Christmas 2011 on the Big Island of Hawaii

The Christmas season is the one of the busiest times of the year on the Big Island. Many of the most popular restaurants, activities and area stores are either sold out weeks in advance or are not available at all on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Rental Cars– It appears that most of the rental cars are sold out. Some companies may have extra vehicles that do not show available online so if you are having trouble finding a vehicle, please contact us at concierge@niftyrocket.com.

Hilton Waikoloa Village Day Use Room– Many guests reserve a day use room during their stay. During the holidays these are very limited so if you would like to take advantage of one of these rooms, the activity needs to be planned a week in advance. The day use room costs $160 for a family of four. If the hotel is full, pool utilization will not be available. Contact us at concierge@niftyrocket.com so we may help arrange the activity. Currently, the resort will only offer the day use rooms seven days or less from the intended date of use.

Whale Watches/Sunset Sails/Luaus/Helicopter Tours– These are the four most popular activities during the holidays and typically are sold out weeks in advance. Please contact us at concierge@niftyrocket.com if you have any questions regarding these activities.

Mauna Kea Christmas Day Brunch– Mauna Kea hotel typically has the best Christmas Day brunch from 10am to 1:30 pm. It is about a 10 minute drive north from Waikoloa Beach Resort on Queen K Hwy. This event is typically sold out weeks prior to Christmas Day. Their direct phone number is (808) 882-7222 for reservations.  Guests of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals may contact (808) 333-1910 or email concierge@niftyrocket.com

The Charity Trees at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel– Each year the Mauna Lani Bay hotel hosts a Christmas tree contest.  This year they are helping local non-profit organizations.   Each agency decorates a Christmas tree, which is placed in the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel lobby for the contest. You can walk through the lobby to view all of the trees while casting your vote for a minimal donation of a dollar per entry.  Cash prizes will be awarded to the non-profit agencies based on a first, second or third place finish. This is a great way to entertain the family and support the local community.

Restaurant Reservations– Most restaurants are sold out for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve weeks in advance. The Hilton Waikoloa Village, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows and the Mauna Kea Resort have some holiday dining options available. It is recommended that reservations are made as quickly as possible. Guests of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals are welcome to contact us at (808) 333-1910 or email concierge@niftyrocket.com for reservation assistance.

Recommend Churches– There are several churches on the Kohala Coast offering Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
Annunciation Catholic Church in Waimea offers Christmas Eve masses at 5 pm and 10 pm. The 5 pm mass is family friendly. The Christmas Day mass is at 8 am. It is a beautiful church with windows throughout which allows visitors to see the mountainous terrain in Waimea. Please click here to view a map of how to get to Annunciation Catholic Church.
New Hope Waimea is a nondenominational church in Waimea and offers a Christmas Eve service at 6:30 pm as well as a Christmas Day service at 10 am. The Christmas Eve service is typically a child friendly service. Click here to view a map of how to get to New Hope Waimea.
Ascension Catholic Church is one of the closest churches to the Waikoloa Beach Resort. It offers a Christmas Day mass at 10 am and is about a 10 minute drive from the Waikoloa Beach Resort. Click here to get directions.
These times are tentative and may be updated as the holidays get closer.
Church services will be available Saturday, December 24th at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Beginning at 7:30 pm.

Grocery Shopping– The Island Gourmet Market at the Queens’ Marketplace will be open from 7 am – 11 pm both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you would like to have your grocery shopping done for you please contact us with a list of desired items. The charge is 30% of the cost of the groceries and will be charged to your credit card on file.

Golf Tee Times– All of the desirable tee times are usually booked well in advance leaving open only afternoon tee times. Currently the Waikoloa Golf Courses offer the best rate if you reserve your tee time through them directly. They can be reached at (877) WAIKOLOA for Waikoloa Beach Courses and (808) 885-6622 for Mauna Lani Courses. If you want to play outside of the resort in which you are staying, please contact us at concierge@niftyrocket.com and we can help arrange your tee times in advance.
Late Check Outs- We are unable to offer late check outs or early check ins during this very busy season. If you have a late flight on your departure date we can help arrange you a day room at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott or Hilton Waikoloa Village if available. Please let us know if you would like for us to make this reservation for you.

Miscellaneous Holiday Activities– The Hilton Waikoloa Village has activities available for families during the month of December. Please contact the Hilton Waikoloa Village at (808) 886-1234 for further details.
Photos with Santa are available at the Queens’ Marketplace beginning Saturday, December 17th. Personal cameras are necessary to take part in the event.

Guests of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals can call (808) 333-1910 or email concierge@niftyrocket.com for additional information regarding resort activities or photos with Santa Claus.

We hope you find this information helpful and please contact us for help scheduling any of your activities while you are on the Big Island of Hawaii and staying with Waikoloa Vacation Rentals.