I stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare resort in a one bedroom suite. I was booked originally in a studio in a neighboring building. When I saw the tiny studio I pleaded with management to give me something better and both managers Steve and Shiho went above and beyond to make my vacation a pleasant one. I ended up spending 8 days in the GW and it was lovely.

The room seems very new, with hardwood floors, a living area, full kitchen, breakfast table, balcony with a view (depends on what room you are in), a sunken tub, a walk-in shower, a bedroom, free internet, daily newspaper, and no maid service. The kitchen comes equipped with all you need to cook, and there is a stove, fridge, icemaker, microwave and dishwasher. All appliances are very nice. The room was immaculate upon entry (not so much when we left!). The balcony was nice size, with a table and a few chairs and had a view of the mountains and downtown.

The service was excellent across the boards. From checkin to the bellmen to housekeeping, everyone was professional, pleasant and efficient. Some of the people working in the restaurants and bars could have used a little training, but all in all, we were well taken care of.

The resort is huge. There are seven or eight buildings, with three belonging to HGVC and the others part of the Hilton hotel. The place is overrun with foreign tourists. There is a shopping mall right in the resort with many stores, restaurants, Louis Vuitton, Starbucks, etc. It is very nice and convenient, and pretty pricey.

There are four pools, all of which are nothing special. There is no sun protection in the way of umbrellas or shady areas, so that was an issue. Also, they are all very crowded and lots of screaming kids. There are a few nice beach bars and restaurants, and a very very nice lagoon on the property for swimming and boating. The hotel is right on the beach, and very nice. If you want an umbrella or chair, you'll pay dearly ($60 for two chairs and an umbrella).

The downside is, everything is far. The gym is in the Kalia building, which is about a ten minute walk from us. There are a lot of aerobic machines, but not much else. The place was packed, with not a free machine, at 7am. The spa locker room and sauna costs $17 per day, but the gym is free. The spa woman was one of those "sour" ones that, when asked about the internet at the spa pool, responded, "we don't issue that kind of information." With the size of the place, you'd think that they'd train the staff to help visitors find things, but constantly, when asking a staff member where something was located, they never knew where anything was or how to get there. That was very strange.

The grounds, pools, beaches were all immaculately clean and beautiful. At the pools, you are required to wear wrist bands and turn in cards for towels. If you lose the cards before checkout, you pay $10 per card lost fee. I found it a bit irritating, but they do it to keep non-guests out and I can understand that.

The center of Waikiki is a 15 minute stroll, or a $5 cab ride, but there are plenty of dining choices nearby and inside the hotel. There are amazing upscale malls everywhere, with multiple designer stores from every high end brand you can think of.

Since I was upgraded I felt the value was good for me. If I were to pay $650 or so for this room on this property, I might be a little upset. There are many beautiful luxury resorts in the center that I would select before this one. However, if you are traveling with kids, like the hubbub of a big resort, then Hilton is the one.

All in all, a great place to stay if you can afford it and don't mind being a bit outside the center.

I stayed here for a conference. The hotel is very beautiful, but the grounds are overwhelming (its like a college campus!). Takes a while to get your bearings.
Great pool(s), but some of the worst customer service I've ever had at any hotel, ever.

I was meeting some friends at the Tapas bar and it was clear that the waitress was overworked, which I am sympathetic to. When she finally did come over, I asked if I could order some food to which she responded "All we have is pizza and that's gonna take well over 45 minutes". Um, way to sell it. Additionally, when I returned home I thought I had left something in my room. I called and after being inadvertently disconnected several times and calling back, the woman responded (clearly irritated) "OK,it's like 5 in the morning here. You're gonna have to call back later". These are just a cople examples of the poor attitude and service.

Part of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Grand Waikikian is the newest and so furthest from the beach and resort restaurants and activities. However, it is adjacent to the waterslides and lagoon which make it ideal for families with children. No table service or snack bar so be sure to bring some with you.

We visited the Grand Waikikian for a week as a part of our honeymoon vacation. I have traveled alot and this has to be one of the best hotels I have been to. It is located within the Hilton Hawaian Village in Honolulu. The Hilton village is comprised of various hotels / restaurants / & shops....it is essentially a mini city. The property has 4 pools & a lagoon which all guests have access to & the beach is amazing.

The best part of this hotel is the built in kitchens in each room. Since Hawaii is not an "all inclusive" it can get expensive. We would visit the local foodland grocery store and buy some meals / snacks to prepare / eat in our room. Bacon / eggs / toast / & juice would be our breakfast in the mornings and we got a few frozen pizza's for snacks during the day. Every evening we would visit the famous Waikiki strip and splurge on dinner.

The Waikiki strip of shops / restaurants / & clubs is only a 5-10 min walk away through the park. It is extremely safe and we never encountered any problems walking to or from the hotel. There is an endless amount variety in regards to food. I would suggest Hy's Steakhouse / Cheesecake Factory / & Dukes (located in the outrigger hotel).

In my opinion this hotel offers the best of both worlds. During the days we would relax at the beach / pool and at night we had a great selection of food & nightlife to choose from.