Waikoloa Beach - Marriott or Hilton
 

I'll be using hotel points to book most of our hotels during our upcoming visit to Hawaii. On the big island we are staying up at the volcano house, but then coming to the Kona side where I can choose from the Marriott or Hilton. The Marriott website indicates construction through December (we'll be going in Jan)-anyone been there to know how bad it is and whether it looks like it is on track?

Anyone been to the Hilton to give a thumbs up or down on it?

Haven't been back for a few years, but when I was last there, before Marriott bought the Royal Waikoloan, I chose the "Marriott" hands-down, as it had so much more of a Hawaiian feel, and is located on the great A-Bay. The Hilton is more luxurious, but too spread-out, Disney-esque, and with no natural beach. The hotels are usually pretty upfront about the construction conditions, I've found.

When you say "Volcano House," are you talking about the older lodge right at the edge of the volcano?

Happy planning ... ((r))

yes, the it says it is on the edge of Kilauea Crater. It seemed like "the" place to stay. Is there a better alternative up near the volcano? We are planning to see it on our arrival to the BI and didn't think driving back and forth from the Kona side in one day would do it justice

marcellaruella, one more thing ... about the Volcano House. Have you read the reviews on tripadvisor for this hotel? Maybe you are aware of all the negative reviews, but are going for the location? I have friends who tell me the same things those reviews are saying .... so I know there's a lot of truth to it. Just so you're aware ...

I stayed at the Marriott Waikoloa in Sept 2005. The hotel property is pleasant, with large fishponds and easy walking-access to the palm-tree lined A-Bay. (The beach is is more difficult to get to from the Hilton.) The construction was readily visible, blocking off parts of the tennis courts and the self-parking lot in the front. The business & fitness centers were temporarily moved to smaller, less-convenient areas. One wing of the hotel was closed, but the (still unrenovated) room we stayed in was fine. That was a year ago though... don't know how it is now. You might wanna check out www.tripadvisor.com for more recent updates; I've found that website particularly useful.

Also, we took a 30-min walk along the A-Bay to the Hilton to check out what we were missing. It's true what everyone says, the Hilton is like a super-mega-Disneyland resort, complete with its fancy swimming pools, a man-made lagoon, and a boat tram that takes you from one end of the resort to the other. The sculptures and other pieces of artwork that are planted throughout the property give it a luxurious feel. But the crowds, particularly the large families and kids, make it seem like more of a theme park. The one thing I was jealous of was their LACK of construction. Still, I don't know if I would've wanted to stay there...

I'm sure you'll have a nice time, wherever you stay... it is Hawaii, after all!

Okay, marcellaruella, looks like we posted at the same time, and you aren't aware of the negative reviews. A wonderful place to stay is Kilauea Lodge, right outside the park, fabulous rooms and wonderful restaurant; see http://www.kilauealodge.com/ I don't like old, dreary, dusty, musty .... I don't care if it is located on the edge of a volcano, and I certainly don't want to pay $200 night for it. There's many great places to stay, right outside the park, and Kilauea Lodge is just one of them ... but you can't go wrong there. Best of luck with your planning!

thanks so much for the info. my husband had declared we must stay at the volcano house - but that was based on the fact he stayed there twenty years ago! And I had not done my due diligence. I will go research that now!

We stayed at the Marriott two years ago and loved it. It was low-key, very relaxing and easy to get around. We took a walk over to the Hilton and it was over the top for our tastes. The pools were gorgeous but the place was just too big. Also, I prefer to be on a beach, which is something the Hilton doesn't have.

We vacationed on the Big Island this past May/June and stayed at the Marriott Waikoloa. We were going to use points but heard about the construction and decided to try Priceline instead. We got a room for $83--allowing us to save our points for another trip. The rooms have been renovated and are gorgeous. As far as the construction goes, they're building a new pool, spa and conference center, so there is construction noise during the day. This wasn't a problem for us when we were at the beach, but if you prefer to sit at the existing pool you might not like listening to the 'beep-beep-beep' of trucks backing up. The only people who seemed to be upset were those who used points or paid full freight for their rooms. I would definitely choose the Marriott over the Hilton, having stayed at both properties numerous times.

As for Volcano, we stayed at the Kiluea Lodge and absolutely loved it. Breakfast is included--try the french toast. Dinner was excellent, too. We stayed in one of their auxillary cottages (Pi'i Mauna Cottage) and it was immaculate.

Okay, I am of the opposite view here. We just went to Hawaii for spring break and spent a week at the Hilton Waikoloa. I would return to the big island just to stay at the hilton again. The Marriott was a mess and everything is blocked off and ugly looking.
We went to the Marriott for a luau and it was very nice, but we had to walk through a big mess to get there. If I were going all the way to Hawaii, I would not stay there. It is a smaller resort than the Hilton if you prefer that.
The Hilton is huge, clean and very pretty. Yes, the tram gives the Disney feel, but we had a wonderful time. Unless you are really old or handicapped, walking the grounds is pleasant. The restaurants were excellent. The lagoon has giant turtles that swim by you. If you are going after the Christmas break is over, the resort will not be that crowded and it should be very relaxing. Have a Lava Flow, it was delicious. Stay in the Ocean tower. It is very nice.
I also used points to stay at the Hilton and would say that my points were well spent!!! If you want a quiet hotel with pleasant surroundings, stay at the Fairmont in Waikoloa area. It is quiet and smaller than the Hilton and they had no visible construction going on. The Marriott is really torn up.
Well, every time we left the resort to venture out, we kept saying, why did we leave the Hilton. We saw all the same fish there that we paid to see on snorkel cruises. I do recommend a trip to Hapuna Beach (10 min north) for some great boogie boarding waves.
Enjoy.