Sweet Emi - Big Island Hotel Question

[thecleave]

Emi,

Looking for some local advice from you! My husband & I are staying on the Big Island for 4 days at the end of November. We are currently booked at the Mauna Lani Hotel; however, I've heard that the beach and pool aren't that great. Since this is the last leg of our journey, after we visit Volcanoes National Park we're just going to want to relax and enjoy the sun.

Will we be happy at the Mauna Lani, or is the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel a better choice for us? If you want to email me privately, my address is in my profile.

Thanks very much!


Andrea

[I]Hawai'i[/I]
[B]Lovely Land Vacation[/B]
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[bubbachief]

HI-- We got back last week after 8 nights at the Keauhou Beach Resort which is about 6 miles South of Kona. We really enjyed it, right next to one of the best snorkeling beaches in the island. Hotel beach is not good for swimming, too rocky, but the pool is fine. We used our Entertainment card and got what I think was a great rate for a deluxe ocean view room. Beautiful View of the ocean. Other rooms were cheaper, but with not as good a view. The higher floor and lower room numbers are the best. We had #507 and it was great.Check out their web site and book through them if you decide to go with them. If I remember, the hotels you are talking about are quite a bit north,45-60 minutes of Kona, with activities pretty much limited to the hotel if that is a consideration.

[SweetEmi]

Bubba is right in that Mauna Lani and Hapuna are both north in the Waikoloa area where there are mostly resorts and a small shopping center with some restaurants. Each of the resorts though have restaurants and probably luaus or buffets, etc. A lot of the resorts want to be self-sufficient and keep you on property as much as possible I think.

I have never stayed at either of those places, though I have been to both and I have baby sat for tourists at the Mauna Lani. I didn't actually go to the beach though but the people I was sitting for did and they seemed to like it. The grounds were nice enough and both hotels have entertainers in the center area with hula dancers, etc. I've been to the Prince to watch my friends perform and dance and to eat dinner a couple of times but have never been to any of the rooms. I know Hapuna Beach is one of the favorites of tourists and locals, but I don't know how that corresponds to the beach at the hotel. Hapuna Prince seems even more like they are trying to be self-sufficient to me with a few more ammenities in the hotel itself.

My impression is...if you want to come and not really get out much and experience the island but want to relax and swim and eat and shop (which isn't a bad thing...lol) stay at one of the above hotels - MAYBE the Prince would be better for that or even someplace like the Hilton (I really like the Hilton and the grounds). But, if you do want to be able to get in your car and tool around and explore the area, find different beaches, restaurants, activities, etc., maybe it would be better to stay at a hotel that is less self-sufficient such as the Ohana Keauhou Beach Hotel. To me it is much easier to get to your car and take off there than at any of the above hotels in Waikoloa and they all have very expensive valet parking or you have to walk a shor ways to get to your car if you park it yourself. Then you have to drive quite a ways to get to many places from Waikoloa.

So...kind of depends on what you are looking for, I guess.

Hope that helped and didn't confuse you more...lol!

Emi

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!
NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!
Alaska summer 2005!

[spleen93]

Andrea,

The Mauna Lani Resort doesn't have a great pool and the beach area is somewhat limited (which is a problem as a whole for the Kohala area). The beach is certainly better at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and if the beach is a really key factor for you, then switching hotels may be a good idea. The Mauna Lani is considered a better hotel overall though ... for whatever that's worth.

Emi has a good point about the inclusiveness to the whole place. All the resorts in Kohala are on the pricier side ... the Mauna Lani Resort particularly so. I will say that the Mauna Lani and the Prince are on a much higher level of hotel compared to the Hilton (Waikoloa) ... To me, the Hilton really lacks a sense of Hawaii. The Prince has a better feel for it. The Mauna Lani has the best of the three.

Again, FWIW ... and like Emi, hope this doesn't confuse you even more.

Spleen

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[SweetEmi]

I thought about it later and I don't think self-sufficient is the right word, probably what I meant is what Spleen said, inclusive.

For some reason, I really like to wander around the Hilton and look at the different artwork, the grounds, the different pools, the lagoon, the different birds and fish...I feel more comfortable there than at the Prince or Mauna Lani but maybe its because I've been there more often and know it better.

Emi

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!
NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!
Alaska summer 2005!

[thecleave]

Thank you all so much!! You really are the best - I appreciate your taking the time to give me your thoughts.

We're going to stick with the Mauna Lani (especially since I've had it booked for almost a year!). I'm sure the beach/pool will be fine, and I can always go over to Hapuna Beach for a visit.

Thanks again!!

Andrea

[I]Hawai'i[/I]
[B]Lovely Land Vacation[/B]
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