villain189

Hi,

Going to be heading to Hawaii next summer on honeymoon. Have been to Maui, Oahu and Kauai before...this time planning on Maui or either Big Island or Kauai.

On Maui we are planning on staying at the Westin Maui...and if we got to Kauai will probably stay at Sheraton or Princeville as we usually stay at Starwood properties if they are a good value.

But we are probably leaning towards Big Island since we haven't been there before...and on Big Island I'm not sure where we would stay. Only SPG property is Sheraton Keauhou and from what I've ready online it's not the best property for a honeymoon. Large, crowded, kids and worst of all NO BEACH!!

So anyways, wondered if anyone had any other recommendations for where we should look to stay on the Big Island or thoughts on Sheraton Keauhou?

Thanks!

villain189

By the way...just thought you could use some info on our stay.

Dates: Mid July 2006
Price Range: $150-$350

Desires:
- Beach
- Good Dining options at hotel and nearby hotel
- Nearby light hiking and possibly some other beaches to visit and things to do around the hotel.
- Quality on site Spa (We'll either go to the spa here or at Westin Maui, whichever is better so this isn't a necessity)
- Rooms don't 'need' to have an ocean view...quality of the room is more important. Would rather spend $$ on more quality than an ocean view.

If there's anything else you need to know that would help you with recommendations let me know...thanks!

MBM3

I am a big fan of Hilton Waikoloa Village north of Kona. It is fairly reasonably priced ($200/night is what I usually pay), has a lot of activities onsite and has a lot of things closeby, including an amazing beach. Some might say it is too family orientated, but my wife and I enjoyed it a lot without kids.

One downside is that they only have a small beach onsite and it is on the lagoon. However, there is a very nice beach a short walk away.

The Spa was very nice for both my wife and I, including a beautiful locker room area and a variety of services.


The big island is an amazing place with unbelievable amount of exploration opportunities. Make sure you rent a car!

bocastephen

If you want to stick with SPG, the only BI option is Keahou Bay. I agree with MBM on the Hilton. Prior to checking out the Keahou Bay this month, I have always stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

The decision on hotel should be based on your planned activities. If you want to just stay on the property and sit on a beach, you might have better luck with one of the Prince Resorts north of Waikoloa, The Mauna Lani Bay, or the Fairmont Orchid - or, you can super-splurge and go with the Four Seasons Hualala'i

If you plan on doing alot of offsite activities, just pick the Keahou Bay or Hilton and you will be very happy with either choice, since the hotel would only be a sleep-breakfast spot for you.

rockdoc

Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel has always been our choice when staying on the Big Island. Without a doubt, it has the best beach on the island - and direct access to the beach is a major plus. Neat pool is adjacent to the beach. Only 350 rooms, so Hapuna never has a crowded feel. Good dining options at the hotel and it's sister resort Mauna Kea which shares the same property, but is not directly connected. Regular shuttle service between the two (5 minute ride). No spa though.

villain189

Thans for the info...since we've never been to the Big Island we'll probably spend at least half of the time out exploring the big island. On Maui, since we've been there before we will probably do more of the relax at the hotel.

So maybe Sheraton Keahou Bay or Hilton Waikoloa Village are best for us? We could always just drive to a nice nearby beach..that's definitely not a big deal for us.

Anyone been to both the Hilton Waikoloa Village and Keahou Bay? Looking at the pricing, looks like Hilton is slightly more expensive...but also looks like it might be a little nicer/newer? And seems like the reviews on tripadvisor are generally more positive for the Hilton as well...

For mid July 2006
Hilton - $259
Sheraton - $219
Fairmont Orchid - $343 (5th Night Free)
Hapuna Beach - $250 (with car?)


Would the Hilton be worth the extra money over the Sheraton? Is it that much nicer?

Or what about the Fairmont? The 5th night free offer only extends through Dec 05, but I am assuming this is something they will offer again next year?

bocastephen

I have been to both the Sheraton Keahou and the Hilton Waikoloa. You can check out my trip report for abit on the Sheraton.

There is no question the Hilton is a more luxurious looking resort - the place has the look and feel of a 5 star resort without the 5 star price. However, its size and occassional crowdiness can make it feel like Disney on a bad day. When choosing this hotel, select your room in a building based on how often you plan on going offsite. If you will do alot of sightseeing, choose the Lagoon Tower - it is closest to the main building and parking, and the rooms are already renovated. The Lagoon Tower is also close to the fake beach that surrounds the small snorkel lagoon (which can be a fun morning distraction). Outside of peak holiday periods, expect to pay about 180-225 per night

The Sheraton is a pretty plain 4 star hotel. It does not have a resort feel and is pretty bland. Not much color, the decorations are somewhat non-existent and the rooms are fairly basic, but comfortable. If you want Starpoints and just need a place to crash, then choose the Sheraton. It is also much closer to Kona, should you want to do the "Ali'i Drive thing". The hotel is near a shopping center with cheap gas, a full size supermarket, a few restaurants and a Longs Drugs. Expect to pay between 175 and 250 per night depending on the package and view. The resort fee at this property is optional, which can save you about 20/day - but it does include buffet breakfast for two and internet access in the business center (and a few other odds and ends)

If you want a luxurious feeling hotel with a decent beach, perhaps abit more intimate, somewhat off the beaten path, and don't mind coming up abit on price, choose the Mauna Lani Resort, which is just north of the Hilton. Rates at this property range from 250-450 per night, but there are some deals including 2 free nights (with 7 night stay) and a $500 airfare credit (credit applies to food, spa, resort activities - no cash value and cannot be used to settle room charges) special when paying rack rates. The Mauna Lani is probably the most affordable 5 star resort around, and is very luxurious. The Canoe House restaurant is definately worth a try, even if you don't stay there. If you decide to stay at the Hilton, you can splurge on dining at both the Mauna Lani and Four Seasons Hualala'i with the money saved, though.

If I didn't need the spg points or stay credit, I would choose the Hilton. If I wanted to splurge abit and stay somewhere really nice, I would choose the Mauna Lani.

Mary2e

I'm going to recommend a hotel in which you can't earn any points

Look into the Outrigger Waikoloa, which is in the same complex as the Hilton.

Their rates are reasonable and the rooms pretty spacious. Often you can get the entertainment discount for their rooms even if they're not listed in the book.

We stayed in one of the cottages last trip, and while they were not right on the beach, it was a great location and gave us the feeling we were in a small hotel.

We've also stayed in their ocean-front rooms and really enjoyed them. Note that none of the hotels in this area are very close to the water. There are a few historical sites in the area and the hotels are built behind them.

villain189

Is this the Outrigger you are talking about? I couldn't find Outrigger Waikoloa on their site.

Outrigger Keauhou
http://www.outrigger.com/hotels_detail.aspx?hotel=93

Also, was looking Hapuna Beach Prince & Mauna Key Beach Hotel and both of the beaches look amazing. One thing with both of these properties though is that when you view the reservation information is specifically says room type (1 King or 2 Double) awarded at checkin...I would hate to pay all that $$ and get stuck with 2 doubles on my honeymoon!

How close are these two hotels to the Hilton, Four Seasons and Fairmont in case we wanted to go there for dinner a few nights?

DH

Heresy!

Outrigger Waikoloa is now Marriott Waikoloa. So need for burning at stake stuff.

Mary2e

My bad... the last I heard it was called the Marriot Waikoloa, and Outrigger resort and appeared on Outrigger's website.

I take back the point earning comment. Phew.... I hate making no-point earning recommendataions unless I absolutely have to .

Unless it's outrageously priced, it's still a good value for the location.

Richard1148

The Marriott Waikoloa gets mostly good reviews, both here in the Marriott forum and on tripadvisor. It has undergone a major renovation since Marriott took it over from Outrigger. Some work is still going on, but is supposed to be complete by Feb 2006 I think. I have decided to stay there next year as opposed to the Hilton in the same area. The Sheraton has quite a few negative reviews.

cblaisd

I know the feeling.

But in the case of Outriggers, you can rest your mind. You can get a whopping 200 Hawaiian Airline miles per stay

http://www.hawaiianair.com/hawaiianm...Page=index.asp

And this tremendous deal is available at several other non-national-Hawaii--chain hotels, including some no one should stay at

http://tinyurl.com/9fu38

Mary2e

I almost joined Hawaiian Miles so that I can spend the next 6 or 7 years earning miles for a free interisland ticket

Too bad they don't go much any farther east or I would have applied for their Visa.

cblaisd

At the risk of taking this off-topic, I always suggest that even very occasional Hawaiian Airlines flyers join HA miles program for two reasons: 1) you can always redeem for magazines, 2) you can always transfer miles to someone who does have the HA Visa (even a 1000 miles transfer might be a reasonable swap for a drink ticket or two or somesuch).

OK, back on topic: staying in Kailua-Kona is going to be a very different experience than staying at any of the Kohala resorts. There is good advice upstream about which resort to pick or the up- and downsides of staying in Kona versus the north coast resorts.