A huge spread of delicious Hawaiian food, skyline views of Waikiki, and great Polynesian entertainment are what make the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Starlight Luau so special.
If you are staying in Waikiki and don’t want to travel far to experience a great luau, this is the one for you.
Exploring Hilton Hawaiian Village Before the Luau
Hilton Starlight Luau is located at Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is a very large beachfront hotel property that has a variety of stores, restaurants, and things to do.
If you have time to roam around the hotel grounds before the luau, I would highly recommend doing so.
Before the luau you can shop around, take a walk on the paved pathway along the beach, or go get a drink and appetizer at one of the bars.
Just make sure to show up hungry to the luau to enjoy the delicious all-you-can-eat buffet!
Arriving at Hilton Starlight Luau
I went to this luau with some coworkers and we had a great time all together.
After checking in, we had the opportunity to take a group photo, buy unique Hawaiian souvenirs, and were shown to our table.
The luau is held on the rooftop of the Mid-Pacific Conference Center. This is an open-air banquet area with the stage located in the center.
You get a great view of the Waikiki skyline as well as a setting sun on the ocean.
Luau seats are arranged surrounding the stage, allowing everyone to not be too far from the stage.
However, one downside is there might be a stage post blocking some of your view.
Available Luau Packages
If you are trying to decide which package to choose from, I would take a look at your options and preferences.
Golden Circle Package
The Golden Circle Package is the most popular with the best seats.
It includes premier/middle seating, a fresh orchid lei, and 1 complimentary beverage ticket in addition to the welcome Mai Tai.
This package is about $30 more than the standard package.
If you plan on buying a drink anyways, then I would recommend this package since it includes one drink ticket and you would have seating closer to the stage.
VIP Diamond Package
If you wanted a more elite luau experience, the VIP Diamond Package will work best for you.
Especially if you are celebrating a special occasion and want to make the night even more memorable, the VIP package is your best bet.
This package includes VIP seating front and center of the stage so you can take in this performance up close and with unobstructed views.
It also includes a fresh orchid lei greeting, priority access to the dinner buffet, and 2 beverage tickets in addition to the welcome Mai Tai.
Standard Package
I experienced the Standard Package, and although a post was partially blocking my view, I was still able to really enjoy the show.
With this package we were also welcomed with a complimentary Mai Tai.
Personally, I prefer luaus in a more natural setting, like closer to the beach and with more landscape around.
While a more natural landscape makes for a more authentic luau experience, the city views during this luau are beautiful.
Conch Shell Challenge: Audience Participation!
The luau kicked off with a “conch shell blowing challenge” in which 3 male volunteers gave their best shot at blowing the conch to hear it ring.
They split the audience up into 3 teams so everyone has a different participant to cheer for.
This made for a hilarious start to the night because most of the volunteers didn’t realize how difficult it really is.
But this is a great way to get the audience laughing and create a sense of community with each other.
The Luau Dinner Buffet
After this the luau buffet was all set up and we were able to get our serving.
The menu included a variety of Hawaiian dishes like kalua pork (always my favorite), lomi lomi salmon, huli huli chicken, and islands style fish.
I always recommend luau first-timers to get out of their comfort zone and try everything on the menu!
If there is something you’ve never eaten before, give it a shot! Most likely you’ll end up loving it.
They even had a kid’s buffet, including meatballs, chicken bites, tater tots. These options are perfect for families with picky eaters.
What really stood out to me were the dessert mini malasada bites.
Malasadas are a fried type of donut and a Portuguese confection, they are very popular across the islands.
These mini malasadas at the luau served with Ghirardelli chocolate sauce were the perfect dessert to complete my meal.
They have a bar located at the back of the venue with drinks for purchase.
The prices were standard hotel prices (about $10 for a cocktail) but they did pour generous drinks.
The Luau Show
Just like any other luau, the Waikiki Starlight Luau one displayed music, clothing, dancing, and entertainment from all parts of Polynesia.
Learn about the different traditions of Hawaii, Fiji, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Tahiti, and more.
Another entertaining element of this luau was the “hula competition.”
The performers picked a few guests from the audience to join them in a hula competition.
Each guest had to get up on the stage to show off their moves.
Some volunteers were surprisingly talented, others… not so much.
One unique aspect of the show was their “acrobatic fire knife dancers”.
This was the first luau I’ve been to in which the fire knife dancers had acrobatic elements in their performance.
This was impressive considering it was raining when I went so their bodies were probably wet and slippery.
Rain at an Outdoor Luau
Like most luaus, the Waikiki Starlight Luau one is located outdoors.
The standard rule for luaus when it comes to weather/rain is that it will only be cancelled during severe weather or heavy rain.
Sometimes they may move the luau indoors if possible, but during a light shower or drizzle the luau will not be cancelled.
The night that I went to this luau it was light raining off and on throughout the evening.
They handed out ponchos to the guests and the show went on!
We still had a good experience, despite the rain and the performers did not seem to be affected by it.
The ushers handed out plastic ponchos for protection, so thankfully we could stay dry. Sadly, we didn’t receive any ponchos for our food.
Other than that though, we had an enjoyable time.
Weather is so inconsistent in Hawaii, you really never know what you’re going to get.
Whichever luau you choose to go to, always keep in mind that there is a chance it might start to rain and the luau will most likely still go on!
I recommend just trying your best to not let the rain put a damper on your night and just enjoy the show regardless.
What to Know Before Attending
This luau does not have transportation available, but you might not need it. Depending on where you are staying, it may be either a short walk from or cheap Uber from your hotel.
Complimentary parking is also available at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, just make sure to get your validation at check in.
If you still happen to be hungry after the luau, I highly recommend getting a sweet treat at Lappert’s Ice Cream.
This is located right in Hilton Hawaiian Village and is the best ice cream you can find in the islands!
Or, if you’re anything like me and my coworkers, you’ll decide to keep the party rolling and go to a bar after the luau!
There are plenty of fun places to grab a drink afterwards if you aren’t ready to end the night.
Hilton Waikiki Starlight Luau’s location cannot be beat, and the rooftop venue gives you Waikiki views unlike any other luau.
You can compare the different luau packages on the HawaiiActivities website. Book your seat to the Starlight Luau in Waikiki today!
