I'm looking at planning a trip June of 2020 for the family using mostly points to head to Hawaii. Ive got just shy of 1MM Hilton points to accomodate 4 nights (plus the 5th night free promo for reward bookings) to stay at a resort style property.

So far as I can tell, these two properties ( Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea hotel on Maui) & (Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island) are the two most resort style properties in Hawaii in the Hilton family.

We will also be traveling to Oahu to stay at Disney's Aulani hotel for 4 nights during the trip as well.

In our group will be me and my wife, our 4 kids (then ages 9B, 7G, 6B, & 6B), and mid-60's grandparents (2).

I'm wondering if any of you have stayed recently at either of these two Hilton properties and what your thoughts are on them. They've both been featured in several Hawaii based TV shows and movies, etc. but I'm starting to see reports of complaints, etc.

Sometimes people just Like to complain but sometimes there's real merit to the complaints. I don't want to "waste" this trip as it will pretty much blow all points to secure the accommodations at these resorts, not to mention airline miles as well.

I stayed at the Grand Wailea two summers ago with my son...he absolutely LOVED it! The pool complex is amazing, with tons of slides and water activities. He really enjoyed the SCUBA diving lesson (he practiced in the pool and then got to dive in the ocean, right off the beach). We took advantage of the beach services one day (we rented paddle boards) and it was enjoyable (although, difficult to stay upright on the boards due to the waves).

I really enjoyed the spa there. It's one of the top spas in the world, and that title is very much deserved. I found the treatments to be reasonably priced (I booked a massage of some type for <$150), and booking any treatment gives you access to the full range of spa amenities. They have some fantastic plunge and relaxation pools and an amazing massage shower.

My son was 12 when we visited, so he was old enough to hang out at the pools without my constant supervision. But, if you want to be with your kids the entire time, be warned that the pool area gets VERY crowded. It was difficult for us to find even two lounge chairs together.

The resort is beautiful, and I was extremely happy with our room. It was big, had a nice balcony, and the bathroom had a soaking tub and separate shower that was quite large. I'm not sure if this is "standard", though; I did book the basic room at the cheapest price, but I did so through my credit card, and one perk of that is a room upgrade.

The resort is VERY big...it's a long walk to anything, especially if you're in a room in one of the wings. Parking is also very expensive (which is why I didn't rent a car while we were there).

Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience, and if I was traveling with kids, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. For an adults-only vacation, I would probably book a smaller/quieter resort (and book a visit to the Grand Wailea spa).

I can't speak to the Hilton property on the Big Island, but this past summer, we stayed at the Fairmont Orchid, which is also a fantastic property. It has the nicest beach/snorkel lagoon of any hotel we've stayed at on any of the islands.

If you're trying to decide between visiting Maui vs The Big Island, having been to both, I would pick the a Big Island in a heartbeat. But if your plan is to simply stay at the hotel and enjoy the resort amenities, then I would book the Grand Wailea. If you're looking to go somewhere and do excursions, I would go to the Big Island.

Thanks for the great reply. We will definitely be doing "island Hawaii" stuff... not just resort stuff. But the reality is with 4 young(er) kiddos, sometimes a good pool and on-site restaurants are the remedy for some relaxation.

I think we'd be looking for the right balance between resort amenties and island experiences. But also, whatever excursions we do, they'd probably be relatively tame in nature so we don't over-stress the kids (or over stress their parents).

I definitely intend to do some hiking, see some waterfalls, love to see some volcanoes... you know the Hawaii type stuff.

We did exact same trip a few years ago with the family; a few nights at Grand Wailea and a few at Aulani. GW is an older (and massive) property but the kids loved the waterpark and the beach is one the top-ranked in Hawaii (there is a Four Seasons next door that shares it) with Molokini island nearby. Probably not somewhere I would go on a couple's trip but it is a good family destination. Lots of restaurants, shopping and golf also nearby.

TXTransplant said:

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I stayed at the Grand Wailea two summers ago with my son...he absolutely LOVED it! The pool complex is amazing, with tons of slides and water activities. He really enjoyed the SCUBA diving lesson (he practiced in the pool and then got to dive in the ocean, right off the beach). We took advantage of the beach services one day (we rented paddle boards) and it was enjoyable (although, difficult to stay upright on the boards due to the waves).

I really enjoyed the spa there. It's one of the top spas in the world, and that title is very much deserved. I found the treatments to be reasonably priced (I booked a massage of some type for <$150), and booking any treatment gives you access to the full range of spa amenities. They have some fantastic plunge and relaxation pools and an amazing massage shower.

My son was 12 when we visited, so he was old enough to hang out at the pools without my constant supervision. But, if you want to be with your kids the entire time, be warned that the pool area gets VERY crowded. It was difficult for us to find even two lounge chairs together.

The resort is beautiful, and I was extremely happy with our room. It was big, had a nice balcony, and the bathroom had a soaking tub and separate shower that was quite large. I'm not sure if this is "standard", though; I did book the basic room at the cheapest price, but I did so through my credit card, and one perk of that is a room upgrade.

The resort is VERY big...it's a long walk to anything, especially if you're in a room in one of the wings. Parking is also very expensive (which is why I didn't rent a car while we were there).

Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience, and if I was traveling with kids, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. For an adults-only vacation, I would probably book a smaller/quieter resort (and book a visit to the Grand Wailea spa).

I can't speak to the Hilton property on the Big Island, but this past summer, we stayed at the Fairmont Orchid, which is also a fantastic property. It has the nicest beach/snorkel lagoon of any hotel we've stayed at on any of the islands.

If you're trying to decide between visiting Maui vs The Big Island, having been to both, I would pick the a Big Island in a heartbeat. But if your plan is to simply stay at the hotel and enjoy the resort amenities, then I would book the Grand Wailea. If you're looking to go somewhere and do excursions, I would go to the Big Island.

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This is spot on. I just got back less than a week ago. Several days on the big island and then the 5 at the Grand Wailea on Maui. The resort is nice - no doubt. Just not my cup of tea. Much prefer the smaller resorts and the less crowded Big Island. Maui and Wailea in particular are just crowded.

Stayed at Grand Wailea last year. You do have to be in line well before 7 if you want prime beach or pool chairs. Crazy. If you do stay there and your kids can snorkel walk down the beach to the left in front of the Four Seasons. It's not far and the two resorts share the beach. By the rocks we snorkeled with a lot of large sea turtles. Some were very large. They came in to feed on the algae around 9:30 -10:30 a couple of mornings. It was awesome and the highlight of our trip.

imjustsayin,

Send me an email at csmith@traveliwthontheroad.com and I can assist with your Aulani booking.