WHERE TO stay on the Big Island
AIRPORTS
When traveling to the Big Island, you have a choice of two airports to choose from. The main airport is the Kona Airport and is on the leeward side (facing away from the wind, sheltered by hills and mountains) of the island. This is also the side of the island where most of the resorts are and better weather. The other airport is the Hilo Airport and is located on the opposite side of the island, in Hilo. You will find far fewer places to stay and can almost guarantee you will have some rain at some point during your stay, as this is the rainier side of the island.
When doing my planning for the Big Island, I came across many people suggesting to fly into one airport, stay on that side of the island, and then travel to the opposite side of the island, stay there next, and depart out of the other airport. But it is always suggested you spend more time on the Kona side than the Hilo side. The reason for this is that the Big Island is huge! Driving from the Kona side of the island to the other side can take anywhere fro 1.5-2.5 hours.
When traveling to the Big Island, you have a choice of two airports to choose from. The main airport is the Kona Airport and is on the leeward side (facing away from the wind, sheltered by hills and mountains) of the island. This is also the side of the island where most of the resorts are and better weather. The other airport is the Hilo Airport and is located on the opposite side of the island, in Hilo. You will find far fewer places to stay and can almost guarantee you will have some rain at some point during your stay, as this is the rainier side of the island.
When doing my planning for the Big Island, I came across many people suggesting to fly into one airport, stay on that side of the island, and then travel to the opposite side of the island, stay there next, and depart out of the other airport. But it is always suggested you spend more time on the Kona side than the Hilo side. The reason for this is that the Big Island is huge! Driving from the Kona side of the island to the other side can take anywhere fro 1.5-2.5 hours.
WHERE TO STAY
We chose to stay in one place and drive because we wanted to explore as we drove. If you aren't a fan of driving, the first option might be best for you. If you want to drive around and see all the Big Island has to offer, stay in one place and drive to the other side. If you choose to stay on one side of the island, I would recommend flying into the Kona Airport and staying on that side of the island, like we did. The other thing to take into consideration is cost. It was much more for us to fly into one side of the island and fly out the other, rather than flying in and out of the same airport.
North of Kona in an area called the Kohala Coast. From the Kona Airport, it's about a 25-30 minute drive north to the resorts. This is where you will find the nicer resort hotels and more upscale dining. We loved this area and the surrounding beaches, and after exploring all parts of the Big Island, we would only stay in this area. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. To be completely transparent, one reason we stayed at this hotel was because I had seen it on an episode of Duck Dynasty. The whole family stayed at this hotel, and when I saw this hotel featured throughout that episode, it became a hotel I was determined to stay out once in my life. Take a look at this drone footage my husband took to get a good idea of what this resort looks like.
We chose to stay in one place and drive because we wanted to explore as we drove. If you aren't a fan of driving, the first option might be best for you. If you want to drive around and see all the Big Island has to offer, stay in one place and drive to the other side. If you choose to stay on one side of the island, I would recommend flying into the Kona Airport and staying on that side of the island, like we did. The other thing to take into consideration is cost. It was much more for us to fly into one side of the island and fly out the other, rather than flying in and out of the same airport.
North of Kona in an area called the Kohala Coast. From the Kona Airport, it's about a 25-30 minute drive north to the resorts. This is where you will find the nicer resort hotels and more upscale dining. We loved this area and the surrounding beaches, and after exploring all parts of the Big Island, we would only stay in this area. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. To be completely transparent, one reason we stayed at this hotel was because I had seen it on an episode of Duck Dynasty. The whole family stayed at this hotel, and when I saw this hotel featured throughout that episode, it became a hotel I was determined to stay out once in my life. Take a look at this drone footage my husband took to get a good idea of what this resort looks like.
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is one of the most known resorts on the island, probably because it has dolphins, a giant lagoon, its own tram, and water boats that take you around the resort. It really is like no other resort on all of the Hawaiian Islands. The grounds are stunning, there is a ton to do, and there is really no resort in all of Hawaii quite like it. We enjoyed our stay here immensely and the kids want to come back as soon as possible. With that said, I do want to talk about the pros and cons of staying here, because it wasn't perfect.
PROS OF STAYING ON THE KOHALA COAST AND AT THE HILTON WAIKOLOA VILLAGE
First off, the pros of staying here are plentiful. The location is amazing. It's located in the Kohala Coast area, just past the Queen's Marketplace and Kings Shops. Being as close as it is to the King's Shops is important. Here you have places to dine and get coffee such as our favorite, Island Vintage Coffee, along with your standard Starbucks. There is also a great grocery store, Island Gourmet Market, with a large deli, providing convenient and cheaper breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that you can easily take back to your hotel to enjoy, or take with you to the beach for a picnic. This was a great place that we all enjoyed and went back multiple times. I'll explain more in the cons section about dining options in this area.
Next, the pools at the Hilton Waikoloa Village are unmatched. This resort is likened a lot to a Disney resort and is sometimes called the "Disneyland of the Big Island." This is in part due to the pools. There are technically only three pools within the resort, but it feels like more because of their size, multiple locations, and a lagoon. One pool is the Kohala Pool. This pool is more family friendly, with junior waterslides and a lazy river-like pool area. The second pool is the Kona Pool. This is the largest of the three pools and features a 175-foot waterslide (a favorite for my kids), a rope bridge, a sandy bottomed kids' pool area, and even a waterfall. The last pool is the Ocean Tower Adult Pool, which is the smallest, and just a basic pool. If you aren't staying at the Ocean Towers, this pool is far from where you will be staying and not as convenient. We didn't use this pool at all and spent most of our time at the Kona Pool.
PROS OF STAYING ON THE KOHALA COAST AND AT THE HILTON WAIKOLOA VILLAGE
First off, the pros of staying here are plentiful. The location is amazing. It's located in the Kohala Coast area, just past the Queen's Marketplace and Kings Shops. Being as close as it is to the King's Shops is important. Here you have places to dine and get coffee such as our favorite, Island Vintage Coffee, along with your standard Starbucks. There is also a great grocery store, Island Gourmet Market, with a large deli, providing convenient and cheaper breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that you can easily take back to your hotel to enjoy, or take with you to the beach for a picnic. This was a great place that we all enjoyed and went back multiple times. I'll explain more in the cons section about dining options in this area.
Next, the pools at the Hilton Waikoloa Village are unmatched. This resort is likened a lot to a Disney resort and is sometimes called the "Disneyland of the Big Island." This is in part due to the pools. There are technically only three pools within the resort, but it feels like more because of their size, multiple locations, and a lagoon. One pool is the Kohala Pool. This pool is more family friendly, with junior waterslides and a lazy river-like pool area. The second pool is the Kona Pool. This is the largest of the three pools and features a 175-foot waterslide (a favorite for my kids), a rope bridge, a sandy bottomed kids' pool area, and even a waterfall. The last pool is the Ocean Tower Adult Pool, which is the smallest, and just a basic pool. If you aren't staying at the Ocean Towers, this pool is far from where you will be staying and not as convenient. We didn't use this pool at all and spent most of our time at the Kona Pool.
Kohala Pool
Kona Pool
Kids' sandy bottom area of Kona Pool
Even though this resort has three pools, they also have a lagoon, which makes it feel like there are actually four pools. This lagoon is fed from the ocean and contains turtles, fish, and sometimes, even dolphins when they bring them in from the dolphin area. My kids LOVED the lagoon, as they could play on the beach, walk a few steps out to watch turtles pass by, or go out a little further and snorkel. You can even rent things such as paddle boards, kayaks, or pedal boats.
Lagoon
Turtle swimming in the lagoon
All of these areas have food and drinks nearby, making it a place you could stay all day long. In fact, some people will purchase a day pass when they are not staying at this resort, just to use these amenities.
For us, our favorite time to swim at the pool was in the evening. During the day, the Kona pool was packed. It was like a huge party, with games being played and music blasting. But by the evening, the pool was basically empty. Each night, we would have almost the entire Kona Pool to ourselves, besides the hot tub area. The only downside to coming in the evening is that the slide isn't open.
The best time for us to go to the lagoon was first thing in the morning. We were able to easily find chairs and have the beach area to ourselves. But it quickly go quite busy, filling up with a lot of people.
For us, our favorite time to swim at the pool was in the evening. During the day, the Kona pool was packed. It was like a huge party, with games being played and music blasting. But by the evening, the pool was basically empty. Each night, we would have almost the entire Kona Pool to ourselves, besides the hot tub area. The only downside to coming in the evening is that the slide isn't open.
The best time for us to go to the lagoon was first thing in the morning. We were able to easily find chairs and have the beach area to ourselves. But it quickly go quite busy, filling up with a lot of people.
Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa Village
The last thing about this resort is that there is an area they call "Dolphin Quest," where dolphins swim around a saltwater habitat. You can splurge and pay to swim with the dolphins, or just enjoy watching them as you walk by on the paths for free. We opted for the free option and did not do this while there, but my daughter loved stopping to watch the dolphins. One day while we were playing at the lagoon, they released the dolphins into the lagoon and we were able to watch them swim around over to the side of us. This is definitely a unique experience you can't find at any other resort on the Big Island.
Lastly, this area of the Big Island has some of the most beautiful beaches in all of the islands. We had to drive to them, as our hotel didn't have great beaches, but they are stunning and worth the extra jaunt to find them.
CONS OF STAYING IN THE KOHALA COAST AREA AND AT THE HILTON WAIKOLOA VILLAGE
I mentioned earlier that the Kohala Coast part of the island is the area we would stay again. This area is removed from the busyness of Kona and has the more luxurious resorts and condos. So, with that said, there are a few cons to staying in this part of the island that you should be made aware of.
The first con is that it is a distance from any tourist attraction. If you stay in this area, be prepared to drive...A LOT! Like I said, we didn't mind the driving. I guess that's not completely true. My kids did mind the driving. But my husband and I enjoyed taking in all the sights and seeing the diversity of this island that can only be experienced by driving all around it.
Even though this area has some of the most stunning beaches, you will have to drive to them. The beach in front of the Hilton Waikoloa Village is rocky and not really usable and definitely not swimmable. Driving 15 minutes north, you will find amazing beaches, but it can be a con for someone wanting to walk out their room and head straight to the beach.
Staying in this area also means you are driving quite frequently to find food. Our hotel didn't have the best dining options, so we found ourselves going to other hotels, or grabbing food somewhere else when we were driving through or visiting that area. Another feature of dining out in this area, is that it can be significantly more expensive than other parts of the island. This is where you will find your higher end restaurants and you will be paying for it. We found dining out in Kona or Hilo was cheaper than anywhere near where we were staying. When having to always drive to find something to eat, this wasted time. We love spending our time at the beaches, and it would have been much more convenient to have food at a condo to bring with us, or eat a quick breakfast before we went.
Because of the combination of pros and cons of this area, when we come back to the Big Island, we will be renting a condo in the same area as the Hilton Waikoloa Village, but will not be staying at this resort again. The main reason is the lack of moderately priced and kid-friendly dining options. Also, the Hilton Waikoloa Village is an older resort. The grounds are stunning, but the rooms themselves seemed a bit outdated and not necessarily worth the price. But, if you were to ask my kids, they wold definitely be coming back to this resort. So, I guess it's a toss up with my family and a decision you would have to weight for yourself.
Now, if you do choose to stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, there are a few things that to me are necessary to make sure you can have the best stay possible. The first thing is to understand that this resort is huge. A lot of reviews you will read complain about having to walk far distances to get to the pools and parking lots. We went with the knowledge of that and did our research about which part of the resort to stay in.
I mentioned earlier that the Kohala Coast part of the island is the area we would stay again. This area is removed from the busyness of Kona and has the more luxurious resorts and condos. So, with that said, there are a few cons to staying in this part of the island that you should be made aware of.
The first con is that it is a distance from any tourist attraction. If you stay in this area, be prepared to drive...A LOT! Like I said, we didn't mind the driving. I guess that's not completely true. My kids did mind the driving. But my husband and I enjoyed taking in all the sights and seeing the diversity of this island that can only be experienced by driving all around it.
Even though this area has some of the most stunning beaches, you will have to drive to them. The beach in front of the Hilton Waikoloa Village is rocky and not really usable and definitely not swimmable. Driving 15 minutes north, you will find amazing beaches, but it can be a con for someone wanting to walk out their room and head straight to the beach.
Staying in this area also means you are driving quite frequently to find food. Our hotel didn't have the best dining options, so we found ourselves going to other hotels, or grabbing food somewhere else when we were driving through or visiting that area. Another feature of dining out in this area, is that it can be significantly more expensive than other parts of the island. This is where you will find your higher end restaurants and you will be paying for it. We found dining out in Kona or Hilo was cheaper than anywhere near where we were staying. When having to always drive to find something to eat, this wasted time. We love spending our time at the beaches, and it would have been much more convenient to have food at a condo to bring with us, or eat a quick breakfast before we went.
Because of the combination of pros and cons of this area, when we come back to the Big Island, we will be renting a condo in the same area as the Hilton Waikoloa Village, but will not be staying at this resort again. The main reason is the lack of moderately priced and kid-friendly dining options. Also, the Hilton Waikoloa Village is an older resort. The grounds are stunning, but the rooms themselves seemed a bit outdated and not necessarily worth the price. But, if you were to ask my kids, they wold definitely be coming back to this resort. So, I guess it's a toss up with my family and a decision you would have to weight for yourself.
Now, if you do choose to stay at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, there are a few things that to me are necessary to make sure you can have the best stay possible. The first thing is to understand that this resort is huge. A lot of reviews you will read complain about having to walk far distances to get to the pools and parking lots. We went with the knowledge of that and did our research about which part of the resort to stay in.
So, if you want to feel like you are close to the main pool and other amenities, you will want to stay in the Makai Tower. The Kona Pool and dolphin exhibit sit right in front of this tower. You also get to park in a lot for Makai Tower guests only and is much more convenient and easy to walk to and from, from your room. This will eliminate any of those issues people bring up when criticizing this resort. This is the tower we stayed in. When you stay in this tower, the rooms are more updated and you get better amenities. To get these extra perks, it does come with a cost. Expect to pay more (sometimes a significant amount more), than the other parts of this hotel. But again, if you are going to stay at the Hilton Waikoloa, I 100% believe it has to be in the Makai Tower.
One thing I feel like I should forewarn you about are the birds that come to the trees every night in the Makai Tower. These birds are LOUD! The first night I was really worried we wouldn't be able to sleep. But, they somehow knew it was time to go to bed and quiet down, just in time. My kids loved hearing these birds and stopping to listen and watch them each time we walked in and out of our room at night.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay here, and if the price was a good deal, we would definitely consider staying here again. But more than likely, we will be staying at a condo. We did find some that are located adjacent to Hilton property and even allow access to the Hilton Waikoloa pools, which are at the top of our list. If we ever do stay in these condos, I will be sure to update this post or create a new one detailing our experience.
One thing I feel like I should forewarn you about are the birds that come to the trees every night in the Makai Tower. These birds are LOUD! The first night I was really worried we wouldn't be able to sleep. But, they somehow knew it was time to go to bed and quiet down, just in time. My kids loved hearing these birds and stopping to listen and watch them each time we walked in and out of our room at night.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay here, and if the price was a good deal, we would definitely consider staying here again. But more than likely, we will be staying at a condo. We did find some that are located adjacent to Hilton property and even allow access to the Hilton Waikoloa pools, which are at the top of our list. If we ever do stay in these condos, I will be sure to update this post or create a new one detailing our experience.