Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations: Family Fun on the Big Island of Hawaii

Planning a family vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii and having a hard time narrowing down where to stay? Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations is a resort to consider. Spread out in large villa-like rooms fully equipped with everything you need, from large private lanais to full kitchens. And guests of all ages can splash about in the resort’s three swimming pools and enjoy access to the Hilton Waikoloa Village amenities.

The writer was hosted.

The Waikoloa area of the Big Island is on the beautiful Kona Kohala coast just north of the small Kona International Airport. The coast is dotted with luxury resorts with plentiful amenities and pristine beaches with crystal clear waters. The Waikoloa area also offers plenty of dining and shopping options.
Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations is one of a handful of Hilton Grand Vacations Club properties in the area. We chose to stay there because of the excellent reviews and spacious suites. We were not disappointed.

Kings’ Land Location and Views

We arrived to Kailua-Kona International Airport and took a taxi to Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations. Car rentals were is short supply. After a lovely drive we arrived at the main Kings’ Land building and the bellman held our luggage as we went to check in at the open-air front desk.  This is also where you can find the helpful concierge services, Kings’ Land Bistro & Lounge, a game room with ping pong and pool tables and the main swimming pool.

Leaving your luggage in your car would also be a good option if you have one. There is plenty of self parking. But we arrived via taxi and were glad for the bellman to take our luggage for us and drive us to our building a short distance away. It was a good introduction to the property.

Kings’ Land by Hilton Grand Vacations is located on a lovely championship golf course. When going to Hawaii you might think of ocean views. But the golf view sunset is also quite spectacular. And, the large lanais offer plenty of space to take in both sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed all of those out on the private lanais with comfortable furniture. It was the perfect place to enjoy a light dinner after a long day of travel.

SheBuysTravel Tip: There are so many things to do in the Kohala-Kona area that you will quickly see why this is an ideal area to stay on the Big Island.

Kings’ Land Rooms

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The property offers family-friendly one-bedroom, two-bedroom suites and three-bedroom suites. All suites have a full kitchen with oven, stove, refrigerator, coffee maker and more. It was well equipped to make a gourmet meal, or just grab some cereal and coffee in the morning. The dining area is in the kitchen. But we often ate out on the lanai. The living room is large with Hawaiian art and furniture.

A washer/dryer, along with laundry detergent was just off of the kitchen. No laundry service needed here.

The master bedroom is huge with a comfortable king bed, and large attached bathroom with a shower and oversized tub with whirlpool. The second bedroom features two double beds.

All rooms include large flat screen TVs. This isn’t typically important to me. But I loved the Hawaii TV station that played relaxing music to the lapping ocean waves and roaring waterfalls. We don’t usually let our kids watch TV as they are going to bed. But we did let them watch this relaxing station to wind down after a day in the sun.

Kings’ Land Swimming Pools

We stayed in building three with the Serenity Pool located right off of our lanai. This was one of three swimming pools on the property. It may have been the smallest but was also our favorite. It was truly serene with multiple waterfall features. But also welcoming to kids. The depth of three and a half feet was ideal for our eight-year-old. We never had a problem finding chairs and shade at the Serenity Pool even over a busy weekend.

The large swimming pool at the main building is marvelous with multiple fun waterslides, a sandy entry area, hot tubs and a water volleyball area. But it could be crowded on weekends. Here there is a poolside bar offering food and beverage, including Hawaiian shaved ice.

All of the pools were well designed and incorporated features of the Big Island, such as lava rock into the design.

Kings’ Land Amenities

Upon check in we were warmly greeted. Then provided with the shuttle schedule, map of the property and schedule of Hawaiian cultural activities.

The shuttle stop was just at the next building. During our stay it came every half hour, often on Hawaii time. It was very easy to get around on the shuttle service. It transports guests throughout Hilton Grand Vacations to Queens Market, the Kings Shops, Hilton Waikoloa Village and more.

Access to the Hilton Waikoloa pool and beach are included with your stay at Kings’ Land. This is a huge perk to be able to use the massive swimming pool at Hilton Waikoloa and to be able to go snorkeling at the beach.

There is a fitness center. But a morning walk is more my style. The first morning we were up early for sunrise. I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the lanai before heading out for a walk to explore the area. Along the way I discovered Ala Loa ancient foot trail through the lava rock. It is always fun to discover local culture and history by accident.

The resort does also provide Hawaiian cultural activities. We sadly missed most of these during our visit. But I think the entire family would have enjoyed them had it worked with our schedules.

High speed WiFi was also included. Surprisingly we didn’t even use this. But it was great to be able to download additional items for our return travel.

With COVID-19 there was a very flexible cancellation policy. One less stress for a trip that requires a few hoops jumped to get there, such as negative COVID-19 tests. More on that below.

Kings’ Land Dining

Kings’ Land Pool Bar was the restaurant open during our visit. It is located at the main building and swimming pool. It serves casual food al fresco for reasonable prices. Because the rooms are condos with full kitchens it was also easy to grab food to go from eateries in Waikoloa Village.

There are full size gas grills located conveniently throughout the property. And, the Kings’ Land Pool Bar offers grill packages delivered to your room. They provide prepared meats including chicken, steak and Korean ribs. The package also includes salads, garlic bread and fruit and veggie kabobs. You can cook and enjoy your family meal outdoors with really no meal prep.

And, the shuttle service was an easy way to get to multiple local restaurants. We only regret not trying more of the local restaurants here.

What to Know About Visiting Hawaii During COVID-19 Restrictions

The Big Island is subject to the state of Hawaii rules. The biggest travel hurdle is taking an authorized COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to departure and get the results uploaded to a Hawaii Safe Travels account prior to departure so that you can skip quarantine. As vaccine passports develop, it is possible visitors may be able to avoid testing.

Social distancing and mask wearing in public areas were still in effect for our visit. But it really didn’t impact our fun. Masks could be removed while eating and drinking. and once you had settled yourself at a socially distanced pool or beach. Also, no masks were necessary while exercising, which included a walk on the beach or through the Waikoloa area.

Perhaps the most important thing to know is that rental cars are in short supply. Be sure to book your rental car early.