Travel & Leisure readers love the 62-acre Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island. They've given the resort top marks among family resorts in Hawaii for several years now. Am sure the canal boats and the mini-tram used to ferry guests around this property have something to do with the kiddie love (the downside: you spend a lot of time chasing junior to make sure he doesn't plunge into the canals running around the property adjacent to walkways). For my money, the best part of this property for the kids is the saltwater lagoon and the sand-bottomed kiddie pool. The four-acre lagoon is pretty good for swimming (although the murky water bugs me a bit) but, better, the resort rents out paddle boats, waterbikes, and other aquatic vehicles perfect for parent-child spins around the small lagoon. The sand-bottomed kiddie pool is nicely shaded by coconut pallms and nicely segegrated from the main pool. It's big enough to be interesting for kids but small enough to be manageable for mom and dad. We spent a good number of hours there on our visits.The adult pool, for its part, has a 175-foot waterslide that's not too steep and fash, and a waterfall cave zone where kids can swim underneath artificial cataracts. It might be loud for little guys, however.

Related Links: T&L Review

Hilton Waikoloa Village
425 Waikoloa Beach Drive / 800/445-8667 / Trip Advisor Reviews

Image Credit: Hawaiiarama

—Alex, 11/10/06