Pros: The Hilton sits on a stretch of rather nice beach, one of the widest in Waikiki. While its rarely empty, this beach tends to feel less crowded than the other primary Waikiki beaches. There is a great swimming channel going off the beach (ask the concierge where it is) and surfing offshore at Kaisers is excellent (although fairly territorial and definitely not longboard friendly). The hotel has one of the better pool complexes in Waikiki. If you never want to leave the mothership, this is the place. You can do your grocery shopping, eat gourmet food, get ice cream snacks, buy trinkets or high end jewelry, and just about everything else without leaving the massive, 20-acre property. The Hilton does have some excellent restaurants: the Golden Dragon is among the best Chinese in the islands and Bali by the Sea has an idyllic view with solid food (though you are probably paying as much for the view). Sergio’s Italian is also quite good. Rooms are decent sized and full ocean-view rooms looking out over Diamond Head have some of the best views in Waikiki. The resort also puts on a weekly fireworks display on Friday nights, a really nice touch.

Cons: The resort can feel extremely crowded; the cacophony in the lobby is quite astounding, particularly when (as happens all too often) a really bad lounge act is blaring away in the bar right off the lobby. But of course it’s crowded. The Hilton is, after all, the largest property in Waikiki with over 3,000 rooms. It will likely feel more crowded soon, as the Hilton is adding an additional tower which will be largely timeshare. Service is extremely lackluster. Not rude, but, rather, “not my problem.” One of the reasons you may never leave the resort is because valet parking can take 15-20 minutes to retrieve your car and you may have to walk for that long to find your wheels in the cavernous parking garage. The resort does feel a bit hoi polloi – plastic cups at bars are the norm and the crowd can be heavy with conventioneers on a bender. That lovely lagoon? You can't swim in it due to jellyfish problems and other issues. Due to the new tower and other projects, there is a serious amount of construction going on so many garden view rooms and even partial ocean view rooms look out over construction sites. The construction can be quite noisy. Internet connections are not wireless and cost a steep $13 per day. Far too many of the lower-tier rooms are faded and need major facelifts, with chipped paint and tired décor. The spa is pretty but its in a building with inferior views, unlike many other Waikiki spas.

The Bottom Line: If you plan to drop large change to get a primo room, the Hilton is pretty groovy. If you don’t want to leave the resort, likewise. If you want a place where kids have plenty of room to roam, this is an excellent choice. If you want a quiet place to stay that’s been recently renovated or a place that’s only a home base for visits out to Waikiki and beyond, other properties may be better bets. And if you want an intimate, secluded honeymoon nest, umm, this is probably not the best place.

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Hilton Hawaiian Village
(808) 949-4321 / Trip Advisor Rank: 10 out ot 101 Honolulu Hotels / Map

Image via Expedia

—Alex, 11/24/06