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".

We stayed at the HGVC Waikoloa on the Big Island in 2006, and loved it. It was brand-new and we had purchased our timeshare while on our honeymoon in 2004!

The Big Island truly is paradise. We drove all over the island both times we were there, and that is the only way to go. All sides of the island are different and diverse, from coffee plantations to volcanoes to waterfalls to beaches with green sand. You must see both the Kona side and the Hilo side. We also toured the macadamia nut factory on our second trip, and it was really cool to see acres and acres of macadamia nut trees. We also snorkeled on our second trip at three different places on the Big Island, and highly recommend that. My husband and brother-in-law saw sea turtles (I really wanted to see that) underneath the water, but we did see incredible fish everywhere. Hawaii has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, and you will leave all of your stress on the mainland once you get there. Also, see a luau...another awesome experience. There are SO many more places and things to do.

Pick up a blue book called "Hawaii—The Big Island Revealed." This is one of the best books written about the Big Island and gives you all sorts of tips about places to eat and places to see, as well as the best beaches. This is a must have! Enjoy your trip to paradise...we WILL be back!

It had a very comfortable king-size bed and a very spacious bathroom.