Hi, I'm planning a trip to Hawaii next August with husband and son. My travel agent suggested me the Hilton Waikoloa in Big Island. Has anybody been there? What I'd like to know is first if there is a beach, 'cause it's not clear from the pictures, and more in general if Big Island is a good choice. I've been told about Mauna Kea beach Hotel as well. Our other option would be Bahia California but we're afraid it's too hot in summer.
Do you also have any suggestion for a very nice beach hotel in Santa Monica or Marina del REy?
Third and last question, we will drive from S.Francisco to Los Angeles and would like to stop in Monterey and somewhere else like S. luis Obispo or S. barbara. Any suggestion for a couple of nice but not exaggerately expensive hotels?
Thanks
milli

BI beaches are not as nice as other islands, but the Hilton has created one. (Why not Maui, a condo? Families are always more comfie in them-- see my post--I have a theme today!)

Milli: You're gonna have to be more specific in your title(s.)

First, do a search on your Hilton request. Might want to check it out on tripadvisor, as well. Same for the Mauna Kea lodging.

Suggest also doing a similar, but separate search on beach hotel(s) for Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey.

And the same for Monterey. And SLO. And Santa Barbara.

After you've assimilated the information (and you will have a LOT, from folks who've already posted here about these things,) you can come back and get a bit more specific in your requests.

"Help for Hawaii" just doesn't cut it.

The Hilton does not have a beach right at the hotel, but there is a lovely one close by called Anaeho'omalu and known as "A-Bay". The Marriott hotel is a very short walk to this beach. One of the best beaches in Hawaii is on the Big Island and that is Hapuna Beach. The Hapuna Prince Hotel is located on this beach and is a great place to stay. Also, the Manua Kea Resort is located on a lovely beach and is a sister resort to the Hapuna Prince. The Big Island is a beautiful, incredible place.

My husband, son 10, and myself went to the BI 12/04 and loved it can't wait to go back. Have been to Maui and Oahu, and out of the 3 would love to spend a month on BI next year. We are going to Kauai in July for the 1st time. We stayed at the Marriott right on A-bay and loved it. I have Hawaiian friends who stay at the Hilton and love it, but we like the much smaller Marriott. There is a lot to do on the BI, so make sure you have a car to explore.

Maybe Hapuna is the best beach on the Big Island but it is no way the best beach in Hawaii. (I was there last year and did not find it unique)

We just returned from Hilton Waikoloa and had a fabulous trip! We did not initially pick this hotel. We were supposed to be in Oahu and Kauai, but then the sewage spill and floods the week before we were due to arrive. We changed our trip two days prior to leaving which was not easy for me (the planner extreme) to do. I knew nothing about the Big Island.
It is very unique looking, the island that is. When you come out of the small airport, you drive about 20 minutes on a lone highway surrounded by miles of black lava rocks. It is very strange. People have made graffiti with white rocks placed on top of the black ones. Very strange and cool. The Kohala coast where the Hilton is a sunny area and a little windy. I think it stays sunny because the wind keeps the clouds moving to the mountains. The Hilton is a huge resort. It is a kid's paradise as far as pools and slides and a man-made lagoon with turtles that swim by. Our kids are 12 and 13 and they had a blast. So did we. We liked the large resort. They have a tram and a boat system that can take you around the property if you don't want to walk. It is 62 acres. There are waterfalls. It is very pretty.
Our kids hung out with us, but there were lots of kids that your son could meet. If he is young, there is a kids club program that looked very busy.If he is older, there were teens playing volleyball that looked like they were meeting for the first time.
There is also a dolphin quest program. So, you can all swim with the dolphins. You can swim with the turtles for free.
The restaurants on property that we went to, (the italian), Donatoni's, and the Kamuela Provision Co, (steak and seafood), were both excellent. The small fast food type areas had good burgers and such.
The Marriott next door is a much smaller property and is under construction. I am not sure when it will be complete, but it is messy looking. There is a beach near the Hilton and Marriott and it is a very nice beach. The Hilton's beach is a lagoon only. The Hapuna beach mentioned above is about a 10 minute drive north. It is a great boogie boarding beach. The sand is very soft and we thought it was a nice beach.
We enjoyed the big island and would go back just to go to the Hilton. It is a mega resort, so you have to like that. We liked the different dining options and pools and such. The Ocean tower and Lagoon towers have the pools. The Ocean tower was quieter.(That is where we were.)
The Big Island also has a volcano that is still erupting. We went to visit Volcano National Park. It was interesting. A one time thing for us. We loved the snorkeling. The fish were the most beautiful colors. We visited a beach the locals call turtle beach and there were huge turtles. I saw very pretty fish here. We also did a snorkel tour and I felt like I was swimming in a fish tank. The truth is we saw the same fish and turtles in the Hilton's lagoon.
Our family had a great time.

I believe I said Hapuna Beach was "one of the best" beaches in Hawaii - I did not say "THE best beach in Hawaii". I also believe it was chosen by Conde Nast some time ago as "one of the best beaches in America."

Thanks to all and a special thanks to girlonthego and travelina. milli

Sorry I forgot to thank GloriaE.

Have to agree with earlier post - no doubt the Mauna Kea and Hapuna beaches are some of the best in America - I can't imagine thinking the BI doesn't have good beaches! What I loved about the Mauna Kea was that it was not just beautiful to look at but the snorkeling was incredible - right off the beach!! We saw spectacular fish, sea turtles, rays, eels, octopus.... Some of the best snorkeling I've experienced in Hawaii, steps from your beach chair. We went to the Hilton for the day for the dolphin encounter. Really depends on your preference. To me and my family (inc kids) a pool is not all that important when you have the ocean, so I much preferred the beach at the Mauna Kea. If you're a "pool person" I can see where you'd prefer the Hilton. The feeling of the Mauna Kea is wonderful - very laid-back, you really "feel" like you're in Hawaii. The Hilton was a little too busy for me. But many love it!!