Hawaiian resort help

[minnie4me]

Read an article in magazine that offered the 5 best family friendly Hawaiian resorts...has anyone stayed at any and if so can I have your honest opinions. Our family consists of DH, me , DS (9 @ travel time), DM (64 @ travel time).
resorts: Hilton Waikoloa Village
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort
Ka'anapali Beach Hotel
Turtle Bay Resort
Aulani Resort

Thanks !!

Also posted this on CA & West board

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I have not been to Hawaii but saw the same article you were looking at and it got us talking about Hawaii as well Good luck with your decision and hope to see what answers you get!

 

[Mkebound]

My wife and I have two kids, a son 5 and daughter 7.

We spent 6 nights at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island this past February.

We spent 6 nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu last February.

We are spending 6 nights on Maui (the Westin) this coming February.

My advice to you is to first determine what Island you want to visit, then establish a budget, and then start thinking about resorts.

 

[Pakey]

We have been to Hawaii many times and honestly, all of the resorts we have stayed at have been family friendly, regardless of island.

I agree with PP. You need to first decide on an island and a location on that island. Example: Aulani is on Oahu but it's in a remote section of the island whereas the Hilton Hawaiian Village is more conveniently located.

As for us, we prefer Maui over Oahu and Hawaii. On Maui, we have stayed at the Four Seasons, the Grand Wailea and the Ritz Carlton and we have rented a condo and a house on vacations with extended family. On Hawaii, we stayed at the Four Seasons. On Oahu, we stayed at the Hilton village.

 

[steves1bear]

Just wanted to chime in really quickly since I currently live on the North Shore about 15 minutes from Turtle Bay.

Turtle Bay is a great place to stay with some really nice beaches within a very short drive and various activities you can schedule that are on property. There is also the Polynesian Cultural Center that is very close, but you will be at least 45-60 minutes away from Honolulu and Waikiki. If you think you'll be spending a fair amount of time down in Honolulu, you might want to consider something a bit closer. The drive is on a one lane each way road and if there is an accident or something else, it could end up being a hassle getting where you want to go. So, if you'll be staying on Oahu, you need to decide how many of your activities and such will be closer to Honolulu and if it's worth the drive to and from the North Shore each day.

Anyway, just something to think about while you are making your plans.

 

[jenf22]

We have stayed both at Turtle Bay on Oahu and Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island. It was just the 2 of us at Turtle Bay, but we have taken our 4 year old to the Big Island both times we've gone. He was almost 3 when we went last year and almost 4 this year when we went. He absolutely loves Hilton Waikoloa Village. I think my husband and I both prefer Maui as an island, but the Hilton is, by far, my favorite resort. There is a Dolphin Quest on the property; turtles, fish, and rays in the sheltered lagoon; a sandy beach at the sheltered lagoon - I keep saying "sheltered" because that's a big deal to me - no currents, no waves, no rough water at all. We've done the "Wee Tots" dolphin interaction both trips. The pools are great too! I believe we've done a United Vacations package both years. This year it was right at $3000 for airfare, 6 nights in the hotel (maybe 7???), and a rental car. You would have additional airfare, since there were only 3 of us. I would think you could do the whole trip for under $5000 easily. PM me if you need more info. I love talking about this place!

Oh, and Turtle Bay was great too, but it was sort of far from everything. That was great for us - but it was just the two of us then.

 

[mom2travel]

We have stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. It is a gorgeous resort with a great pool. Also a good location for outings on the south shore of Kauai. We did not do anything that required driving to the north shore

We have also stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu and the Westin Ka'anapali Resort on Maui. Both were fun, very family friendly and in good locations with much to do

I agree with PPs who said to pick an island first. And you also should figure out what types of activities and excursions you are interested in, as well as how much driving you are willing to do on vacation. That will dictate what part of a given island to stay

Have fun! Hawaii is fantastic!

 

[minnie4me]

I am not sure which island is best for us. I do know I want to stay away from the Waikiki area, I think it will be over crowded and maybe a bit more commercialized than I want. We want some degree of tranquility, as much as you get with a 9 yr old. We want to experience some culture and beautiful sights. A nice beach experience, not overly crashing waves if possible. And, DS hopes to see Stitch, one of his all time fav Dis characters. I have invited my mom along too, not sure if she will come, but she has always want to go to Hawaii. My father passed away 2 yrs ago & he never had interest to travel there, so I told her, "this is the only way you are getting there". She is pretty healthy & will be 64 at travel time, but her interests do not match DS & I exactly, so I have to keep her in mind too. If we were to spend a solid 7 days, not counting the travel days, we would probably spend 4 @ hotel and 3 sightseeing.
I guess I need island help too..., and I better start doing some serious research !!

 

[Mkebound]

I am not sure which island is best for us. I do know I want to stay away from the Waikiki area, I think it will be over crowded and maybe a bit more commercialized than I want. We want some degree of tranquility, as much as you get with a 9 yr old. We want to experience some culture and beautiful sights. A nice beach experience, not overly crashing waves if possible. And, DS hopes to see Stitch, one of his all time fav Dis characters. I have invited my mom along too, not sure if she will come, but she has always want to go to Hawaii. My father passed away 2 yrs ago & he never had interest to travel there, so I told her, "this is the only way you are getting there". She is pretty healthy & will be 64 at travel time, but her interests do not match DS & I exactly, so I have to keep her in mind too. If we were to spend a solid 7 days, not counting the travel days, we would probably spend 4 @ hotel and 3 sightseeing.
I guess I need island help too..., and I better start doing some serious research !!

Based on this reply, I'm going to suggest the Big Island. The Big Island has a nice mix of sightseeing & relaxing beaches/resorts.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village would be a good choice for your family. They have one of the best beaches just north of the resort: Hapuna beach. They also have some awesome salt & pepper beaches, Green sand beach, and great places for snorkeling - perfect for 9 year old. Most of the beaches were calm enough for my 7 year old to swim safely. Check out the image of Hapuna Beach and the Hilton Waikoloa Village on google earth for a good feel of what they look like.

They have 5 sites run by the National Park service of historical significance or natural significance (Volcano's National Park) Visit NPS.gov for more info.

There are old lava tubes you can explore. Very, very, very cool

You can drive to the summit of the tallest mountain (from it's base) in the world.


My suggestion to you to to visit your local library and check out the book "The Big Island Revealed" It's a good read for someone who has never been to Hawaii.

 

[minnie4me]

Thanks for your input Mkebound. I will definitely look into the Big Island first. As I research and have more ?s, hope you don't mind a PM or 2...
We will probably have to travel once school lets out, early June, do you know if I am hitting a rainy season? Of course, if it rains there like it rains @ WDW, it only affects about 1/2 hr of your day !!
Also, we will be traveling from the east coast (western PA), so about a 6 hr time difference I believe. My friend said it is hardest to adjust to the time change going west to east...does anyone agree ? We may do a 2 day stop off in San Diego, since that would be a 1/2 way point.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I used this website to help me decide which island I wanted to visit most. I'm sure it's not fullproof but it helps the decision to be a little less overwhelming! You answer the questions and at the end it puts in order the islands that best fit with the choices you made.
http://www.hawaiigaga.com/best-hawaiian-island.aspx

 

[njmeisje]

Our family loved Waikiki. We stayed at the Royal Hawaiian and used the Sheraton pool complex. This is the best area of beach in Waikiki. We never stayed at HHV, but it is kind of far away from prime beach in Waikiki (IMHO). Aulani is too remote for our family. Too far away from everything Oahu has to offer.

We LOVED LOVED the Grand Hyatt on Kauai -- Heaven on earth.

We also stayed at the Hyatt in Maui in Kaanapali. Gorgeous also.