge" for our tower was often absent (once gone for the entire day, when I called the front desk for assistance, they said she "must have just stepped away" and suggested I wait. I later found out she was out sick and no one had replaced her). When we needed security to let us into our room we were told that he "was in the tower and would be there momentarily". Eventually, we gave up waiting and my husband went to the Ocean Tower to have a new key made while I waited in the hall with the kids. He was back with that key well before security arrived). The Trams run on no apparant schedule (we often boarded and waited 5-10 minutes for the tram to start moving, who knows why? Other times we waited for 15-20 minutes before giving up and walking) There were stands at some stops with the "wait time" to the next tram posted, but these times bore no relation to reality (it once said "2 minutes", after 15 minutes my husband gave up and carried our sleeping daughter, diaper bag and sundries back to the room on foot). There were no nice amenities (no robes, slippers, even the coffee and water we were supposed to receive as Gold never showed up).

Worst of all, there was no real response to complaints. We received the canned welcome message from the "assistant manager" asking us to call if he could be of assistance. When I called, I was put on hold indefinitely (I hung up after 11 minutes). The "perfect vacations" button on the phone was useless.

When our rental SUV was damaged at valet (by another guest pulling out, not by valet) and we spent a half day dealing with the reports/police/car replacement, the HWV could have cared less.

We emptied our HHonors account for this award. Based on our experience, we don't plan to accumulate more. Our experiences with Starwood awards have been vastly better (the Swan, Essex House, Moana Surfrider).
DeirdreTours is offline  
Old Feb 7, 2005, 2:57 pm
  #2162  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX & LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by Snoopyo
Second the vote for Ocean Tower.
Except for some nice views, I don't see what the big fuss is over the Ocean Tower. I was initially disappointed that I was put in the Palace Tower, but I came to like the more central location. I used the adults-only pool in the Ocean Tower every day, and it seemed like it would be a generally noisy tower to stay in, because voices tend to echo inside the cylinders.

The other poster was right about the tram's unpredictability. I just gave up most of the time and walked. The walkways are beautiful with all the artwork, anyway. I did get sick of the song "I Wanna Hold You Till I Die, Till We Both Break Down and Cry" playing inside the tram, *repeatedly.*
flying_kittens is offline  
Old Feb 7, 2005, 5:18 pm
  #2163  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: California
Posts: 2,164
Originally Posted by flying_kittens
Except for some nice views, I don't see what the big fuss is over the Ocean Tower...I used the adults-only pool in the Ocean Tower every day, and it seemed like it would be a generally noisy tower to stay in, because voices tend to echo inside the cylinders.
We burned 200,000 points for 2 rooms (remember the good old days ) in the Fall of '02 for a vacation at the HWV. We loved the place and had an unforgettable trip.

We had rooms down the hall from each other in the Ocean Tower. My room was in the center "cylinder" at the outermost part of the curve (hope that makes sense), and it was quiet and private (couldn't see other balconies and they couldn't see us). The floor below us must have been a smoking floor, because the day we arrived we had to close the sliding glass door due to the smell drifting in. The rest of the week was breezy and that seemed to solve the problem, luckily.

Our other family members were in a room on the outer curve of a "cylinder" facing the adjacent "cylinder." They mentioned that every morning around 6am, a guy int he adjacent tower would sit on his balcony and gab on his cell phone, and you could easily hear every word due to the echo. I would definitely take this into consideration when booking in that tower in the future.

Our kids did Dolphin Quest and really enjoyed it. We dined at Kirin and liked the food, but the downside was the air conditioning (uncomfortably cold).
SPort is offline  
Old Feb 7, 2005, 7:33 pm
  #2164  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX & LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by SPort
The floor below us must have been a smoking floor, because the day we arrived we had to close the sliding glass door due to the smell drifting in. The rest of the week was breezy and that seemed to solve the problem, luckily.
We dined at Kirin and liked the food, but the downside was the air conditioning (uncomfortably cold).
You were lucky you just had cigarette smoke. I had pot smokers below me. It usually blew in about 7:00.

I had lunch at Kirin one day and had the Mongolian Beef, which was excellent. I hear ya about the A/C. It was freezing in there, but there was no outdoor seating option.
flying_kittens is offline  
Old Feb 7, 2005, 7:33 pm
  #2165  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX & LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by SPort
The floor below us must have been a smoking floor, because the day we arrived we had to close the sliding glass door due to the smell drifting in. The rest of the week was breezy and that seemed to solve the problem, luckily.
We dined at Kirin and liked the food, but the downside was the air conditioning (uncomfortably cold).
You were lucky you just had cigarette smoke. I had pot smokers below me. It usually blew in about 7:00 am.

I had lunch at Kirin one day and had the Mongolian Beef, which was excellent. I hear ya about the A/C. It was freezing in there, but there was no outdoor seating option.
flying_kittens is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 11:16 am
  #2166  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hilton HHonors Gold, Delta Silver Medallion, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 211
HWV Trip Report

Stayed there from Jan. 27-Feb. 2 on a GLONP2 award for our baby-moon with the ever-pregnant Mrs. Murrayhill.
I should preface my remarks by saying the mega resort is normally not our cup of Earl Grey, but we were ready to accept the HWV -- trams, Dolphin Encounters and all -- on its own terms. Plus, the price was certainly right.

We were in the Ocean Tower and given access to the Executive Lounge as Diamonds. First night started in a snit as they put us in a room with double beds instead of a king, as we had long ago requested. They claimed the kings were spoken for in the tower, though they could have moved us to the Lagoon Tower, a 15-minute walk away. A non-starter as that would have meant a schlep to the lounge. We sucked it up one night and got moved to a king in Ocean the next day, with a decent ocean view (make sure you're on the fifth floor or above for that).

The rooms are all spacious and nicely decorated, though nothing in the way of abject luxury. Still, more than adequate. They'll turn you down at night, too, if you want.

The staff we encountered were almost uniformly courteous and helpful. But the lack of oversight was glaring. Though not unique to HWV, the problem of room service detritus left outside doors was glaring. Walking to and from breakfast, tray after tray of last night's dinner was still outside. Since we're dealing with exterior corridors, this means attracting bugs and birds. It's a problem that seemingly grew worse each day.

Restaurants at the hotel are horribly overpriced on the level or above of the highest-end restaurants on the Big Island. We only tried the Chinese restaurant, Kirin, which was middling, but with prices 2 to 3 times higher than what you'd see in a big city. Fortunately, we had access to the lounge for b'fast, instead of forking over $17.50 for a continental breakfast or $24 for a buffet. Unconscionable.

We didn't get there, but the Chinese joint in the nearby King's shops has some good writeups. You'll pay about half what the Hilton charges. Same for the Japanese restaurant in the mall, compared to the Hilton's Ichiban, though the latter has a very nice setting and a koi pond worth a stop.

I can recommend Roy's in the King's shops for the quality of the food, though not the size of the portions. Thought I received a better value in other Roy's.
Other dinner choices: Don't laugh, but Costco makes a decent pizza. Large pie is 10 bucks. We found ourselves out and about and wound up there. BTW, if you're in Kona, Costco is the place to gas up before 9:30 p.m., provided you're a member. The gas is 25 cents a gallon cheaper than nearby locations -- at a still-hefty $2.34.

Back to dinner: Filling, cheap and tasty comfort food at Hotel Manago in Captain Cook; in Kona, very respectable Thai food at Royal Thai Cafe in the Keahou Mall; Indonesian food at Sibu,which has good lunch deals. Follow that with a humongous load of shave ice next door at Scandinavian Shave Ice (ask for yogurt). But some of the best eating on the Big Island can be found up in Waimea, about 25 minutes from the hotel. We had an excellent dinner (par for the course) at Merriman's, and a generous and reasonable brunch at Daniel Thiebault.

Moral of the story: Get off the hotel grounds (self-park for free, don't valet for $10.50 a day) and explore, be it the volcanoes, nearby historical parks or to spend some time on a real beach, something you can't do at HWV. If you do stay, the good news is the size of the place can work to your advantage, as you can invariably find someplace that's uncrowded without a lot of effort. Heading over to Buddha Point by the Ocean Tower is a great place for the sunset, if you can snag one not overwhelmed by the evening clouds ( a lot easier said than done).

Suffice to say, we didn't do the Dolphin Encounter, though we watched others who forked over the bucks and appeared to be having fun. And there was a lot else to keep the under-18s occupied and fed to their specs. Indeed, ultimately this place does works best if you're with a family. But if you're shy of that goal you can still have a good time. One place is the excellent spa and fitness facility.

The gym equipment was the best I've seen at any hotel-run facility and the locker room was immense, well-equipped and luxurious. I went down once just for the whirlpool. Just about every type of spa treatment you can think of (along with ones you didn't) is available at predictably steep prices. They didn't seem to lack for customers, and I heard it's a good idea to make reservations for massages and the like upon arrival. Definitely worth multiple visitsm but it's over at the Lagoon Tower. So, if you're staying at the Ocean, be prepared for a half-hour round-trip walk.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience and the location, with relative proximity to Kailua-Kona as well as Waimea and upcountry made for relatively easy driving. I'd go back, provided it was an award stay. Otherwise, I'd think I'd leave there thinking I could have done better. YMMV.

P.S. If you're taking the AA redeye home, make sure you're at security early. The flight leaves at 11:15, but the checkpoint is history at 10:30. If you're still hanging around the check-in counter by then, the TSA staff will go home, but you won't. Someone we know had our vacation unexpectedly extended when this happened.
murrayhill is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 11:33 am
  #2167  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I even get turned down at night without even leaving home!

Uh, thanks for the great report, murrayhill! ^

Originally Posted by murrayhill
<snip>The rooms are all spacious and nicely decorated, though nothing in the way of abject luxury. Still, more than adequate. They'll turn you down at night, too, if you want.<snip>
JDiver is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 11:35 am
  #2168  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6,355
Originally Posted by murrayhill
Someone we know had our vacation unexpectedly extended when this happened.


Great trip report. Thanks!!!!
gregorygrady is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 2:20 pm
  #2169  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,069
Originally Posted by murrayhill
Don't laugh, but Costco makes a decent pizza.
MissBumpMe! and I had salad and hot dogs there.
...twice!!!

We can't complain about mainland prices in paradise, no sir!

Your report is great, thank you.
^
BumpMe! is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 10:24 pm
  #2170  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX & LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by murrayhill
Stayed there from Jan. 27-Feb. 2 on a GLONP2 award for our baby-moon with the ever-pregnant Mrs. Murrayhill.
The rooms are all spacious and nicely decorated, though nothing in the way of abject luxury. Still, more than adequate. They'll turn you down at night, too, if you want.

Walking to and from breakfast, tray after tray of last night's dinner was still outside.

One place is the excellent spa and fitness facility.
You are the second person I've met here who stayed at HWV at exactly the same time I did! (I wrote an 'in progress' report while I was there... okay, I'm a geek).

Did you and your wife spend mornings at the adult pool? I remember talking with a pregnant woman who was standing in the shallow end steps one morning, and she had a NY or NJ accent.

The food trays were a problem in the Palace Tower, too. Actually, I hated everything about room service, in my three encounters with them.

God, the spa was gorgeous! I wish I'd had enough money to just go whole hog in there. I got a manicure, though, which was nice. I could not believe there was a three-year-old getting a pedicure while I was there. Three.
flying_kittens is offline  
Old Feb 10, 2005, 11:52 pm
  #2171  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,489
Don't ever spoil a 3 year old like that. I treated my wife and (then) preteen daughter to a full blown beautyshop makeover last summer in BKK, and now all I hear is, "Daaaaad, I want to go get made up again". I don't have anyone to blame except myself.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Feb 11, 2005, 7:41 am
  #2172  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: louisville,ky usa
Programs: Delta Platinum, HH Diamond, , AA Gold, Bonvoy Titaniu
Posts: 619
We were there on those exact dates as well, 1/27-2/2, on an award. As lowly golds we were in the Palace Tower (started in a dirty, poorly maintained Ocean room, moved with much difficulty). The room was of average size, very poorly designed (bed placed so that only one of us could watch tv in bed at a time, large space wasted behind bed and couch, etc.) and rather shabby and worn.

I had requested the Lagoon Tower weeks in advance (and again by email the day before and again on check it), but it was "unavailable". We were traveling with our three children and wanted to be near the slide pool and Dolphin areas. Interesting that it was available to you on the same day.

In addition to room service trays, our tower was also littered with roll away beds (sometimes standing in herds around the elevators for days at a time). We found the staff to be polite but utterly unintrested in the quality of our experience.

The only restaurants we tried were the Provision Company (great view, ok service, mostly ok food, hefty prices) and the Boat Landing (counter service) and the Lagoon Grill (good burger, very good service).

Although the pools were very kid friendly and our daughter loved her dolphin experience ($185 w/ video), we left feeling that we had wasted our points on a very motelish experience. I have never stayed in a Hampton Inn with such shabby rooms and indifferent service and was expecting better from a "Hilton Resort"
DeirdreTours is offline  
Old Feb 11, 2005, 8:12 am
  #2173  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,069
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
Don't ever spoil a 3 year old like that. I treated my wife and (then) preteen daughter to a full blown beautyshop makeover last summer in BKK, and now all I hear is, "Daaaaad, I want to go get made up again". I don't have anyone to blame except myself.
Oh my!
At least was more affordable in BKK than the USA!
You'll just have to return.
BumpMe! is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2005, 7:42 pm
  #2174  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hilton HHonors Gold, Delta Silver Medallion, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 211
Originally Posted by flying_kittens
You are the second person I've met here who stayed at HWV at exactly the same time I did! (I wrote an 'in progress' report while I was there... okay, I'm a geek).

Did you and your wife spend mornings at the adult pool? I remember talking with a pregnant woman who was standing in the shallow end steps one morning, and she had a NY or NJ accent.

The food trays were a problem in the Palace Tower, too. Actually, I hated everything about room service, in my three encounters with them.

God, the spa was gorgeous! I wish I'd had enough money to just go whole hog in there. I got a manicure, though, which was nice. I could not believe there was a three-year-old getting a pedicure while I was there. Three.
Alas, we never made it to the adult pool, tempting as it was. We made it to the pool closer to where they had all the signs of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Mrs. Murrayhill even made it down the slide in all her expectant glory.
murrayhill is offline  
Old Mar 14, 2005, 3:58 pm
  #2175  
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 371
Recent HWV feedback?

Headed to HWV for 7 days starting Easter weekend on an ALON award, any recent experiences? I am a Diamond and am curious if upgrades are still a reasonably sure bet. Wondering if I should expect a crazy resort or a quiet one over Easter vacation. It doesn't say on there website if they have a shuttle to/from KOA, any insight? As always, thanks for any feedback from the savvy travelers on this board.
ORD1Kguy is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.