A big thanks to Hilton Hawaiian Village for helping us with our stay so we could write this detailed review of our experience. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.
Earlier this year, my family and I took an incredible trip to Hawaii. After spending four nights at the new Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay, we spent the last three nights of our trip at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is by far the largest hotel in Hawaii. It sits on 22 lush tropical acres and has 2,860 rooms in seven towers (two of them are timeshares). Full disclosure: We worked with the hotel on a combination of free nights and a media rate.
The hotel is one of my favorites in Waikiki for a number of reasons. These are the things I like best about staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village:
1. Growing up, I used to dream of this hotel
Let’s start at the very beginning: During my senior year of high school, I was supposed to go on an epic Spring Break trip with my mom to visit my two sisters in Australia. The first couple of nights of our journey, we were supposed to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV). Sadly, I ended up having a full-on anxiety attack at New York’s JFK International Airport and didn’t get on the plane. It’s a long story but I became not only afraid to fly but afraid to leave the house at times for a few years. It was our first big trip, including our first trip out of the country, and I had I looked at the photo of HHV’s Rainbow Tower and the view of Diamond Head for months leading up to our departure, dreaming of being there. Months afterwards, I looked at that photo feeling depressed. Now, any time I’m able to visit, I remember the disappointment I felt all those years ago and feel extra grateful to be there.
2. The location
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is 20 minutes from Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and is located on the south shore of Oahu at the very beginning of Waikiki Beach. The hotel isn’t technically on Waikiki Beach but it’s just a 15-minute walk to the center of Waikiki. It’s in a great location, adjacent to the heart of the action while still a little bit removed.
3. It really is a village
It’s called a village because, well … it really is like a village. There are 18 restaurants and bars and over 80 shops and services on the property, including multiple ABC stores, which are local convenience stores. You don’t even need to go into Waikiki if you don’t want to. You’ll find everything you need right inside Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is certainly convenient.
4. It’s family-friendly
I wouldn’t necessarily stay here if I were on my honeymoon (my wife and I went to Bali, which I highly recommend, along with French Polynesia and The Maldives), but if you have kids, like we do now, then this is a great place to stay. It’s extremely family-friendly; there are multiple pools to choose from, a large lagoon, water activities and its proximity to the beach can’t be beat. It’s so family friendly that Honolulu’s Star-Advertiser readers voted it one of their favorite places in Hawaii: “The Hilton Hawaiian Village was voted a resident favorite for staycations.” Source
5. Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon
I know I mentioned the lagoon and beach in the paragraph above, but they deserve further elaboration. Just below the Rainbow Tower is the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon. It’s a shallow, five-acre lagoon with brackish water and a state-of-the-art water circulation system. It’s named after Hawaii’s legendary Ambassador of Aloha – surfer and Olympic swimming champion Duke Paoa Kahanamoku – because he grew up in the area where the hotel is located.
The lagoon is the perfect place to take little kids (mine are ages 5 and 8) since it’s so shallow and there are no waves. The lagoon is not only a ton of fun for the kids but the shallow water gives me and my wife the chance to relax a little. Our kids never wanted to leave and asked to go to the lagoon every day to swim, play in the sand and spend hours trying to catch the little fish in the water.
You can rent a beach chair and/or an umbrella or you can bring your own. There is a Target just a mile away to pick up beach toys and other essentials you might need, which a lot of guests do.
Where you rent the beach chairs is the same place to rent a water tricycle, stand-up paddleboard and kayak. We did all three and the kids couldn’t get enough of them.
6. The beach
6. The beachOf course, we all love going to the beach too since it has incredible views of Diamond Head and there are waves, which make it fun to play in. So we always make time for both the beach and the lagoon. BTW: The photo above was taken from the balcony of our room in the Rainbow Tower.
Note: We saw more turtles here then we did at Turtle Bay. In the photo above, you can see two turtles swimming.
Most people pass along their beach stuff to another family on the last day of their trip so they don’t have to lug it all home … and to make someone else’s day. Just sitting on the beach, we were given beach toys, a boogie board and some roll-up straw beach mats. We used them while we were there and passed everything along to other grateful families before we left.
7. Newly renovated rooms
We stayed in the Rainbow Tower, which was the first time I’d stayed there in years. I used to go to Hawaii all the time when I was an admissions officer for Marymount College and I would often stay in this tower because it reminded me of my mom, who sadly never had a chance to visit herself.
The iconic Rainbow Tower in Waikiki just got a stylish refresh, with a full renovation that brings modern flair to guest rooms, corridors and amenities and we were lucky enough to be able to experience the reimagined design. The beachy tones lend to the hotel’s sense of place and are calm and soothing.
The new design is tranquil and spotlights the work of local artists, all while honoring the vibrant rainbow motif that has long made the tower a beloved symbol of the Waikiki skyline.
As a parent of two young children, I appreciated that most of the furniture did not have sharp edges. The coffee table had rounded corners and there was another round table in the living room. When our kids were really little, we always traveled with rubber edge protectors and we still use them occasionally, even though they’re bigger now. It was nice not to need them here.
The toiletries by Anuenue smelled incredible. According to their website, “the tropical botanicals and juicy coconut mango scent in the anuenue collection are designed to evoke every color of O’ahu.” They really do and made it hard to get out of the shower.
Our room had a coffee and tea maker …
… and there’s a mini-fridge, too.
8. DVD rentals
The hotel has DVD rentals, which is unique and old-school; each room has a DVD player. When you check in, you get a card and it’s free to use, but there’s not a huge selection. There were four DVD kiosks in our lobby, but each one only had one kids movie, Wicked, Moana 2 and Harold and the Purple Crayon. Although I think the money would be better spent investing in Smart TVs with Netflix, our kids really enjoyed going down to choose a movie.
9. The view
As you can see from the photo above, the view from the rooms is magical. This view alone is worth staying here for.
10. Luau
If you’re looking for a great luau experience in Waikiki, then check out the Hilton’s weekly Waikiki Starlight Luau. We didn’t attend this year but we did last year. Here’s what it’s like.
11. Fireworks
Every Friday night at 7:45pm, the Hilton shoots off fireworks for about five minutes, which visitors and locals alike love.
Other Good to Knows
If you valet your car, the hotel doesn’t do call-downs. Guests need to go down to the valet directly to request their car. I don’t blame them for doing it this way since the driveway isn’t that large. If a guest doesn’t show up when they say they will, the place would become a parking lot. But it’s good to know so you can plan your time accordingly if you valet your car and need to leave at a specific time.
It’s difficult to find refilling stations for water bottles but there’s one behind the front desk.
The prices at the Wiki Wiki Mart are high but like I said above, it’s convenient so that’s really what you’re paying for. For example, a can of iced tea is $3.66 (the Target down the road charges $4.49 for a six-pack) and it’s $14 for a small mac and cheese.
But the good news is that if you have status with Hilton, elite members can get $36 a day to spend on the property or 1,000 points. The money is a no-brainer.
Overall, the Hilton Hawaiian Village did not disappoint. I know some people don’t like Waikiki or huge crowds but I love it (that view of Diamond Head is one of my favorite in the world) and always look forward to going back. Book your stay here.
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