We stayed in the Tapa Tower. The room was nice, with a king-size bed and a wet-bar, and the view from the balcony was breathtaking. During the day, it was a perfect ocean view, and at night, the city lights were awesome. However, if you expect to hear the surf, think again! Two words come to mind when describing the sound you hear when relaxing on the balcony: noise pollution. The noise of the buses, trolley horns, and the beeping signaling a vehicle backing up are the only sounds you will hear. As the sun sets and the traffic begins to slow, the sounds are replaced by the various "live entertainment" shows at the hotels. If you want to hear the ocean, you need to be up at 3am, which should not be a problem on the first or even second night, as the six-hour time change from EST is difficult to get accustomed to. On the positive side, the grounds are beautiful, and there are stores and several restaurants to choose from.

As it was our honeymoon, after one night in a stuffy, cramped condo, we decided to move to the Hilton, to one of their timeshare Lagoon Tower condos. As we weren't interested in timeshare, we were concerned we may have to hear a sales pitch or something, but as it turned out, it was just like staying in a regular hotel room.

The condo we had was gorgeous; it consisted of a modern kitchen with everything you'd need, a good-size bathroom, a large bedroom with TV, a dining area with dining table, and a good-size living room. It had an average size balcony with a table and chairs if you wanted to sit out in the evening.

The pools were gorgeous: there was one strictly for the timeshare Lagoon tower, the large Super pool, and the Tapa pool, which is smaller. Both the Super and the Lagoon pools close quite early (around 6?), but the Tapa pool is open later. All the pools are busy during the day, so if you are looking for a peaceful pool with no one at it, this probably isn't the place. There is enough space however, so it doesn't feel really crowded.

There is a beach along the front of the Hilton as well that is very clean and manicured as well as many (overpriced) stores. Avoid these stores, as the same merchandise is much cheaper when you go into Waikiki.

We walked to and from Waikiki quite a bit and I'd say it was about a 15-minute walk. It's a nice walk, and when you are on vacation, it's no big deal. It does get quite hot though, so bring some water if you are walking in the heat of the day.

We did try the buffet breakfast one morning. I believe it was in the Rainbow Lanai. It was very good and there was a wide range of options.

If you are around on Friday nights, the Hilton puts on a fireworks show. We were at the Honolulu Business Center street party however and missed them, but I'm sure they were beautifully done, like everything else at the Hilton!

The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a wonderful resort. They welcome you at check-in with a delicious pineapple beverage as you wait in line to register. Although the lines were long, they were very quick, efficient, and friendly when getting everyone their rooms. One hint: if you have Hilton Honors, you will get faster service. We know that now. They make your wait in line pleasurable at the very least. Very gracious staff and housekeeping.

We had a room in the Tapa Tower that was wonderful and spacious. The room was listed as partial ocean view, but we considered it a lot of ocean view, along with a lot of city view. No matter which way we looked, we could see ocean or city. The hotel has several towers to choose from and any of several views to go with them. Although we did not eat at any of the restaurants at the hotel for the cost expense, they had several to choose from with great views as well.

They have penguins that they feed at about 8am and 3pm every day--a treat for the young and old alike. Along with the penguins, they also have flamingos, parrots, black swans, and a number of birds that wander about and are a picture to see. Also a delight to the senses are several pools, ponds, and fountains. All of these are very well maintained and cared for.

Don't do as we did and not spend any time at the hotel. We made the mistake of having too much planned and not enough time to just sit back and enjoy the sights and smells of the Hilton and the great beach they have. The valets are talkative and give fast service, and are always quick with a funny story, information, or a joke--a major plus in my book.

Most of the major Waikiki sights are within walking distance or a short taxi ride, if you are like us and short on time. The city bus picks up at the curb, for jaunts around town for just pennies. And it goes quite a distance out from town, with very easy routes to figure out. So, if you are out for a true delight to your senses and a delightful vacation spot, the Hilton has it all.

We were in the Ali tower and had a wonderful view of the beach. The rooms were very comfortable, but not really large. There were complimentary hors d'oeuvres served in the evenings that really hit the spot.

The infamous pink Royal Hawaiian is supposed to be the best on Waikiki but i think you would have to go a long way to beat this Hilton. The whole complex is built on one end of Waikiki beach and has what seems like it's own beach. It is particularly recognisable as the tallest tower of the complex has a huge rainbow mural down the side that faces the beach. It is very visible when flying into the airport. The hotel has a range of bars, restaurants and shops (Harley Davidson, Tiffany & Co. and many other local shops) and a few swimming pools that are set amongst tall palm trees and Koi carp ponds. The wildlife is very abundant, there are huge black and orange fish in all the ponds as well as a separate tropical penguin pond, there are also parrots around the main reception that will return a friendly aloha.

The hotel also offers extra facilities for almost anything you want to do such as T'ai Chi in the morning or will organise any tours or cruises you may want to do. The staff are friendly and very helpful. When I arrived, there were no standard rooms left so I was upgraded for free to the Ali Tower. This executive tower has its own private pool and gym and the rooms are slightly larger. It is also a great hotel for location, literally on Waikiki Beach and only a few minutes walk from local transport and the central shopping district.