Hilton Grand Vacations Club Grand Waikikian Honolulu — Hotel in Honolulu

It is not easy to give this property such a low rating, but I can honestly say, as owners with Hilton Grand Vacations, this was our least liked trip ever. Pros: The staff, especially Scott at the Tropics bar and William and the bell hop crew at the Grand Waikikian. So helpful and friendly...definitely went out of their way to take care of us. Once in our room, it was very quiet. We were close to the elevator, but never heard anyone else. The one bedroom unit was very nice, but small compared to some of the one bedrooms at other properties. Cons: Checking in on a Saturday is like being in a cattle call. The staff try and make it a pleasant experience, but even they can only do so much. Our room was on a lower floor, which was fine, but it was so loud on the boulevard outside that we never once got to use the balcony or keep the sliding glass window open. My first night in bed and I found sand. No, I had not been anywhere near the beach yet. Our sofa was a bit worn and had some interesting spots on it. We needed towels - it took a few calls to housekeeping. We needed soap - it took a few calls to housekeeping. The majority of people staying at the GW were Japanese, which was totally fine, except for the fact that a couple of times we tried to speak to a staff person and they barely spoke English. It is obvious that this property is primarily focused on selling more time shares to Japanese tourists who like to come to Honolulu for high end shopping. Our biggest complaint - too many people! We visited and stayed at the Lagoon Tower a few years back while they were building the GW and had a lovely time. At that time we took a tour of the new property, and of course they tried to get us to buy then, which I am so grateful we didn't. We were told at that time that they were building a new pool that would just be for guests of the GW...not true! The pool is open to guests in several towers and is teaming with people. We were also told at that time that the Tapa pool is an adult only, quiet pool...not true! This pool was filled with little children. During our entire stay, we never once were able to get into a pool. People throw towels on lounge chairs and will claim spots all day, even if they are not using them. If you are looking for a nice, quiet, relaxing holiday...this is not your place! Run for the hills...or maybe another resort. We have no plans to ever visit this property again. But...the damper of the whole week...was finding out an elderly man drowned in the Lagoon. Hilton kept it very hush, hush, and when my husband and I googled to find out more, we learned that a number of people in the last few years have drowned in the Lagoon at the resort. Which disappoints me in the management of the property. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is not an inexpensive resort to stay at. Can they not afford to hire a lifeguard for the Lagoon...especially since this has happened more than once? Are all the staff that hang out trying to sell you over priced crap not trained to first aide or CPR? It feels bad to complain about a trip to Hawaii, but what can I say? If you are saving up for a beautiful Hawaiian vacation, you may be sorely disappointed with the Hilton...

On this visit, we stayed at Hilton's "Grand Waikikian."  This is Hilton's latest resort to be added with the final tower to be be in place by 2017 (projected).

This latest tower sits behind the "Lagoon Tower" but interconnected with adjoining lobbies.

The front of the lobby where you check-in is lavishly decorated and reminds me of "Disney's Grand California Hotel" in Anaheim, California.

There are mahogany wood fixtures throughout the interior hallways with see through wood carvings. There is a fish pond on one end and a waterfall that leads to an outside pool complete with hidden slides.

The complex has 39 floors, five of which are penthouses and require a special card key.

Our room, which was on the 29th floor offered us a nice view of the surrounding area.  Unfortunately we only had a partial view of the ocean, which we are accustomed to during our stays here.

The suites are lavishly decorated and comes equipped with a fully stocked kitchen, two baths, Lanai, washer & dryer, frigerator, hardwood floors, flat screen tv's, and of course free Wi-Fi for today's electronic savvy family!

Restaurants as well as an assortment of shops abound within the complex to satisfy everyone's needs. The only drawback is that it can get very expensive...

Of course with three "ABC Stores on premise," you can opt to save a little by preparing meals in your suite.

Concierge on premise are very helpful in planning out your daily itinerary.  Of course they also pitch their usual "spiel of listening to another timeshare venture, which we declined."

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is centrally located  ("In my humble opinion") to a lot of attractions and within walking distance. There are walking tours to submarine adventures.

The complex offers surf lessons to Lai making.  Guests wishing to attend a Luau can attend one of two in the complex.

During our last visit in 2014, the "Rainbow Towers" signature tiles were being refurbished, renovated.  The new look is gorgeous  (pictures attached) both during the day and night!

Guests are treated to a fireworks display every Friday night along with other outdoor activities to satisfy even the hard to please.

Of course the majority of guests who stay at anyone of Hilton's Towers come to tan and frolic at Waikiki's famous beach.  There is also the "lagoon," which is basically a huge salt water pool for all ages.

Our overall experience and stay at this resort was very good and worth a stay if you can afford the $700.00 a night room!

Of course nothing lasts forever and when the time comes to leave, your already making...

Our family of 12 spent 5 nights/6 days at the grand waikikian and had a wonderful time! ||We utilized Charley's taxi service for pickup and drop off from the airport. $36 flat fee for each van that fit 6 people each. We called as soon as we arrived and had our luggage and they were there within 5 minutes. ||Check in: We are HGVC members. Check in was seamless and quick. One of the members could have been more personable but still did their job and answered all our questions. They were quite persistent on us doing an owners update as well but eventually heard our no. When we arrived our rooms weren't ready but you are able to store your luggage and start using the amenities right away! ||Rooms: |Clean. great air conditioning, overall well kept. There is a safe and a great coffee maker. My only minor complaint is the lack of cooking pans. There was only 1 pan and 1 pot in each room. With a Sunday check in and Friday check out we got housekeeping once on Wednesday. ||It's a BUSY resort for sure. Several towers and lots of families. The village has a lagoon, beach area, and several pools that are a quick walk from the Grand Waikikian tower. ||All the staff was kind and pleasant with every interaction. We experienced zero issues on on the resort grounds! The pools are well maintained but also quite busy and tough to get a lounge chair. We had the most luck very early in the morning and later afternoon/evening.|Be prepared to rent umbrellas and chairs at the beach. Food and drinks at the resort are quite expensive. We ate on site once as there are lots of other places within a short walk or Uber ride away. |We did not rent a car but would recommend it if you plan to travel far from the resort area to the north shore or anywhere further outside of the area. We met many people that did. ||We visited several beaches all great and beautiful. Very easy to get to using Lyft or Uber.|There is a target (we shopped there day 1) and several abc stores within walking distance and a mall as well. |We booked the Pearl Harbor and Historic Honolulu City Tour departing Waikiki Hotels with Aloha sunshine tours. We had to take a short walk for pick up at the Grand islander but overall was a good tour for the price. We booked the Chiefs Luau, 10/10 and pick up was also close to the resort and just a quick walk. ||Overall a good resort and great for families and if you want the hustle and bustle of a vacation. |We have also visited the big island and for us that was much more peaceful...