Hilton Waikoloa Village in Waikoloa Village, HI

Spent 6 nights. Went to the buffet breakfast which we found out is $55 per person so we walked out went to the market down the road where we got a nice breakfast for under $50 for two people. In their cafe a cup of large coffee which is medium size anywhere else is $7.00. Overall all the food places are absurdly priced. The room we got was an upgrade to a handicap friendly room which has a very strange layout including a toilet facing a floor to ceiling window to the grounds with a sheer curtain. The shower has not curtain or door. The closet is more like a walking closet. The automatic handicap door rarely closes and have to be forced closed. No handicapped person could do it. All room are very poorly lit and if you walk in there is no light switch anywhere and no lights in the ceiling. There was a balcony but it’s a large step up so one with a wheelchair cannot handle it. The dry cleaning is the most expensive I have ever seen in any hotel I stayed in including a true 5 star hotels. This is far from a 5 star hotel. It’s old and very dated with lots of rusted items all over the resort. The grounds are well kept though they charge you for everything but breathing. The train is running very slow and at times it’s 20 minutes beteeen trains and the boats are out of service. The tv in the room deflated does not have fox tv of any kind available most of the day while cnn and cnbc is available at all times. Most other tv stations don’t work all the time. If you want to write down something since they do not provide pen or pencil or a notepad. This Hilton is skimping on common items for guests. Housekeeping while is great they do not provide daily unless you request it. And if you want your luggage taken to the main lobby when you leave you must have them pick it up 2 hours ahead or bring it out yourself on the trek which can be 1/4 of a mile or longer from your room.

The grounds and amenities at this facility were 5 stars. It’s a massive resort that also has a tram running every ten minutes. Room was clean and a nice size. They had a nice coffee shop in one of the buildings. Restaurants are pricey. They do have a shuttle for $5 each way down to the King and Queens shops. Many people went to the island gourmet in the Queens for their meals and other food and grocery needs. Perfect hotel activities for families. Staff was very polite!

We love staying here when we come to the Big Island whether it’s just the two of us or our whole family. While the property is quite expansive, we have always stayed in the Ocean Tower which is the building most farthest away from the main lobby. (The views are awesome.) There is a tram that continuously runs from one end to the other all day long and into the evening. We usually walk unless we are coming and going with all our luggage. If you can afford the extra fee for valet parking, it’s well worth it as you go out and about the island and can have your car readily available. The general parking is at the bottom of the hill before you arrive at check in. There are also many restaurants and shopping to do at the King and Queen’s marketplaces that you will go past on your way to check in. I also recommend doing the dolphin quest; an experience you’ll never forget. You should also schedule that before you arrive depending on what time of year you go. Don’t forget to go to Volcanoes National Park. You may need to get a reservation in before you go. I think most national parks are requiring reservations. Just go for an adventure and drive the island. Kona is also a nice place for shopping and eating.

Terrible hotel. It takes you 10 min to walk from the parking lot and another 20 min to get to your room. Maybe not a big issue if the room was worth the wait, but the room is outdated, old and dirty. I am talking about the equivalent to a Model 6. I travel 250 days out of the year and I would consider quitting my job if I had to stay here from my business trips. This is the worst hotel and set up I have ever experienced.

The location for this hotel is 5-star. You cannot beat the location and the access to all the activities! I loved having a LOCAL coffee shop o the hotel. The dolphin lagoon was amazing and I loved the beach. I also appreciate that activities like yoga and access to the fitness center were included in the cost. What kept this from being five star is that the property itself is dated. It needs paint - the door locks need to be upgraded so they don’t have to be kept away from phones. But the biggest drawback was that many of the staff seemed to care very little about the guests. I arrived at the spa and finally had to interrupt a staff member on her phone to check in. She said to wait in the lounge. I then asked for a tour and she said she would see if she could find someone to do so. It never happened. Some staff at the front desk seemed to genuinely dislike their jobs.