Waikiki’s timeshare world got its biggest news in years: Ka Haku, a Hilton Club — a 32-story tower on the former King’s Village site in the heart of Waikiki — has been taking reservations since spring 2026, with opening expected in 2026. It brings 213 suites from studios to three-bedrooms, ocean and mountain views, a fitness center, a pool, and — the amenity making all the newsletters — a Japanese-style bath. It is also the first “Hilton Club”-branded property in Hawaii.
We are longtime HGV owners, we love that this building exists, and it is not where we will be booking — not with our math. Both halves of that sentence are sincere, and the reason is a single table.
The point chart, side by side
From HGV’s 2026 ClubPoints guide (January 2026 edition), platinum season, which covers 43 of the 52 weeks at both towers:
| One-bedroom, platinum | Sun–Wed / night | Thu–Sat / night | Full week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ka Haku (range across 1BR types) | 2,016 – 3,696 | 4,032 – 7,392 | 20,160 – 36,960 |
| Hokulani (Plus) | 992 | 1,984 | 9,920 |
| Hokulani (Premier) | 1,344 | 2,688 | 13,440 |
And the comparison that genuinely surprised us: Ka Haku’s studios — the smallest rooms in the building — run 8,400 to 28,000 points for a platinum week. In other words, a studio at the new tower can cost as much as, or more than, a full one-bedroom at Hokulani.
Charts get revised, so verify current numbers in the member portal before planning. But the shape of the gap is structural, not temporary: new flagship buildings launch with premium point pricing. That is how the system works, and it is worth seeing clearly before the new-building excitement makes the decision for you.
What double the points actually buys — and what it costs
Stated plainly: for the same week of vacation, Ka Haku asks roughly twice the points of a Hokulani one-bedroom. What you receive for the premium is real — newer everything, grander amenities, the pride of the newest address in Waikiki. (The Japanese-style bath is billed as public, so you would not even need Ka Haku points to try it.)
What it costs is also real: half your days. The flight to Hawaii takes the same hours and dollars regardless of where you sleep. If your annual points cover two weeks at Hokulani, they cover roughly one at Ka Haku. Our entire ownership philosophy fits in one line — points buy days, not chandeliers — so for us this is not even close. A grand lobby is delightful for the ninety seconds a day you cross it. An extra week in Hawaii is delightful the entire week.
The question that settles it
Ignore the renderings and ask yourself: on a normal vacation afternoon, where are you?
- If the honest answer is “using the building” — the pool, the lounge, the view from the room — Ka Haku’s premium buys things you will genuinely use. Owners with large point balances who take shorter, richer trips are exactly who it was built for. Enjoy it; we mean that.
- If the honest answer is “in the suite with the windows open, takeout and a beer, or out at a happy hour” — the building is a bed with a refrigerator, and paying double for a nicer bed you barely perceive is the least efficient trade in the whole program. That is us, which is why our loyalty stays with the older, cheaper tower upstairs from the happy hour.
One more owner-brain note: we hope Ka Haku thrives
This is not grudging. Every owner who falls in love with Ka Haku is an owner not competing for Hokulani’s booking windows. New inventory spreads Waikiki’s HGV demand across more roofs, and the people happiest about that are the ones attached to the older properties. So: to everyone about to fall for the new tower — thank you, sincerely.
Bottom line
- Choose Ka Haku if amenities and newness are the vacation, your point balance is deep, and shorter stays suit your calendar.
- Choose Hokulani if length, location, and a low-friction routine are the vacation — the point chart is decisively on your side.
- Either way, do not let launch excitement upgrade your booking — or your ownership — beyond what your actual afternoons look like.
Point values, opening timelines and amenities reflect published information as of September 2026 and can change; confirm current details with Hilton Grand Vacations. This is owner opinion, not financial or purchase advice.
