waikoloa properties

[BMack]

All-
Does Hilton's Waikoloa resort have on-site (as opposed to nearby) HGVC properties...in the same way the the Hilton Hawaiian Village does?

The Bay club is in Waikoloa but not on the same property as hilton waikoloa, no?

Same will be true for King's land?

Do/will these properties have access to pools, etc at waikoloa hilton?

Thank you!

 

[GeorgeWC]

All-
Does Hilton's Waikoloa resort have on-site (as opposed to nearby) HGVC properties...in the same way the the Hilton Hawaiian Village does?

The Bay club is in Waikoloa but not on the same property as hilton waikoloa, no?

Same will be true for King's land?

Do/will these properties have access to pools, etc at waikoloa hilton?

Thank you!

No, HGVC Waikoloa properties are not on-site. There is a shuttle running every 30 min between Hilton resort and HGVC properties. The Bay Club is the only property that does not have access to pools at Waikoloa Hilton.

 

[DEROS]

It depends on what you mean by on site/Waikoloa Village. To me Waikoloa Village starts at the main, and for right now, the only entrance into Waikoloa.

HGVC is in the Waikoloa Village, which consist of Hilton Hotel, Bay Club, Marriott, Kingsland, Queens Market, Kings Market, etc... However, Waikoloa is more wide spread out than Hilton Hawaiian Village. To me the walked to Queens Market to Hilton to HGVC Waikoloa is not bad. It is actually good walking exercise. Also, the other difference is Waikoloa is not a Hilton exclusive. You do have Marriott and condos in the Waikoloa Village.

Deros

 

[BMack]

a follow up

Thanks for the replies.

Is the shuttle the hilton waikoloa tram/boat shuttle or is it completely separate?

 

[DEROS]

There are two shuttle buses. The first shuttle bus is independent company that charges $1.00 per person one way and it hits all the major places in Waikoloa, Hilton Hotel, Bay Club, HGVC Waikoloa, Queens Market, and in the future Kingsland. The second shuttle bus is a HGVC Waikoloa only. The bus moves you from the Club main entrance to Hilton Hotel. However, it is not a far walk to the Hotel. It is a convenience for people staying in the HGVC Club, so they can you the swimming pools.

The boat ride is in the Hilton Hotel. It will ferry you from one end to the other end of the hotel.

Deros

 

[Bill4728]

Think of the area around Wiakoloa as a huge wasteland of lava rocks. In the Waikoloa resort, they have made a significant area from the hwy to the ocean into a tropical playground.

At the beach are 3 things; a public beach called A-beach, a large Marriott Hotel and a huge Hilton Hotel. (the hilton complex is so big they have a tram and a boat ferry to move people around the hotel complex.)

Across from the beach, are low rise condos, strip malls and several golf courses. There are shuttles which go between the golf, malls, condos, timeshares and hotels.

The three HGVC TS are along the golf course running away from the beach/hotel. The Bay Club is closest to the Hilton Hotel. Next door to the Bay Club is HGVC waikoloa and even farther from the beach is the new HGVC Kingland ( which hasn't opened yet and will be a big resort complex.)

Hope that helps

 

[BMack]

Thank you

Bill/Deros/George-

Thanks this is very helpful.

 

[Shirley]

Christmas 2007

We had a marvelous time this year at the Bay Club. The management has been taken over by the Hiltons and it shows. Everything looked about the same, just a lot better! I was very pleased to see that HVC has been a real boost to the club. The check in is at the HVC end of the development's road and it's very nice. The access to more pools, more computer time off the lobby is very much appreciated. So is the free shuttle to the Hilton and shops. Yes, the dues are higher, but if you actually use your resort, it's worth the extra.

 

[UWSurfer]

Ditto praise of the Bay Club. We left Saturday for HHV and were very pleased. The Lani's at the Bay Club units are wrap around the corner of each unit, the units themselfs spacious and the pools and facilities pleantyful. Waikoloa is adjacent Bay Club and aside from the architecure changing, the two together feel like one resort.

Waikoloa for all it's hype is smaller than Bay Club, both in unit size and facilities. That said, the pool complex at the Hilton hotel is amazing, even to me who'd spend time any day in the ocean rather than in a pool adjacent to it. HOWEVER keep in mind A-bay (A-beach) is a one mile walk from Bay Club. I would walk or jog down to A-Bay in the early morning and then swim across the width and back, experiencing turtles, fish and coral in a beautiful setting. No pool can match that.

From the renderings we were shown at the owners update of Kingsland, it appears it will have many more of the features that hotel now now has. Unless I had an overwhelming need to plug into the pools there, I'd have no reservations what so every going to the Bay Club again.

 

[ricoba]

The Bay Club was a disappointment for us.

I will write up a review later, but I am sorry to report that the Bay Club was a disappointment for us.

 

[nonutrix]

I will write up a review later, but I am sorry to report that the Bay Club was a disappointment for us.

Could you give us a short version of your disappointments, to tide us over until you have time for a full review?

TIA,

nonutrix

 

[ricoba]

Could you give us a short version of your disappointments, to tide us over until you have time for a full review?

TIA,

nonutrix

It basically boils down to the issue that we opted for a "Plus" unit and I just didn't find enough Pluses to make the extra use of points worth it.

We had a 2 story Villa 1121 with our own parking which was nice, except....

We were on the ground floor and the noise above us from the folks upstairs was unbearably loud...They woke up very early each morning and I am sure they were just walking, but it was too loud and when they took a shower at 5 or 6 AM, it sounded like they were in our shower! It is hard for me to imagine how a ground floor unit with no view is a plus unit.

Our lanai was huge as you all know, but our ground floor view was the pond by the Activity Center, with a great view of the street which was very busy with large trucks due to the new construction at Kingsland.

The unit while very large, was "worn" drawers did not work, our door would not lock, there were scuffs and scrapes everywhere, the furniture was older, the TV in the LR, was too small for such a large room and had poor picture quality and the color schemes were terrible. Whoever did the kitchen remodel had no sense of color....purple tile floors, orange backsplash and wall, white and black cabinets....nothing matched.

I know some of this seems minor and some folks will say I am just a whiner, but I guess my frustration was that while I was not expecting as nice a unit as we had at Kohala Suites, I was expecting better than we were given.

We paid 1240 extra points over a regular two bedroom for the "plus" unit. I just couldn't figure out how Hilton considers this a plus unit. If it's based only on size, we have had as large and nicer RCI trades for less points.

The management at the resort was helpful, and were willing to move us, but nothing was available till 3 nights later, so we just stayed put. They encouraged us to call HGVC, which I did. I had a very pleasant conversation with a rep and a supervisor and we were given our 1240 borrowed 2009 points back. This was super nice and helpful and was more than kind of HGVC.

I have zero/nada/no complaints with any HGVC employee I spoke with, they all did a super job.

The HGVC supervisor/manager told me I should write to HGVC, which I did and as of yet have not received a formal reply.

This is my first disappointment with HGVC and they resolved it very nicely.

I was leery to post this since I don't want to ruin anyone else's upcoming vacation plans, with my sour experience. Because I know that many here really like the Bay Club. So please don't let my views cloud any upcoming trips there.

 

[linsj]

ricoba, I appreciate your post. I've hesitated to book at the Bay Club for many of the reasons you've described. I thought I had read somewhere that the units had all been remodeled/upgraded, but obviously that's not true.

 

[deep]

ricoba, I appreciate your post. I've hesitated to book at the Bay Club for many of the reasons you've described. I thought I had read somewhere that the units had all been remodeled/upgraded, but obviously that's not true.

I wouldn't hesitate staying there. We stayed there mid-March (Spring Break) in a 2 bedroom unit, and were extremely happy with it. The unit we were in had been renovated (new paint, furniture, etc.), and had a HUGE lanai. We were on the 2nd floor facing West (golf course/Hilton Hotel view), and could see a bit of water.

My understanding from the staff's comments were that the bathrooms and kitchen (which I agree need an update) are being done in 2010/2011.

We'll be back in 2010 for our next stay for sure!

 

[nonutrix]

Ricoba,

Thanks for your comments! I'm glad to hear that HGVC did take care of you in the end by compensating you for the extra points.

There are probably many who would disagree, but IMHO I don't think the "plus" units in Kahala suites are worth the extra points either. In December, I stayed in a plus unit on the ground floor which had a view of pile of lava rocks, a good position for the pool noise on owner's nights, and to top it off, "Big Foot" and his entire family was staying upstairs. This is not to say anything bad about Kahala suites where I both own and LOVE, but rather that I think that the location of the unit is important. Ricoba mentions that the units with street views are noisy with construction trucks. These have always been my favorite, but I haven't stayed in one since June. I'll report back how I find building 16 when I stay there this summer.

Thanks again for your frank comments!

nonutrix

 

[benjaminb13]

I will write up a review later, but I am sorry to report that the Bay Club was a disappointment for us.

I had the same reaction- I Kept asking myself the question: how HGVC can have them as an sffiliate?
Im sure there are many of us who feel this way-

 

[BMack]

Bay club access at waikoloa different?

These posts all make me wonder then, does Bay Club now have more access to Hilton Waikoloa Village? ie do you still need to pay to access the pool, or is it more like HGVC Waikoloa now?

 

[UWSurfer]

The two resorts operate as if they were one with central check-in, concierge and actvities coming from the HGVC Waikoloa. The resorts sit side by side with the parking lots and grounds flowing together. The staffs are the same and in short it appears as if they two operate as one. HOWEVER, those at the Bay Club still must pay to access the Hilton Waikoloa Village pools (aka, THE HOTEL) down the road a bit. HGVC Waikoloa gets access included.

I certainly understand why Rick was disappointed...if I had his stay, I would be too. We were in building nine, unit 936 last week in a two bedroom unit which was HUGE and served us just fine. Some minor problems with drawers not opening and closing properly and a kitchen cabinet needing refacing after the water which naturally drips from the counter when overly wet, will run down this particular cabinet door.

As were on the third floor, we were the bigfoots and I pittied the neighbors below us as the floors don't appear to be terribly thick. I later met our neighbors and our timing tended to be great, in that they were away most of the time we were up and visa versa. My family doesn't really know how to walk lightly and all my prodding them ony got them ticked off with me as the week went on. (sigh).

The sales lady we did the owners update with provided the impression that HGVC may drop Bay Club once Kings Land is up and operating. All I know is I generally appreciated the units size and layout at the Bay Club and didn't care much about not having access to the hotel pool complex. As it was, I think the Bay Club's pools are larger and less crowed than the Waikoloa HGVC. We ate most of our meals out on the large Lani's and enjoyed our stay.

 

[ricoba]

I had a call from the Resort Manager

Yesterday, Phillip Murray the Manager for both Kohala Suites and the Bay Club, called me regarding my problems with the Bay Club.

He was apologetic and sympathetic towards my concerns/disappointments. He was pleased to know that Hilton had taken care of the point discrepancy and that his staff had been as helpful and professional as they could be in trying to help me.

He agreed that the issue of a ground floor suite with no view and minimal renovations needed to be reexamined to see if this really was a "Plus" unit in Hilton terms.

The conversation also shed light on the conversation that I had with the front desk management about the relationship between Kohala Suites and the Bay Club. When I spoke with front desk management regarding my issue while I was there, I didn't understand what she was talking about with regard to the Hilton and Bay Club agreement. But it became clear that when I spoke with Mr Murray.

As I understand it, essentially the Bay Club only has two categories, Standard/Deluxe and Golf Villa's. And even though I had no view of the golf course, I was on the ground floor and the villa had not been adequately renovated, all the stand alone two story villa's, with their own parking are Golf Villa's. Thus to Bay Club ownership they are the best units at the Bay Club. Whereas Hilton in their own developed properties always seems to categorize their own properties based upon amenities and views, thus Standard, Plus and Premier.

To me this explains why I expected more from a Plus Unit. I was looking at it from the same perspective as I would if I stayed at a Plus Unit in Vegas for example. When I have stayed in the Plus and Premier units in Vegas at the new tower, I know I am going to be on a higher floor, with more of a view and have a few nicer amenities such as a large screen TV with surround sound.

He also re-iterated what the front desk said in that Hilton is only the manager and it does not own the Bay Club. I already knew this, but it was clear through my conversations, that there is perhaps ongoing tension between Hilton and the Bay Club owners. Hilton wants the owners to spend more money to upgrade the units and up until now the owners of the Bay Club have been reluctant to do so, thus the small TV with poor reception and cabinets that stick.

I thought it was good of him to call and let me once again share my concerns. It was also good to realize that some of my concerns were Hilton concerns as well. Perhaps those rumors regarding Hilton dropping the Bay Club once Kingsland is open have some basis in fact. But again that's just speculation.

Again, I know many of you like the Bay Club very much. So please don't be upset because of my experience.

As I stated in my first post about this, I was hesitant to share these concerns, because I don't want any one to look at this and think they are going to have a vacation in some Hell Hole. This is not the case. The Bay Club is still a great location and the units are huge and we still had a great time while we were there. My main issue was that I paid extra points for something that in my opinion was not worth extra points.

 

[nonutrix]

Again, I know many of you like the Bay Club very much. So please don't be upset because of my experience.

As I stated in my first post about this, I was hesitant to share these concerns, because I don't want any one to look at this and think they are going to have a vacation in some Hell Hole. This is not the case. The Bay Club is still a great location and the units are huge and we still had a great time while we were there. My main issue was that I paid extra points for something that in my opinion was not worth extra points.

I'll second this! And to further stress your point, that as places to vacation, both the Bay Club and Kahala Suites are in a beautiful location with lovely units and grounds. These are really very minor issues as complaints go! IMHO, no one will go wrong at either property.

Additionally, I'm glad to hear that HGVC seems to be genuinely concerned about customer service. It looks like they did a good job of following up with Ricoba's concerns.

Thanks for the feedback!

nonutrix

 

[wmmmmm]

It basically boils down to the issue that we opted for a "Plus" unit and I just didn't find enough Pluses to make the extra use of points worth it.

We had a 2 story Villa 1121 with our own parking which was nice, except....

We were on the ground floor and the noise above us from the folks upstairs was unbearably loud...They woke up very early each morning and I am sure they were just walking, but it was too loud and when they took a shower at 5 or 6 AM, it sounded like they were in our shower! It is hard for me to imagine how a ground floor unit with no view is a plus unit.

I am sorry that you didn't like the Bay Club. Let me say that I am not a Bay Club owner so this is just from my experience (I've stayed at a regular 2-bd @ Bay Club before the Kahola site was built and a 2-bd Penthouse at the Kahola). When I stayed at the Bay Club in 2002, I asked a guide to show me a plus unit. And just as you described, it had it's own parking port but it also had higher ceilings, the building was only two story and have only one neighbor on the side. However, the interior was identical (this was not a show unit, just one that was un-occupied at the moment) and the sq footage was the same. Was it worth being a "plus" status? Our regular unit was on the third floor overlooking the 16th green while the "plus" unit was on the ground near the tee. You were unfortunate that you had noisy neighbors but the regular units, even in the Kahola Suites, there are potentially more noisy neighbors. Again, I'm not saying the "plus" units of the Bay Club are that great but they are definite upgrades of the regular units.

BTW, I've stayed at the Penthouses of HHV, LV (Karen) and Kahola Suites and the Kahola Suites Penthouses have the least differentiation.

-I will definitely go back to the Bay Club. In fact, my choice would be a regular 2-bd unit on the second or third floor. I love the hugh lanai (unlike the "tiny" lanais of the Kahola units!)

Wayne