Hilton Hawaiian Village facts for kids
| Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort | |
Quick facts for kids  Hilton Hawaiian Village |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Address | |
| Opening date | September 15, 1955 |
| Management | Hilton Worldwide |
| Owner | Park Hotels & Resorts |
| No. of rooms | 3,386 |
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is a huge hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. It first opened in 1955. Today, it is the biggest hotel in the Hilton family. It is also one of the largest hotels in the world!
Contents
Discovering the History of Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is located on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. This area was once a village called Kalia. It was the childhood home of the famous swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. Before the hotel, it was a private estate with houses and a salt flat. Around 1900, a small hotel called the Old Waikiki was built here. Later, in 1928, it became the Niumalu Hotel.
How the Hawaiian Village Hotel Started
The idea for the Hawaiian Village Hotel came from Henry J. Kaiser. He was a famous builder who helped create the Hoover Dam. In 1954, Kaiser and another builder, Fritz B. Burns, bought the land. They combined the old estate with the Niumalu Hotel. They also turned the salt flat into a beautiful lagoon.
The hotel opened on September 15, 1955. It had 70 guest rooms in small, thatched-roof cottages. There were also gardens and three swimming pools. In 1956, Western Hotels started managing the hotel.
Growing Bigger and Better
In 1957, the modern Ocean Tower was added. The famous Geodesic Dome was also built. Conrad Hilton bought half of the resort in 1961. On February 1, 1961, Hilton Hotels & Resorts took over. They renamed it the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Soon after, Elvis Presley stayed at the hotel. He was there while filming his movie Blue Hawaii. In 1968, the tall Rainbow Tower opened. It has the world's biggest ceramic tile mosaic on its side. This mosaic shows a rainbow. It is 26 feet wide and 286 feet tall! It took over 16,000 tiles to make.
More towers were added over the years. The Tapa Tower was built in 1982. The original Ocean Tower was updated in 1987. It was renamed the Ali'i Tower. The 25-story Kalia Tower opened in 2001.
What the Village Offers Today
Today, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is on over 22 acres of land. It is right on the beach, near the Ala Moana Center. The hotel has the largest swimming pool in Waikiki. There are also more than twenty-two restaurants. You can see exotic wildlife and beautiful gardens. There is also Duke's Lagoon. The hotel also shows historical items from the Bishop Museum.
The Village Plan Concept
The main idea behind the Hawaiian Village was to offer a full Hawaiian experience. Guests could find everything they needed without leaving the resort. This included restaurants, shops, and more.
Henry Kaiser created a "village plan" for his resort. This plan meant different parts of the hotel had special designs. These designs showed the culture of Hawaii.
Different Towers and Villages
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa has many towers. Each tower is like a centerpiece for different "villages." These towers include:
- Diamond Head Tower
- Ali'i Tower
- Tapa Tower
- Rainbow Tower
- Lagoon Tower
- Kalia Tower
- Grand Waikikian
- Grand Islander
The newest tower is the Grand Islander. It opened on March 1, 2017. Kaiser's village plan is now used in hotels and resorts all over the world.
Amazing Wildlife at the Village
The Village Hotel has a small pond with different kinds of turtles. These include box turtles and soft-shelled turtles. Other animals living on the grounds are:
- Different types of ducks
- Lesser flamingos
- Sacred ibis
- Black-crowned night herons
- Koi fish
- Chameleons
- Macaws
- Parakeets
In June 2014, the Hilton Hawaiian Village moved its three remaining South African black-footed penguins. They now live at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
The Geodesic Dome
The Hawaiian Village was one of the first places in the United States to have a geodesic dome.
Henry Kaiser wanted an auditorium at the village. He got permission to build geodesic domes. These domes were designed by Buckminster Fuller. A dome with an aluminum skin was made in California. It was 145 feet (44 meters) wide. It was then shipped to Hawaii in 1957. Kaiser flew to Hawaii to see it being built. But he found it was already finished! It took only 22 hours to build.
Many famous music albums were recorded at the dome. It was known for its great sound. The dome was taken down in 1999. This was to make room for the Kalia Tower.
Images for kids
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The Grand Islander tower.
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The geodesic dome in 1965.
See also
In Spanish: Hilton Hawaiian Village para niños
