Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach Review

Last year the 623-room Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach opened its doors on Oahu, and I was excited to finally have a chance to staycay there!

Stepping into the warm and open living-room style lobby, complete with natural hues and Hawaiian kapa prints, I was immediately welcomed at check-in.

The island-inspired decor carried over to the fresh and modern guest room, where koa wood-style furniture and floral wall art created a cozy and inviting retreat.

Each guest room includes a refrigerator, microwave, Keurig coffee maker, a 46-inch HDTV, and a Serta Perfect Sleeper bed with plush pillows.

I loved that there were plenty of charging stations around the room, sufficient lighting, ample seating, and that the air conditioning had no problems cooling down the entire room.

Although I thought the configuration of the room took a little getting used to (the sink/vanity was at the entrance of the room, separate from the bathroom), I appreciated how spacious and clean the room was.

A private lanai provided a pretty view of the ocean and the busy Waikiki night life.

Guests have access to complimentary Wi-Fi, a 24-hour business center, infused waters, coffee, and newspaper.  

The Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach boasts two fitness centers (one cardio room, one strength-training room), a rooftop bar, a rooftop pool, and laundry facilities.

 

Centrally located in Waikiki, just steps from International Market Place and just two blocks away from Waikiki Beach, the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach also offers Holoholo Café & Market, where you can get everything from souvenirs to grab-and-go eats, as well as TR Fire Grill, where you can dine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just sit at the bar for a cocktail!

A stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach means access to a comfortable room with modern amenities, and an abundance of services!

Visit the website to check rates!

Mahalo to the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki for hosting.  Gratuities and parking were paid on my own.

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Staycation in Waikiki

We went on our first staycation as a family of four last weekend. We started our adventure in Waikiki on Friday morning.  Since check-in wasn't until 3 pm, we spent the morning at the Duke Kahanamoku Beach & Lagoon. 

The lagoon is a 5-acre man made salt water pool with a state of the art water circulation system.  It's a great place for small kids who don't know how to swim because of its shallow shorelines and calm conditions. The only thing I didn't like about the lagoon is that the water is COLD! I mean it's probably a good thing that the water is cold, (warm water might make you wonder if the water is dirty or harboring harmful microorganisms), but you definitely feel a zing when you first full submerge yourself in the water.  There is a place to rent ocean and beach gear at the lagoon, such as kayaks, water tricycles, stand up paddle boards, umbrellas, beach chairs, etc. 

After spending a morning at the beach, we checked in to room at the Hilton's Grand Waikikian. It was a spacious two-bedroom suite, with a balcony, partial ocean view, fully-equipped full-size kitchen, washer/dryer, air conditioning, etc. To avoid the high price of food in Waikiki, I would highly suggest planning ahead and bringing your own beverages and snacks. 

For dinner, we took a 5-minute stroll to Benihana. The boys loved watching the chef entertain us while he was preparing our food. 

We left the restaurant just in time to catch the Friday night fireworks show sponsored by the Hilton. This weekly show draws thousands of people to the lagoon area each Friday evening.  We brought blankets and let the boys run around in the sand before and after the show. 

On Saturday, the boys and I ventured out to find a place to pick up pastries and coffee (for mom!). 

We discovered that Lappert's Hawaii had pastries and coffee for sale, so I picked up a cinnamon roll, croissant, coffee, and orange juice and took it back to our room.

After the in-laws arrived, we headed down to the lagoon for more beach and water play.

My sister-in-law even rented a water tricycle for an hour.

For lunch, we dined at Blue Water Shrimp. The garlic shrimp was amazing.

The boys loved these re-fillable water pouches that were compliments of the Hilton. There was a water station located in the lobby where guests can fill up their pouches.  

After a short rest in the hotel room, we headed back downstairs to check out the Paradise Pool. Unfortunately we didn't have their floaties so they could not go on the slide, but they had fun splashing around in the water (which was a tad bit warmer than the water in the lagoon).

Before dinner, we passed the time with a game of Uno.

We decided to venture out into Waikiki for dinner, so we walked to the trolley stop on Ala Moana Blvd. and hopped on Waikiki Trolley's Pink Line. 

We got off at the stop in front of the International Marketplace (IMP) and decided to eat at Kona Grill on the third floor of IMP.

Kona Grill has a really good kids menu!

On Sunday morning, we checked out of our hotel and hopped on the Pink Line to the International Marketplace again for a small breakfast at Mitsukawa Marketplace. 

The boys liked the musubis and somen ....

while I made a bee-line to Modo for box of mochi donuts. :)

On our way to the trolley, we stopped at Honolulu Cookie Company for a cookie sample. 

And that's what we did during our three-day staycation in Waikiki!

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