Love the Hilton Waikoloa - here for my husband's company retreat. They did amazing planning with…read morethe hotel. We stayed at the Palace tower. Nice renovations. The boat is no longer operable. There was one tram in service. We did walk most of the time. The hall staff Joseph was so friendly & cheerful with his services. The food was really good as well.

This resort feels like a place that was once incredible but has slowly lost its shine. The best…read morecomparison I can think of is an old theme park that used to be the place to visit--now only a couple of the rides are running, yet admission still costs the same. Would I stay here again? Probably, depending on the circumstances. However, it wouldn't be my first choice. Biggest Issues: -Cleanliness Unfortunately, our room did not feel clean when we arrived. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, a dead cockroach on the floor, dead moths, and noticeable dust buildup along the baseboards and behind the TV. I know some of the rooms have been renovated, but we weren't fortunate enough to receive one of those. - Resort Size & Getting Around This resort is huge, which can be either a positive or a negative depending on where you're staying. One of the biggest disappointments was that the canal boats were not operating. I found out they had been out of service for over a month for maintenance with no estimated reopening date. My kids would have absolutely loved riding them, so that was a letdown. The tram system also needs improvement. If you happen to miss one, expect to wait around 45 minutes for it to come back. It makes several stops across the property, and there really should be two trams running at all times. We had a heavy stroller, and lifting it onto the tram often felt like more work than simply walking. ** Choosing the Right Tower Matters We stayed in the Ocean Tower, which is the farthest from the lobby and most of the restaurants. The upside is that it's closest to the pool with the lazy river and smaller water slides. There's also a pool bar, a coffee shop with pastries and açaí bowls, a small gift shop, and laundry facilities (although every laundry rooms we checked was out of order). Even though we didn't pay for an ocean-view room, we could still see the ocean from our balcony, which was a nice surprise. If I stayed in this tower again, I'd request either a renovated room or a ground-floor room with direct access to Buddha's Point and the pool area. Even getting from our room to the nearby pool felt like a trek. The Palace Tower has the nicest appearance and reminds me of the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. It's centrally located, so nothing is excessively far away. I also heard these rooms have been renovated, making it a good choice if having a nice room is your priority. That said, it's not particularly close to the main attractions besides the Italian restaurant, which is only open for dinner. Personally, I don't think I'd choose this tower. If I came back, I'd most likely stay in the Makai Tower. It's closest to the lagoon, the major pools, and several dining options, making it much easier to get around. It's still not directly next to everything, but there's an elevator that makes getting to the pools and restaurants much easier, especially for anyone using a stroller or wheelchair. Traveling with a stroller made this resort more challenging than I expected. While there are accessible routes, they're often indirect and time-consuming. For example, walking from our room to the Lagoon Grill took over 30 minutes. For families with young children or anyone with mobility limitations, that's something to seriously consider when choosing a room location. Dining Having multiple restaurants on-site was convenient, but the operating hours weren't. The three main restaurants--the fine dining restaurant, Italian restaurant, and Tap Room--only opened for dinner. The breakfast buffet was expensive, although there were less expensive plated breakfast options available until around 10:00 a.m. Between breakfast ending and dinner restaurants opening, it sometimes felt surprisingly difficult to find food late in the morning or early afternoon. The good news is there are several restaurants and shopping centers just a few minutes away, and the resort offers a paid shuttle service if you don't have a car. You could easily spend your entire vacation without leaving the property. Overall, we still had a good trip. The staff was consistently friendly and helpful, and there are definitely things to enjoy about this resort. However, it feels like a property that has enormous potential but could really benefit from better maintenance, improved transportation, and more attention to cleanliness. With a little extra care and investment, I think this resort could become a truly great destination again.

This hotel is beautiful, truly. Everywhere you walk, a breeze follows you so you feel like a…read moreHawaiian model. The entire property is stunning EXCEPT the old tiled walkway to your room with a rolled out carpet runner. That was the only part that was like "finish the design job please" but I get it, #budgets. The room itself is totally fine but walking to the room I was surprised considering how flawlessly stunning, modern and upscale the rest of the grounds are. The valet and reception staff are beautiful, elegant, friendly, upscale. Borrow a cute Mauna Lani bike for free and ride over to the market or the Fairmont for some daytime snorkeling. The gym is well appointed and has a great water machine. The breakfast buffet is well worth the $60pp value. I think I ate enough sashimi to shut up about sashimi prices for a while. Their açaí bowl with house made granola is to die for. Most memorable was making friends with Viola, Hawaii's most valuable Tutu (grandma) at Halani. Her aloha spirit just blessed our entire trip with sunshine and love. I also got to meet Les from the kitchen at Halani and learn about Taro farming! I will forever consider them my new friends from the islands.

Second time coming back ! This experience was even better! Would like to start by saying thank…read moreyou, John for making everything spectacular at the cabana, and going above and beyond . Kelly was my bartender and have to say she was awesome ! You can have her make any cocktail and trust it will be exquisite. I would also like to extend my thank you to Melissa the manager who showed me where morning yoga was and even got my pup a little treat . Amy who was our server excellent .! Everyone here is beyond amazing . Alondra thank you for being so kind to me . This resort is 5 stars! I won't ever stay anywhere else . Mahalo for everything.

The Spa without Walls experience was a treat far beyond the majority of the high priced other…read moreresorts along the Kona Gold Coast. A really incredibly trained masseurs professionals with good energy and support staff as well as an outdoor garden accompanied with the sounds of wild birds and ocean waves that lap you into a trance like state. We recieved a kamaaina discount which we are grateful for. Mahalo to all who made our birthday experience amazing. The champagne offered at the end was a treat. Chocolate strawberries, stunning finish to a glorious day. Mahalo plenty!

Gracious first impression, disappointing follow-through -- particularly considering the stars they…read morecarry. Check-in was warm and the complimentary upgrade lent a genuine sense of hospitality -- one the stay itself never lived up to. The air conditioning was broken and clearly overdue for servicing. Housekeeping was inconsistent at best: personal items had been moved in ways we found inappropriate, bed linens went unchanged for stretches, and the towels bore visible stains on two different occasions. Most concerning was a basic hygiene failure we witnessed directly: a housekeeper handled the trash bin and then, without changing gloves or washing hands, proceeded to handle and place our fresh towels. That is not a lapse in polish -- it is cross-contamination, and at a property of this caliber it points to a gap in training and supervision that guest-facing warmth cannot paper over. We've shared the details with hotel management and trust the Fairmont brand team will want to look into this. One expects a Fairmont to get the fundamentals right. This one did not.

The first time my waited and I stayed here I pulled up to valet to check in...I walked into a…read moremassive lobby area and was stunned by the panoramic view of a glorious December sunset ! I have seen many ocean sunrises and in my lifetime but this view was breathtaking! I had to run back to get my wife to come in just to see the sunset. It was the first impression of this resort which would captivate our senses for the rest of the stay and the next stay, and beyond. As a guest we were treated to 5 star service! The Aloha spirit seems to be in the hearts of all the staff! The Live entertainment on weekends is special, and all you can eat Buffet once a month is worth waiting for! There is so much to do right in the resort from snorkeling and swimming where sea turtles hang out, to enjoying the many pools and spas.....and it is perfectly located to enjoy sunsets, and day trips across the island! Kona is very close and if you love coffee it is a short trip to the many Kona coffee farms! The rooms are spacious, spotless and comfortable ! Room service is immediate and all staff friendly and helpful. I hate to recommend this most perfect of getaways because my wife and I want this place all to ourselves, but this resort, staff, and our gratitude for the experience deserve a 5 star experience rating!

Golf was good but not excellent, about a 3, although we had a lot of fun. But the reason I gave an…read moreoverall 4 rating is because every single person that works there, from the cart staff to the pro shop staff to the course groomers to the beverage cart girl to the bartender were all excellent!! All 5's! Kind, helpful, not snooty whatsoever. Some very thoughtful customer experience details throughout.

We spent a week at this resort in the timeshare wing…read more Unlike other MVCs I've been to, this property is shared. One wing is the timeshare wing, and the other is the hotel wing. Common parking lot and hotel lobby. The reception desk handles both. Pros: * great friendly staff. * coffee shop * restaurant * pool * access to Anaehoomalu Bay aka A-Bay * walking distance to Kings Shops & Queens Marketplace * Sunset Luau M & F * great sunset views Cons: * no cooktop & oven due to conversion from hotel to timeshare concept. * the self parking lot is like a jigsaw puzzle- there are some tandem spaces. Folks parking in one tandem spot. In essence taking up two spaces. Distance wise - it's a1/2 hour drive from and return to KOA. In previous trips we stayed in Kailua-Kona. This was our first time in Waikoloa. Overall great stay.

Randomly I forgot we had a similar experience last year and the same responder Ryan offered a…read morenumber to call but no remedy. If you have a terrible experience, in no way will Marriott do anything to investigate or reconcile. Now that I looked my last year experience was even worse. We were in a room and endured construction work during our entire stay. No refund, no compensation, we didn't even get a return phone call. Crazy too since we have little to no problems at any of the mainland Marriotts, just their island locations. I don't believe whoever Ryan is, is in fact a real person, and if he was and his job was to smooth anything over with unhappy clients, he should be fired. 2 for 2 on poor experiences at locations that are actually really are nice facilities. Being that we stay at least 2-3 days out of every month in some sort of hotel, resort, or airBnB, why is Marriott having such a hard time and none of the other places? Last, I see why we are moving toward automated front desks. Either their policies make the desk the way they are, or there is nobody on the island that can do their jobs. The front desk is so important, and why at my business we take it so seriously. You'd think Marriott would too.

While I was here, in just 36 hours the tram that is supposed to take you from Ocean Tower to the…read moremain entrance and a few other places became useless. This was because of 2 of them collided head-on! How does something like this happen? This has never happened anywhere in my entire life! The worse part was the only way I discovered it was a nice patron told us about it and showed us a picture of it on her phone she took. Otherwise I would have just been waiting around forever for it to show up. There are way better ways to spend time and money on in Kona. Don't spend it here.

Had the best time at this hotel resort. Clean, friendly employees and great amenities. Many things…read morewere available within a 5 mile radius. Shuttles to get you from one stop to the next. I would definitely come back. Family friendly with activities for all throughout the week. Pool hours were til 10p which was nice since we were sightseeing throughout the day. Our location had a nice slide that closed at 5pm . A golf course and lots of critters crawling around, mongoose, lizards, birds and more.

BAD COCKROACH INFESTATION!!…read more We stayed here for 5 nights in Aug 2025 and unfortunately our experience was ruined by a persistent roach infestation inside our unit. On the very first night, we killed six live roaches indoors. Over the next two days, we encountered several more inside--including one crawling near my foot while we were eating at the kitchen table--which terrified my children. We also saw many on the patio, along with ants along the wall near the sliding doors. We were unable to use the patio or keep the doors open for fresh air. Management sent pest control to spray, but the cockroach sightings continued. They offered less than 10% partial compensation, but it didn't make up for losing the ability to relax or feel comfortable in the unit for the majority of our stay. We understand Hawaii has tropical insects, but this went far beyond the occasional sighting. This was a recurring and disruptive issue that affected our enjoyment of the vacation. Management said it's "normal" for Hawaii. Well, I've been coming to Hawaii for decades and I can confidently say this is a bad infestation because I have never before experienced anything like this. Especially at resort (supposedly) of this caliber and price point. And management's response was slow and unsatisfactory. I do NOT recommend this resort. Proceed with caution--especially if considering a ground-level unit.

Recently stayed at 15A . Loved the remodeled floors - fully tiled. Free parking. The unit also…read morecame with additional Hilton Pool access which included validated self parking at the Hilton. We booked direct with the owners who were amazing and helped with some great local suggestions. Super responsive. www.vitaminseahi.com

The property is spectacular, and the views are endless However the highlight for us was employees…read morelike Virgil, who took care of our every need with a smile. Thanks again, Virgil, Tym & Bee Yean

This is most awesome beach ever (I've been to many beaches), and the hotel is very good too…read more One caveat is if you have mobility issues, this might not be the place as there's a bit of up and down stairs to get to the pool and beach. But we enjoy going up stairs for fun. I'm sure they have some accommodation, tho. One disappointment is they don't great each other by saying HaPuna matata. I got blank stares when I tried this. But it is really good pun, no? Food is expensive, out of compound restaurants are distant, so pay and enjoy as it was very good.