Better Than Ever

What you see at Waikoloa Beach Resort today — bustling hotels, shopping centers, golf courses, entertainment and cultural centers, dining options of all kinds — was merely a vision back in 1968, when developers began planning how they would bring the resort to fruition.

Things evolved gradually, beginning with the first golf course, Waikoloa Village Golf Club, in 1972, followed by Sheraton Royal Waikoloan (now Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa) and the Waikoloa Beach Golf Course in 1981 — ushering in a new era of tourism to the island.

Over the next two decades, Waikoloa Beach Resort continued to develop and expand. The Hyatt Regency Waikoloa (now Hilton Waikoloa Village) opened in 1988, followed by the Kings’ Course in 1990 and the Kings’ Shops in 1991. The second shopping center, Queens’ Marketplace, opened its doors in 2007, and nowadays more than 1,700 condominiums, private residences and timeshare units provide additional accommodations to meet the demand.

Renovations have occurred regularly over the years at the resort. In 2025 alone, upgrades throughout both hotels and open-air shopping centers have made Waikoloa Beach Resort better than ever.

Continued Evolution

The first hotel, originally the Sheraton Royal Waikoloan, underwent a $25 million renovation in 1999 and reopened as the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach. Three years later, Outrigger signed a franchise agreement with Marriott, rebranding the property as it’s known today: Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

Elevating the guest experience, the hotel completed a full renovation of all 297 guestrooms this past December. The new design features organic textures, rich wood tones and tropical motifs that evoke the island’s diverse landscapes and colored sand beaches, creating a serene sanctuary for rest and renewal.

“Our design approach is guided by a deep respect for Hawai`i’s history to create a guest experience that seamlessly fuses Hawai`i’s rich cultural heritage with refined contemporary design, delivering an authentic sense of place while meeting the expectations of the modern traveler,” explains Fatima Silva, the design principal from FDG Design Group, who oversaw the project.

When the Hyatt Regency Waikoloa first opened, the sprawling property was the most expensive hotel ever built in the islands, with 1,241 guestrooms, multiple restaurants, a luxury spa, canal boats, tramways and a dolphin lagoon.

The now-iconic hotel was acquired by Hilton Hotels in 1993 and renamed the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The guestrooms and suites were divided among the Ocean, Makai and Palace towers. To enhance the resort, the Palace Tower underwent a $68 million renovation in 2025 with 206 newly updated rooms and suites, each featuring vibrant artwork by local artists. In addition, Hilton Waikoloa Village’s Water’s Edge restaurant has been refreshed.

The Kings’ Shops has played an important role in Waikoloa Beach Resort’s success since it opened nearly 35 years ago. In addition to the island’s only Tiffany & Co., other popular brands including Tori Richard, lululemon, TravisMathew, Kahala and Martin & MacArthur have opened over the years.

Longstanding Roy’s Waikoloa Bar & Grill and Foster’s Kitchen Waikoloa are favorite dining spots, while Gypsea Gelato, Island Vintage Coffee and Original Big Island Shave Ice Co. offer tasty treats. Cultural performances, the Hawaii Keiki Museum, a local farmers market and lakeside putt putt golf are other attractions there.

Over the past six months, the Kings’ Shops has undergone a facelift with new paint throughout, and a revamping and expansion of the main stage area with significant green space and new lighting. New pods of seating and landscaping have been added on both ends of the shopping center.

“We now provide additional places where people can enjoy their treats and meander,” says Lynn Rostau, King’s Shops’ general manager. “We are located in a culturally important area, and our renovated stage will offer workshops more conducive to a true experience, rather than just shopping.”

Queens’ Marketplace has brought an abundance of family friendly shopping and dining to the resort. In addition to a mix of locally owned and national retail shops, restaurants, art galleries and essential services, the food court, culinary market, entertainment pavilion, movie theatre and adjacent Waikoloa Bowl set it apart.

Last fall, Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar was a major addition to the shopping center. The nearly 7,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and retail shop transformed an underutilized space into a vibrant indoor-outdoor dining destination. Another significant upgrade was phase 1 of a photovoltaic (PV) system to generate renewable energy and improve the center’s long-term operational efficiency. Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in May.

Also in 2025, Pono Pastries, KoaWood Ranch, Pacific Skin Institute, Rip Curl and Da Ramen Kind opened their doors at Queens’ Marketplace. With so many new options at Waikoloa Beach Resort, the only question is which to experience first.

Made to Last

Picture yourself walking into a flower shop on Hawai`i Island, surrounded by arrangements of colorful hibiscus, plumeria, orchids, Violet Cattleya and tiger lilies. They’re so beautiful it’s hard to believe they’re not real. At Nana’s Clay Flowers at the Kings’ Shops, they’re literally works of art: each flower and petal is carefully shaped using premium, resinbased Japanese clay, then painted by hand. “You would be amazed how many people walk in and believe our flowers are real,” say owners Caleb and Sabrina Evans. “We explain they are all handmade out of air-dry clay. Once we show them a quick demonstration, their entire perspective shifts and they view our flowers in a whole new light.” Sabrina’s parents, Vilaiwan and Ron Tara, began working in the clay flower business after discovering the art of clay flowers in Japan. Vilaiwan started creating clay flower wedding bouquets for friends in the 1990s, then expanded to farmers markets and ultimately opened their first brick and mortar storefront. The best sellers in their Kings’ Shops store are plumeria and hibiscus arrangements. “They are a perfect, carry-on size keepsake for our guests and nobody has to worry about customs,” Caleb and Sabrina explain. On Fridays and Saturdays, they offer classes for customers who want to learn how to make their own arrangements featuring bird of paradise, anthurium and plumeria flowers with monstera leaves. Custom orders are also available.