Inspired by Hawaii’s sugar plantations, the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land offers an elevated casual oasis surrounded by landscapes, from lava rocks to lush golf courses.
Comfortable rooms, family-friendly dining options, a selection of pools, and a a spa offer a variety of services for different kinds of travelers.
The Big Island of Hawaii is known for its incredibly diverse climate and scenery. I was traveling with my wife and four-year-old and knew we needed a comfortable, entertaining place near activities that would keep us all excited during the trip.
I found the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa on Redweek.com, like an Airbnb for timeshares. That means I don’t have Hilton points and am not a Hilton Honors member.
My family needed accommodation with two rooms, pool access, and a kitchen. I also prefer having access to a fitness center. It turned out that the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa was as close to perfect as my family could get.
Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa Review
I am well-versed with timeshares. My parents have been owners since the early 2000s, so I have a level of expectation and understanding of the average service. However, I was not familiar with Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
Based on the resort’s location, I knew we would need a rental car. This also means I needed to know about the resort’s parking situation.
When we arrived at the resort, it was clear it covered a massive property spanning 112 acres. The check-in process was straightforward. The front desk area had good signage. A person checked off names and guided newcomers to the lobby area. Typical luau lanterns decorated the start of the outdoor walkway, and the front desk was designed in a casually elegant tropical style.
I have worked in hospitality; the key is always friendly, attentive, and agreeable service. The Hilton did not disappoint. A warm welcome, a bottle of Prosecco, a quick explanation of the resort map, my room’s location, and the resort fee. Then, I was off to my room.
Rooms at Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa
A resort’s commitment to the details creates a better guest experience, including free parking. With a property so big and approximately 25 miles away from Kona, car rental is a must. Plenty of parking is near the front desk and in front of the apartment blocks.
Our suite had two bedrooms and was 950 square feet. We could have slept six comfortably, and the Lanai overlooking one of the championship golf courses added to that unique view of the volcanic rocks framing the verdant grass.
My wife and I took the master suite, with its king-sized bed and luxurious bathroom. My daughter had a bedroom with twin beds. Regarding resorts, it was a standard room with elevated attention to spaciousness and views.
Depending on the type of travel you’re used to, it’s worth mentioning our hotel room did have air conditioning, and the property had nonsmoking rooms. None of the rooms on the property had real ocean views, but several rooms on the third floor may have had peek-a-boo panoramas in the distance.
Amenities
Provided its ample size, the amenities at the resort were surprisingly minimal, including inside the room. One of my biggest complaints with all timeshares, and not just the resorts in Hilton Waikoloa Village, is the constant requirement for guests to purchase kitchen necessities.
It’s great the resort supplies a day’s worth of coffee and may even refill the paper towels. But I may be of the rare breed who doesn’t want to purchase an entire bottle of olive oil or tubs of butter for a week-long trip.
Besides my gripe about the typical room amenities, Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa had some great daily activities, including a weekly Hawaii luau, a lesson on lei-making, and a free shuttle to the neighboring Ocean Tower.
The food was the average pool-bar food, with plenty of options but not necessarily exciting choices. Sure, you can find nachos and tiki drinks, a breakfast buffet, and plenty of pizza, as well as afternoon musical entertainment, but the restaurant also felt overpriced for mediocre results.
I don’t golf. The views of the course were magnificent, but having access to at least two championship golf courses outside my door wasn’t a particular draw for me. At least for my family, the four pools were the biggest draw at the resort.
Granted, my wife and I never did get to lounge in the adults-only pool, but knowing it existed gave us hope we might get a child-free moment. Instead, we spent most of our time in the incredible family pool, listening to the splashing waterfalls and zooming down the three separate waterslides. It was the type of pool I always wanted as a kid, so naturally, my kid refused to leave it.
See Related: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Hawaii
Location
Instead of having the most amenities on the property, the collective hotels and apartments center around the Queen’s and King’s marketplaces in the greater Waikoloa Beach Resort.
The Queen’s Marketplace has casual dining options, stores, and a grocery store. The King’s Marketplace has upscale options, like gourmet restaurants, boutique shops, and the most incredible Hawaiian shave ice I have ever had at the Original Big Island Shave Ice Co.
The Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land is near the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hilton Grand Vacations, and the Ocean Tower. Staying at the Kings’ Land gave us access to the pool, sea lagoon, and restaurants of the more luxurious Ocean Tower, where we could self-park instead of using the valet parking.
Ocean Tower
The Ocean Tower property is where we could access the lagoon beach and Dolphin Quest if we wanted to participate. The lagoon was fabricated for the hotel but was fed by the Pacific. By staying at the sister Hilton hotel, we had access to the main pool, pool bar, and the beach resort space of the lagoon.
We grabbed a spot on the sand and enjoyed snorkeling in the calm water. The fact the lagoon opens to the Pacific means sea life, including schools of fish and sea turtles, comes in and out of the lagoon. Three separate sea turtles were interested in my daughter throughout the day.
Nearby restaurants like the Kona Tap Room were a bit run-of-the-mill but the hotel was a seven-minute drive to Manuela’s Malasada food truck. There are a couple around the Big Island, but the Portuguese donut was a huge hit with me and my family.
Another benefit of the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land location is its proximity to the Mauna Kea Resort. The hotels, resorts, timeshares, and apartments around Waikoloa may have coastal views but not beaches.
Mauna Kea Resort has an incredible beach with limited access. A little secret about the beach: limited free parking spaces are available. They are usually gone after 9 am.
Mauna Kea Beach is one of the best beaches in the area. The sand is powdery and white, the nearby reef keeps the water calm, and marine life is active but not impeding.
If you want casual restaurants or a good supermarket, Waikoloa Village is about a 15-minute drive inland. The original center has a great breakfast spot called Island Lava Java but the new shopping center has many more casual restaurant options that make staying around Hilton Waikoloa Village feel less secluded.
It’s a great resort, a huge property, and we never felt rushed or out of place. It was even an easy drive over to Kona and Kona International Airport, with a great ocean view.
At the same time, Waikoloa Village and the resorts are about two hours away from places like Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, and the famous Punalu’u Bake Shop, the southernmost bakery in the United States.
Overall, staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land was a great experience for my family and perfectly met our needs for the trip.
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Douglas Weissman is an acclaimed travel writer, known for his gripping storytelling and uncanny ability to transport readers to the places he explores. Hailing from Simi Valley, CA, Douglas has journeyed through continents and cultures, from the lush landscapes of South Africa to the bustling streets of India. He offers readers an intimate view of the world, built upon his extensive experience in luxury travel, adventure tours, family vacations, and more.
His contributions to the field of travel literature have been widely recognized. He finished second in the Imustbeoff Travel writing competition and was featured as a storyteller on the Fit For Joy Podcast. His expertise was also utilized in BestLife’s article on preserving travel memories, revealing his commitment to not just experiencing the world, but encouraging others to immortalize their adventures.
