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

[Sailing Girl]

I'll find out the info about the cost of breakfast at Alii without being HH Gold and report on this thread when we get back. What I remember of my conversation with the property was that we could eat the Continental breakfast at the Alii tower for free, but had to go to another restaurant on site and pay the $10 a head to upgrade. I'm personally not a breakfast person, but hubby wants a hot meal in the morning. I'll let you know what's included in the continental and also let you know what they're serving at the evening munchies at Alii.

[Sailing Girl]

We're back from a wonderful week in Waikiki, lots of sunshine and lighter crowds than I remember from our last trip.

 

My advice for using HH points with Gold status would be to stay at the ES

 

Here's my opinion of HHV vs ES using Hilton Points. To make a long story short, after staying at both properties, my original opinion has changed and I would recommend that you only stay at ES and take a short stroll down to HHV to walk around the property or see the Friday fireworks show. There's a sidewalk next to the beach that makes the walk a very short and pleasant stroll.

 

We checked out of the HHV after our first night and rebooked over to the ES for the rest of our stay. The grounds are pretty, the room was nice, however the customer service, especially at the registration desk at the HHV was horrible. They were so rude to us. We had to fight for 45 minutes with the desk clerk insisting that we did not want a room upgrade overlooking the alley where delivery and garbage trucks go by and right by the Tropics Bar where jackhammering construction is still going on. My husband moved the luggage over to a corner, which unfortunately was in front of the Manager's desk and she told him that he had been standing there too long and that he was too move the luggage away from the front of her desk. He suggested that she help me with the problem at the reception desk and she declined to assist. We finally got a room overlooking the resort gardens as we had originally booked, but what a struggle. The welcoming fruit plate was not waiting for us and after 2 tries with management to have it sent to our room we gave up asking for it. Also, the pools closed at 7:30. Both spas at the new lagoon pool were inoperable and I heard the guests ask the employees 3 times to assist and they just said they weren't working and walked away without doing anything to resolve the problem.

 

Breakfast at the HHV for HH Gold was pitiful. The opened up a VIP lounge in the Rainbow tower and breakfast is a cold hard boiled egg, fruit and a miniscule pastry. It was really pathetic. They said they had stopped the upgrade to a hot breakfast a few weeks ago and they would not honor what we had been promised on the phone. We said we were upset and that we were going to check out and Kevin on the registration desk said, "I don't care what you do, go ahead and check out" We've never been treated like this at any other Hilton Property.

 

So we called the ES (a 1/2 mile down the road) and they let us check in immediately even though it wasn't quite 8:00 in the morning and graciously let us go to breakfast at their property. We loved our stay at the ES. Breakfast is free and wonderful, the basics are there everyday, however they switch out between hash, ham, french toast etc so there's a lot of variety.

 

The evening Manager's reception was good too. Veggies, chips, and popcorn most nights, extras were thrown in such as chili, or pizza. Again, it varied from night to night. The bartenders were very generous with mixing the drinks. It wouldn't subsitute for dinner, but it was yummy for appetizers and sitting down listening to the evening live music.

 

The extra room in the suites were great for a week's stay. Free internet, and coin laundry on site. The pool and a really great hot tub was open until 10PM. The customer service from all of the employees we met was top notch, everyone had a smile on their face and did whatever they could to assist you.

 

The location of the ES was much more convenient. The new Beachwalk shopping area is right outside the front door, and the beach is just a short walk away, just across the street. There are many more affordable restaurants in that area even by Waikiki prices, so we didn't have to haul the rental car out to get a bite to eat. In fact, we tried out the Shorebird for dinner and loved it so much we went back again. We dined beachfront watching the sunset.....

 

Here's the breakfast breakdown if you want to pay for it at HHV.

 

Alii Tower $21.95 for an adult continental breakfast

Poolside $15.95 for an adult continental breakfast

The Rainbow Lanai has a full breakfast - we never got the exact price, somewhere in the $35-$40 a head range.

 

We were so disappointed with the the rudeness and lack of customer service at HHV. I did read the negative reviews, but thought that HHG status and staying at the Alii tower would spare us from any problems, however it didn't. I am very happy that we left HHV and stayed at the ES.

[NYAustinGal]

This is our first time in Hawaii and we're using Hilton Points to stay at ES the night before our cruise on POA. Since our 16 yr. old son is with us, the room configuration of ES really works out well for us and hubby and son love their breakfast (as do I) ... plus I think we're going to be pretty exhausted and just walking around and checking stuff out will be fun. The HHV sounds beautiful though.

[Preds]

We've stayed at both. In 2007 we spent 4 nights at HHV. It was decent, but not spectacular in any way. We got "free" Continental Breakfast for being in the Alii tower with our Gold Status, but it was VERY weak. We weren't too fond of the location to the hub of Waikiki... it's a LONG walk. I will say, we did prefer the HHV over the Hilton Waikaloa where we also spent 4 nights in 2007. We found HWV to be too isolated from anything outside the resort, and the resort pricing for food and whatnot was ridiculous. We also felt the resort was way too large. The grounds are pretty and all, but wouldn't recommend it unless you never plan to leave the resort, and don't mind paying $9 for a bagel w/cream cheese (no joke).

 

Last month we spent 4 nights at the Embassy Suites Beachwalk, and LOVED it. Great location. The Beachwalk area was alive with activity and offered many dining and shopping options. The center of Waikiki was a 5-10 minute walk, the beaches (if that's your thing) are only a couple blocks away. The rooms were a good size, the views of Diamondhead were very good (even in the Aloha tower), the valet parking was quick and efficient (though a bit pricey at $25 a day). Finally, the free cooked to order breakfasts are phenomenal (including yummy macademia nut pancakes).

 

IMO, the ES is a significantly better choice than the HHV. In fact, we're going back next February and just booked a 7 night reward at the ES Beachwalk.

[NYAustinGal]

Oh wow ... you guys are making me feel great that we chose to use our points at the ES.

[Sailing Girl]

A funny thing I forgot to mention, was that the day before we left the Honolulu newspaper printed a story on the front page about how HHV was losing business due to low tourism and corporations cancelling business meetings/retreats.

 

We have travel a lot and always stay at Hilton properties, usually ES and we have always felt valued as a customer whether we were paying or using points.

 

HHV was the first time we have ever had to fight and argue with a property and we were paying customers this time. I mentioned to Kevin when we were checking out that I was going to post my opinion of the problems with customer service at HHV and his response again was "go ahead, I don't care what you do".

 

So for all that are reading this thread, beware of the issues with customer service at the HHV and go to ES if you want to be treated well and with a smile!!

[Preds]

So for all that are reading this thread, beware of the issues with customer service at the HHV and go to ES if you want to be treated well and with a smile!!

Not to mention a free champagne cocktail while checking in!

[NYAustinGal]

Not to mention a free champagne cocktail while checking in!

 

 

Oooooh Baby, I am so there!

[cruising forever]

We stayed at HHV a few years ago with very similar results; beautiful grounds but a definite lack of customer service!! We were Silver at the time and had a room in the Rainbow Tower.......

 

I can't remember the particulars, but do recall that we didn't get what we had been promised either. If only we'd known about the ES then!

[jillyfish]

Sailing Girl -- I just remembered you should be back by now. Thanks so much for taking the time to post your lengthy comparision/review. It really is the similiar conclusion I had come to after reading the reviews of both on Tripadvisor. Seems ES would provide better amenities and service. I am so glad to hear your opinion from actually being at both all during a one week time period.

 

Hilton Hawaiian Village is not actually owned by Hilton, correct? I think I had read that somewhere. Could be the reason for the discrepancy in customer service. Too bad they are not providing a quality product.

 

Keep the comments/comparisions coming!!

 

P.S. Sailing Girl -- What floor did you stay on at ES and what was your view like there? Any photos to share? --thanks!

[czechgal]

Sailing Girl,

 

Did you contact Hilton regarding your stay at HHV and the lack of customer service? I was wondering if you did, what was the response, if any?

 

My husband and I were considering a stay there, but after your review, I am really thinking of finding another property to stay at!

 

Thanks for all of the great information!

 

Lisa

[Sailing Girl]

czechgal,

 

I'm going to be calling HH today to complain about what happened at HHV.

 

We got back late last week and I didn't want to call HH over the weekend. I wanted to wait until today when the M-F staff is working. I'll report back on this thread what they had to say.

[Sailing Girl]

jillyfish,

 

I had also heard that Hilton sold out and that the employees were upset with all of the changes that affected them, but I can't remember who the buyer was. That doesn't excuse the staff from such blatant rudeness and walking around with a chip on their shoulder. Especially for the prices that you pay at the HHV. The way you are treated as a customer is just night and day from the HHV and the ES.

 

One other point, we could never get a lounge chair by the pool at HHV, they were always "reserved" with towels and no guests in sight. It was never a problem at the ES.

 

We stayed on a low floor at the ES as Hubby doesn't like heights, and because of that not much of a view. But again that was our choice, there are 21 stories in the property, so you just need to be higher up for the ocean view!!

[czechgal]

Thank you Sailing Girl, I know it's a pain to get back into a routine after a vacation, deal with reporting poor customer service, then report to us.

 

ANYWAY, it is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks again!

 

Lisa

[SPARKLE10]

Hi::)

 

We booked HHV for two days after our RCCL Rhapsody cruise this September and it looked like a great place to stay....now I'm wondering if I should try and change our reservation to the ES?:confused: We always stay at the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale before we sail from that port and we always enjoy the nightly drinks and hot breakfast in the morning. We've been to Hawaii numerous times on land and cruise vacations, but we haven't stayed at these two places yet.

 

I'm just wondering if I can change our reservation? We have four months until our cruise, so it should be enough time. What does everyone think?:rolleyes:

 

Thanks.....Happy Cruising....Sparkle 10 (Anita):p

[jillyfish]

Hi::)

 

I'm just wondering if I can change our reservation? We have four months until our cruise, so it should be enough time. What does everyone think?:rolleyes:

 

Thanks.....Happy Cruising....Sparkle 10 (Anita):p

How did you book your reservation? Directly with HHV? Through RCCL? You would need to review your cancellation policy.

 

I bet ES still has rooms available four months from now.

[Sailing Girl]

Sparkle 10,

 

You won't regret booking the ES, not only will it will save you a lot of money with the breakfast and evening receptio, but it is also in a good area of Waikiki with lots to do in the evenings. They're really cleaned up that part of town and the new Beach Walk area is a fun and safe place to walk around in both day and night and it's right off of the lobby area of the ES. It has shopping and dining for all budgets and tastes, we saw anywhere from an ABC store to a Prada designer shop.

 

You can always walk to the HHV and view the property for a few hours if you're curious about the resort and then go back to the ES. I didn't realize how close the two properties were until we got there. The sidewalk that runs by the beach behind Fort DeRussy makes the walk to HHV a very short one and you can look at the ocean all the way - not busy streets with traffic!!

 

We stayed at the ES in Fort Lauderdale a few years back when we cruised out of that port, nice hotel and really close to the port.

 

The ES in Waikiki is the only one that I've seen that is not built around the center atrium, instead it's two towers linked with the lobby in between them. Both towers had easy entrances to the parking, lobby, and pool/breakfast area. And the evening reception is held in the breakfast area near the pool so you can sit inside or take you snacks and drinks out to a comfy lounger by the pool and sit outside while you listen to the music.

 

I really don't want to see anyone else encounter the rudeness that we met with at HHV, we all work too hard for our dollars these days to put up with that when we're on vacation.

 

Also with tourism so low, none of the hotels are full. We saw complete floors at night in both the ES and surrounding hotels that were unoccupied. And you would be moving within the Hilton family of hotels, unless you're locked in with a contract, it shouldn't be any problem to switch without a penalty this far out.

[jillyfish]

Sailing Girl -

Could you tell me about the beach area closest to ES --

Would it be walkable with beach stuff and an 8 year old in tow?

I think I had read the beach area that is closest to ES is rocky, can you comment?

 

I was telling my husband about your experience and the subsequent posts. All he had to say was "but HHV is ON the beach and ES is not" :o We certainly don't plan on spending our whole time at whatever hotel we stay at. But I know his theory is, if we don't want to leave for a day we could stay right there at the beach.

 

Thanks again for all of your time and your detailed posts!! :)

[2Canucks]

Sailing Girl -

Could you tell me about the beach area closest to ES --

Would it be walkable with beach stuff and an 8 year old in tow?

I think I had read the beach area that is closest to ES is rocky, can you comment?

 

I was telling my husband about your experience and the subsequent posts. All he had to say was "but HHV is ON the beach and ES is not" :o We certainly don't plan on spending our whole time at whatever hotel we stay at. But I know his theory is, if we don't want to leave for a day we could stay right there at the beach.

 

Thanks again for all of your time and your detailed posts!! :)

 

 

 

We have just returned home from a 12 night Hawaii Northbound cruise on Celebrity's Millennium and we stayed at the ES for a pre-cruise stay starting April 23/09. This hotel is maybe a 5 minute walk (if that...really close) to a really nice "long" sandy beach...we saw families on this stretch of beach. Water is crystal clear...shallow and real family friendly. The walkway mentioned in a previous post is right there and you can walk a good distance in either direction along this sandy beach. The Breakfast is the BEST we've enjoyed in a ES hotel...lots of choices...great staff. The Manager's Reception was Super...No watered down drinks here...Great sevice and the Bartenders are a blast! No pre mixed drinks here...they offer any drink you desire and they are full bodied! The ES staff we dealt with were ALL really friendly, polite and seemed to really Enjoy their jobs. Also Great shopping area...don't miss the 2nd level too... of the Beachwalk shopping complex. ES has 2 entrances...one on each side of the hotel complex so easy access to the shops. We highly recommend the ES in Honolulu...we had a Great stay there! Also want to mention the Check In Cocktail that you receive while you "Sit" during the Check In process...and we were on the 18th floor with an Ocean view also overlooking the Fort DeBussy Park.

 

 

Pat :)

[Flyingirl]

Hello Sailing Girl-

I was hoping to get a bit more info from you, if you if you don't mind. How did it work changing hotels with the certificate that you have to print? I am a diamond member and we are booked to stay at the HHV this next week before our cruise. Did the HHV issue you another certificate to take to the ES? I am a bit nervous to go after your experience and was wanting to figure out how to switch if needed (On points). Also, was it a Friday night that the pool closed at 730pm? I called the hotel to ask about the closure times of the pool and they told me it was only on Friday's before the fireworks that it closed early. If it was a different night for you I will call and talk to the manager and get the scoop. We will be very dissapointed to have the pools closed and the jacuzzi's not working. Plus, I am dissapointed the way they now do the bfast. Not really excited about a crummy bfast.

Thanks!

[Sailing Girl]

Flyingirl, jillyfish

 

Sorry it took me a bit to respond. We considered the same beach issues between the two properties, but honestly, the walk to the beach from the ES is no longer than the distance from the towers at HHV to the beach. It's easily walkable with a child and if you request the Hula tower, all you have to do is go to the Lobby, cross the street and you're in the lobby of the Outrigger Reef. Walk through the lobby and there is the beach. The beach itself is very sandy and not all rocky. The water does have some rocks in it, however if you walk just a couple of minutes to the right on the other side of the reef, the water is sandy. There's also a shower area to rinse off and bathrooms if you need the facilities. It's a good long stretch of beach much less crowded than what you will encounter at the HHV and Ft DeRussy park is right behind the beach with grassy shaded areas and picnic areas to eat at. There's a Subway and an ice cream place right behind the beach area for snacks.

 

The HHV Lagoon and Super pool closes every night at 7:30. There's a sign stating the closing time at the new Lagoon pool. We were there on a Friday and they closed the Super pool around 5 to get the chairs ready for the Hula show. The Alii tower where we stayed closes the pool and hot tub nightly at 8:00. We remembered it being open until 10 pm last time we were there and we were shocked to have such an early closing time.

 

It's no problem changing hotels with points. You are issued an reward certificate that you can use at any hotel property at the category level that it is issued at. Both HHV and ES are Category 6 so they are interchangeable. You do have to give HHV 3 days notice that you will not be arriving, and they'll send you an email reminding you of that. I had to do this one other time when our plans changed and I called HH directly and asked them to take care of the details for me.

 

We only had enough points for 1 free night which we had already planned for the ES as we used up all of our points for pre and post cruise at the ES in San Diego last December. We were staying at the HHV on the 50 days of Aloha offer and they would not let us stay the 6th night in the Alii tower on points, so we had decided before we left for our vacation to move to the ES and stay there the last night of our vacation.

 

Check out this video of a vow renewal at the Outrigger Reef to see what the beach area looks like. The large windows in the back of the video are the open air windows of the Shorebird restaurant.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0HwFE2vHEc

 

I've contacted HH in writing and they've responded with apologies and said they would forward my email to the HHV property for resolution within 3 days.

[NYAustinGal]

What are the two different towers at ES and where do I want to be for the best view? Thanks!

[czechgal]

Sailing Girl,

 

Thanks again for all of the info you are posting.

 

Did you post any pictures online that we could view?

 

Lisa

[Flyingirl]

Thanks so much Sailing Girl as I appreciate the information! We have our 4night certificate so I think we will stay at the HHV. For everyone else, we are a couple in our early 40s (no kids) and will be staying at the HHV for 4 nights starting on the 19th of May before our cruise. I will post on our experience when we get back. I am a little apprehensive as I called the hotel to inquire about the closing times of the pools and the lady at the desk said 10pm. So, they already do not have their stuff together- in my opinion. Hopefully it will be a better experience than what others are having!

[jillyfish]

2canucks and sailing girl -

Thanks for the ammo to convince my DH ES is probably the better choice.

Do either of you recall if there were chairs/umbrellas available for rent on this stretch of the beach?