Best Hotels for Families: Hawaiʻi Island

Hawai'i Island, also known as The Big Island, is ideal for family vacations. Whether you’re traveling with teens, taking your first big family trip with a toddler or embarking on a multigenerational journey, there is plenty to do. Swim with manta rays, explore rainforests and see active volcanoes or take it easy and focus on learning more about Hawaiian culture and history. Finding activities is the easy part. The challenge is the logistics of finding places that can accommodate large groups and kids.

As a family of four, and sometimes a family of five when our niece joins us, we’ve had the opportunity to stay at all of these family-friendly hotels and resorts. They have made our family vacations not only memorable but also welcoming and comfortable.

When it comes to a true oceanside playground for families, the 62-acre Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort has it all, including three towers of rooms, a tram and a massive pool complex that includes a beach and lagoon.

Best for: Elementary school kids who never want to leave the pool

Highlights:

• For the whole family

  • The lagoon is one of the best parts of the property, especially on the weekends when a DJ plays music while guests snorkel, paddleboard, kayak and relax in their rented cabanas.

• For the adults

  • The resort’s extensive art collection

  • Spa

  • Kicking back in the Kona Tap Room

Nearby attractions: Petroglyphs, or stone carvings, are one of the ways ancient Hawaiians communicated and preserved their history. Inside the Waikōloa Petroglyph Preserve, junior archaeologists can find petroglyphs in great condition via a marked trail that starts near the Kings’ Shops gas station. Explore the trail on your own or get a free guided tour Thursday through Sunday at 9:30am. Just be sure to stay on the trail and not touch the carvings or take etchings of them - they’re very old and very delicate.

Rooms: For the best deal, choose a room in the Ocean Tower, which is managed by Hilton Grand Vacations. The suites in this tower have been newly remodeled and offer a lot of chic luxury for the price. The two-bedroom suites give options for multigenerational travel and larger families, and the full kitchen helps tremendously with dining savings. The Ocean Tower also has its own large pool. The biggest drawback is that it sits at the opposite end of the main pool and restaurants, so the trek or the wait for the tram can be frustrating. Standard rooms and higher-end suite options can be found in the Makai and Palace Towers.

Rooms from $339 for a family of four

Parking: $48 self, $55 valet

Transportation: The resort does not offer airport pick-ups, and it is a 19-mile drive. Unless you plan to stay strictly in the Waikōloa area, a rental car is highly recommended.

Book a room at Ocean Tower by Hilton Grand Vacations

Book a room at Makai Tower or Palace Tower at Hilton Waikoloa Village

Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort is one of Hawaiʻi Island’s top luxury resorts catering to all ages. This is the place where you’ll be pampered at every turn, and time begins to lose all meaning. The Rosewood Explorers Keiki Club offers robust experiences, as well as one of the best kids’ facilities I’ve ever seen. You may even run into a retired NFL quarterback throwing a ball around with their kids.

Best for: Families who expect the best of the best

Highlights:

• A spacious, beautiful outdoor play space that includes a slack line, outdoor lounge area, and game zone for the kids.

• The Moana Family Pool

• Water activities at Kilo Kai at Kuhuwai Beach

• Tilapia fishing in the lagoon

• Cultural center

• Petroglyph field

• Shave ice

Nearby attractions: Learn more about what goes into that 100% Kona Coffee that parents are likely indulging in this trip with a farm tour at Heavenly Hawaiian Coffee Farm where everyone can learn about growing, processing, and roasting this agricultural treasure. For true coffee lovers they also offer specialty experiences like their Paniolo (cowboy) Roasting Tour, the Brew Your Best Kona Cup tour, or the Paint n Sip class where you can get artsy and enjoy the beautiful views from this mountain retreat.

Rooms: Free-standing units offer plenty of privacy, with lodging options starting from 3-person rooms to one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as additional options for larger groups. For the truly indulgent traveler, the property also offers a gated, 4-bedroom residence with its own gourmet kitchen and pool.

Rooms from $1,290 for a family of four

Parking: Free self-parking, $40 overnight valet

Transportation: The resort’s house car is available to pick you up from the airport, or the concierge can handle other transportation bookings. If you don’t plan to venture far from the resort, no rental car is needed, but if you plan to explore, go ahead and get a car.

Airport pick up/drop off: $219 (each way for up to 5 people)

Book a stay at this Big Island luxury hideaway

Visitors to Hawai'i Island may have the Lava Lava Beach Club restaurant already on their itinerary for toes-in-the-sand sunset dining, but what many visitors don’t know is just steps from the restaurant there are four bungalows nestled right up to the edge of the bay where families can stay and create special memories.

Best for: Small families who want to be as close as possible to the ocean

Highlights:

• As part of the Waikōloa Resort complex, Lava Lava Beach Club Cottages has everything you need nearby, including grocery stores, boutique shopping, restaurants and a movie theater.

• Each bungalow provides two bikes for cruising.

• Along the beach you’ll find amazing snorkeling, paddleboarding (paddleboards are included with the stay) and other activities, though they’re best enjoyed in the mornings before the wind picks up.

• Visit the beach just past the bungalows, hidden away from the main bay, for sunset and turtle action.

Nearby attractions: Just a short walk down the beach from your bungalows, just in front of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, are the Ku‘uali‘i and Kahapapa Fishponds. These ponds were once part of a thriving aquaculture system of coastal fish farms. ‘Anaeho‘omalu means “protected mullet,” indicating the importance of these fish in this area. Waikōloa Resort provides great information about the historical and cultural features of the resort area, including a walking tour app.

Rooms: Each bungalow sleeps four. There’s a king bed in an open bedroom and a large daybed that converts to a bed in the main living area. There is also a lanaʻi, dining area and kitchen that includes a microwave/convection oven, mini-fridge, a full set of dishes and daily ice delivery. But the best part of the bungalows is the huge outdoor shower garden. There’s nothing more relaxing than taking a hot shower under the stars.

Rooms from $599

Parking: On-site parking is free

Transportation: No airport transfers are available. Renting a car is highly recommended.

Book a stay on the shores of ‘Anaeho‘malu Bay

At the north end of Ali‘i Drive, next to Kailua Pier, lies one of Hawaiʻi Island’s most historic hotels. The beachside retreat opened in 1960 on the former grounds of the home of King Kamehameha I. Just outside of the hotel sits Kamakahonu Beach on a small, protected bay that’s perfect for kids to play and explore.

Best for: Families who like to explore culture, history, and marine environments

Highlights:

• The Herb Kāne art collection on the ground floor is one of my favorite learning opportunities for the whole family; here history comes alive through this masterful Hawaiian art-historian’s brushstrokes.

• In Kamakahonu Bay, just in front of the lūʻau grounds sits Ahu‘ena Heiau, a restored national historic site which King Kamehameha I used as a religious temple.

• In addition to the beach, the hotel also has a nice pool, good dining options and spa.

• Ululani’s Shave Ice (right next to the pool)

• Ocean activities are close by, with Kona Boys beach rentals set up on the beach and Kailua Pier, where many excursions depart, just a few steps further.

Nearby attractions: When we stay here, we are always glad for the abundance of family-friendly nighttime activity options. We usually either play on the beach and take a little night swim, take in dinner and a show at the hotel’s Island Breeze Lūʻau, stroll down Ali‘i Drive for dinner, go bowling at nearby KBXtreme or walk to the Brew Block and enjoy dinner and sometimes live music at Kona Brew’s Pub or Willie’s Hot Chicken.

Rooms: The only big drawback to this hotel is that the rooms only accommodate up to four people. As someone who has traveled with a family of five, I know how tricky that can be. If you have a larger party that can be split up, this hotel is pretty affordable for Hawai'i, so getting two rooms would be a good deal.

Rooms from $292 for a family of four

Parking: $35 for self-parking, $45 for valet parking

Transportation: Though there is no ground transportation provided from the airport, Go Rentals is located on-site at the hotel and offers discounts to guests. This makes it easy to use a rental for part of your stay, rather than the entire time.

Book a stay at this historic, culture-driven hotel

SCP Hotel, the newest kid on the Banyan Drive block of hotels, brings the contemporary, sustainable boutique hotel vibe to Hilo. This hotel is fun, funky and laid back.

Best for: Families who want to explore without being in a car all day

Highlights:

• The pool area provides a nice outdoor space with a little nook stocked with games and books for when the kids start to get antsy in the room.

• Coconut Grill — one of Hilo’s best breakfast spots, is right next door.

Nearby attractions: The best thing about SCP for visitors is its location and the hotel’s support in helping guests explore it. Just across the street lies Reed’s Bay, one of the main gathering places for local families on the weekend. The large bay is perfect for exploring via paddleboard, which the hotel provides. The hotel sits on the east end of Banyan Drive which, combined with Lili‘uokalani Gardens at the west end of Banyan Drive, is one of Hilo’s biggest attractions. The hotel encourages exploration of these areas with their complimentary cruiser bikes.

The Keaukaha community stretches from SCP Hotel to the end of Kalanianaʻole St. This is where you’ll find Hilo’s beaches, including Onekahakaha, which is a great beach for smaller kids; Carlsmith, a great place for the whole family to snorkel and Richardson Ocean Park, which has a beautiful black sand beach. This area is home to Native Hawaiian communities, many of which are feeling the impact of heavy tourism in this popular destination, so it’s essential to be mindful while visiting these incredible places.

Rooms: Rooms are comfy and minimalistic, focusing on local art to bring color and culture into the space. Room occupancy maxes out at four, so this hotel is better suited to small families or those who plan to split into their own rooms.

Rooms from $200 for a family of four

Parking: On-site parking is available for free

Transportation: Transportation from the airport is not provided, but it’s just a super quick taxi ride away. Because of its location, you could get away with not having a car for a couple of days.

Book a stay at this sustainable, community-focused hotel