Hilton Hawaiian Village: Over 30 Years of Visits, and Still One of My Favorite Places in…read moreHawaii....!!!
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front):
An absolutely spectacular beachfront resort in the heart of Waikiki! After more than 30 years of visits, Hilton Hawaiian Village remains one of my favorite places in Hawaii. Incredible location, expansive beachfront, wonderful amenities, and gorgeous ocean views. This visit included a fantastic Diamond Reserve welcome, an ocean-view upgrade, and Friday night fireworks enjoyed from our private balcony, cocktails in hand! Five stars, without hesitation!
The Details:
I've been coming to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort since the 1990s, and I absolutely LOVE this place! In fact, even when I lived in Hawaii back in the '90s, I'd occasionally treat myself to a staycation here. There's just something special about this resort that keeps bringing me back, decade after decade!
We just arrived for another wonderful visit, this time for 12 days! We're combining a business trip and convention next week with two extended weekends of enjoying everything Waikiki and Honolulu have to offer. Not a bad way to mix business with pleasure! My wife will be hard at work the whole time...! (On her tan) ;-)
This visit was particularly memorable because I recently achieved Hilton's new Hilton Honors Diamond Reserve status. Upon checking in, the wonderful lady behind the counter noticed my status, raised her eyebrows, and exclaimed, "Wow! You're the first person I've met who's achieved that status! Congratulations, and welcome to Hawaii!"
What a fantastic way to begin our vacation!
Even better, we received a beautiful upgrade to an ocean-view room with sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean, Waikiki Beach, and iconic Diamond Head. And as luck would have it, our balcony was perfectly positioned for the resort's famous Friday night fireworks!
Rather than fighting the crowds gathered along the beach, we enjoyed the entire show from the peaceful comfort of our private balcony, cocktails in hand, watching the fireworks explode against the night sky above the Pacific Ocean. Absolutely spectacular! It's moments like these that remind me why I've loved this property for more than three decades.
Another thing that makes the Hilton Hawaiian Village so special is its incredible location. You're right in the heart of the action, with easy access to Waikiki's restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and attractions, yet the resort itself feels like an entire tropical village.
There are numerous restaurants, bars, pools, beautifully landscaped grounds, and one of the biggest advantages of all: a huge, beautiful stretch of beachfront right outside the resort! Unlike many other Waikiki hotels, where beach access can be limited or crowded, the Hilton Hawaiian Village enjoys an exceptional beachfront setting.
It's also a surprisingly convenient location for business travelers, including those visiting military installations around Honolulu & Joint Base Hickham Pearl Harbor. I've always appreciated being able to handle business during the day and return to what feels like a Hawaiian vacation in the evening!
After more than 30 years of visiting, I can confidently say the Hilton Hawaiian Village remains one of my favorite places to stay in Hawaii. The atmosphere, location, amenities, spectacular ocean views, and wonderful memories keep bringing me back.
And this visit, with our Diamond Reserve welcome, beautiful room upgrade, and front-row balcony seats to the Friday night fireworks, is already shaping up to be another unforgettable stay!
Five stars, without hesitation! Mahalo, Hilton Hawaiian Village!