Hilton Hawaiian Village or Hokulan Waikiki

[YCSETIAW]

Hi,

This will be the first time going to Honolulu. I have 2 options:

1. Split reservation: 4 nights in Grand Waikiki and 3 nights at Hokulani Waikiki
or
2. Stay the whole entire time at Hokulani Waikiki

The points for staying at Hokulani Waikiki are lower. Are the amenities in HHV is worth it for changing hotels? Any other input?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[seagila]

If you think you may be returning to Waikiki and staying at HGVC properties in the future, there's merit to staying at both Hokulani and Grand Waikikian at Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV). They are very different experiences and it might help you decide which location best suits you in future returns.

Moving resorts in the middle of your vacation notwithstanding, some other things to consider:

• Hokulani's only pool on the rooftop is small and really only good for cooling off or doing short laps if there are few people or you have the pool to yourself. HHV has a handful of pools to choose from plus easy access to the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon and the beach. The lagoon is public so you can visit and use it while at Hokulani, but that would be a trek.
• Hokulani has a few cabanas with a fridge and TV available for free on first-come-first-serve basis. You pay for cabanas in the Tapa Pool at HHV.
• Hokulani puts you right on Waikiki's commercial district with easy access to restaurants, shopping and the beach. Hilton Hawaiian Village has some dining options at the resort or you can take a 20-minute walk towards Ala Moana Shopping Center or towards the Waikiki Beach Walk area for more dining options.
• Grand Waikikian has a washer/dryer and a full kitchen in the room. Hokulani has shared laundry facilities in each floor and no oven in the kitchen.
• Hokulani rooms are smaller with the interior furnished nicer than GW. Hokulani bathroom is definitely much nicer.
• I would find Hokulani rooms too crowded for more than two people. GW gives you a little more room if there's more than two of you.

Others here may offer their opinions and more differences between the two. On the one hand, a week's vacation is a little short to have to move rooms let alone resorts; but on the other hand, if Hokulani doesn't suit your needs or isn't what you're expecting, a week may be too long of a stay.

Here's a post and thread you may find helpful. You can search for others which may help you in your decision-making.

Hokulani Waikiki and Lagoon

Which one is better to stay? I am leaning toward Lagoon since it is by the ocean. My hubby want to try Hokulani. Anything special about Hokulani?

tugbbs.com

Enjoy your first visit to Honolulu and the HGVC property/ies you choose!

 

[alwysonvac]

JMHO…….For a one week stay, I would try to stay at one location. As stated above, the best location really depends on which experience you’re looking for.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a mega beachfront destination resort with several towers vs the Hokulani which is an offsite boutique hotel just off the main drag. If you’re traveling with kids definitely stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHV).

HHV and the Grand Waikikian video

Hokulani videos

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Here are some additional videos of the Hokulani (recently went myself)​

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Room:​

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Entrance and Lobby:​

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Elevator and Rooftop Sky Lounge:​

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Washer and Dryer:​

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TIP: On Oahu, the Lagoon Tower, Kalia Tower and Hokulani have the same lower point requirement.
The Grand Waikikian and Grand Islander towers have higher point requirements.

There’s lots of old threads and checkout the resort sticky thread at the top of the forum (see links below).

Oahu Options for Extended Stay

Looking at booking a three-ish week stay in Oahu next winter - my inaugural retirement trip! Was inclined towards the Hokulani for the more urban, feels like my home away from home vibe. The one thing that gives me pause is that it looks like the individual room balconies do not have any...

tugbbs.com

HGVC Detailed Resort & Affiliated Information

Please limit this thread to only the detailed information on a HGVC specific resorts. This can include affiliate information, resort maps, room codes or other specific resort information which TUG members going to this resort will find useful. For discussion/commentary please use the to...

tugbbs.com

 

[linsj]

JMHO…….For a one week stay, I would try to stay at one location. A stated above, the best location really depends on which experience you’re looking for.

Absolutely. You'll lose most of one day moving from one property to another.

 

[sjsharkie]

Absolutely. You'll lose most of one day moving from one property to another.

I disagree. A whole day? IMHO, If you use express checkout, store your luggage, you can explore shopping near Hokulani (Royal Hawn Shopping center, Intl Marketplace etc.) and then uber over to HHV once checkin time passes, you won't burn even a few hours. Hokulani is easily within walking distance of HHV without luggage. If you're counting the hours between checkout and checkin, then I don't think that is a fair comparison.

Ultimately what you want to do is up to you. Switching hotel rooms is not enjoyable, but unless you want to spend time in your room all day I don't consider it a huge hassle to switch if you want to experience both areas during your stay.

If you are traveling during high peak time, you might find the smaller pool at Hokulani less crowded due to the proximity to the beach and lack of enforcement at HHV.

Good luck.

Ryan

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

 

[Tamaradarann]

Hi,

This will be the first time going to Honolulu. I have 2 options:

1. Split reservation: 4 nights in Grand Waikiki and 3 nights at Hokulani Waikiki
or
2. Stay the whole entire time at Hokulani Waikiki

The points for staying at Hokulani Waikiki are lower. Are the amenities in HHV is worth it for changing hotels? Any other input?

Thank you so much for your help!

As others have said these are totally different experiences. We love the HHV and have stayed there over 1000 nights. We have stayed at the Hokulani for 2 nights. I think you know which one we prefer, however, we don't like changing rooms but noe we stay for many months at a time so our room is filled with groceries so moving is a major struggle; you won't be doing that. The first time we went to Honolulu in 2007 we stayed for 13 nights at the HHV. I believe it was 5 nights in the Lagoon Tower and 8 nights in the Kalia Tower. So if you go by us since it is your first time change rooms.

 

[hockeybrain]

Split to experience both first hand. Figure leaving room at 10, driving to Grand Waikikkian lobby where you immediately store luggage, then take a walk over to the Ala Moana mall to buy new bathing suits for your wife or whatever else you may need. Eat a Mahaloa Burger in the second floor food court, or go to either food court for wherever, or walk over to Don Quixote or Walmart or Target for whatever - walk on back for your second room. Can also bring a change of clothes, go to a bathroom either on the eighth floor or towards the Grand Waikikian elevators on the main hallway to change into your bathing suits and go to the beach. Usually rooms are ready between 2:30 and 3 for check-in but they won't promise it until 4 so that is the latest. Next day go across the street to rent surfboards at Quality Surfboards. You can't go wrong. I have never stayed at Hokulani but I do really enjoy the HHV. We just got back after staying our last two nights at Grand Waikikian and are now going through post-Hawaii withdrawal wishing our vacation would have never ended.

 

[Tamaradarann]

Split to experience both first hand. Figure leaving room at 10, driving to Grand Waikikkian lobby where you immediately store luggage, then take a walk over to the Ala Moana mall to buy new bathing suits for your wife or whatever else you may need. Eat a Mahaloa Burger in the second floor food court, or go to either food court for wherever, or walk over to Don Quixote or Walmart or Target for whatever - walk on back for your second room. Can also bring a change of clothes, go to a bathroom either on the eighth floor or towards the Grand Waikikian elevators on the main hallway to change into your bathing suits and go to the beach. Usually rooms are ready between 2:30 and 3 for check-in but they won't promise it until 4 so that is the latest. Next day go across the street to rent surfboards at Quality Surfboards. You can't go wrong. I have never stayed at Hokulani but I do really enjoy the HHV. We just got back after staying our last two nights at Grand Waikikian and are now going through post-Hawaii withdrawal wishing our vacation would have never ended.

When we left the first time in 2007 we felt the same way. We swore we would never go back for less than a month and we kept that promise. I don't think from 2009-2020 we ever went back for less than 3 months.

 

[jehb2]

For a one week stay, I would try to stay at one location

For one week, I would stay in 1 place even if it meant spending more points.

We did this once. Spent 2 weeks at Lagoon Tower and 1 week at Hokulani. The only thing I didn’t like is once you get settled in at one timeshare, moving is always a bit of a pain. Aside from that, it was fun to spend a week at Hokulani. It’s a different experience. I liked being in the middle of action in the evening. It was fun to spend time at the other end of Waikiki Beach. The cabanas on the rooftop are really nice and free.

I’m glad I spent 1 week at Hokulani, but I feel no need to do it again.