At Kings' Land this week

PamMo · Oct 25, 2011

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort (hotel) many, many years ago, so it's a lot of fun to come back to the resort, staying at Kings' Land this time. Our 2BR is very nice, and we love the super pool, but it doesn't really feel like we're at the beach - we could be at any golf resort. It's easy to get to great beaches, so it's not a complaint, it's just a different feel from the resorts we own that are right on the ocean. We're here on a RCI exchange, so we feel lucky we got into Kings' Land after a wonderful earlier exchange into the Grand Waikikian. We're very impressed with both Hilton resorts!

We did a quick sales presentation, since we know very little about the HGVC system, and were offered their best deal of $22,500 for an every other year (7,000 points) in Orlando. Hmmmmm....it's going for what now on eBay???? Needless to say, we declined.

If you have any questions about the resort while we're here, I'll do my best to answer them.

ocdb8r · Oct 25, 2011

Pam, what were you offered for attending the presentation?

I agree about the resort. The units are very nice but it's not very beach feeling. I also was not super impressed with the "Super Pool". It's nice and all, but they don't allow pool floats (which to me is lame given the Hilton Resort allows them), there is not a lazy river (contrary to what they say at check-in - a "river" implies some sort of flow from one direction to another, which there is not) and there was no "pool service" when we were there. None of these things is a big deal and the pool is very nice with a couple of waterfalls and a few slides, but I feel like they WAY over hype it. I don't think the points required to stay there are justified given the great (much larger and recently updated) units you can get at the Bay Club. We're pretty conflicted even when both Bay Club and King's Land are available for trade in RCI.

SmithOp · Oct 25, 2011

ocdb8r said:
I don't think the points required to stay there are justified given the great (much larger and recently updated) units you can get at the Bay Club. We're pretty conflicted even when both Bay Club and King's Land are available for trade in RCI.

Ssshhhhh, the Bay Club is our little secret! I paid $17k for a KL unit pre-construction, learned from that mistake and picked up a nice BC deal on eBay.

bevans · Oct 25, 2011

I have to agree with the posts above. My wife and I stayed at Kingsland and the Bay Club last year and except for the pool we prefer the Bay Club. The location of the Bay Club is better, the units are bigger and it takes a lot less points to stay there. I mean who stays in their room in Hawaii and we spend a lot more time at the beach than at the pool. Curt

PamMo · Oct 25, 2011

We were given a discount card for activities as an incentive to listen to the sales presentation. It was actually quick and informative, as we told them we owned Starwood (Maui), and were solely interested in how HGVC points worked with the hotel system.

I agree with others that Bay Club would probably be my value choice if I were using points to stay here at Waikoloa. Why? Bay Club has a private condo feeling vs the sprawling Kings' Land layout, and the large, newly refurbished BC units are really nice! From the road, Kings' Land looks rather "motel-y", and the 2BR design is narrow and deep, with the bedrooms on one side and the hall bath, laundry, kitchen/dining, living, and lanai on the other side. (We preferred the Grand Waikikian's wide layout where the 2nd BR is ensuite, and every room has a view.) And as nice as the super pool is at KL, we have been out exploring the island, so haven't used it much. Families LOVE it, though - parents have to really coax their kids out of it! We would definitely come back here, but if it cost fewer points to get into Bay Club, we'd probably choose that.

rickandcindy23 · Oct 25, 2011

Is there really a train or monorail to move people about the resort? I saw that somewhere and thought it a wonderful idea for a large place.

Luanne · Oct 25, 2011

rickandcindy23 said:
Is there really a train or monorail to move people about the resort? I saw that somewhere and thought it a wonderful idea for a large place.

Are you thinking of the Hilton Waikola resort? If so yes, there is both a monorail and a boat. It only goes from one end of the hotel buildings to the other, but it is a nice way to get around if you're not in a hurry.

HatTrick · Oct 25, 2011

Getting to Your Room at Hilton Waikoloa Village

By tram.

By boat.

ocdb8r · Oct 25, 2011

...but note that the monrail and boat are at the Hilton (Hotel portion) Resort only...not for the timeshare units.

One other thing about Kings' Land I forgot to mention - I found the internet to be DREADFULLY slow. I don't need much, but when even Gmail struggles to load at times, I am not a happy camper.

Speaking of pools, I saw in the recent Bay Club newsletter that they have negotiated a 3-day pool pass at the Hotel resort for $150. Does anyone know if that is per person or per unit? Per unit and I think we'd jump on it...per person would be too much for us.

PamMo · Oct 25, 2011

Yes, within the Hilton hotel area there are trains and boats to get people around. (But the boats are being worked on, so no canal rides for awhile.) There is a shuttle bus to/from the timeshare resorts, or you can drive and park at the hotel. The grounds at the hotel are beautiful, but the lagoon is definitely looking tired. We saw bottles and other garbage in the water, and it just didn't look like an appealing place to swim.

Luanne · Oct 25, 2011

ocdb8r said:
...but note that the monrail and boat are at the Hilton (Hotel portion) Resort only...not for the timeshare units.

Correct, however anyone can ride them when visiting the hotel.

GregT · Oct 25, 2011

ocdb8r said:
Speaking of pools, I saw in the recent Bay Club newsletter that they have negotiated a 3-day pool pass at the Hotel resort for $150. Does anyone know if that is per person or per unit? Per unit and I think we'd jump on it...per person would be too much for us.

I do not know, but the old price was approx $85/day for a family of 4, so $150 for 3 days probably gets the same Family of 4?

This would be a good feature, because Bay Club is a very easy walk to the hotel....

Thanks for pointing this out,

Greg

MuranoJo · Oct 25, 2011

I also agree with Pam, having been to KL just over a month ago. It's definitely a golf resort (and we knew not to expect a beach resort), and we were 'so-so' with the big pool. We did like the little Serenity pool closer to where we were staying, and if I had it to do over again, I'd ask for a room on the ground floor close to that smaller pool where we could just walk out and take a dip or get in the hot tub.

Somehow, I was thinking the monorail ran by KL, but not so as previously mentioned. They do have a reliable bus system all around to the hotel area, and if you go to the hotel section, your $15 parking is free if you show your KL bracelet. From the hotel area, you can take the monorail around the property.

I still need to write a review where I'll cover the room itself, location, etc.

suzanne · Oct 28, 2011

Looking at the map which of those sections is the HGVC at Waikololo? We have an exchange there Nov. 2012. Does the tram and boats go there as well? If anyone has current photos of that area would really love to see them.

Suzanne

Luanne · Oct 28, 2011

suzanne said:
Looking at the map which of those sections is the HGVC at Waikololo? We have an exchange there Nov. 2012. Does the tram and boats go there as well? If anyone has current photos of that area would really love to see them.

Suzanne

No, the boats and trams do NOT go to HGVC. They only service the Hilton hotel property. The map I posted is just the hotel.

suzanne · Oct 28, 2011

Thanks Luanne for responding so quickly. Our confirmation states its a 2 bedroom for 6/4with full kitchen. I read on another post that only premier units are on the 3rd floor. Since our confirmation doesn't state premier on it I guess its a standard unit. If we called ahead and asked for a 3rd floor unit if available is there a chance they would let us have it? We hate being on ground floor units .

Suzanne

jlee2070 · Oct 28, 2011

I stayed a Kings Land this summer... I liked the unit but the resort itself is not so great... Too big and and Pools while nice, was WAY too cold!!! and BBQ's didn't work because (I think) it was very windy the week we stayed. I hear it's windy by Waikoloa pretty often...

jlee2070 · Oct 28, 2011

suzanne said:
Thanks Luanne for responding so quickly. Our confirmation states its a 2 bedroom for 6/4with full kitchen. I read on another post that only premier units are on the 3rd floor. Since our confirmation doesn't state premier on it I guess its a standard unit. If we called ahead and asked for a 3rd floor unit if available is there a chance they would let us have it? We hate being on ground floor units .

Suzanne

There is hardly any view to speak of so 3rd floor is no big advantage. We stayed in a 3BR, Premier but didn't think it was worth it... Ground floor may be OK since it's so quite at Kings Land...

suzanne · Oct 28, 2011

Thank you for the info. Its not the view as I understand there is no ocean view from any of the buildings, its the noise level from people above you if the units are not very well sound proofed. We have stayed in lower units twice now and both times it was like a herd of elephants walking over head at 5 or 6 am. Was not fun so have decided to try to avoid it again if at all possible.

Suzanne

MuranoJo · Oct 28, 2011

It was very quiet there about the 2nd week of September, but there were people below and to the sides and maybe above (?), but we didn't hear a sound. I think the sound-proofing must be very good.

Had to laugh about the barbeques being hard to light. I ran into a Japanese family who really didn't speak English, trying and trying to light the BBQ. Finally, I went over to check it out and see if I could help. (And DH usually does that, so I admit I don't really have much of a clue.) I finally figured out the propane tank below the BBQ had to be turned on.

Well, they were very appreciative, even though we really didn't understand each other. I think 'Thanks!' is pretty universal.

BTW, they appeared to have BBQ stations between each building and came out to replace the grills each night after cleaning.

HudsHut · Oct 29, 2011

I was surprised that there was no lazy river, but that was my only minor disappointment at the Kings' Land super pool. They call the narrow section with the lava rock backdrop and waterfalls the "lazy river pool". I had seen "lazy river" on a resort map, so I walked all around the pool section trying to figure out where the lazy river was.

The adult side of the super pool is rarely used. They hold an aqua aerobics and aqua zumba class there.

I walked over to HGVC Waikoloa and Bay Club (10 - 15 minute walk) to see those resorts. The Waikoloa pool had a short water slide (maybe 5 feet long) connecting one pool to the next. I would definitely use the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel pool pass if I were staying at HGVC Waikoloa. That pool looked small and crowded. The Bay Club pool was the traditional rectangle surrounded by concrete. There were only a few people sitting out there.

travelguy · Oct 29, 2011

hudshut said:
I walked over to HGVC Waikoloa and Bay Club (10 - 15 minute walk) to see those resorts. The Waikoloa pool had a short water slide (maybe 5 feet long) connecting one pool to the next. I would definitely use the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel pool pass if I were staying at HGVC Waikoloa. That pool looked small and crowded. The Bay Club pool was the traditional rectangle surrounded by concrete. There were only a few people sitting out there.

The Bay Club pools are NOTHING to write home about! However, we prefer to stay at the Bay Club for the quality/space of the units and lanis AND we go to a different Hawaiian beach each day! I can lounge by the pool at home in the humid Northeast!

IMO - Pool people would be happier with KL while beach people would be happy with any of the HGVC resorts.

PamMo · Oct 29, 2011

I'm waiting for my flight to Maui, and checking back on this thread. I have to agree with travelguy - if you're a beach person, don't waste your points on KL because of the super pool. There are GORGEOUS beaches all over the island to enjoy instead. We spent less than 30 minutes total for the week at the pool, and didn't feel like we were missing a thing. lt's a nice playground for kids, though, so I could see reserving KL for a big family trip.

All in all, we enjoyed the week at KL. The Waikoloa resort area is huge, and self-contained, so you would never have to leave the "neighborhood" to have a good time - but it would be a shame to miss the sights of the Big Island. There is a ton of driving to do if you like exploring, though! We felt like we were in the car more here than on any other island.

The Kings' Land units are nice, with the amenities you'd expect in an upscale resort. ALL the staff was very friendly and helpful, but we've found that to be the case wih most Hiltons. We did miss having an ocean view, but the night sky was so dark and full of stars, it gave me goosebumps! We'll definitely come back to the Big Island, and would be happy at any of the HGVC resorts here.

vball2go2 · Nov 11, 2011

If you are a HGVC owner is the pool pass free for us at the Hilton Waikola hotel pools and waterslides. I guess what I am asking, is it free for us to use the pools even though we are staying at Kingsland of BC?

HudsHut · Nov 12, 2011

vball2go2 said:
If you are a HGVC owner is the pool pass free for us at the Hilton Waikola hotel pools and waterslides. I guess what I am asking, is it free for us to use the pools even though we are staying at Kingsland of BC?

Yes, owners/guests who stay at HGVC Kings' Land and HGVC Waikoloa get a pass to use the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel amenties (and parking) for free.
Bay Club owners/guests must pay to have access to the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel amenities.

At Kings' Land this week

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