I didn't stay here, but we ate dinner here, drank at the bar, listened to the band, and walked around the grounds. The restaurant was so beautiful. I remember eating Caesar salad and ravioli. It was delicious. There was a good band playing in the bar. The grounds are so gorgeous. There was a pond with swans and fish. There was live entertainment on the beach also.

very luxurious, upgraded as Hilton Gold to Rainbow Tower, property is right on the beach, with many shops and restaurants, including a Benihanas. Also located there is Hilton Grand Vacations Club

They don''t call it a village for nothing. This Hilton resort is so big, it deserves its own journal. This is not my kind of hotel - I readily disclose that I only chose the Hilton because I got to stay there for free. That being said, the place is unbelievable. There is no reason to leave the grounds if you don''t want to. They even have a Tiffany''s in case of spur-of-the moment marriage proposals.

For some this is a good thing. There''s always something to do at the Hilton. A sample of activities includes penguin feeding, snorkel lessons, lauhala weaving, ukelele making, torch lighting ceremony, tai chi stretch, lei making class, and Friday night fireworks with a precision rifle drill team. The beach is unremarkable but calm, and though you''re a 10mn walk from the heart of Waikiki, that might not be a bad thing either - the week we were there, Waikiki beach was closed for a day because of shark sightings.

No shortage of places to eat, either. We breakfasted often at Niumalu Café in the brand new Kalia tower. It''s several cuts above the typical hotel dining experience, with soft-voiced waitresses bringing exquisitely prepared banana macnut pancakes, flufffy omelettes, ripe pineapple wedges, and chicken curry manapuas, a local favorite inspired by Portuguese stuffed buns. They also served wonderful, aromatic kona coffee - the perfect start to any morning. We didn''t stick around the hotel for lunch or evening "sunset pupus" at Niumalo, but they looked tasty, too. The other restaurants we sampled (Golden Dragon for Chinese, Tropics Bar for breakfast) were as expected. Fine for an evening when you''re too tired to go out exploring, but what a price you pay for that convenience - an overpriced, Americanized version of dinner, guaranteed neither to disappoint nor to inspire.

I''m hesitant to talk about the rooms, as I was upgraded to a $750 a night suite with decks and ocean views on two sides. Would I have paid that much for the room, even if I had the money? Absolutely not. Though it was extremely large and comfortable, and our views were absolutely spectacular, it was utterly lacking in personality. The regular rooms are done in the same Polynesian-by-way-of-Walmart style, minus the living room, fluffy bathrobes, and other amenities. The grounds, however, are quite an experience. Sprawling pools, trickling waterfalls, unusual looking animals and plants around every corner. Swarming through all this exotica in a near-continuous stampede are the tourists - tons of them, from all over the world.

The fitness center and Mandala Spa had just opened when we visited in September and were not fully operational yet. They are not run by the hotel, so nothing is free and it isn''t cheap, either. If you''re a workout nut, consider a reduced rate multi-day pass to the fitness center, which looks out over the private Kalia Tower pool and the lovely hotel grounds.

This large complex of hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, condos and timeshares occupies roughly 20 acres at the end of Waikiki beach. The buildings are impressive and lavishly decorated, and the grounds are extensively landscaped complete with waterfalls, koi ponds and the ever-present tiki torches. An open air lobby welcomes guests with views to the superpool and ocean beyond, but the roped queue for the reception desk (Hilton Honors members, be sure to find the express line) is a tip-off that this is a mega-resort that is geared to large numbers of tourists.

The desk upgraded us (due to room availability) to the Rainbow Tower, a longtime landmark of Honolulu refurbished to a high level of polish. From the seventh floor, we looked towards town over a lagoon and marina. While the ocean was visible, the rooms across the hall offered a much more impressive vista. More hints of the ever-present money machine greeted us…in-room coffee service for a price and a notice that the souvenir coffee mugs would conveniently be charged to the room if we decided to take them with us. The room itself was comfortable and clean, a standard Hilton room.

The property boasts a large expanse of beach in addition to its man-made charms. Shopping is predictably pricey as are all of the food options. There is also a steady, but subtle, presence of timeshare marketing. The Atlantis submarine tour departs from the Hilton beach area. Entertainment options for the entire family are also available each night. We enjoyed sitting at the poolside bar to watch the torch lighting ceremony at dusk complete with the Hilton rifle honor guard and a South Pacific tour of hula dances.

As a whole, the Hilton is a first rate all inclusive resort. It has the manicured appeal of a theme park. For a family with a generous vacation budget, the Village offers a great mix of activities and options. However, we typically prefer small scale, unique and local establishments.

The room was very spacious with 2 queen beds, dresser, TV, table & chairs (2), spacious bathroom. There was a balcony. Our room had a partial oceanview. Spectaluar views! I highly recommend this hotel. Very large but it has so much to offer.