We go to Hawaii once or twice a year, but we don't always go to Oahu unless we have someone with us that is new to Hawaii and wants to see Pearl Harbor. However, while trying to book our Hawaii vacation and our typical three-day stay in Oahu to see Pearl Harbor and the fireworks at Hilton Hawaiian Village®, I saw an option that I hadn't seen before. Grand Waikikian, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club, had Penthouse Suites available.
My first thought was, "bigger rooms and top floors probably mean better views." However, my second thought what whether a penthouse in Waikiki Beach was worth all the extra points. But what better time than now to use the extra points I had saved from last year to see if it was worth it?
We island-hop when we go to Hawaii. So, we were coming from the Big Island. When we got to Oahu, we took our free Lyft ride — courtesy of Hilton Grand Vacations and a benefit of being Elite Premier Owners — to the Grand Waikikian. The bellhops were there to greet us and asked where in Hilton Hawaiian Village we were staying, and since it was a surprise to the rest of my crew, I whispered to him, "Grand Waikikian Penthouse."
"Oh, when you check-in on the 35-floor, call down to the front desk, and we'll bring your luggage right up," he said without anyone else hearing.
Scott, who had stayed at Grand Waikikian many times, was confused when we didn't check-in on the ground floor level. I assured him it must have been due to a pandemic protocol that they asked us to go up to the 35-floor.
We all hopped on the elevator and made our way to the 35-floor Penthouse Lounge — with no one still the wiser. We went into the lounge, and enjoyed the complimentary snacks and beverages, while waiting to check-in.
According to the Penthouse Lounge staff, we had the best Suite on-site. But to be honest, I didn't think much of this, assuming that they probably tell all Penthouse Guests the same thing.
However, then they also told us that there was something special in our Suite, and that's when I started to get pretty excited. At this point, I finally fessed up about having reserved a Penthouse Suite — and none of us knew what to expect.
Although, once they asked for my luggage ticket and called down to have our luggage brought up, I was sure that the extra points were worth it. We felt pretty special.
"Everyone should stay somewhere you feel this special at least once in your life."
Welcome to the Grand Waikikian 3-Bedroom Penthouse Suite
As we made our way to our Suite, the staff shared that all 3-Bedrooms Suites have ocean views, which definitely upped the excitement level. Once we opened the door to the large entryway, everyone just dispersed — exploring the Suite.
It took about 10 minutes until we were all back together to rehash all the thoughtful touches we'd discovered. The other women that traveled with us walked up to me and said, "I think I might cry," to which I told her I might cry too. Atop each bed was a display of towel animals and shells and flowers.
There were three private lanais in this Suite. The living room lanai faced the ocean, and the others off, two of the bedrooms, offered a perfect spot to capture sunrises — one Suite with both sunrise and sunset views.
As if it couldn't get any sweeter, everything we needed for breakfast was on the table: pancake mixes and scones, Hawaiian chips, macadamia nuts and fresh pineapple.
Oh boy, we felt special.
At this point, we had just one question: were we ever going to leave our room?! My Suitemates were posting on social media before I even thought about it.
The next few days were unforgettable. We would stop down in the Penthouse Lounge and pick up fruit, yogurt, soda and juice; our reception was always phenomenal. Although, I'd expect nothing less from Hilton Grand Vacations.
I started the trip wondering if the extra points were worth it, and after all was said and done, I'd feel lucky if I had the opportunity ever to book this Penthouse Suite again. Oahu won't be just a place we come to when we travel with people new to Hawaii. We'll try to stay here every trip to Hawaii.
Read "How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Girls Trip at Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando" for another one of my Penthouse Suite experiences. This time at Parc Soleil, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club, in Orlando.