As a regular visitor to Honolulu, I make it a point to spend a few days "in town" at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to be exact. This was my first time to the Grand Waikikian and out of all the towers I have stayed in, this one was the best. Unlike some other comments, I found the "bar staff" specifically Scott and the Tropics bar, to be outstanding. No doubt about it. I am returning on the 19th fo a few days and made reservations again. My only concern is that the do not put me anywhere but the Grand Waikikian. This time I may actually buy some points!!

I have stayed at this resort for 12 years and for the past 3 years at this tower, which is one of Hilton's timeshare properties. I have found it to be excellent. The rooms are great. I believe they are all suites. The kitchen is fully stocked, washer/dryer. There are markets nearby to stock up. The property is great in that it is centrally located, but still feels like a resort once you step inside. The lagoon and swimming pool are amazing. I would highly recommend this property to anyone not budget conscious.

As timeshare owners, my wife and infant son stayed at the Grand Waikian earlier this year in January. While the vacation itself was nice, I figure it is about time that I listed my long standing grievances with this Hilton property.

The one constant detraction from this resort and my experience at Grand Waikian is the checking in and room assignment. Like most people, we had requested that where possible, we be put on a higher floor. We understand that this request cannot be accomodated all the times but asking for a higher floor at the Grand Waikikian is like dental surgery.

First of all, it was clear that the Hilton staff had absolutely no intention of even trying to accomodate this request. I received a brief nod and after various clicks on the keyboard, the Hilton staff provided me with a room key and tried to send me on my way. The fact that she made no mention of the room number as she attempted to send me off immediately tipped me off and when I checked the card holder, I think we had been assigned a room on one of the lowest floors possible. I immediately returned and asked about the high floor preference and was met with a most disgusted look and informed that "a higher floor is not a right". Arguing that the lower floors may make it difficult for my son to sleep, the Hilton staff relented and promptly put us on the 25th floor (which was obviously open). I can honestly say it appeared that this simple gesture for her was absolute torture for her and this is how we had to start our vacation. This was not first time having this type of experience with the Hilton staff and I suspect it won't be my last.

On that note, reading TripAdvisor and similar sites, I always thought it was funny how many people complained that Grand Waikikian (and other HGVC properties) was geared for Japanese tourists and Japanese tourists received preferential treatment. Speaking of my own experiences as a Japanese national and those of many of my friends here in Japan, I want to assure those reading this post that nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, due to the language difficulties and the cultural reluctance for Japanese people to complain, I would argue that Japanese tourists often get the short end of the stick.

Lastly, before I forget, my wife was 4 months pregnant during our time and was suffering from morning sickness on the day that we were checking out. I explained the situation to the front desk and asked for a delayed checkout and was promptly denied due to "being busy". As my wife was ill, I even mentionned that I was an Elite member, but once again, denied. I guess in that sense, the Hilton staff are consistent in treating both Elite and non-Elite members poorly.

As a HGVC owner, I am not happy having to post this negative review of a property that I own and frankly, I really do not expect that anything will change by this post aside from some template response from management. That being said, I really do believe that Hilton should make at least some effort to train their staff to provide even a minimal level of service.

In closing, oddly enough, in my experience, I thought that all of the other HGVC properties actually provide much better service. Considering the costs and popularity of the Hawaii properties, I certainly expected Hilton to better services its guests, regardless of nationality.

My girlfriend and I stayed here in July of 2012. We stayed in a one bedroom condo. I am a HGVC owner on the Big Island. The Grand Waikikian is nearly brand new and is beautiful. The room was a little worn (from heavy usage) but very nice and clean. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has everything a family needs if you have and family and are staying here.

The new salt water lagoon is great for kids and was never crowded. The pools can get very crowded. The pool located behind the Grand Waikikian has a slide and is very popular with families with children.

We enjoyed the poki and drinks at the Tropics bar and grill located on the Hilton property. The advantage to staying at the Grand Waikikian is that it is basically a condo with full kitchen, large refrigerator, microwave, etc. We traveled the short distance to Walmart to load up on water, fruit, snacks, etc. A big savings if you have a family.

The Hilton property is large and can be very crowded. There are conventions held there and there was one when we stayed. Oahu and Honolulu are increasingly becoming crowded and traffic can be a problem. If you are looking for a secluded Hawaii, Oahu and the Hilton Hawaiian Village is not for you. If you are looking for a great place with lots of shops, restaurants, bars, Oahu and the Grand Waikikian/Hilton Hawaiian Village is for you.

The staff at the Grand Waikikian was very nice and helpful. I am an owner so I may be biased and they may treat owners a little differently than the person who is there on a free ride and has to attend a sales pitch.

I lived in Honolulu. So I am partial to visiting the island. The Grand Waikikian and the Hilton Hawaiian Village has everything you need. You don't have to leave the resort. The pools, lagoon and beach is great. So if you are planning to take the family and you are looking for a family style resort this is the place for you. The place is also great for couples that are looking for lots to do.Don't miss the fireworks every Friday night. Parking can get expensive. A rental car is suggested in order to explore the island.