Grand Waikikian vs. Kalia question

I'm plotting a Hawaiian journey with my surplus of points.

My GF and I will spend Tues-Sat in Oahu and then head over to Hawaii to rendezvous with my teen son and a friend for a week at Waikoloa Beach resort.

4 nights in a 1BR Premier unit at GW is 6300 points. 4 nights at Kalia 1BR plus is 3100 points. Lagoon could work but it's high demand and I'm guessing more families and kids.

The first portion of our trip is kidless and it will be lots of shopping and fine dining and adult stuff.

Question: is the GW Premier worth the extra points? I want a special time for her but the Kalia Plus looks nice too. I've got plenty of points to play with.

Or we could do the 1br Plus at Kalia and use the extra points to do an 8400 or 9600 at Waikoloa.

GW is not worth the extra points (unless you like doing laundry in your unit).

I've never been in the Kalia tower. I've stayed in Lagoon and GW. I am one of the very few would rather use up lots of points to stay in the GW tower. I just liked it a lot better.

You have points to burn. You may want to call in and ask which is the best view room you can book. Honestly, you can't wrong with anything and I do think you should go for the view, since the Waikoloa resorts won't have an ocean view.

You mentioned adult stuff. Kalia Tower has a Spa on the 4th floor along with a private pool.

Agree on the spa, my wife likes that one, its Mandara - you'll make big points over the GW room. The Kalia plus side have a better ocean view too than GW unless you get up high.

Don't rule out Kingsland when you get over there, I spotted a gold season (October) 1br in phase 2 for 3400pts, a bargain. My wife says the Mandara Spa is at Marriott there, she wasn't impressed with the Hilton spa.

1BR+ Kalia has a much better view of the ocean, is a little further away from the ocean (60 yards), and closer the the road to go shopping. It has it's own pool, gym facilities, whirlpool, and a starbucks in the lobby. The Waikikian has fancier furniture, and smaller poorly laid out rooms. I'd vote Kalia, even if the points were the same.

SmithOp said:

Agree on the spa, my wife likes that one, its Mandara - you'll make big points over the GW room. The Kalia plus side have a better ocean view too than GW unless you get up high.

Don't rule out Kingsland when you get over there, I spotted a gold season (October) 1br in phase 2 for 3400pts, a bargain. My wife says the Mandara Spa is at Marriott there, she wasn't impressed with the Hilton spa.

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My home resort is WBR and I can make my reservation at 12 months.

I booked a small 1BR at Kingland for January. I'm going to take my son for a short boys weekend.

Looks like its Kalia for the other trip next year.

Thanks!

Grand isn't worth the extra points agreed.
Kalia Plus is better is you get the ocean view.
Keep in mind Grand can have city veiws (veiws of the garbage dumpsters)

Kalia Tower has the spa and is short walking distnace (an extra 3-5 min) to water, but it's all so close.

Just got back from Kingsland, beautiful resort. Try to get Phase 1, building 3/4/5, close to super pool and serenity pool. Phase II is across the street.
Great Pools.

There is no restaurants or shops on the resort but close to the Kings and Queens Market and can take shuttle to Hilton Waikoloa Villiage for fine dining for sunset.

bastroum said:

You mentioned adult stuff. Kalia Tower has a Spa on the 4th floor along with a private pool.

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It is not private, I enjoyed the pool staying in the Lagoon tower.

At the Grand Waikikian the point difference is all in the view. Standard points is city view and lower floor facing AlaMoana which we do not recommend due to the noise. 1 BR Plus is higher floor AlaMoana, Lower floors facing Diamond Head and facing ocean up to 15th fl. Premium is upper floor (23 to 34)facing Diamond Head and oceanview 16th to 34th. Grand Waikikian has nicer lobby, W/D in room and closer to Parardise pool which tends to be very crowded.

Kalia Towers floors 12 to 18 has been converted to timeshare units. The size is the same as Grand Waikikian except W/D in laundry room on each fl and a tub/shower while the GW has a shower only and a separate soaking tub in bedroom area. The standard points units face the city and mountian. The Plus rooms have faces the ocean and have better views than Grand Waikikian units facing AlaMoana and Diamond Head. There are not many units in GW facing the ocean since that is the narrow side of the building.

There are 3 resorts in Waikoloa. Bay Club has the largest units. HGV Waikoloa, aka Kohala Suites has Hilton resort lagoon and pool priveleges, and Kingsland has the largest pool. If you are an HGV Elite member you can use the Kingsland pool no matter which resort you stay in. The points difference is the location of the unit. In general the standard points faces the road or lower floor, the Plus golf course view and Premium is the top floor which has a nicer master bath. You did not mention where your friends are staying.

Hope this helps in your decision.

I am currently staying at Kingsland phase II building 22 in a 1 bdrm unit and the units are small and poorly laid out imho and not great for 4 people since it is less than 600 sq ft and only 1 bathroom. Also 1bdrm units in phase II all faces the parking lot and all 2bdrms faces away from it.

Phase 2 1bdrm units issues for me are:
* kitchen poorly laid out and being 5'1" I cannot reach the only kitchen cupboard free for storage nor the small bowl, coffee cup and casual glass without aid. The designer must be over 6 feet.
* The plates are in a pull out drawer and it took me 5 mins to find them
* No oven
* I had trouble operating the washing machine since you have to turn the water on and no sign that you need to do that.

I did like the bathroom but the 1bdrm does not have a bath only shower stall. Kings Land pools are nicest of the 3.

Of 2bdrm 8400 units I saw, the one I liked the best was Kohala suites.

Not sure if the phase 1 is worth 50% more points since I saw a 2bdrm show unit (likely higher than standard) so not apple and apple comparison.

MaryH said:

I am currently staying at Kingsland phase II building 22 in a 1 bdrm unit and the units are small and poorly laid out imho and not great for 4 people since it is less than 600 sq ft and only 1 bathroom. Also 1bdrm units in phase II all faces the parking lot and all 2bdrms faces away from it.

Phase 2 1bdrm units issues for me are:
* kitchen poorly laid out and being 5'1" I cannot reach the only kitchen cupboard free for storage nor the small bowl, coffee cup and casual glass without aid. The designer must be over 6 feet.
* The plates are in a pull out drawer and it took me 5 mins to find them
* No oven
* I had trouble operating the washing machine since you have to turn the water on and no sign that you need to do that.

I did like the bathroom but the 1bdrm does not have a bath only shower stall. Kings Land pools are nicest of the 3.

Of 2bdrm 8400 units I saw, the one I liked the best was Kohala suites.

Not sure if the phase 1 is worth 50% more points since I saw a 2bdrm show unit (likely higher than standard) so not apple and apple comparison.

Click to expand...

I've got a Phase 2 1 BR booked for January. It is just my son and me and I figured we wouldn't be spending that much time in the room anyway.

I'll be returning to my Kohala Suites in the summer of 2014.

MaryH said:

I am currently staying at Kingsland phase II building 22 in a 1 bdrm unit and the units are small and poorly laid out imho and not great for 4 people since it is less than 600 sq ft and only 1 bathroom. Also 1bdrm units in phase II all faces the parking lot and all 2bdrms faces away from it.

Phase 2 1bdrm units issues for me are:
* kitchen poorly laid out and being 5'1" I cannot reach the only kitchen cupboard free for storage nor the small bowl, coffee cup and casual glass without aid. The designer must be over 6 feet.
* The plates are in a pull out drawer and it took me 5 mins to find them
* No oven
* I had trouble operating the washing machine since you have to turn the water on and no sign that you need to do that.

I did like the bathroom but the 1bdrm does not have a bath only shower stall. Kings Land pools are nicest of the 3.

Of 2bdrm 8400 units I saw, the one I liked the best was Kohala suites.

Not sure if the phase 1 is worth 50% more points since I saw a 2bdrm show unit (likely higher than standard) so not apple and apple comparison.

Click to expand...

More on Kings' Land, Phase II, including photos and a unit-placement map showing, as Mary said, that 1BR units face the street and 2BR units face the golf course.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173030

Based on the photos in the above thread, 2BR units do have an oven even if 1BR units don't.

yes the 2bdrm unit has oven. Talked to someone while checking out the BBQ pit and they had oven.

Checked the Hilton website and I think I am in a Jr. 1bdrm which has LK. There is a 1bdrm with full kitchen.

This was a preview deal which costs about 950+tx in a 1bdrm for 6 nights with rental car, $200 have a stay on us certificate and 30K points but there is one HGVC stand at the Queens Shops that is offering one 5 nights at HWV for about $599 or 699. Not sure if that includes the rental car but rates for this week was 100$ plus fees.