Site Inspection at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

Location

The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is about 25 minutes drive from the Honolulu airport. It’s ideally located right on the picturesque Duke Kahanamoku Beach and only a short walk from the shops on Kalakaua Ave.

Room categories

There is a room category to suit everyone at this resort with 2,860 rooms across five towers! The five towers are Rainbow Tower, Tapa Tower, The Ali’i, Kalia Tower and Diamond Head Tower.

When choosing your room and tower, you will want to think about what kind of views you want (Resort, Partial Ocean, Ocean or Ocean Front), how recently renovated you’d like your room to be, whether you want a hotel room or suite with up to two bedrooms, and if special perks like an exclusive check-in desk and pool are important to you.

What views do you want? The options available are Resort, Partial Ocean, Ocean and Ocean Front. Most of the rooms I viewed on my site visit were Ocean View or Ocean Front and they were absolutely stunning! I would definitely recommend one of these rooms if it fits in your budget.

Recently renovated; all Tapa Tower rooms have been recently renovated and are now called the Tapa Collection.

Each tower has one or two bedroom signature suites available for guests wanting more space to relax in. You can even stay in the suite of choice for Elvis Presley during his visits to Hawaii.

If special perks are important to you, then The Ali’i might be the tower for you! You will have your own exclusive check-in desk, as well as access to an elevated pool overlooking Waikiki Beach, reserved only for Ali’i Tower guests. You’ll also have an upgraded coffee maker, complimentary bottled water and robes and slippers to use.

On my site visit, I saw the following rooms:

• Rainbow Tower Marina/Ocean View 1 King Bed

• Rainbow Tower Deluxe Ocean Front

• Rainbow Tower Corner Ocean Front Diamond Head 1 King Bed

• Ali’i Tower Oceanfront 2 Doubles

• Tapa Collection Ocean View 2 Double Beds

• Tapa Collection Family Room - This room has one King Bed and two Queens with a city view.

All room categories have a coffee maker, mini refrigerator and shower over bath. Most rooms have a balcony/lanai.

Things to do

You won’t run out of things to do at this resort, the largest Hilton resort in the world! It has been designed so that you could spend a whole week here without having to leave.

Pools, waterslides & swimming

You have so many options at this resort! There are five pools for you to choose from (one is adult only and one is exclusive to Ali’i Tower guests), as well as two waterslides. To ensure you have your own space and shade at the pool, you can rent a cabana. If you prefer to swim in salt water, you can choose from the calm five-acre saltwater lagoon or swim in the beautiful warm waters at Duke Kahanamoku Beach which is just steps away.

Fireworks

Every Friday night at 7:45pm or 8pm (in the Summer months), the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort puts on a fantastic firework display. If you want to see the fireworks from the comfort of your room, you can choose a Rainbow Tower Oceanfront Corner room.

Waikiki Starlight Luau

Hosted four nights a week, the Waikiki Starlight Luau is a night full of live music, dancing and a traditional luau feast.

Spa

The Mandara Spa is the largest spa in Waikiki, specializing in Balinese-style services and Hawaiian spa treatments. Perfect for couples on a honeymoon or those looking for some relaxing time away from the kids!

Dining & drinks

There are more than 18 restaurants, cafes and lounges to choose from! You won’t run out of dining options here. There is a range of cuisines including American (of course), Japanese and Italian.

Daily resort activities

There are daily activities to enjoy such as yoga, lei making, hula lessons and fish feeding, to name a few. See the full calendar of events here.

I recommend Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort to couples or groups of friends who like to have a range of options at their fingertips or to families. Kids will be kept well entertained with the waterslides and the different pools to choose from!

If you’d like to visit Hawaii, reach out to me for help planning your trip.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Hawaii. In need of further inspiration? Check out Anne Bisgaard’s guide, Oahu, Hawai’i: A Perfect Blend of Natural Beauty, Cultural Exploration and Relaxation.