I may be partial. I have stayed at the Royal Kona about 6 times so far. As mentioned above, sometimes the elevators are slow (but then again, what is the rush?). An alternative might be to stay in one of the two adjacent buildings than in the tower.

Also, the sliding doors seem to stick a bit.

The hotel is smaller than many, but I find the staff quite friendly and it is in a great location.

The Kona side is the dryer side of the island and the hotel is a short drive to the KOA airport and you can walk into town from the hotel.