Can anyone recommend a nice hotel on the Big Island; We think we prefer to by by Kohala coast as reviews stated this is where the nice sandy beaches are. Any recs?
Big Island recommended hotels by Kohala coastHi pattyann220,
My wife and I just returned from the Waikoloa Marriott on the Kohala coast. It was our 6th time at this hotel. We absolutely love this hotel, and are planning our next trip here. Currently it is under renovation. Check www.marriotthawaii.com for updates.
There are several things about this hotel that makes it great.
1. Across the street are the Kings Shops where you can shop, dine, or watch nightly entertainment. We like it especially because of the food court and other restaurants which provides an alternative to dining at the hotel.
2. Aneho%26#39;omalu Bay or (A-bay) is the bay in front of the hotel. Because of this bay, there are hardly any waves in the ocean, and therfor a great place to snorkel. There are ancient fish ponds in front of the hotel which provide a spectacular sunset against the ocean and palm trees.
3. A great luau on both Sunday and Wednesday nights. A tip on the Luau,...you can watch the entertainment from the pool area and save yourself some money.
4. This hotel is very quiet(other than the current renovation). If you are looking for a peaceful quiet vacation, go here. There are not many children unlike the Hilton next door which is ';crazy';. If you are looking for more of a ';party'; vacation stay in Kona.
5. If you are comparing the Waikoloa Marriott to the Waikoloa Hilton(on the same resort), I would recommend the Marriott. Another tip:, the Hilton does not have a beach, they bus people over to A-bay beach at the Marriott.
Hope this helps! Enjoy.
Big Island recommended hotels by Kohala coastLet me qualify myself, I am a Marriott junkey for over 25 years and stay in them almost any chance I get as they have the best hotel reward program ther is and the best beds anywhere between Warsaw to singapore.
The Marriott is just OK.....it is going through a lot of renovation and has a lot of the hotel closed. It is on a nice beach.
They have been offering some very good discounts while the remodel is going on but this will end soon. they quoted me a rack rate of $325 a night for Jan-April.
Further, they have a goood location next to kings shops.
They are no match to the Hilton however as it has better grounds and restraunts. Marriott, sadly does not have a good food service, compared to what is being offered by the other hotels in the area
this is my choices baised on what your overall main interest is;(These are my opinions drawn on my own experience... others may differ.)
If your focus is:
Romantic........Mauna Kea, Kona Village
Golf......Hapuna/Mauna Kea
Family.......Hilton.
over the top Luxury....Four Seasons
Shorkeling.......Outrigger Kona
Beach......Marriott and Mauna Kea
Exclusive.....Kona Village
Food.... Fairmont, Mauna Kea, Four Seasons
Volcano....Kiluea Lodge.
Boogie board....Magic Sands condo Kona
Wind Surf.....Marriott
Whale Watching.....HAPUNA prince
Dolphin watching.....Hilton
Best pool and pool complex...Hilton
These are places I would go for the best in each area.... Have fun
Thanks to both of you. I appreciate your info.
Hawaiidan: I have had concerns with the Mariott d/t renovations and the Hilton as there is no beach.
Is there a good Outrigger resort that you can recommend that is on a nice beach?
Or a nice hotel/resort (it will be my 25th wedding anniversary celebration but we plan to rent a car and explore the island)...we would like a nice decent place to stay and get a good night sleep and be able to walk around in the evening enjoying the sights but without being ripped off. any suggestions?
none of the hotels on the Kohala coast is a ripoff.....
They are all world class resorts in their own right.
There is no Outrigger in kohala.... it is in Kona and as a hotel it like a good best western.... a smple hotel but on a bay with very little beach but great shorkeling. It is a lot cheaper than kohala.
for a class beach and hotel Mauna Kea is the ticket.... very luxury hotel , restauraunt, and grounds.... all in a gaited and lush grounds..... figure 250 to 350 a night.
Use price as an indicator of what you will get in most cases..... Four Seasons with tax will be around $800 a night and is the top of the heap. Next is Kona Village Resort....all inclusive about 550 for two including room and meals...and a lot of activities.....very Hawaiian....
It is up to you
ok. thanks hawaiidan. i will check that place out!
i was debating between the mariott (under construction) and the hilton (no beach). i am working with a local travel agent, but have found that she knows very minimal about the hotels, she gave me a book to look thru but not very helpful; thus, i am depending on the help of trip advisor to make my decision. she recommended the hilton but after reading the reviews about no beach, we can%26#39;t decide. how bad is the construction at the mariott? which place would you rec, the mariott or the hilton?
any other resorts that offer similar value?
pattyann220
I myself am heading to the Big Island tomorrow. I%26#39;ve never stayed at any of the Waikoloa resorts, so I can%26#39;t really comment. We%26#39;ve not chosen to stay there for many of reasons some do like to stay there - mainly there is a lot of %26#39;stuff%26#39; - restaurants, shopping, people, etc.
I stayed at the Mauna Kea in November for the 1st time, although I had been on the grounds over 10 times. I really like the hotel because of the grounds and beach. The rooms themselves are nice, with the bathroom being just a tad small. Considering the hotel was built back in the 60%26#39;s, it obviously has been well maintained. One other small drawback is the pool. It%26#39;s very small, but that%26#39;s ok, since you are on one of the best beaches in Hawaii.
We%26#39;ve stayed at the Hapuna 4 or 5 times, which is right next door to the Mauna Kea. The Hapuna when it was new was outstanding. However, the last time we stayed 30 months ago, the rooms were beginning to show their age. Find out if they have been upgraded recently, such as carpet. The beach is awesome here, and the service is good, too. We like the large pool and the restaurant at the pool deck for lunch. The main reason we had stayed here before was the relatively cheap rate (under $200/night 2 years ago) and high quality of the location.
Four Seasons Hualalai is everything it is said to be. Just be prepared for how expensive everything is.
We%26#39;ve not stayed in Kailua Kona before. My wife likes a more quiet area. Kailua Kona is a town with all the good and bad. We also haven%26#39;t really seen a beach that appeals to us in Kailua Kona.
We are spending 3 nights at the Fairmont Orchid this trip. Based on the mixed reviews I%26#39;ve seen, I%26#39;m a tad apprehensive, but with this being a last minute trip, it was the best combination of availability and price. We haven%26#39;t stayed here since Fairmont took the hotel over from Starwood due to the huge jump in rates. We used to stay for around $250, but the jump in rack to $400ish didn%26#39;t seem justified. I found a last minute rate of $309 through Orbitz. No one else had that rate. Also, Orbitz didn%26#39;t have a %26#39;festive season%26#39; cancellation policy of 21 days like most other places - just day of arrival. We liked the hotel in the past due to the grounds, pool, and beach bar. I see they have added a new beach bar, so hopefully there will be something fun to check out.
Tigrbuzz...please provide a report of the Fairmont Orchid after your visit. I would like to hear about it because it is a resort that was recommended by the Travel agent.
Have a great vacation!
The Fairmont Orchid is a real winner. The man made beach is small but fun to hang out on. I feel the Orchid is the most beautiful hotel in Kohala, although the Mauna Kea and Hapuna have the best beaches. If you are going to the Orchid try and find out about conventions etc. The last time I was there the pool was overrun by kids with the Oracle Japan group! They often run double upgrade specials with a free night/ breakfast etc, check out their web site.
Hi again pattyann220,
My wife and I stayed at the Marriott from Nov 29th to Dec 10th. The construction during the time we were there was not bad. Most of the construction was happening in front of the hotel, which was an addition to the ballroom, and north of the pool they were building condos %26amp; villas. You could hear the construction equipment a little bit from the hotel pool but it did not bother us. However, in talking with the staff, we found out that the construction on the adult pool was to begin soon after we left(an addition to the other pools), and also the restaurant and bar was to be expanded. If the adult pool and restarant/bar was being built %26amp; renovated during our stay, it would have been more invasive.
All I can offer you is, if this is going to be your one and only trip to Hawaii, I would stay somewhere other than the Marriott for the next few months. But if you plan on going back, try the Marriott(they do have very good renovation rates right now)
Have fun!
if you are considering the Marriott try priceline in the name your own price section. the 4 star option in the Kamuela area netted us the marriott in the low to mid $100. there are no gaurantees, however if you%26#39;re a betting man (or woman), why not? Kamuela area apparently refers to the Kohala coast. I am nervous about the construction, however over the phone the staff told me by mid jan they will have renovated rooms available they also told me the pools won%26#39;t be shut down, after reading a posting of a recent guest who was told by staff at hotel that pool was going to affected, I am going to call again. If any body has updated info/insight into construction, please post
thanks
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