Hi everyone! I'm planning a 5 or 6 day trip to the Big Island for bf and myself and I think I've got most of the trip planned out. I was hoping someone could help with suggestions for hotels on the Kohala coast.

We'll be flying in to Hilo early AM and renting a car from the airport. We'll explore the Hilo area for the morning, then we're on to Volcanoes National Park for a couple of days of hiking. After that we'll spend a day in and near Kona and then we'd like to spend 2 or 3 days on the Kohala Coast unwinding before returning to Hilo.

Ideally, I'd like to stay near Hapuna beach (or another beautiful and easily accessible beach along the Kohala coast) and the Hapuna Beach Prince hotel would be the most convenient beach in terms of distance. However, I've read that scruffy people (such as bf and myself - jeans and t-shirts prevail!) might feel uncomfortable in the Hapuna Beach Prince since resort wear is the standard at that hotel and while there's no enforced dress code, most people tend to follow that trend. Is this true?

Any opinions on the following hotels in terms of beach convenience and relaxed comfort and price?

1) Hapuna Beach Prince hotel
2) Mauna Lani Bay resort
3) Hilton Waikoloa Village
4) Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort
5) Outrigger Fairway Villas

Mahalo for your kokua!