Top 49 things to do and attractions in Waikoloa (2024)

SINCERELY disappointed in this hotel. It has excellent reviews but only because 3/4 of it is fine.You see, there are multiple buildings considered part of this hotel. They're connected by a LONG walkway, tram, and/or boat ride. The tram and boat move at a walking pace. My watch counted 1160 steps from my room to my car in the parking lot(which costs $$$ to park on property.)Do not book in the Palace Tower. The only amenities within a 10 minute walk is a vending machine that doesn't accept cards.Food options on property were limited after 5 PM. I mean severely limited. One $95/person reservation required option (reasonable for the food) and another $60 per medium sized pizza, which wasn't very good.Just...don't stay here in the Palace Tower. The pool is cool and the Lagune is awesome. But the Palace Tower is terrible. I'm glad we didn't spend our entire honeymoon here or it would have been a dud.The only redeeming quality is how nice all of the staff were. They were absolutely incredible.

The resort is a 10 minute drive from main highway, as expected everything on resort is expensive. Rooms were decent but could be cleaner. Room service is good, anytime we need anything (toilet paper, towels, cups, soap) we just called and a bag with more than enough items was left outside door in 15 minutes. Lagoon is cool for snorkeling, plenty of fish, bumped into a couple turtles, saw an eel. Pools are cool, kids love the water slide. Makai tower has the big pool and waterside and 2 Jacuzzis. Ocean tower has pool, lazy river, and 3 smaller slides. Tower palace/Hale Ike tower is the only tower with no amenities. Tram and boat ride are cool but you will spend more time waiting for it to come than it takes to walk wherever you need to go.

I had an absolutely delightful stay at this hotel! The staff were friendly and attentive, making me feel welcome from the moment I arrived. The room was spacious, clean, and beautifully decorated, providing all the comforts of home. The amenities, such as the pool and fitness center, were top-notch and well-maintained. The location was perfect, with easy access to nearby attractions and restaurants. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel for a memorable and relaxing experience.

Super beautiful resort! Definitely will going back. Second time going to the Big Island and it’s definitely my favorite so far. Staff is super friendly and helpful. This place has tons of restaurants, pools, and some pretty neat water slides. Tons of free amenities! Car rental and activity bookings. Shops are close by and a black sand beach is a very short drive away. The whole resort was very clean and well maintained. The Hilton is on point with this location and you can enjoy a super amazing sunset/sunrise from just about anywhere on the resort. Some cons are the walking distance and the transportation they offer to get around the resort is very limited. The pillows were terrible and I actually got a pretty bad neck ache from sleeping with them.

We had a great stay here in the Palace Tower. The snorkeling in the saltwater lagoon is the best we’ve seen in Hawaii with turtles, rays, eels, and lots of fish. The dining option are limited and expensive for what they offer (plain, boring Caesar salad for $22 😳). We had a car so could go somewhere else but they also charge $48 a day for parking so……The resort is spread out but they have a Down Disneyland style tram and boat if you so desire. The property is extremely well kept and we enjoyed the fact that the staff is unobtrusive. We would definitely stay here again.

We came here because when I booked another Hilton they offered me a Promotion packages to Hawaii. Please keep your expectations very low as it is really not a promotion.We paid Can $800 to Hilton for 5 nights at this location. That’s $160 per night and my view it is not worth it. The meaning of a “promotion” is illusion as Hilton gave you nothing extra and it’s not even proper 4* experience.Ocean Tower is very outdated and far as inconvenient of a location as you can get. Almost everything is either a 15 minute tram ride away just to get to the lobby or a 1/4 mile walk.Rooms are over 30 years old and outdated. We had to call for services as the air conditioning doesn’t want to work. As a promotion, I would have expected to provide us with good quality rooms. I am sure you will feel downright dirty. I would not take my shoes / slippers off.No housekeeping for a 5 night stay, no extra amenities provided besides your standard old coffee maker and refrigerator in the room. On a positive note, employees kept the room clean and the sheets / towels were clean / washed.The staff was friendly but would always company policy don’t allow anything. I can’t fault them.I didn’t rent a car. But if you did, parking would cost you $48 for self parking or $55 for valet plus fees. If you don’t have a car, you are trapped on the resort or you have to pay a $5 shuttle to get to Kings’ Shops or Queens’ Plaza or walk the mile. I did that choice.Ocean tower, the food is easily double the cost of what it should be for a hotel. We are talking $36 for a small pizza or $8 for a bagel. If you choose to go to buffet breakfast, $ 75 per person.The resort itself is old too but they have maintained the outdoor and main areas well and it can be enjoyable. I did enjoy my time in the resort area.Not worth the promotion price in my opinion. Won’t ever be taking a promotion ever again.

Beautiful property & reception area! Staff very welcoming! Everything you need is at this resort, if you don't want to venture outside the property. Calm salt water ocean lagoon with plenty of fish for snorkeling and frequent sea turtles. 1 day I counted 8!! Dolphin show every Tuesday & Thursday is a great addition! Can grab some lunch at beach club and watch the Dolphins swim and play 💙

This resort was incredible. The grounds and buildings were beautifully kept up. The staff was friendly and helpful. We walked the grounds every morning with absolutely stunning ocean views and were thrilled to be able to see whales breaching each day. From our room, around the Makai tower - down to the Palace tower and circle back to our room was about a mile. It was a perfect distance to get the day started. As a bonus we were able to stop and watch the dolphins eating breakfast and playing, and most mornings saw sea turtles coming and going from the lagoon. The parking lot was very full, but the resort didn't feel crowded.

My husband and I came with our children for a 4 day mini trip. Upon arrival the sink in our bathroom was clogged. It took them 40 min to come fix it. Later that evening we were giving the kids a bath and when we started filling up the tub dirt and hair came out from the drain. The next day when we woke up we used the sink again and it was clogged again! the staff were very nice and fixed it while we were gone during the day and gave us some reimbursem*nt which was appreciated.Upon check in they didn’t inform us that the breakfast location has changed so when we went to breakfast the first day we walked all around until another family finally told us they had just been told the breakfast location had changed. This would have been helpful to know when we checked in. In addition included in the resort fee was a portrait which when we went to the front desk to inquire about they said that unfortunately they lost their photographer and the portrait isn’t an option anymore . Again no one informed us and it even was noted on the check in information as an amenity.Lastly the toilet paper was basically sandpaper. should have a brought a first aid kit.. lol.The hotel food options were overpriced for the quality.Overall the resort was beautiful and the pools and lagoon were nice but not what I expected for the amount of money paid.

I love staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village! You will also when you visit! We liked it so much our first time, we had to come back! You can truly get away here! The staff is great! Kelly at the front desk took care of the little things that were important to me and my family! Gene took care of our luggage with a smile and a joke! And oh my goodness, you have got to have the luau experience! Miss Cora will make sure you don't miss a thing and keep the drinks coming!

Lots of things to do and see. Great pools and water slides. Great for families but it is huge and impersonal. The rooms are older and reflect the fact that many kids played in the room and scratched everything. No extras - no fridge and no microwave. Personally it is a fun place to visit but I wouldn't spend more than 3 days here. It is exhausting, everything is far away and lots of people. No issues grabbing chairs.Recap - Great for kids and people watching. Tons to see and do. Not romantic or personal - not great for honeymoon. Basic rooms.For 5 star - upgrade rooms, hire WAY more staff, add some personal touches - like someone giving towels and taking drink orders by the pool.

The resort was beautiful! Most of the staff were friendly. The onsite activities were so much fun, and the property was beautiful! Our room was spacious with a beautiful view, but had a bit of a musty smell and seemed to be ready for an update. Overall, we would absolutely return to this resort in the future. We really enjoyed our stay.

The lagoon is great for swimming and snorkeling. I highly recommend bringing your own snorkel because there are always fish and large turtles in there. The tram is nice, but also can be slow. It runs at about a fast walking pace and makes long stops. It’s quicker to walk places but the tram is nice if you don’t want to walk or want to be in an air conditioned space. I just wish this place had more restaurants, the 3 it has are good but we still found ourselves going elsewhere to eat more often than not, which was slightly inconvenient because it took 20 minutes to get from our room to the parking lot. Overall, I would stay here again and recommend it to others.

We had a lovely stay. I was glad we upgraded to an ocean front room with the makai experience. The balcony view alone was worth it. We enjoyed watching the dolphins and looking out at the blue ocean. It was also great to leave the door open to hear the sound of the ocean at night. The hotel is located close to the King and Queen Shops. It was also close to the beach and tourist attractions. Lastly, the grounds are gorgeous. We loved seeing the sea turtles.

Gorgeous property with spacious rooms! There is a lot of walking at this property, but there is a tram and boat to help if you're not big on walking however walking is faster. The pool was massive and the water slide super fun. The breakfast buffet is not worth the $52 a person charge and room service has a crazy $15 fee attached. Otherwise loved this hotel.

Staff was great. However, the tram takes ten minutes to get to your location (sometimes longer) if you miss it so you’re better off walking. The tram also has no air conditioning in about half of the carriages due to it being broken and moves very slowly, which we realized when a 20 minute tram ride could’ve been a 10 minute walk. I wish that restaurants stayed open past 5, and shops can close as early as 3pm. The village itself is beautiful, but could use some work.

Really beautiful hotel and very kid friendly with the really big pools and lots of kid stuff to do. The only problem is they don’t really have a beach but if you can drive out 20 mins you could easily get to one. The only thing I didn’t like of course was the most of the food at the hotel is mediocre, and a little pricey… for example 2 caramel cappuccino, one ham croissant was 35 dollars… and you definitely need a car in order to leave the property to find better options. But I’d still come back and stay it really is a beautiful spot for a hotel.

Everything was just perfect for our stay. It never felt crowded, even though it was to 90% occupancy at least part of the time we were there. We were always able to secure two chaise between the pool and ocean, our preferred location. The pool was not crowded, perfect temperature and I lost count of my times down the slide. I snorkeled several times in the lagoon and appreciated the convenience of it each time. Food was good, service good also. I think we ate at all the restaurants and enjoyed the luau. Our sunset meal on the patio at KPC was especially wonderful, good service, good wine and food, and a terrific live musician. I would take off one star due to a dud sunset that evening, but not Hilton's fault! The other sunsets we saw were awesome. From our room balcony we enjoyed watching (and hearing) the ocean and the dolphins. This resort is large so it was easy to get our steps in daily. The tram was appreciated as was the boat. The artwork everywhere was amazing!

Don’t be fooled by the pretty pictures, this property is showing its age and between the construction noises, trash littering the property and expensive everything I’d think twice before booking a vacation here, especially with much nicer resorts nearby.First of all as a Diamond member, don’t expect a free upgrade. On arrival the receptionist tried to up-sell me to a better room, which instantly put me in a bad mood.The property is large and has a train to get between different areas, however this broke meaning we had to walk a long way with heavy bags.Our room was not cleaned properly and felt outdated.If you want any shade you have to pay a lot for a cabana, all water sports are ridiculously expensive. Restaurants are expensive and food quality is poor. Parking is also $39. The pool was dirty with leaves floating around and there was construction noise at one section.Trash was seen all over the property and staff didn’t seem interested in picking it up.Overall a disappointing and expensive experience.

I have been to the Hilton Waikoloa many times over the years and every time I have been to their property I have loved it, with the exception of this time. We were upgraded to an ocean view room the day of arrival, which was awesome, what wasn't awesome was the fact that after coming back several times over the past 10 years, there haven't been any updates to any of these rooms. The rooms still have the old beat up wood consoles that have been there for the last 10 or so years. It doesn't look like the carpet has been changed out and there are patch marks on the doors and walls throughout the room. Many of the restaurants that were previously on the property have closed. The breakfast buffet and the Mexican restaurant are gone and the restaurants they do have are extremely over priced. The tram doesn't run as frequently as it has in the past either, making it difficult to get anywhere on the property without having to walk long distances. We waited many times for the tram for over a half hour, along with other guests. Many times we gave up and just walked the long distance. I felt bad for those who were traveling with young children and those that were physically unable to walk the long distances, they ended up having to wait longer than usual just to use the tram. The have limited the boats that run as well and we found very few times that you could even get on one. There are only a couple of restaurants on the property with limited menu items. I understand that inflation has caused food prices to rise, but the cost of food and drinks on the property is ridiculous. Pancakes at the NUI restaurant were $24. Burgers were anywhere from $12-18. 8 ounce smoothies were $12. Parking is an astounding $44 a day. Previously if you had a red eye flight, Hilton would offer the Hospitality suite, so you could stay on the property and at least shower before catching your flight. Not any longer. I was told that they did away with the hospitality suite and if I wanted to shower, I would have to use the pool showers outside. I tried multiple times to have conversations with the staff that were cleaning my room and every time I passed by them and told them "good morning", they would put their head down and continue walking without any response. I love the Hilton brand, but I feel like the changes they have made on the property aren't benefiting anyone. I hope someone is listening and wanting to make some changes. I love this property, just not the direction it is headed.

Over crowded, understaffed, out dated, and overly expensive for what you get. When we checked in we were told our rooms where on the east side of the resort and the pool and amenities were all on the west side and then given a option to upgrade to the west side. Ofc we took it because we had a young kids and I did not want to be doing the walk back and forth with them, but I did feel this was a bit tacky/dishonest of them. Second when we got to our room which was still a far walk form the lobby we opened it to see it was in fact someone else’s room , they gave us the wrong room number and keys. We had to go back and get the correct key/room. What’s worse is the the second night we had to switch rooms because they only had a king available the first night (though we booked 2 doubles) and the second night they again gave us the wrong room! Restaurant were more expensive then Maui though far less of an experience , a kids hot dog cost $17. Parking is not free. there is no shade in the pool area unless your rent an umbrella. AC in the rooms was barely cool. This place definitely fell off and seems like it’s in life support. The hotel also while very huge and spread out still felt super crowded because there was only one pool area for so many different hotel towers/buildings. Plus side the lagoon was amazing and my kids had a blast doing boating activities , cultural experiences , and seeing the dolphins/sea turtles.

Fantastic Facilities | Comfortable Rooms | Caring, Professional Staff | Recommended—— Detailed Review Below ——Resort hotel ideal for tourists as well as conference, corporate events. Stayed here for a week and enjoyed all the wonderful facilities (including the gym and pool). The rooms are well-sized, and comfortable. Very decent on-site coffee shop.Verdict: RecommendedRooms: 4/5Location: 5/5Facilities: 5/5Dining and Room Service: 3/5Service/Staff: 4/5

Liked the room and the amenities around the property. The property is well maintained as I see many people working on the different parts of the property all day. Amazing sunset was a plus.Lagoon swimming pool was great. It was a pleasure to see multiple turtles every day without any effort. They just show up randomly and swim next to you.The tram and the boat that take you around the buildings are way too slow. I'm not sure why they exist if they are slower than walking...It will take a good 20-minute walk from your room to your car.Overall, enjoyable stay.

This was my second time at the Waikoloa Resort. Our first visit was at Ocean Tower and that was amazing! We decided to bring my parents along for our second visit and everyone had such a great time. The pools at the main resort was amazing as we remembered. My two kids loved the water slides the most. I loved snorkeling in the lagoon as well.My only complaint was the day before we were suppose to leave they drained the pool to a foot of water in the Kings Land side. My kids still had fun, however, they couldn't use the slides and that bummed them out. When I asked about it the guy seemed like he didn't know anything about it. This was our only bump in the road during our visit.Our visits have been amazing! We can't wait to go back and also visit more Hiltons elsewhere since we are members now.

Beautiful grounds! Worth the stay to experience the pools, especially swimming in the ocean lagoon with fish and turtles. Our room was very dated but clean. First room had a view of the wall to a pool so wet asked for a change and they accommodated. I'm sure it'll be an incredible place to stay once it's all renovated.

This resort is amazing and very family friendly. There is plenty to do right at the resort and almost no need to leave. There are amazing pools and a saltwater lagoon with great opportunity to snorkel. The beds were very comfortable and the room had wonderful views. It has shopping and lots of food options nearby within walking distance if you are up to it. Nice warm towels are available to guests with your room card. The only problems I had was the parking was expensive as were most things and almost everything was an add on. The resort is so large it required a lot of walking, they do have trams and a boat that can take you around if you are willing to wait. There are not a lot of reasonably priced food options nearby and it made it hard to feed picky kids. They also did not have good access to a real beach. There is some beach near the lagoon area but it is full of corral and rocks and hard to walk around.

Disappointment sums up our experience. Beautiful location with so much potential but it really falls short. Upon arrival we were talked into upgrading our room to a ground floor unit with better view. Yes the view was amazing but the room had not been updated for 15 years at least. The AC never got cooler than 75 degrees. Bathroom did not vent and was old, moldy and very worn.There is only one pool for the entire resort. They purposely remove all pool umbrellas so we have to reserve seats with pull over shades that cost money. The food hours are short and most things close by 4pm. The food is expensive even for Hawaii standards and it tastes terrible.We opted to go off property to the nearby neighborhood mall. Hotel shuttle charges $5 per person per direction. That's $40 round trip for a party of 4 for a 5 minute ride. The hotel should make this complementary.We attended the luau one evening and paid $1,000 for our party of 4. The buffet food was covered by flies. The roasted pig was paraded around but never served. We only ate kalua like shredded pork but never any crispy skin or actual roasted pork. The show itself was likely scripted from 25 years ago and never updated. Even the kids couldn't laugh through the poorly written jokes. It was so very disappointing.Last but not least there isn't any sandy beach near the resort. It's surrounded by lava rock and coral beaches. The only beach access is a 25-30 walk and you must bring your own towels and all supplies. No water, shade, chairs etc at the beach.The resort did not provide a resort experience. Instead we were forced to look off property. If we stayed on property, it was over priced and quality underwhelming. We were all so eager to relax and enjoy this vacation and it was anything but that.

Our stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village was absolutely fantastic! We stayed in the Makai Towers, which offered stunning ocean views and luxurious accommodations. The room was spacious, clean, and beautifully decorated, making our stay incredibly comfortable.One of the highlights of our trip was the Dolphin Quest experience. It was truly magical to interact with the dolphins up close. The trainers were knowledgeable and made the experience both fun and educational. It’s a must-do for anyone visiting the resort!We also attended the Legends of Hawaii Luau, and it was an unforgettable evening. The food was delicious, and the performances were captivating, showcasing the rich culture and traditions of Hawaii. The fire knife dance was particularly impressive!Overall, Hilton Waikoloa Village exceeded our expectations in every way. The staff were friendly and attentive, the amenities were top-notch, and the location was perfect. We can’t wait to return!

We received an email that offered us the opportunity to stay at this resort for five nights and six days for $800 if we would agree to listen to their timeshare spiel. Since we had never stayed at the Big Island, we took them up on the deal.We stayed in the farthest tower, Ocean Tower, on the bottom floor facing the ocean near "Buddha Point." The room was nice, and it had a large (for a hotel room) refrigerator, microwave, dishes, utensils, etc. We were able to sit outside our room and see whales breaching, whales on their sides waving their flukes, and pods of whales blowing air. That was a lot of fun!If a person has a rental car, there is only one lot that can be used. It costs $48 per night for self-parking and $55 per night for valet parking. The lot was 0.9 mile from our room.There is a train that looks like a bullet train that moves between the three towers; however, it moves at a pace equivalent to someone walking.The property is lovely and well-maintained. There is a lagoon/mini-bay on the property that is attached to the ocean. Snorkeling there I was able to see turtles, eels, and plenty of pretty fish. They also have dolphins "penned" there, and they have dolphin shows throughout the week.There are a few restaurants on the property; we didn't eat there because they were pricey. A couple who had a room above ours said that they ate the breakfast buffet one morning, and the cost for the two of them was $129.This is a nice property, but it is pretty pricey.

We came here two years ago, right as the mask mandate was lifting, and we loved it. The Lagoon was so fun to snorkel in and see fish and other sea creatures. We did all the culture classes and had fun.We were lucky enough to stay again this last week and had a different experience. One of our two rooms had 2 bugs in it (later, they were googled and are called German co*ckroaches). A third was in my daughters backpack. It felt so invasive. Staff was friendly and kind. They did allow us to relocate to a different room, which was nice.The Lagoon did not have nearly as much going on in it, and the classes filled fast due to the busy season. All in all, we will be picking a new hotel the next time we go back to Kona.As far as local things: there are shops at the base of the hill area, some food/restaurants for most (this is not a very vegan island). But everything is a bit of a drive to get to.

We originally stayed here back in 2016 for a few nights. Everything was great until I got food poisoning which is the worst thing to deal with on a plane.Recently we stayed here again assuming that experience was an outlier. Our son loves swimming and they have great pools for the kids. Unfortunately, my wife and I both got food poisoning again. This time it cost us a wedding we were attending.Never coming back. If they can’t figure out their food handling priorities. You shouldn’t go either.

Absolutely amazing experience. This place is stunning. The views are amazing and the resort has everything you would need. Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful when I asked questions. Our room was one of the older rooms in Ocean Towers but it was still great for my wife and myself. The ground and pools were amazing and I’m glad we had the lagoon as the ocean was rough the week we were there. We saw whales jumping from our room in the ocean. We only ate on the premises once, but it was good food. Yes, it was a long walk to get the car but I greatly enjoyed the stroll and holding my wife’s hand while admiring the views. It allowed me to relax on vacation and get some extra steps in. The tram and boats were running and were great when you had luggage but I found walking to be just as quick. We attended the luau on site and enjoyed the show and food. Yes, the added $48 for parking and $40 for the resort fee were a bit much but it’s part of the experience of staying here. I would gladly book another trip at this resort and will highly recommend this resort to anybody looking at the Big Island for vacation.

Ocean tower is under a major remodel. Some elevators don't work! But take some stairs... enjoy the outdoors. The grounds are beautiful. Redone rooms, so nice. Resort prices, in Hawaii... so... $$$$$. Train is a tossup vs walking for time. Don't count on it to be there when you want it to be.Just an all around great family vacation. Snorkel in the lagoon, watch the dolphins play, rent a cabana chair you want by calling the number from the one you want. All day reserved and some shade when you need it. Luau was also a good show with good food. Shuttle runs to shopping center that also has many other dining options.

The Resort itself is not what I would expect of Hilton due to being a bit outdated. We went to another hotel that we considered similar and it was so much more detailed inside and updated that it made it even more obvious. The room was clean. Shower head was strange. It kept falling off the holder. The Buffet was very good for breakfast, one of my favorite meals. KPC restaurant had a beautiful view. However, we made reservations far in advance asking to sit outside and were sat inside so we didn't get to see much of it. Food was good, not excellent. Waiter was very nice but seemed too busy for all his tables. The pool was my biggest complaint. If you didn't get down there by 7am to get a seat you could not find one easy. People put towels on 5-6 chairs and then went to breakfast. We witnessed open chairs 3 days in a row. One time for 5 hours while these people who were actually using the pool walked around looking for a seat to sit on. It was ridiculous. Attendants should be enforcing this. Side note because maybe some people like freezing pools. It was so cold I could not swim in it. It wasn't the type of cold you get in and you get used to. It was just cold the whole time. The Luau was way too expensive. The show was good and I appreciate the performers. They did a great job. The service was excellent. The food was terrible and I mean terrible. It was cold and honestly bland. The location was nice. You could walk to many restaurants. Hawaii is beautiful.

Huge sprawling property. Views of ocean and observatory. Win win on views. Pools are amazing. Loved strolling the walkways and paths. There is tram or shuttle boat to move you around the property if you're not into walking.The artwork walk was a surprise and appreciated. Different restaurant in each building. Shops on site and Kings Shops by shuttle or 10 to 15 minute walk. Neat experience.

Well, this resort is massive! So massive, in fact, they have a tram system running through it that you will need to access to save time, even if you are fit enough to trek it. It is air-conditioned. There is also a boat system that you can use in place of the tram. The boat is very relaxing and runs down the center of the resort. The pools are beautiful but you must go early to get a good spot. You may use towels in abundance from the free machines, but sometimes a machine will be empty, then you have to walk all the way to another one. My favorite was the giant lagoon that is fed from the actual ocean. There is a beautiful rocky waterfall where real giant green sea turtles love to hang out under. I would swim out to that waterfall and did see lots of these turtles which you will be right next to. It's a little deep there; you can't reach the bottom. They are amazing! I also swam next to a few as they were making their way back out to the ocean. They are such excellent, graceful swimmers! There are a number of different water riding toys for rent in the lagoon. Everyday we ate breakfast at the buffet, which has a gorgeous view of the lagoon and rocky waterfall. There is also a dolphin habitat and while I do not agree with keeping the dolphins in captivity, our room overlooked their area so we were able to watch them play and frolick with each other which made them seem happy. The entire resort and grounds are stunning. However, the biggest drawback is food. There are not nearly enough restaurants or ways to obtain food. We HAD to take the quick shuttle down the street twice in a week to obtain food from the grocery store that we could keep in our room. I think if they work on the food options, this resort could be unbeatable.

The resort is pretty, nice pool and lagoon as well as nice beach views. The downside is the property is very big so prepare to walk a lot to get anywhere. The tram is extremely slow, the AC was not working and it takes a long time waiting for it. The resort seems outdated especially around the Ocean tower. The layout makes no sense as there are limited number of elevators making you have to take the stair quite often . The food is very expensive but food is great. The pools were somewhat clean, lots of tree leafs not pristine but clean. The lagoon is very nice and good opportunity to see wild life. There is a beach area but it’s full of rocks so not much area to enjoy the ocean. The grounds are nicely manicured and lots of beautiful birds. Parking is far away from most towers and pricey. Check in took a while as they only had two staff checking you in. Room service was pretty quick to bring whatever you requested. Housekeeping is only offered once a week. For the cost of the room they should do better than that. Our room had terrible water pressure, the fridge did not work and it was very outdated in decor.

- they get low stars on the room category because of one our beds it looked like the sheets didn’t get changed before we checked in. We called the front desk and they were quick to get it resolved for us. The new bed set they brought was nice and warm even.+ besides the above this resort was very nice to stay at! Any and everything you need in there. Coffee, shopping, many pools, walking paths, views of the ocean etc. They even have transportation to get around the resort (listed in my photo). It is even wheelchair friendly.+ their breakfast buffet is delicious! But be aware it is costly. It was about $50 a person. They provided so many food options so we felt it was worth it.I would stay here again!

Although the pools are wonderful and the location is stunning, this hotel has some issues and I wouldn’t stay here again.DIGITAL KEY: Our digital key never worked while we were on the property, even after resetting the key multiple times. Trying to get our key to work and failing resulted in roaming around the resort for over an hour, going from building to building, and talking to multiple staff members before finally resorting to a card key acquired at the main lobby check in desk. Get a card key here!! Do not rely on the digital key! I’ve had no problems with it in the past at other Hilton locations, but it was a fiasco here, and with everything being so spread out, you spend a ton of time walking trying to get it sorted out.LAYOUT: As others have mentioned, the layout of the hotel is very spread out and the logistics from getting from point A to point B need work. The current tram is very slow. I could walk much faster than the pace of the tram, so unless you’re laden with heavy bags or elderly, it’s a waste of time and you’re better off walking—which is a pretty far walk if you’re in the Ocean Tower area, for example, and trying to reach the parking lot. One day we left something in the car and were in a hurry and it put us so far behind just to walk back to the car and back to the room. You have to allow a lot of time just to get from point A to point B, more than at any other hotel I’ve ever stayed in.LAUNDRY: Because we are on a two week vacation, we needed to use the laundry facilities. Unfortunately, they were difficult to access (they were locked, incorrect signage was posted, we were told they weren’t locked, it took forever to get help opening them, etc.), and once we did access them, hardly any of the machines actually worked. In fact, we had to take our wet laundry from the facility in one tower to ANOTHER facility on the other side of the resort to use the dryer there! It was a mess. I know this isn’t a big factor for most guests, but if you’re on a long trip and need to wash clothes, it’s an advertised amenity that barely exists in reality, which is frustrating.FOOD: The food options are pretty sparse, especially in comparison to other Hilton resorts like the Waikiki Hawaiian Village. And what is available is extremely expensive, even for hotel food prices, which you expect to be pricey. It’s $55 per adult for breakfast and $27 for my five year old to eat a little bacon and eggs. In any standard, that’s crazy.Overall, the layout of the hotel is scattered and not ideal, the rooms are in need of an update aesthetically as well as in functionality (some plugs didn’t work, the rooms look tired, our sheets were stained, etc.), and the customer service was inconsistent. While some staff members were incredibly helpful, others repeatedly gave us wrong information that sent us heading in wrong directions.HOURS: A lot of things close early. Pool slides, snack stands, restaurants/bars, etc. The Kohala Bar that’s poolside, for example, closes at 4PM.The grounds are stunning, but overall I expected a better, smoother stay.***Edited based on their response: We were staying Palace Tower, not Ocean Tower. I was just using that location as an example because the buildings ARE, in fact, all connected and share parking and other facilities. If you are staying in Palace Tower, as we were, you will be over by Ocean Tower often for the pool, etc. Regardless of the building you are staying in, this review still stands.

The views and staff were amazing here, but this place is kinda the pits otherwise. Dirty greasy door to balcony and TV remote, threadbare old bedding, very little accessibility for even minority handicapped people. My mother is recovering from a broken leg and it was very difficult for her to get around this hotel. The boats were out of service. The coffee maker in the room must never be cleaned because the coffee was undrinkable. The coffee and pastries downstairs were fantastic though, but the prices everywhere!! $8 for a small cup of coffee, $70 for three drinks and wings at the Kona taproom, and $57 daily for valet parking. This place gouges you at every corner. No room service available except for Italian food and the only breakfast was $50 per person. We asked what it would be for JUST some scrambled eggs and they said $35!!! No shade at the pool unless you want to pay an extra $100 - $300 for cabanas. Ancient, VERY moldy washing machines that you need to pay to use. Again, the staff was wonderful. But we will never be back.Lastly, no more dolphins in captivity. It is outdated and wrong.

It’s a beautiful resort with lot of amenities. They have salt water lagoon, where you can meet dolphins every morning!They also have couple of pools in each tower and a tramp for commutation between towers. This resort has lots to offer!There is no beach at this resort, they have their own make shift beach which are not even close as you would find in other islands of Hawaii!But other than that, I loved everything in this resort. Must stay!!

It's the best hotel I have ever been to at the best location possible. During the winter season, you can see the whales right at the shores of the hotel. The lagoon was incredible with the turtles swimming in there. Food was always perfect, and there were so many varieties at the breakfast buffet. Very friendly staff, lot of free activities. Just love it and highly recommend it to everyone, even for families with kids.

The pool and amenities here are so amazing. It’s the perfect place for families! Things are always immaculate and so beautiful.One thing I wish the manager could improve is making the towel carts quieter on the rough rocky pathways. Trying to get little ones to nap so older siblings can keep playing and the motorized carts pulling towel bins are so loud they really ruin the atmosphere and wake everybody up. I’d love to see them use inflatable rubber tires on those carts and then make them solid with a can of “fix a flat” so they never lose air. Would be so much quieter than hard plastic wheels on rocky paths.

Wow! Amazing place to stay with the kids.This place is a Mega resort like no other! After staying here it's hard to compare to other places we've stayed at.So many things to do at the resort.Snorkeling with turtles, dolphins, eels, spotted eagle rays all at the lagoo. The food was amazing As expected. We definitely had to try the buffet multiple times during our stay. Everything you could imagine and more. Every restaurant we ate at was delicious! The Hilton luau was great 🔥😃 I liked the short rib at the luau better than the Kahlua pig surprisingly.The whole family loved the luau definitely kept us entertained.Nice selection of tropical co*cktails.The dolphin experience was also great for the kids!Our hotel room had a view of the lagoon and dolphins also a Ocean view. Very happy with our room on the ground floor. The kids could run around in the grass area and get out some energy. Close access to the lunch bar, lagoon and short distance walk to the main pool with the large water slide.Recommend checking out the smaller pool with the smaller water slides for the kids , they loved it.Lava flows were amazingLawrence 180 co*cktail was also really goodWe will definitely have to come back sometime in the future.Until next time, Waikoloa Hilton Big island of Hawaii. Aloha !!! ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

This is my second stay at this hotel. My first stay was 5 years ago and I had very warm memories of that. Coming back was a bit disappointing.Not very welcoming staff. It would be nice to be greeted in some me nice way.Very few food options with bad quality of food and very high prices. If you charge that much work on the quality of food, invite a chef, create ambience.Parking was outrageous $48-$50 per night. Yet if you visit from another hotel they will validate your parking.Territory is beautiful. I really liked using the boat in the evening.Yet in general not what you would expect from Hilton (and we are diamond members so stayed at many)Updating the hotel, increasing a level of service and reconsidering poor food choices would be so nice.Till then won’t be back here for a long time.

Beautiful surroundings, restaurants could be better in both the cooking (didn't appear to be any chefs in 2019) and prices, but the nearby shops at King and Queen Village outdoor malls were fabulous. Learning more about the ecology of the islands, this is the place to be. Everything on the island can be easily reached by car, least rain here, but beautiful and multiple pools like mini lagoons and there's actually a lagoon with a beach where you can lounge or swim, and there are turtles in the lagoon area. There's a dolphin address as well. Places to get drinks, a beautiful scent throughout the inside common areas, trains to take you from building to building, although you can also walk. Some of the photos I've posted show what look like an outdoor art exhibit of Eastern art, there are pieces along the open air covered walkway as well as in the gardens. Beautiful bridges to cross if you want to take certain walks. Just an incredible place.