Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Tower Waikoloa Village

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

750 reviews

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  The only thing "GRAND" is the DISAPPOINTMENT.

  Let me begin by saying this: Hawaii is a beautiful and magical place. It feels weird to write something disparaging about a Hawaiian Vacation, but it must be stated. Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Ocean Tower is TRASH. This was, by far, the worst "resort" experience I've ever had. We booked three stays including two suites with full kitchens, we even stopped for groceries on the way from the airport. Guess what!? We were given no kitchens at all. After complaining, the next day the "fix" was one room "upgrade" that had a microwave. (Microwave eggs, anyone?). And then there were COCKROACHES! One crawled on my cousin's foot. Another climbed up a box of Cheez-Its WHILE I WAS EATING!!! These were not the big water bug kind that accidentally made it inside, no. Theses were the little, gross, dirty kind. This is supposed to be a Hilton property?? They sent an exterminator, but we were forced out of the room from 10am-3pm and weren't offered anything for the inconvenience. When we asked, they said "We can cancel the exterminator." WHAT?! We were asking for a gesture of good will, not an ultimatum. "The Hilton Grand Vacation Club" is BOGUS Our family belongs to Diamond Resorts, which Hilton recently acquired. We came here to check out the new digs. If this was supposed to be Hilton's "welcome experience" or sales pitch to convince us to "upgrade" into the Hilton Grand Vacations system, oh golly, that is embarrassing. Instead of showcasing an elevated ownership experience, this stay felt like a warning to stay far, far away. Why would anyone pay to join a club that treats guests like this? Where was the Hilton brand? As longtime Hilton customers, this did not feel like a Hilton stay at all. Nothing about this property reflected the standard, consistency, or hospitality associated with the Hilton name. What made it worse? You can't use your Hilton points for anything on property. Not for food, not for parking, not for activities, literally nothing. So, what exactly is the point of "Hilton Honors" here? The branding is there, but none of the benefits are. Honestly, it all felt like a Hilton branded shell, with none of the Hilton service or loyalty value behind it. NICKEL-and-DIMING Everything is an up-charge. Everything. * Shuttle prices are triple what an Uber costs. ($5 a person each way. To spend money at the shops at restaurants?! First of all, THIS SHOULD BE FREE - btw, an Uber is $5 and 4 people can ride in there.) * A Pool lounge chair with shade? $130+ * Fire pit? $100 for one hour Nothing is included. Everything feels like a money grab. The last thing you want to feel on vacation is that you need to protect yourself from your host, as to not be swindled. Why join "Hilton's Grand Vacations Club" if every basic amenity costs more than staying at a non-club hotel? Heck, I've stayed at motels in Hawaii that have more and better amenities including umbrellas, free take away continental breakfast, fire pits galore, live music, bikes, even sunscreen. This place didn't even have WATER. Actually, this one deserves its own section because it was unbelievable: * There was NO drinking water anywhere on property. Imagine coming in from the Hawaiian heat -- even just walking through the lobby -- and there is no water available. No refill stations. No complimentary dispensers. Nothing. * The entire tower had two ice machines. Resort Layout & Transportation is a Nightmare. The trams take forever. Expect 40 minutes to get across property. This is not an exaggeration. There are supposedly boats? They never ran once during our week long stay. The few activities that are included were always full. Why not hold yoga or tai chi outside so more than 15 people can participate? Be warned: the pools are freezing! Not cool or refreshing -- shockingly cold * The adult pool has no kids... but also no view, no service, no food, no bar, and no hot tub. * The only hot tubs are a mile walk, or a 40 min tram ride away and packed with kids. Service & Attitude Anything you ask for, you're treated like an impertinence. Housekeeping is supposed to come twice during the entire week. (Which is already gross, in my opinion.) But then, you're not going to believe this -- they only came once all week!!! Overall: Hawaii? Magical. BEAUTIFUL. Heaven on Earth. You'll love it. This resort: T.R.A.S.H. If you are already booked here, make plans off property as much as possible! Go be in nature. Go to the state beach. Go have lunch at another resort! The Lava Lava Beach Club is a treat. If you enjoy being nickel-and-dimed, frozen at the pool, stuck on slow trams, paying crazy fees to park and greeted by cockroaches -- this is the place for you. For everyone else: stay literally anywhere else. Because here, the only thing "GRAND" is the DISAPPOINTMENT. And to be clear, my review is an accurate reflection of my experience and not an exaggeration.

  Nov 27, 2025
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  Mostly negative experience

  I just finished a five night stay at the Ocean Towers at the Hilton Waikoloa. I was staying on a marketing package for Hilton Vacation Club and I didn’t know what to expect. I had stayed here many years ago and I can definitely say that it has gone downhill since then. Starting with the positives, There were two front desk representatives that did a great job of addressing the multiple issues that we had during our stay. Thank you to Frances and Peggy. Another positive was the amazing sunsets over the ocean. That’s it for positives. The property is huge. It’s a minimum 15 minute walk from the Ocean Towers to the main lobby. There is a tram that runs every 15 minutes or so and takes about the same time. We certainly got our daily exercise just walking to the car. On site food options are very limited. Italian (with lots of kids running around the restaurant), bar snacks at the lobby bar or Kamuela Provision Comp which was closed two of the five nights we were there. Better option to go to one of the restaurants at the Kings or Queens Market down the street. Some of the issues we ran into. Since it was a marketing program I assumed they would show us the better rooms. Not the case. Our first room was on a lower floor on the backside of the building. I asked for a different room and here is where it gets good. The second room they gave us was probably the worst room in the facility. I really felt like I was being punished for asking for a different room. The front desk absolutely should know which rooms are good and this room wasn’t good. The resort view has us looking straight into the housekeeping storage room for the whole floor. I have attached pictures of what a resort view is. The room itself was pretty run down and worst of all the pillows smelled awful. We spent one awful night in that room. Thank you Frances for finding a better room for the remainder of our stay. I’m not sure why the person who checked us in couldn’t have helped us. I didn’t get her name but she was very unpleasant and wore a face mask which made it extremely difficult to communicate with her. Other issues included kids at the adults pool, towels that smelled like they hadn’t been washed and a breakfast buffet that was in a function room in the convention center rather than at the lagoon restaurant. Overall, my rating of three stars is only because Frances and Peggy were so helpful.

  Nov 14, 2025
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  Beautiful grounds. Poor amenities and service.

  1. On arrival: $48/day for self parking a mile away from the hotel or $55/valet is absolutely usury, especially given the isolated nature of the resort and the fact that the resort operates shuttles as an additional profit center. The one way shuttle fee for a two minute ride of $5 is also usury. 2. The advertised transportation system of trams and boats was laughable, Tram service was slow and intermittent at best. we returned at ten o'clock in the evening with no more tram service. The boats never ran and in fact looked like they hadn't been used in years. The distances were very great for able seniors (us) but would be intolerable for less able guests. 3. Our room evacuation map did not pinpoint our location. I talked to three staff members before this was corrected. I had to "threaten" calling the fire marshal. Do any rooms show correct egress? 4. Signage in general was horrible or non existent. Asking staff always resulted in "Do you have a map?" No handicapped or emergency signage was to be found. The lack of elevators exacerbated the difficulty in navigating the property. 5. My room phone had so much static it was impossible to use. 6. The room AC leaked and a great area of the rug was wet. 7. WiFi was weak and very intermittent. I had to incur network costs to use the internet. 8. No pen or paper were provided in room. 9. Room entertainment system worked only sporadically. And a Gameboy controller? Ridiculous. 10. Smoking areas were very distant and were not signed. 11. Valet car service never answered phone. The reason was the front desk gave me the wrong extension. 12. As part of the resort charge, we were given a "free" photo. Neither the front desk nor the concierge knew were to have the photo taken. I asked the concierge to find out and call me. He never did. 13. Concierges pushing time shares is really obnoxious. I was called three times before arrival to push the sales talk. And advertising tour prices that are only good if you sit for a presentation is particularly loathsome. 14. Lack of food choices. Pool bar closing at 4? Only one restaurant with room delivery (and charging an exorbitant fee for that service). Buffet breakfast at $55. No microwave. This was an insult. 15. Water slide was closed. 16. A resort: no music. No entertainment. The only thing open after PM a bar hall? 17. The museum quality artwork was nice except for all the painting faded with red washed out leaving blue vestiges. No care for the property. 18. The Hilton Honors bonuses with this property compared to my other stay and other Hilton experiences was a joke and slap in the face. No meal credit. 19. I could go on but really: why?

  Nov 05, 2025
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  Spectacular Hotel

  JUST WOW! I came here on crutches after a knee injury. This staff went out of their way to help me for my two week stay and HGVC MADE THE EXTENDED STAY HAPPEN to accommodate me. Valet treated me like ‘Ohana and spoiled me each day! Security staff transported me and we had a ton of fun during my stay! Managers at hotel met every need identified. The tower view here is gorgeous! Rooms are well equipped and have special features. This property has multiple pools and activities. Dolphins! Snorkeling Lagoon. Many places to eat-some are closed during low season. I’ve stayed here twice and both times were wonderful! MAHALO!!

  Oct 29, 2025
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  Decent Place. Much Better Hilton Resorts Elsewhere

  There were parts of this resort that were magnificent. However, our room at the Ocean Tower was extremely dated from the carpeting to the towels. The bed is the only thing that has been upgraded in 20+ years. The KPC restaurant was exceptional. The food was top tier. The service was even better. Surprisingly, the buffet at The Water’s Edge was pricey but good. The pools, beach access, lagoons, lazy river were conducive to a good time for families, couples, or individuals. I had to request cleaning service. For three days my room was missed. The tub, shower, and toilet need upgrading. Water pressure was low. There was a service charge for shuttle service to go to the shopping centers five minutes away. That was preposterous. We opted to walk because it was close enough to do so. Great views! An overall good time. That being said, I would choose another resort in the future.

  Oct 22, 2025