Big Island or Maui?

Hi - we are an australian family spending 4 nights in Hawaii in Dec (breaking our trip to US there).

we were booked into the hilton in honolulu, but have been advised of an overbooking and have been offered either Grand Wailea on Maui or Hilton Waikoloa on Big Island, plane trips, some compensation, etc included.

Any clues which to choose?

we have little children so were going to use the time to unwind from the flight %26amp; relax a bit. . no great plans for Oahu, but were happy to take a few bus rides, look around a bit, etc. we are being joined by friends with teenagers, who are also affected by the hotel change.

however, i am concerned that on the other islands we will have to rent a car to get around - or may be forced to eat in the hotel restaurants, which are probably a bit out of our price range for all meals.

SO, any advice on eating options on either island near these places would be good too!

Big Island or Maui?

I%26#39;d pick the GW on Maui. Your kids will love the pools and slides, and you can drive to Kihei in 10 minutes to find a large assortment of restaurants, take-out places and grocery stores. You will need a car on either island to get off the hotel property -- and to tour the island a bit. I%26#39;d think that the car rental cost will pay for itself in the lower cost of meals eaten off-property.

The Hilton Waikoloa is a fun place too, but is more isolated from a selection of alternative dining than the GW.

I think you have been very LUCKY. I%26#39;d prefer staying on either Maui or Big Island to staying in Honolulu! (You%26#39;ll see why.)

Big Island or Maui?

I agree, LUCKY!!!!

I second the notion for the Grand Wailea...but it is a hard decision. I would use the reviews here of both places to help me decide and it depends what you wnat to do, but either way, both places blow the HHV in Waikiki out of the water...that place is too toursity and too big imho.

I%26#39;ve not stayed at either, however. BUT, the Wailea beaches are DREAMY, you WILL need a rental car on BOTH, and there are probably more accessible ';things'; on Maui within a shorter drive time, but there%26#39;s a lot of exploring on the BI that is great fun.

The Waikoloa Village is supposed to be great for kids, however, there is not really a beach area. The beaches in front of Wailea are great, calmer (especially in the morning).

Oh, checkout resort fees and parking differences between the two places, too, to calc that in as extra expense in helping you decide...

Can%26#39;t help with the choice but I think your concern is legitimate re transportation. I can get around just fine on Oahu using public transportation. But on Maui I would need a car.

Sorry to hear you%26#39;ve been bumped from HHV. I%26#39;ve used it a number of times to rest and recuperate going to and from the Orient. Just a good excuse for a few days in Hawaii. lol Much easier and all around simpler than going to either of the other two islands. Hauling a bunch of luggage to another island will be a pain.

I%26#39;d have to agree with Maui as the fall back - but you will need a car. That%26#39;s why I use HHV. No car, no hassle.

thank you all! i was afraid we might need a car for the island, but we%26#39;re going to be positive and see it as a great opportunity to enjoy a different island at the hilton%26#39;s expense.

maui sounds good then - i have read the forums here and found incredibly mixed reviews of both hotels, but i think maui will suit our family better. although the other looks fine too! decisions, decisions.

thank you all again for taking the time to respond.

anne- We have friends staying at GW in May and they are NOT renting a car, GW has a shuttle that will pick them up at the airport back to the hotel, call GW for more info. This is their 2nd time there and their 1st time, they rented a car because they also stayed in a condo in Kaanapali at the first half of their trip, 2nd half they stayed at GW and their rental car was in the parking garage the WHOLE entire stay since they stayed in Wailea the entire time. She felt like it was such a big waste of money.

The Wailea Shops are next door to GW and have restaurants like Tommy Bahama, Cheeseburger Rock n%26#39;Roll, there%26#39;s an ABC store with inexpensive snacks, souveniers and a store too where you can pick up some sandwiches. You%26#39;re nearby Four Seasons and other Wailea hotels. If you plan on staying closeby than you should be fine without a car but if you want to tour around the island, you%26#39;ll need a car. Also, you can rent cars out thru GW, but it may be pricier, but if you only rent a car for a couple days than it will be better than renting for your entire stay and not using the car.

I also found out yesterday that GW has an onsight photo studio called Flashback Maui- a session is 1 hour and a photographer will take pictures of your family at various places at the reosrt- in front of the waterfalls, at the beach.... You get the photo%26#39;s in 1 day, in an album before your trip is over! and can also order enlargements and reprints. I%26#39;m definitely signing up fot it. GW is awesome for kids, can%26#39;t wait for our June trip! Good luck!

Grand Wailea - Great place with great pools and amenities. In Wailea there are lots of options for dining, some pricey, some affordable.

Hilton Waikoloa Village - Great place with great pools and amenities. Definitely more remote than Wailea. Hotel restaurants are pricey, there is some off-site dining that is more affordable.

Both options are good, in terms of value I believe the GW is more expensive to stay there so that may be something to consider.

Good luck and enjoy either one!

Car - You would definitely need a car to really get around to see anything on either island I%26#39;m afraid. However, if you chose to stay in the resort area, both have limited transportation options to local attractions.

annefromaustralia,

If you%26#39;re going to be renting a car, then spend your 4 days on the Big Island.

Visit Volcano National Park. The drive from Kona is very enjoyable and there are many places where you can stop along the way; get a bite to eat, buy fresh fruit, or sample free cup of Kona Coffee.

Some places offer coffee factory tours.

Drive up to the summit of Mauna Kea. You will NEVER experience a more fantastic sunset, and there%26#39;s no better place on earth to go stargazing, afterward.

The drive up there is also loaded with stuff to see. You will be blown away to see the way that vegetation changes with altitude until you reach a point where it all suddenly stops growing altogether.

There are a bunch of different observatories at the summit beyond the visitors center. They are funded from different countries around the world. They offer no tours and do NOT allow any public access, but most of the cool stuff is at the Visitors center anyway, so there%26#39;s no great need to go up and see the observatory buildings.

Wow!! The Grand Wailea!! There is no contest. Yes, you need a car in Maui, but, really, $125.00 at most for four days? Most people could never afford to stay there. I called the hotel during a friend%26#39;s birthday trip to order delivery of a six-pack of local beer in a cold bucket of ice with some crudite and dip. It cost over $120.00!

We stayed at the Westin in Kaanapali and it was really nice but drove down the coast to the GW and saw that it was something special.

Hope you take advantage of the terrific offer and stay there.

Wishing you luck and great times!