Which Hawaiin Island is she staying on as there are a few Hilton's throughout the islands?

Hi Judith ! To be honest I'm not sure. She's back on Wednesday, so I'll make enquiries and post back then.

Hi Helen

It sounds as though your daughter is on the Big Island, as the Hilton hotels in Waikiki and Kauai are close by to other places.

Just a tip for other people planning to visit the Hawaiian island, if you're planning to travel outside Oahu (where Waikiki is located), hiring a car is an absolute must, otherwise you'll be stuck in your resort for the duration of the trip. Public transport outside of Oahu is very limited...

U2fan

Unfortunately, Hawaii is very expensive and getting more so.

Last time I was there, it was a $12 hamburger and an $8 beer - by the way that wasn't even the imported stuff!!

Take plenty of spending cash because you'll run through it like water.

Hi My daughter got back last night. They stayed on the Big Island. The hotel itself was fantastic although in the back of beyond - it was the prices that were extortionate. A return taxi ride to the next town was £70 in our money. Apparently the staff were great towards the Americans but other nationalities were basically ignored. They expected to be tipped for every drink even a can of coke even though the menus said that gratuities were included. They met another British couple there on honeymoon and they were treated with the same disdain. I gave them the equivalent of £600 in our money and it didn't last 3 days although they weren't extravagant. They spent more in 6 days in Hawaii than what they did for 3 weeks in New Zealand!

I agree, Hawaii can be expensive, especially if you have no choice but to eat and drink in your hotel. [One thing that bugs me when I go to the US is that they expect a tip for absolutely everything (e.g. 20% in restuarants and $1 for every drink in bars). I guess it's just their way of life!]

However, if you do your research before you go, e.g. go to restaurants/bars where the locals frequent, hire a car and eat outside the main tourist areas/resorts, or rent a condo and cook for yourself, Hawaii can also be done on a budget.

U2fan

We stayed in Waikiki, and found a mixture of prices. Eating out was no problem, with a variety of choices to meet all budgets. Our favourite was the Cheesecake Factory, and we even found a Subway for a lunchtime snack. ABC Stores are everywhere, and stock a variety of products, great for Water & Beer.

Yes Hawaii can be expensive, but only if you want it to be, there are alternatives on Oahu, especially if you hire a car for a few days.

I appreciate Big Island may differ, and its such a shame it spoilt there trip.

Kaz.

U2fan... the standard for a tip is 15% and not 20%. A tip is only expected for decent service. The wage and tax structure is different here and, if you don't tip for a meal in a restaurant, your server has actually lost money because their tax may be partially calculated on their sales and receipts.

Helen, sorry to hear of your experience but I know exactly what you mean.

I wish I could have found some bargains but truly none of the islands that we visited had even remotely reasonable prices and I can't bring myself to fly halfway round the world just to eat in sandwich shops!

There is a neat feature on Mapquest.com- If you enter the address and zip code of the hotel you are planning on staying at.... ask for a map.... when that comes up you will see a choice on the right that says - 'things nearby'- if you click on that and then 'refine your choice' you can scan the drop down menu for Grocery Stores, Restaurants,whatever you are interested in finding. It gives a lot of details re whether those things are with in walking distance etc.
Do a little homework before you travel and you may save yourself some annoyance.
Everything in Hawaii is expensive but I have paid $12 for Hamburgers at a Hilton in Florida, and they were lousy,so you will find prices can be high whenever the Hoteliers feel there is not much competition around.

Wow, we stayed at Hilton in Waikkia this time last year, there was a ABC store on site, and place had so many restaraunts..some cheap, some expensive and like the other post on here there were lots of places to eat in the centre of the town..Yep i agree, you need to do research before you book a hotel and especially if its your honeymoon hotel as you want it to be special..We loved everything about the Hilton and would not hesitate to go back..