In Hawaii, travelers can find almost any resort to suit their needs. The Hilton Waikoloa Village, on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, is ideal for value oriented family travelers.
The Hilton Waikoloa is perfect for families with little children. There is so much to do at the hotel that you needn’t leave but you might want to explore variety of wonderful excursions, different climates and gorgeous scenery on the Kohala Coast.
The Keiki Kids Club entertains kids ages 5-12; adults can work off their Mai Tais at the newly renovated fitness center or indulge at the fantastic spa, which incorporates outdoor relaxation by the hot tub.
For sports enthusiasts, there are 8 gorgeous tennis courts, with daily clinics for ages 5-12, clinics and lessons for adults, and a stadium court that hosts tournaments. There are 2 championship golf courses, and a putting course.
An interactive Dolphin Quest offers the island’s only opportunity to swim with dolphins. What is really great is that there are programs for kids as young as 2, with longer, more in depth program for kids 5-10 or 10 and older. This was a highlight of our family vacation in August.
Hilton Waikoloa Village Popular with Families
It’s a busy place with lots of people. They were in peak season when we were there and the pools were packed. They ran out of towels twice and the wait time for aqua toys was over an hour but there are other things to do like miniature golf, luaus, shopping and golf. There are various meal plans and activity plans to purchase. If you plan to stay for more than three nights, I would suggest buying one of the activity tickets; it adds in more than one activity at a discounted price. The buffet was impressive. My 12-year-old buffet snob approved and the price for kids was only $10.
This is a common occurrence at large, popular hotels, but having a long, narrow water slide in a small pool area is poor planning; when extra large adults careen down the slide, everyone in the immediate vicinity gets soaked. Combine that with a lack of clean towels and you can get unhappy vacationers. (Since we visited, the hotel has worked to remedy these problems. It has installed new chaise lounges, purchased more towels and streamlined the housekeeping process to increase the supply of clean towels to the pools. All are key steps to making it a more pleasant experience for all guests.)
It also took us an hour to check in, plus we endured long waits for a tram to get to our room (check out, however, was smooth and quick). The hotel has 1,200 rooms – (not all of them renovated; be sure to request an updated room – and you need the tram to traverse between the towers. Our connecting rooms had not yet been renovated like the one pictured here in Lagoon Tower. Although clean, our room looked worn and outdated. One room had a king bed and a pull-out couch, but the bed in the couch was broken which they fixed the next day. The renovated rooms are lovely and spacious.
For value, location and convenience, the Hilton delivers.
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See more about Hawaii’s Kohala Coast:
Kohala Coast on Hawaii’s Big Island
What to Do on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii
Mauna Lani Resort: Hawaiian Culture
The Lady Sitting Next to Me in Seat 13B