Retreat to Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort

To Stay or Not to Stay?

There is some concern these days about what will transpire within the properties, now that the Blackstone Group has taken over: http://www.blackstone.com/news/press_releases/10-24-2007.pdf

Even the man standing in front of me, waiting in line for services at the Front Desk of The Hilton Waikoloa Village asked me what I thought of the hotel. He had researched the property online and had seen some negative traveler remarks. I told him we had arrived the day before and one has to weight those comments against one’s own experience. You will never find any property where every guest is 100% satisfied. And, one can always find "something" wrong, if you look hard enough. But the bottom line, is
WOULD YOU RETURN?

There are many hotel choices vying for customer dollars, and with those choices, guests become more discerning. It has always vexed me that knowing that, why do so many properties leave the one guest experience that is most important, to chance? Customer Service!

With a transition such as the acquisition of Hilton by The Blackstone Group, there is always some adjustment and assessment period. What the outcome will be, we do not know yet. I can tell you what my personal experience was.

There are many pluses about this beautiful 62-acre property. It is an expansive resort, which requires a large workforce and most of the employees we encountered were pleasant and accommodating. The property is self-contained in that it has 8 full-service restaurants of varying cuisines. It is fully equipped for large conventions and has a multitude of activities to keep the family amused while Mom or Dad is in meetings. For the full vacation leisure traveler, it offers a to-die-for spa. The resort is home to two championship golf courses, which run along the beautiful Kohala Coast. The Hilton Waikoloa also offers a 30,000 sq. ft. seaside putting course. But most probably, the main draw of this scenic and tropical destination is without a doubt, its Dolphin Quest program. The opportunity to swim with these beautiful and docile creatures is not to be missed. Though the greater participation is by children, it is open to anyone wishing to learn more about these intelligent creatures.

The guestrooms are quite pleasant - being spacious and well appointed. They are outfitted with high-speed connection, guest safe, mini-refrigerator, hairdryer, iron and ironing board and spacious desk area. There are three large guest towers across the property (Ocean Tower, Palace Tower and Lagoon Tower). Due to the great distance from one end of the property to the other, both a rail tram as well as a water taxi, both shuttling guests to various points, serve the resort. But Hilton Waikoloa makes walking too, a pleasant experience for anyone wishing to navigate on foot. They have devoted one of the open "corridors" to Asian island artifacts and art. It is referred to as the Museum Walkway. The grounds are immaculately maintained and are a delight to stroll.

In the end, although we saw room for improvement at some levels, I will answer the question I posed as my bottom line: WOULD I RETURN? My answer is a resounding, "YES".

A Delicious Haven on The Big Island


I recently accompanied my husband to The Big Island of Hawaii for a conference he was attending. Anyone who’s been in that position knows that the food offered at those events can sometimes be, well…let’s just say, uninspired. Though hotel food has improved vastly over the last 5 years in particular, it’s nice to go off property and venture out on your own to try the local fare.

So, it was with great anticipation and curiosity that we accompanied some friends to Tommy Bahama’s Café, located in Mauna Lani. It was our first experience at the venue, though I later learned that it was but one of 10 locations – the others being located in California and Florida. It turned out to be one of the most delightful "discoveries" we’ve made. The atmosphere, as you would imagine, is very tropical and Hawaii offers the perfect setting for the Tommy Bahama theme, both in its clothing and food lines.

As we were seated at our table, we noticed the completely open-air style of the restaurant. Due to the island’s year-round balmy temperature, one can enjoy the tropical breezes wafting through the restaurant, with the doors and windows thrown open. The island motif is handsomely displayed in the overall décor as well. All the appointments seem to be perfectly chosen to put you in a comfortable and relaxed frame of mind for your meal. I looked up at the lighting fixture over our table to find them decorated in the most enchanting style - with seashells.

The menu is full of delicious fish offerings, as you might expect, in a locale that specializes in some wonderful Pacific catches. I was particularly fond of their coconut shrimp appetizer. The entrees are wonderfully light and refreshing. I had their seared ahi tuna salad - which consisted of perfectly sliced pieces of lightly-seared rare tuna, placed on top of a bed of fresh spinach leaves in a soy-ginger dressing. This was washed down with one of their expertly mixed Mai Tai cocktails….YUM!

There was no sense of being rushed or hurried. The staff was well-trained, efficient and (most important) friendly. In judging a restaurant, the bottom line assessment is: "would you return?". The answer in our minds was quite clear: "YES". So, we did…the very nice day. If you’re ever in one of their 10 locations, don’t miss out on a unique dining experience. In Hawaii, the café is located directly over their clothing establishment, which made it particularly convenient to do some after-lunch shopping – and who doesn’t love shopping at Tommy Bahama’s?