Still a work in progress: A review of the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii

Reopening a hotel post-pandemic is a significant challenge, and sometimes the imperfections become apparent.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island offers a fantastic setting with a wide range of activities. However, during my visit in March, it wasn't fully prepared for guests. While it's an excellent destination for families, dining options were limited and the service didn't meet expectations during my stay.

Reservations

I secured what I thought was a reasonable rate for my stay at Waikoloa Village. I booked during a Hilton Honors "Dream Away" sale for $216 per night, which seemed like a steal until I factored in the additional taxes and fees.

I incurred $37 per night for self-parking, $10.18 for the state room tax, $22.14 for occupancy tax, and $45 per night in resort fees—plus an extra $6.73 in taxes on the resort fee. This brought my total to $337 per night. Since I was traveling with a friend and her son, I opted to upgrade to a suite for an additional $150 per night, along with the associated taxes and fees.

By the time I checked out, my "great deal" of $216 a night didn’t seem so great after all.

I earned a total of 22,766 Hilton Honors points for my stay, valued by TPG at roughly $136. This total included 9,883 bonus points for my Hilton Diamond status, which I achieved simply by holding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card that grants automatic Diamond elite status to its cardholders.

The details regarding the Hilton Aspire Card have been independently gathered by Dinogo. The information presented on this page has not been reviewed or supplied by the card issuer.

By using the Aspire card to pay for my stay and another at a Hilton in Waikiki, I accumulated an additional 18,700 Honors points, valued by TPG at approximately $112. This means I gained about $250 in points value from my two stays in Hawaii.

Prices have surged significantly since my visit. In June, a night would set you back $550 plus the $45 resort fee and taxes. Similar rates are expected next year, but if you're planning to use points, a standard night would require 60,000 Honors points, which offers much better value. I did find last-minute bookings available for as low as $193 per night in April.

The outrageous resort fee

As I noted earlier, this Hawaii property, like many hotels and resorts across the islands, imposes a resort fee. Here’s what you get for your $45 fee.

• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Hula and lei-making workshops
• Yoga and fitness classes every day
• Ukulele instruction
• Access to PlayStation 3 movies and games
• 20% discount on beach toys
• One 4-by-8 keepsake photograph
• $10 discount on Hawaii Nautical sailings
• Local and toll-free calls
• Kids' activities at the Keiki Pool

You tell me if that's a fair value. I would definitely say no. In fact, it's quite insulting. I'd much rather they eliminate the parking fees instead. Even that would still feel like a rip-off. Unfortunately, it seems resort fees are here to stay—they managed to stick around through the pandemic, after all.

Alright, enough of that.

Property and location

The Hilton Waikoloa Village is located about 20 miles from Kona International Airport (KOA), but due to frequent traffic, you should budget at least 30 minutes for the drive.

Despite the property's vast size, it can feel quite isolated, and staying there may give you a sense of being somewhat trapped. If you're looking to eat or shop outside the resort, it requires quite an effort, including retrieving a car from the parking lot and taking a one-mile drive to find overpriced goods.

In other words, if you're hoping to grab a Diet Coke for less than $4 a can, be prepared for a trip of up to 25 miles to Kona.

The resort sprawls over an impressive 63 acres, featuring 1,100 rooms, several towers, a tram, boats, and more. It's no wonder they refer to it as the Disneyland of Hawaii.

The primary Hilton complex consists of two massive towers — the Makai Tower and the Palace Tower. The Makai Tower is typically preferred because it's situated closer to the pools and lagoon, offering an upgraded experience; however, it was last renovated in 2015. I wasn't upgraded to that tower, and when I requested to see a room, the front desk declined my request.

I was accommodated in the Palace Tower. While the rooms in this tower were updated in 2017, the bathrooms were not part of the renovation — and it definitely shows. More details on the rooms are provided below.

If you recall staying in the Ocean Tower, you're not mistaken. The Ocean Tower is now affiliated with Hilton Grand Vacations, and significant renovations are currently in progress. Many of the rooms are being transformed into multi-bedroom timeshare units.

Check-in

The check-in process was swift, with only a few guests ahead of us. However, you are required to present negative COVID-19 test results from the Safe Travels website during check-in, which can slow things down.

The check-in staff member was delightful and mentioned she had just returned to work. We enjoyed a nice conversation about the hotel's reopening and the efforts involved in getting everything operational again. Despite my Diamond status, she couldn’t provide me with many upgrade options. Eventually, I accepted her offer for a one-bedroom suite at an additional $150 plus taxes and fees per night, since I was traveling with a friend and her teenage son.

As a Diamond member, you receive a $20 daily credit for hotel meals, which... doesn't go very far.

Rooms

I appreciated the spaciousness of my one-bedroom suite, but it felt a bit worn. The rooms in the Palace Tower, where I stayed, were updated in 2017, yet they gave off an older impression. The decor definitely screamed 1990s. This might be due to the bathrooms not being renovated during the last update, leaving the overall look feeling outdated.

The suite featured a soaking tub, but there was only one bathroom for the three of us, which occasionally led to some crowding.

The room was quite spacious, featuring distinct dining and living areas.

I chose the bedroom that had a queen-sized bed.

The living area featured two additional full-sized beds.

The bedding provided was quite comfortable and of good quality.

I really appreciated the two balconies that offered views of the resort grounds.

One more thing to mention: I found some leftover debris in the room from previous visitors. It wasn't a major issue, but it suggests that the cleaning protocols may not be as rigorous as they should be during the pandemic.

Amenities

The Hilton Waikoloa Village boasts impressive highlights, especially its pools and lagoon, which are truly remarkable. The waterslide, in particular, offers a blast for both kids and adults.

The lagoon also serves as a fantastic family-friendly spot, complete with its own beach. You can even snorkel there, providing a wonderful and safe opportunity to encounter tropical fish and sea turtles.

There are live dolphins on the property, and individual dolphin encounters start at $169.

If you're interested in what the hotel describes as, "Spending time with our marine mammal specialists and dolphins to build a close bond in an intimate group setting that's sure to be a vacation highlight," be prepared to pay a hefty price. It costs over $1,600 for a family (up to six people) for a 45-minute session with the dolphins.

This sprawling property is quite a challenge to navigate. It took me over 20 minutes to walk from one side of the resort to the other. Although there's a monorail, I often had to wait up to 20 minutes for a ride, and due to COVID-19 social distancing, half of the cars were closed off. This resulted in crowded trains and limited space after waiting 10 or 15 minutes. Fortunately, with two trains now in operation, wait times are expected to improve for guests.

The hotel informed me that the boats used to transport guests around the massive resort will be back in service by June, enhancing the experience for future visitors. It seems that during the seven-month closure, algae took over the canals.

There’s a beach area where you can enjoy the ocean, but keep in mind it’s not the typical sandy spot for sunbathing. It has more of a volcanic rock vibe instead.

Food and beverage

When it comes to the dining options at this resort, two phrases come to mind: limited and pricey. During my stay, the popular Nui restaurant was available for breakfast and dinner. The only other choice was a grab-and-go service for a few hours each day at the Kona Pool, specifically at a place called Orchid Marketplace.

I found the food at Nui disappointing, and the offerings at the poolside Orchid Marketplace were even worse. Next time, I’d follow the lead of the families I saw and bring my own meals and drinks.

To be fair to the resort, it had just reopened after a lengthy closure. I checked in with the property later, and they informed me that several more dining options have opened since my visit, including the Lagoon Grill and the Kona Tap Room. Hotel manager Simon Amos mentioned that the Kona Pool Bar restaurant and the Big Island Breakfast buffet should be fully operational by June.

Dinner is also offered at the hotel’s popular "Legends of Hawaii Luau." However, be cautious as capacity is significantly reduced due to COVID-19, so make your reservations early or risk being sold out. They can only accommodate less than half of the usual guests.

It seemed like many returning families had figured out the best approach — stop by Walmart or Safeway in Kona and bring all their food and drinks to the hotel.

Service

During my stay, the service was quite inconsistent at the resort.

It felt like the resort was short-staffed and not fully prepared for a full house. At times, it was a challenge to locate any staff members.

My travel companion found the drinking water to have a peculiar taste, describing it as "metallic." It was quite frustrating that there were hardly any water stations throughout the property, and certainly none in convenient locations. When we asked a bartender at the only open restaurant about refilling a water bottle, he replied, "I can't fill up your water bottle, but I can give you a cup of water." We assumed this was due to COVID-19 regulations. He also mentioned that he didn't know where the refill stations were located.

Another point of annoyance was the towel vending machines. To receive a towel, you must swipe your room key, and these towels actually contain microchips. Failing to return any towel properly incurs a $20 penalty. This seems typical for the resort; everything feels like a hassle, which is not what a vacation should be about. The property claims that these vending machine towels have significantly benefited the environment by reducing laundry loads, so there’s that.

COVID-19 Challenges

Following my not-so-great experience, the hotel manager, Simon Amos, reached out after seeing my social media post about my stay. He mentioned that the hotel was reopening gradually after being completely shut down for months and that they were struggling to fully staff the property, though improvements were being made quickly.

Honestly, all of Hawaii appeared to be overwhelmed by the influx of spring break visitors, and this Hilton was no different. Amos noted that occupancy surged from 20% to 100% in just a few weeks, and some hotels in Hawaii are reportedly experiencing higher demand than before the pandemic.

When I asked why guests should choose the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Amos replied, "We offer 63 acres on a big island with a population of under 200,000, and we enjoy sunshine all year round. What better place to escape and maintain natural social distancing? It's a large island with a spacious property ... a fantastic getaway."

Overall Impression

It’s understandable that hotels are facing challenges as they reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Hilton Waikoloa Village is certainly an impressive resort, I find it difficult to justify a price tag of $600 per night given the service and dining issues. If you can secure a good deal and bring your own food and drinks, you might find some value here, but otherwise, I would recommend waiting until the property is fully operational, the rooms have been updated, and service improves.