Waikiki - Would you stay at HHV or Embassy Suites with Hilton points?

[jillyfish]

We were thrilled to find out we have enough Hilton points accumulated to stay a few nights at Hilton Hawaiian Village. But after reading reviews on Trip Advisor I'm not too sure we want to stay there. :( Embassy Suite is receiving far better, and consistant, reviews and would cost us the same amount of points. We have never been to Hawaii so I am wondering if we would feel like we were missing out on something, the 'Hawaii' experience of being on the beach etc, if we stay at ES instead of HHV. But I certainly do not want to go on a trip of a life time and be disappointed in where we stay - HHV.:o

 

Help!! :eek: Any advice?

[cruiseman40]

Can you split time between hotels? HHV is awesome and very big. Both are great hotels but I always end up goin to HHV more often to use some of restaurants, private beach, and watch friday nite fireworks. ES is in the heart of Waikiki, but 2 blocks from beach. Great thing about Waikiki is that there's a lot of shopping and close to Intl Market Place. You won't miss out on something regardless where you stay! Have fun on your trip.

 

 

 

 

We were thrilled to find out we have enough Hilton points accumulated to stay a few nights at Hilton Hawaiian Village. But after reading reviews on Trip Advisor I'm not too sure we want to stay there. :( Embassy Suite is receiving far better, and consistant, reviews and would cost us the same amount of points. We have never been to Hawaii so I am wondering if we would feel like we were missing out on something, the 'Hawaii' experience of being on the beach etc, if we stay at ES instead of HHV. But I certainly do not want to go on a trip of a life time and be disappointed in where we stay - HHV.:o

 

Help!! :eek: Any advice?

[jillyfish]

Can you split time between hotels? HHV is awesome and very big. Both are great hotels but I always end up goin to HHV more often to use some of restaurants, private beach, and watch friday nite fireworks. ES is in the heart of Waikiki, but 2 blocks from beach. Great thing about Waikiki is that there's a lot of shopping and close to Intl Market Place. You won't miss out on something regardless where you stay! Have fun on your trip.

Yes, splitting our time is a possibility.

 

From what I have read the conclusion I am coming to is that ES has much nicer accomodations and customer service. HHV is location, location, location.

 

[JC in CA]

We stayed at the ES in summer '07 before our cruise. We are a family of 4- with 2 teen age daughters. The suite at the ES was perfect for us. the breakfast was fantastic- a much larger selection then I have seen at other ES's. I have never stayed at HHV- so can't compare. If we go back- we will definitely consider the ES again!

-JC in CA

[msmusic]

Hi Jillyfish,

I'll be able to give you a comparison after mid-June when we stay at Embassy Suites after our cruise. We stayed at HHV for 7 nights in 2007. Will you be traveling with children? What are their ages? Our daughters were 11 and 12. It was very nice to have the beach right there and they enjoyed the pools. We found the restaurants to be quite expensive. The grounds are very pretty and we visited the penguins every day. Our room was in the tower farthest away from the beach. It had a terrible view but was quite spacious. We choose the Embassy Suites for our one night stay after the cruise because of the suites (the girls are teenagers now) and also, since a nice breakfast is included, it will be easier with our group of 9. With younger children, I would probably recommend HHV due to being able to go to the beach without worrying about traffic and better pools. BTW, my screen pic was taken at the HHV. We walked around the property taking pictures of our daughters' teddy bears doing various activities around the hotel. These are some of our most popular vacation pics.

[jillyfish]

Hi Jillyfish,

I'll be able to give you a comparison after mid-June when we stay at Embassy Suites after our cruise. We stayed at HHV for 7 nights in 2007. Will you be traveling with children? What are their ages? Our daughters were 11 and 12. It was very nice to have the beach right there and they enjoyed the pools. We found the restaurants to be quite expensive. The grounds are very pretty and we visited the penguins every day. Our room was in the tower farthest away from the beach. It had a terrible view but was quite spacious. We choose the Embassy Suites for our one night stay after the cruise because of the suites (the girls are teenagers now) and also, since a nice breakfast is included, it will be easier with our group of 9. With younger children, I would probably recommend HHV due to being able to go to the beach without worrying about traffic and better pools. BTW, my screen pic was taken at the HHV. We walked around the property taking pictures of our daughters' teddy bears doing various activities around the hotel. These are some of our most popular vacation pics.

The beach and the pools at HHV are definately in the plus column. I will look forward to your comparison to ES when you return!! :)

 

[hillside]

Anyone want to weigh in on a list of good, moderately priced hotels in Waikiki pre cruise? Thanks in advance.

[bruinlvr]

If you are using points, are you HH gold? At the HHV they upgraded us to a corner room in the rainbow tower as gold members. The room was fantastic. Wraparound balcony, beach front and Diamondhead views, and the fireworks were right on top of us. Also as gold members, breakfast is included.

 

The only drawback at the HHV is Chair hogs at the main pool. At 10 in the morning all of the chair and lounges are "reserved" with flip flops, books, Tshirts etc. And these hogs are mean when they come back hours later to discover that you have moved their stuff. And the attendants could care less!

 

Haven't been to the ES but I would highly recommend the HHV with it's proximity to the beach and all the resort amenities.

[lambs2]

HHV gets my vote too! The Friday night Hawaiian show and the fireworks are so worth staying there to participate in!

[JohnL1935]

Jillyfish: We just got back last weekend after 8 nights at the Lagoon Tower at HHV. A new pool area has opened along side the Lagoon and it was loaded with families with kids. It has 2 jacuzzis, and tunnel slides going between different levels of the pools. The lagoon is next to the Rainbow/Lagoon Towers and this is salt water that is recycled several times a day. If you have children they will have a ball with all the facilities available. Only downside is that every chaise is "taken" early in the morning--but that leaves more space at the large main pool. Because of the recession there seemed to be fewer people on the grounds than in the past. That should allow you a better room location in one of the towers.

 

No matter what your choice, you'll have a memorable experience.

 

John L.

[doglover5]

HHV-hands down one of my favorite hotels. Lots to do, see, eat and pricely shopping!

[Alanscruise]

We were thrilled to find out we have enough Hilton points accumulated to stay a few nights at Hilton Hawaiian Village. But after reading reviews on Trip Advisor I'm not too sure we want to stay there. :( Embassy Suite is receiving far better, and consistant, reviews and would cost us the same amount of points. We have never been to Hawaii so I am wondering if we would feel like we were missing out on something, the 'Hawaii' experience of being on the beach etc, if we stay at ES instead of HHV. But I certainly do not want to go on a trip of a life time and be disappointed in where we stay - HHV.:o

 

Help!! :eek: Any advice?

Well I have been to both. The nice thing about the Embassy Suites is the location. It is closer to the center of Waikiki. You can walk to everything. This also means you are in a very busy area and the street can be noisy. A half block to the beach and the Halekulani Hotel for sunset cocktails. A couple of blocks to the Royal Hawaiian and its big shopping center. Right downstairs is Beach Walk with lots of restaurants and shops.

 

Then there is the Hawaiian Village. A 10 minute walk on the other side of Fort DeRussy means a more removed and quite location. It is a beautiful and HUGE hotel with many different towers. I have stayed in the Alii Tower which is a deluxe hotel within a hotel and the Tapa Tower. Both had wonderful rooms. There is a great tropical pool, lots of lounges and restaurants, shops. It is fully self contained and you need not ever leave the property. There are fireworks on friday nights over the water.

 

If this is your first time and you want to see a bit more of Waikiki, choose the Embassy Suites for location. Have a stroll to the Royal Hawaiian, Moana, and Halekulani Hotels and see the best of Waikiki.

 

Either way aloha and have a wonderful stay. Both hotels offer very good and friendly service.

[jillyfish]

If you are using points, are you HH gold? At the HHV they upgraded us to a corner room in the rainbow tower as gold members. The room was fantastic. Wraparound balcony, beach front and Diamondhead views, and the fireworks were right on top of us. Also as gold members, breakfast is included.

 

 

 

Yes, I am HH gold but from what I've read about lack of customer service etc I wasn't anticipating an upgrade. It states 'standard room'. Also, I wasn't expecting breakfast to be included, was it continental breakfast? and was this confirmed when you made your reservation that breakfast was included? Also, one more question :D what time of year did you stay at HHV?

[mikaula]

HHV would be my choice. I love the grounds there and like others have said...location...location...location.

[Sailing Girl]

We are also HH Gold and you will get a free continental breakfast at HHV if you have selected "Receive a space-available room upgrade and complimentary Continental breakfast" on your VIP Profile on the Hilton Honors website. We called down to HHV and they told us that we could upgrade to a hot breakfast for $10 per person per day.

 

We are going back to Oahu for the second time next week and we're going to go back to the HHV again. We really enjoyed the feel of the resort as opposed to being right in the middle of Waikiki.

 

Really it's all about what you're looking for on your vacation as both properties have their advantages. ES will put you right in the middle of the new Beachwalk shopping and closer to Waikiki beach. HHV has better pools, beach access and the grounds are wonderful to walk around and enjoy and the Friday night show and fireworks are fun to watch.

[sanjim]

We choose the HHV because we had only one day before our 12 day cruise, this was about a year and a half ago. At that time the Pride of Aloha was doing 12 day crusies, we had overnights in each of the 4 islands and actually 3 days on Maui. The best part is the price was only 599 plus tax, inside. Our short say at HHV was nice and the big reason I stayed there is the Hula Show and firworks on Friday Night. But the big surprise was the free food. We got to the bar and ate enough for us not to go out to eat for dinner that night. However we were tired and did not leave the HHV grounds at all that night just walked around the various shops and went to bed tired and beat. We got up early around 5 AM and enjoyed the beach for a few hours and the pools. Had breakfast at the buffet about 50 bucks but it was included in the room rate, It was ok but not worth the money. Checked out at 11 AM All in all the HHV is nice over priced but nice. Had it not been for ariving on a Friday I would not have choosen the HHV. Since we saw the Hula Show we did not attend any of the Hawaian Shows on the Islands so this saved us alot of money in the long run.

[jillyfish]

We are also HH Gold and you will get a free continental breakfast at HHV if you have selected "Receive a space-available room upgrade and complimentary Continental breakfast" on your VIP Profile on the Hilton Honors website. We called down to HHV and they told us that we could upgrade to a hot breakfast for $10 per person per day.

 

We are going back to Oahu for the second time next week and we're going to go back to the HHV again. We really enjoyed the feel of the resort as opposed to being right in the middle of Waikiki.

Since we will be using points I didn't think the VIP benefits would apply. I did call Hilton Honors, after reading the OP post, and they confirmed the benefits DO apply whether it is a revenue stay or non-revenue!!!! Woooo Whoooo!! :D

 

Thanks for the tip on upgrading to a hot breakfast for $10 ea. How long ago was it that you stayed and were able to upgrade the breakfast for $10? Did you also get a room upgrade?

 

Have a wonderful time!! I am getting really excited about going after reading everyone's posts here!!

[Sailing Girl]

We weren't HH Gold the last time we went to HHV, however I called the property a few weeks ago to confirm the $10 charge for an upgrade to a hot breakfast. For the same reason, we weren't given a room upgrade, so we'll see what happens this time.

 

We stayed in the Alii tower last time and we're doing the same again, we love the extra perks of the tower and the evening appetizers saved us a lot of money as we then ate a light dinner. Some nights we even skipped dinner after the appetizers and went straight for the ice cream!! The balcony for the tower is a great spot to sit and watch the Friday night show and fireworks.

 

HH points won't allow you to stay in the Alii tower and there was no way for us to upgrade with extra points, so we're using the 50 days of Aloha offer for HHV and then spending our last night at the ES using points. That way we can enjoy the resort and then spend one night near the Beachwalk to explore that area of Waikiki before we leave to fly back.

 

We're going to save our points for San Diego for a pre and post cruise later this year.

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

We have stayed at both the HHV and Embassy the last several times we have been there. I would go back to the Embassy if I had to use our HHonors points. The pool is great on the fourth floor, where the hot breakfast and evening reception are located. The evening reception had great local entertainment as well. The HHV is just a long block+ away, and may be a bit quieter, but it is also that same long block away from the rest of Waikiki. Only the Ali'i tower at HHV will come with breakfast etc. Enjoy. Aloha!

[Sailing Girl]

When we called HHV we didin't specifiy which tower we wanted to stay in just that we were HHV Gold and they verified that a continental breakfast was available. For the $10 hot breakfast upgrade they said we would need to go to one of the restaurants on site, however I forget which one it is. There used to be 2, however I heard on another post that one of the restaurants was no longer serving breakfast. I

 

know they serve a continental breakfast at the Alii tower, however as HH Gold, we are entitled and have always received the benefit no matter where we have stayed on any of the Hilton properties. The breakfast wasn't a deciding factor on where to stay, we decided on the HHV for the resort feel, the new pool in the Lagoon, and the wonderful beach just a few steps away.

 

We only had enough points for 1 night in Hawaii and HHV wouldn't let us spend our last night there in the Alii tower, so instead of paying for the room we opted to move to the Embassy. We're going to have a rental car, so it's just a small hassle for a free hotel stay.

[jillyfish]

We weren't HH Gold the last time we went to HHV, however I called the property a few weeks ago to confirm the $10 charge for an upgrade to a hot breakfast. For the same reason, we weren't given a room upgrade, so we'll see what happens this time.

 

We stayed in the Alii tower last time and we're doing the same again, we love the extra perks of the tower and the evening appetizers saved us a lot of money as we then ate a light dinner. Some nights we even skipped dinner after the appetizers and went straight for the ice cream!! The balcony for the tower is a great spot to sit and watch the Friday night show and fireworks.

 

HH points won't allow you to stay in the Alii tower and there was no way for us to upgrade with extra points, so we're using the 50 days of Aloha offer for HHV and then spending our last night at the ES using points. That way we can enjoy the resort and then spend one night near the Beachwalk to explore that area of Waikiki before we leave to fly back.

 

We're going to save our points for San Diego for a pre and post cruise later this year.

If you were not HH Gold on your last visit then I guess the continental breakfast was part of the Alii tower. ?? So, I wonder if the $10 upgrade, for hot breakfast, would apply for an award stay in any of the other towers. Did you find out what towers they do book the HH point guests in? --thanks!! :)

[jillyfish]

When we called HHV we didin't specifiy which tower we wanted to stay in just that we were HHV Gold and they verified that a continental breakfast was available. For the $10 hot breakfast upgrade they said we would need to go to one of the restaurants on site, however I forget which one it is. There used to be 2, however I heard on another post that one of the restaurants was no longer serving breakfast. I

 

know they serve a continental breakfast at the Alii tower, however as HH Gold, we are entitled and have always received the benefit no matter where we have stayed on any of the Hilton properties. The breakfast wasn't a deciding factor on where to stay, we decided on the HHV for the resort feel, the new pool in the Lagoon, and the wonderful beach just a few steps away.

 

We only had enough points for 1 night in Hawaii and HHV wouldn't let us spend our last night there in the Alii tower, so instead of paying for the room we opted to move to the Embassy. We're going to have a rental car, so it's just a small hassle for a free hotel stay.

Ok, that's weird it seems like you posted your reply before I even hit submit on my post after yours. :confused:

 

...................anyway..............will you please post on this thread about your stay at both locations after you return?

 

We may stay at HHV for a few nights, go to Maui, then return to Oahu and stay at ES a couple of nights. Haven't figured the whole thing out yet. :o

[Sailing Girl]

We didn't eat breakfast on the property the last time we were there. We at at Eggs n Things or other places off site while we were touring the Island.

 

I will find out the details on breakfast at HHV without booking the Alii tower and where they put HH Gold card folks while we're down there. With the economy the way it is, I have heard about some good upgrades on these boards. We booked a resort room in Alii, so we'll see if we get upgraded or not.

 

We'll be in Waikiki May 1-7th, so I'll report back on this thread when we get back. We love to stay at the ES whenever we travel, however the HHV is such a nice resort, we want to stay there again. We were in Maui in 04 and rented a condo for the week right on the beach, we just opened the patio door and slept listening to the ocean breezes all night.

[jillyfish]

Thanks Sailing Girl!! I will look forward to any info you will be able to provide on your return. Have a wonderful vacation!!! :)

[ladyw]

I am intersted the breakfast information too -- we are booked in August in the ali tower -- I am HH but not HH GOLD.