After a very long travel day getting to the Big Island, we decided to splurge on a few nights at the Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land in Waikoloa. If you’re researching Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land reviews and trying to figure out whether it’s worth the cost, how to book it, what amenities are included, or whether it’s actually kid friendly, here’s our real experience.
Short answer: yes, we’d stay again, though not without one caveat we’ll get into below.
Quick facts:
- Location: Waikoloa, on Hawaii’s Big Island, next to the Hilton Waikoloa Village
- Room type: Condo-style suites with full kitchens, one to two bedrooms
- Best for: Families wanting extra space and access to the ocean-fed lagoon next door
- Parking: $35 USD per night for self parking (but no resort fee)
- Good to Know: We ran into one issue with amenity availability during our stay, more on that below
What You’ll Find in This Kings’ Land Review
This review covers everything you need to decide if Kings’ Land is right for your family:
- Our Room and Upgrade: What the condo-style suites are actually like, from the kitchen to the walk-in showers
- Pools and Amenities: What’s available at Kings’ Land itself, including the adults-only pool
- Access to Hilton Waikoloa Village: The lagoon, the dolphins, and everything else that comes with staying next door
- Food and Groceries: On-site dining options and how we save money by cooking in the condo
- The Timeshare Presentation: What it involves and why we opted out
- Our One Complaint: Lack of transparency
- Is It Worth It: Our honest verdict and what we’d tell a friend before they book
- Quick Answers: Kid friendliness, amenities, booking, attending timeshare presentations, how Kings’ Land differs from Hilton Waikoloa Village, and getting to the Hilton Waikoloa Village
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Our Stay and the Room Upgrade
We visited in May, which is considered the off season, and were upgraded from a one bedroom resort view room with two queen beds to a two bedroom, two bathroom unit overlooking the golf course. The king room had a large ensuite bathroom with a freestanding soaker tub, double sinks, and a large walk-in shower. The second bathroom had its own walk-in shower as well.
These are full-service condos, not standard hotel rooms. Ours came with a full kitchen, in-suite washer and dryer, and everything else you’d expect if you were renting a proper home for the week. Everything was spotless and in good working order, and the golf course view from our balcony was gorgeous morning and night. The grounds, inside and out, were clearly well maintained, and every staff member we interacted with was friendly and accommodating.
This is truly a fabulous home base for a 5-day Big Island itinerary. If you have 7-days for the Big Island or (even better) 10-14 days, this makes a great place to stay on the Kona side of the island.
Pools and Amenities at Kings’ Land
Kings’ Land has its own beautiful pool area with waterfalls and waterslides, a sports pool, hot tub, and a sand entry pool (man-made beach style). Along with the main family pool, there’s an adults-only pool for those wanting a quieter spot to relax without kids splashing around nearby. The adults-only area also had its own hot tubs and a grotto style pool with a waterfall.
The pool setup is more serene than what you’ll find at the main Hilton Waikoloa Village resort complex on the ocean and it fits the vibe of a condo-style property. The day we were departing we also figured out there are a couple smaller pools around the complex.
Self parking runs $35 USD per night, but there’s no resort fee on top of it. The biggest draw, though, is that staying at Kings’ Land also gives you access to the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
Access to Hilton Waikoloa Village
This is where things get exciting for families. The Hilton Waikoloa Village has a whole network of pools, waterslides, and a lazy river. There’s a tram and walking paths that connect different areas of the resort. But the real highlight, by far, was the ocean-fed lagoon.
This lagoon is home to sea turtles, tropical fish, and even a few rays swimming right alongside guests. Because it’s a protected lagoon rather than open ocean, kids can swim, snorkel, and play without worrying about undertow or rough surf. We rented a paddle boat and the kids were thrilled paddling around while the turtles cruised by us.
Honestly, we spent more time at this lagoon than anywhere else on the property, including our own resort. If turtles and snorkelling are a highlight for your family too, our Big Island beaches guide covers more spots family-friendly around the island.
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is also home to Dolphin Quest Hawaii, an interactive dolphin habitat located right on site. We only stopped to watch, but it’s worth knowing this is there if it interests your family.
If you want to get in the water with marine life rather than just watch from the sidelines, our Kona manta ray night dive is an unforgettable next step for older kids or the adults in the group.
Food and Groceries Near Kings’ Land
Kings’ Land has a daily breakfast buffet, though it’s an added cost, and we didn’t think it was worth the price for our family. There’s also an all-day bar on site that serves food. We didn’t try either, since we prefer to keep meal costs down when we’re travelling.
Our go-to approach in Hawaii is to stock up early and eat in as much as possible. There are grocery options right in the Waikoloa area, including Island Gourmet Markets at Queen’s Marketplace and KTA Superstore up in Waikoloa Village, but we find it worthwhile to make the roughly 25-to-30-minute drive down to Kailua-Kona instead, where you’ll find a Costco, Walmart, and Target. Prices are noticeably better there, especially at Costco, and it’s an easy stop on the way in from the airport or shortly after you arrive.
We ate most of our meals in the condo using the full kitchen, which is by far the easiest and cheapest way to feed kids on a Hawaii trip. We lean on Costco’s premade meal options when we don’t feel like cooking, and otherwise keep things simple. Food in Hawaii (especially eating out) can get expensive fast, so this is just our preferred way to make repeat trips more affordable, though we know plenty of people prefer to eat out and enjoy the full resort dining experience instead.
The Timeshare Presentation (Why We Skipped It)
A few days before we arrived, a personal concierge called us at home to go over some details of our stay. This is also when they first mentioned an optional timeshare presentation. The call felt like a nice, high-end touch, though we suspect it was also there to plant the timeshare seed early.
The presentation itself runs 1.5 to 2 hours and comes with perks like resort credit, luaus, Visa gift cards, credit toward stays at other Hilton properties, and Hilton Honors points. We considered it, but mentioned upfront that we wouldn’t be able to sit through a session that long with our two rambunctious boys in tow. They offered a virtual option instead: a tablet they provide so you can tune in from your room or poolside while the kids play nearby.
In the end, we decided to skip it altogether. We were only there for a couple of full days and didn’t want to spend any of that time on a sales pitch instead of the pool and the lagoon. If we’d been staying a full week, the perks alone might have swayed us to at least sit through the virtual version. A free breakfast tied to the presentation might have tipped the scales too, but that wasn’t part of the offer.
One thing worth noting: they were not pushy about it at all. It came up briefly the day after we checked in, and we said we’d ponder it. That was it, nobody followed up again.
Our One Complaint: Lack of Transparency
Here’s the part that knocked our overall impression down a notch. When we booked, waterslides and pool access were a major part of why we chose this property. Once we arrived, we discovered that all but one of the waterslides were closed for maintenance, along with the sandy “beach” style shallow pool area meant for young kids, the sports pool, and the main large waterslide over at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
None of this was mentioned anywhere. Not on the resort website, not in a booking confirmation, not even a heads up at check-in. We’d only booked about two weeks in advance, so there wasn’t much runway to have found out ahead of time on our own, but a simple notice would have gone a long way.
We raised the issue with management during our stay, and to their credit, they refunded one night of our stay along with our parking fees for the entire trip. We appreciated that they acknowledged the gap in communication and made it right.
So, Is Kings’ Land Worth It?
Yes, we’d absolutely stay again. The condo itself was excellent value for the space and amenities, the staff were great, and the lagoon experience alone made the trip memorable for our boys. Our only advice: if waterslide access is a big part of your decision the way it was for ours, call ahead and ask specifically what’s open before you book. Resort maintenance happens, but you shouldn’t have to find out about closures after you’ve already checked in.
Still deciding where to base your Big Island trip? Our Big Island itinerary hub rounds up all our destination guides, itineraries, and reviews in one place.
Quick Answers for Planning Your Stay
Wondering more about HGV Kings’ Land? Find out more below.
Is Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land kid friendly?
HGV Kings’ Land is very kid friendly. Full kitchens and in-suite laundry make it easy to travel with kids, and access to the Hilton Waikoloa Village lagoon is one of the best family-friendly swimming spots we’ve experienced in Hawaii.
What amenities are at Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land?
Full kitchens, washer and dryer in each unit, an adults-only pool, a family pool with slides and waterfalls, sandy beach-like area for small kids, and access to the Hilton Waikoloa Village next door with its pools, waterslides, sandy beach-style pool, and lagoon. Self parking is $35 USD per night, with no additional resort fee.
How do you book Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land?
It can be booked directly through Hilton, through Hilton Grand Vacations if you’re a timeshare owner, or through standard third-party booking sites like booking.com. Room upgrades, like the one we received, are sometimes offered at check-in depending on availability.
Do you have to attend a timeshare presentation at Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land?
No. A presentation is offered, and there’s an option to attend virtually from your room or poolside using a tablet the resort provides, but we found it easy to decline without any pressure. We were asked and said we’d think about it, and it was never brought up again.
Is Hilton Grand Vacations Kings’ Land the same as Hilton Waikoloa Village?
No, they’re two connected but separate properties. Kings’ Land is the condo-style Hilton Grand Vacations property, while the Hilton Waikoloa Village next door is the larger hotel with the pools, waterslides, dolphin habitat, and lagoon that Kings’ Land guests can also access. Note that you may see different “towers” listed to book that are all part of Hilton Waikoloa Village. These are the Makai Tower, Palace Tower, and Ocean Tower. Other Hilton Grand Vacations resorts nearby are the Kohala Suites Waikoloa.
How do you get from Hilton Waikoloa Village from HGV Kings’ Land?
There is a complimentary shuttle service from the HGV Kings’ Land to Hilton Waikoloa Village. Alternatively, you can park for free at Hilton Waikoloa Village as a guest of the HGV Kings’ Land. To get free parking, have your parking ticket validated at the valet desk as you enter the lobby.
If you’re looking for a great place to spend time with your family with all sorts of great amenities on the Big Island of Hawaii, we hope this helps make your decision a little easier. Please consider pinning it on Pinterest, saving it for later, and sharing it with anyone else dreaming of a Hawaii trip with their family.
Hawaii is the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.
Mark Twain
