# Waikoloa HHV access



## limin (May 5, 2008)

I have read many posts regarding differences between HGVC Waikoloa and the Bay Club.  The posts have been most helpful.

Several couples are planning a ten year anniversary next April at the Bay Club.  One couple owns at the Bay Club (not through Hilton).  We own points with HGVC (LVH@Karen).

The couple with ownership @Bay Club has made reservations for next April at the Bay Club.  I am thinking that we should make reservations at Waikoloa so we  could gain access to the HWV pools, etc.

My question would be: How do they implement the access to the HWV facilitites (pools,etc)?  Is it by key?  paper card?  What does a guest use to gain the access?  If my wife and I were staying at Waikoloa and two couples were staying at the Bay Club, would be able to gain access for ALL 6 of us to the HWV pool, etc?

Also, is the parking for Waikoloa close to the units?  I have read were parking for Bay Club is adjacent to the unit.

If I wish to swim/snorkel in the ocean off of HWV would I more than likely be walking to it or using the shuttle from Waikoloa?


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## Bill4728 (May 5, 2008)

When I was last at HGVC, they gave guest staying at HGVC, a wrist band which let you do things like get towels and rent equipment at the pools and lagoons. 

Parking for HGVC is in front of each bldg.

Here is a map of the bay club and HGVC Waikoloa resorts http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii82/nonutrix/HGVCWaikoloamap.jpg

The Hilton Hotel complex is off the map directly to the far left of Bay Club #1 bldg. ( as is the ocean) 

Also the golf course is the area just below the resorts


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## Bill4728 (May 5, 2008)

Brainstorm!!

Why not tell HGVC that you'll have 6 people in your room??  That is the sleeping capacity of all the units at the HGVC waikolia. Then you'll have 6 passes for the Hotel pools and lagoons.


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## limin (May 5, 2008)

Now thats my kind of thinking!  I am so dense.  

Thanks..


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## i39249 (May 6, 2008)

When I was at HGVC Waikoloa last year, you simply go to the HWV towel counter and show them your room key.  You give them your room number and they write it down along with number of towels you check out.  They also put wrist bands on you at the same time.   Each day is a different color.  When you are done for the day, you bring your towels back and they mark it that the towels were returned.

As far as swimming / snorkeling off HWV, you can only do that in the lagoon.  If you want a beach, you'd have to go to "A" bay, which is within Waikoloa Village.  HWV you can walk to, but "A" bay beach is a longgggg walk.  

There is a shuttle that leaves every hour from HGVC that takes you to HWV, "A" bay beach and other areas within Waikoloa Village including the shops and the golf course.   If you're going to "A" bay, I'd suggest you drive there.   Also be mindful that when coming back from HWV to HGVC at the end of the day, the shuttle gets full and the driver has been known to refuse additional passengers and the shuttle doesn't come back for another hour.  It is about a 15 minute walk to HGVC.


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## ricoba (May 6, 2008)

We recently came back from 11 days at Waikoloa.

The first five days were spent at HGVC and the next six at the Bay Club.

We went over to the Hilton one evening, just to look around and take the little boats.

While I admit it is quite an amazing place, I had no interest in swimming in the pools or the lagoon.

Now on the other hand, we spent many blissful hours at Hapuna & Mauna Kea beaches....to me the ocean and the beach are what Hawaii is all about.:whoopie: 

The Hilton Hotel is too "Las Vegas" for me.


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## linsj (May 6, 2008)

When I stayed at the hotel itself, the only time I got a wristband was when I picked up beach towels; and I didn't wear it since it's hard to get off. (I didn't rent equipment though.) No one ever checked for them. Unless they're now checking, I don't know why you couldn't use the pools and snorkel in the lagoon without a wristband.


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## Bill4728 (May 6, 2008)

ricoba said:


> We recently came back from 11 days at Waikoloa.
> 
> While I admit it is quite an amazing place, I had no interest in swimming in the pools or the lagoon.
> 
> ...



The pools and lagoon is a nice change if you tire of sitting on the beach. Plus they have pool side drink/food service. I'd never recommend spending a lot of time at the hotel pools but a day around the pool having someone serve you drinks and food is a nice change.


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## ricoba (May 6, 2008)

Bill4728 said:


> The pools and lagoon is a nice change if you tire of sitting on the beach. Plus they have pool side drink/food service. I'd never recommend spending a lot of time at the hotel pools but a day around the pool having someone serve you drinks and food is a nice change.



I agree Bill that it's a nice change, but I go to Hawaii to get something we don't get here in SoCal and that's a nice soft sandy beach with WARM ocean water


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (May 7, 2008)

Me too, Rick.
Liz


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## Gotatiger (Jun 6, 2008)

*Access to HWV facilitites????*

We will be staying at the Bay Club (I have a unit on hold). We will be very interested in swimming in the HWV pools.   Can we get free access to the pools and lagoon at the HWV (or is it just for people staying at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club Property)?

Thanks,

Mike


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## nonutrix (Jun 6, 2008)

mikesoule said:


> We will be staying at the Bay Club (I have a unit on hold). We will be very interested in swimming in the HWV pools.   Can we get free access to the pools and lagoon at the HWV (or is it just for people staying at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club Property)?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mike



Free use of the Waikoloa Hilton Hotel pools is allowed only for the guests of the hotel and HGVC Waikoloa TS units.  

nonutrix


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## Sandy VDH (Jun 6, 2008)

You can always buy a day pass if you are really interested in the Pools at HWV.  Even when we stayed at HWV, we did not use the pools all that much.

We went diving, or A Bay, or Hupuna Beach instead.

I do like the size of the Bay Club units better.  Much larger units than the HGVC Waikoloa.


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 6, 2008)

ricoba said:


> We recently came back from 11 days at Waikoloa.
> 
> The first five days were spent at HGVC and the next six at the Bay Club.
> 
> ...



in the past, I found the HGVC units were a step up in quality compared to Bay Club- Is this still the case? Or have they upgraded the rooms in Bay club


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## wmmmmm (Jun 7, 2008)

linsj said:


> When I stayed at the hotel itself, the only time I got a wristband was when I picked up beach towels; and I didn't wear it since it's hard to get off. (I didn't rent equipment though.) No one ever checked for them. Unless they're now checking, I don't know why you couldn't use the pools and snorkel in the lagoon without a wristband.


I've stayed at HWV(8 nights in 2004) and Kahola Suites(7 nights in 2006) and while we were never checked, we saw many people tossed from the pool area.  I think the giveaways were their different colored towels or no towels.  So maybe if you had the kahuna to go to a towel station and get towels without a room key, they'll leave you alone


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## DEROS (Jun 7, 2008)

When I stayed at Hilton-Waikoloa last year (2007), not the TS but the hotel, I had a bad habit of just kicking back on the pool side chairs watching my family in the pool, without getting a wrist band for myself.  I don't think there is a wrist band patrol, but everytime an employee walked by me, they always asked if I was a guest at the hotel.  Then they would politely inform me that I needed to get a wrist band.

As long as you don't lounge around and you are in the pool, you might be good.


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 8, 2008)

nonutrix said:


> Free use of the Waikoloa Hilton Hotel pools is allowed only for the guests of the hotel and HGVC Waikoloa TS units.
> 
> nonutrix



Seems unfair for bay Club owners


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 8, 2008)

Sandy Lovell said:


> You can always buy a day pass if you are really interested in the Pools at HWV.  Even when we stayed at HWV, we did not use the pools all that much.
> 
> We went diving, or A Bay, or Hupuna Beach instead.
> 
> I do like the size of the Bay Club units better.  Much larger units than the HGVC Waikoloa.




Haveyou been to the bay club recently? back in 2006 - Istaye din both - the units  at bay club were larger, but sort of dated and worn- at least the one I stayed in.
I hear they may have upgraded them- iIm hoping this is true. If so ,Ill try to add a few days of Bay club to my HGVC Waik resort vac later this month Just cautious right now


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## UWSurfer (Jun 8, 2008)

benjaminb13 said:


> Haveyou been to the bay club recently? back in 2006 - Istaye din both - the units  at bay club were larger, but sort of dated and worn- at least the one I stayed in.
> I hear they may have upgraded them- iIm hoping this is true. If so ,Ill try to add a few days of Bay club to my HGVC Waik resort vac later this month Just cautious right now



We were there in April in a two bedroom in building nine and were very happy with the unit.   Only real wear and tear items were the kitchen laminate was a little warn in places around the sink which see's water regularly and a drawer or two would stick in some of the dressers.   Overall it was a very nice unit and we'd go back in a second.  I so much enjoyed my near daily swims in A-bay!!!!


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## jehb2 (Jun 12, 2008)

We stayed at the Bay Club for two weeks in January.  I toured the Hilton Waikoloa.  We're going back in a couple of months with friends and I needed to decide whether we should all stay stay at the Bay Club or Hilton Waikoloa.  

For me the Bay Club won hands down.  The Hilton Waikoloa decor is nice with the granite counter tops, tile back splash, updated bathrooms.  However, the layout is a bit odd.  The dinning area is actually in a sort of hallway between the kitchen and living room.  The  living room is small & the lanai is small as well.

The Bay Club is just so darn large and comfortable.  WE can really stretch out.  Plus I never get enough of the huge L-shaped Lanai.  The kitchen may be dated but housekeeping is the best I've seen even compared to much newer timeshares that I've stayed in.


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## Luanne (Jun 12, 2008)

linsj said:


> When I stayed at the hotel itself, the only time I got a wristband was when I picked up beach towels; and I didn't wear it since it's hard to get off. (I didn't rent equipment though.) No one ever checked for them. Unless they're now checking, I don't know why you couldn't use the pools and snorkel in the lagoon without a wristband.



When we stayed at the Hilton a few years ago the place they did check for the wristbands was on the water slides.


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 13, 2008)

jehb2 said:


> We stayed at the Bay Club for two weeks in January.  I toured the Hilton Waikoloa.  We're going back in a couple of months with friends and I needed to decide whether we should all stay stay at the Bay Club or Hilton Waikoloa.
> 
> For me the Bay Club won hands down.  The Hilton Waikoloa decor is nice with the granite counter tops, tile back splash, updated bathrooms.  However, the layout is a bit odd.  The dinning area is actually in a sort of hallway between the kitchen and living room.  The  living room is small & the lanai is small as well.
> 
> The Bay Club is just so darn large and comfortable.  WE can really stretch out.  Plus I never get enough of the huge L-shaped Lanai.  The kitchen may be dated but housekeeping is the best I've seen even compared to much newer timeshares that I've stayed in.




Jehb, are you talking about HGVC Waikoloa? If so...I guess its the eye of the beholder on this one. 
Back in 2006 - I was very disappointed at Bay Club. Yes, the Lanai is nice- and It was  bigger- but......... that was about it. The unit was worn out and dated-and sort of dirty- (I am happy to hear that recently they have cleaned up their act. Ill try them out again this year.)
On the other hand, I was very impressed with HGVC-  smaller- but just beautiful units - real state of the art-and a real clean feeling,  plus of course free access to HWV. I dont know if this has changed for the Bay Club


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## OnMedic (Jun 13, 2008)

ricoba said:


> Now on the other hand, we spent many blissful hours at Hapuna & Mauna Kea beaches....to me the ocean and the beach are what Hawaii is all about.:whoopie:



Hapuna Beach... Amazing! About15-25 minutes from the resort if I remember correctly (was there in October) but worth the drive if you have a vehicle!

We are headed to Kauai this October and hope they have a beach just as nice!


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 14, 2008)

Ill check out Hapuna


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## Luanne (Jun 14, 2008)

benjaminb13 said:


> Ill check out Hapuna



Also check out the beach at the Mauna Kea.  Still in my mind one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen.


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## benjaminb13 (Jun 14, 2008)

Hapuna + Mauna Kea


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