TravelerIVLife

Sorry if this is a redundant question. I did a search on the board and saw mixed reviews.

We are going to the BI and staying at HWV (with points). Is it true that there is no beach just a man-made beach on the resort? So if you want to sit by the ocean you have to drive to another nearby beach?

JohnD

A ~15-20 minute scenic walk along the coast takes you to the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Marriott which has A-Bay, a natural crescent sandy beach in front of it, where you can probably bum a beach towel/chair from the Marriott.

Hilton itself is behind a lava rock beach, where you can whalewatch and enjoy the sound of the crashing surf, if you do not care for the lagoon.

fdecarlo

There's no natural white sand beach at the Hilton. Yes, you can sit by the ocean, as long as you don't mind sitting on lava rock.

I steer people away from the Hilton unless they're looking for a Disneyland-like environment. The complex is huge, the rooms are small and nothing special, it's always crowded, they nickle-and-dime you to death with the extras, it can take 20 minutes to get to your car, etc etc. For the price one can do *much* better elsewhere on the island.

JohnD

Here is a link with a map of the Hilton:

http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/resort/facts.asp

Travel channel ranked the Hilton last among the top 10 Hawaiian Beach Resorts in 2003, from what I have seen I believe its a good choice if you are bringing children to Hawaii.

TravelerIVLife

Thanks for the responses. We are using Hilton points for this part of our vacation. It'll be my husband and I - no children.

We're hoping it ends up being a nice place.

Does anyone have any opinions on the HWV restaurants?

JohnD

I enjoyed& dining outdoors under the evening skies at Donatoni's Italian restaurant, though my wife was somewhat disappointed that her pasta was cooked al dente.

GloriaE

We enjoy the Kamuela Provision Company. Make a reservation shortly before sunset and ask to be seated outside - lovely. They make a wonderful Thai soup.

pb_and_j

The walk to A-bay is definitely worthwhile. It's very pretty there. Or you do a 2 minute drive there.
At the Hilton, there are plenty of places to lie in a hammock and watch or listen to the ocean.
I was just there in Feb and it was not crowded at all.
I requested a room in the tower closest to the parking lot, so I didn't have the problem of the resort grounds being too big. I actually never even went on the trams or boats!
The Roy's in the King's Shops is delish.

ribar55

We were just at the Hilton again last week. It was not even close to being crowded. It's true they do not have a natural beach, however, they do have a lagoon just inside the bay that draws its water from the ocean. It's not at all tacky or un-natural, and you can grab a chair and sit on the 'beach', or you snorkel in the lagoon. IMO, the rooms are a nice size, we spent only what we wanted, the prices are what you might expect for a self-contained resort. I agree with JohnD, A-bay is a short walk where you can enjoy the real beach if you want to. We had a great meal at sunset at the outdoor restaurant, don't remember the name, at the corner of the resort, sits right on the ocean. You won't be disappointed staying there.

MileKing

We spent 6 nights at HWV last October for part of our honeymoon. The lagoon is underrated in my view. As noted by others, it is fed by the ocean. The beach itself, although man-made, is nice. The ocean is about 30 ft. behind the beach. I guess if you absolutely, positively need to be on the ocean, it won't do. For most people, I imagine it would be fine. We snorkeled in a number of spots on both Oahu and the Big Island and the snorkeling in the lagoon was actually quite good. Saw as many different types of fish as we saw elsewhere including some (an eel) that are very elusive. Given the calm water, it is ideal for younger children or those who are snorkeling for the first time.

We were disappointed by the restaurants at HWV. Kamuela Provisioning is excellent for the sunset views, but the food is very ordinary and not worthy of a resort. Donatonni's is labeled as an Italian restaurant, but is really more of a mixed bag. Service is excellent, but prices are outrageous for the small portion sizes. The Palm Terrace has a great breakfast buffet, but not worth anywhere near $23+ per person. Denny's in Kona is nearly as good at about 1/3 the price. If you want some restaurant reviews, look at the Big Island Restaurants guide & reviews here on the Fodors site. I have posted reviews for a number of places we dined at.

Contrary to other posters, we did not find HWV crowded and the rooms are actually a decent size and fairly well-appointed. Service all around was excellent. It isn't the Four Seasons, but then again you aren't paying Four Seasons prices either. Overall, we enjoyed the HWV a lot (except for the food & prices), and would go back.