Kohala coast hotel help please
 

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!

Do you really think of yourself as 'scruffy'? Hapuna Prince is a wonderful place! And the beach is wow! I think of it now as a family place, as that is how it seems to be marketed currently. The view from the lobby is unforgettable. It would be my choice on BI. Staff at Prince Resorts is always wonderful, none more than Bell Staff. Housekeeping is a pleasure, and I could not recommend this place more. I would be interested to see other responses. Have a wonderful trip wherever you stay!!

Not true. Hapuna Beach Prince Resort will make you feel comfortable no matter how you dress. We spent a couple of days there last December. Bathing suits, shorts, bikini-tops, tank-tops or t-shirts's are the daytime wear of choice. I wore jeans, an aloha shirt and rubbah slippahs to dinner each night. No problem. You want to wear a t-shirt to dinner? They won't care. That's my opinion. Have fun!

Aloha!

I stayed at both the Mauna Lani Bay and the Hilton Waikoloa last week (and I went to Hapuna Beach, but not the hotel). Of the two I stayed at, I'd go with the Hilton next time. However the Hilton doesn't really have a real beach, it's on rocky lava however they do have a manmade lagoon which is decent. That said, if if it were me in your shoes, I'd probably stay at the Hapuna Beach Prince. It's right there on the best beach on the Big Island. It's a no-brainer. And although I've never been in the hotel, I can't imagine any hotel in Hawaii being too stuffy. People come there to relax, not dress up all nice to impress people. I would be really surprised if Jeans and t-shirts were TOO casual there. I just wear a swimsuit and tank-top 90% of the time I'm in Hawaii and I never/rarely feel inappropriately dressed. Definitely go for the Hapuna Beach Prince if you wanna be on a nice beach.......^

Concur with kaukau,

Hapuna Prince. Definitely.

Just an fyi, there is no ocean beach at the HWV.

If you don't really need to be directly in the resort, perhaps check out the Mauna Lani condos. That's what we did last year and they are amazing, plus you have privelages at the Hotel and the fairmont (or at least we went up there all the time). I'm sure more than the hotel, but worth it in my oppinion for the privacy, space and kitchen. Plus, the community has a nice separate/private beach area with a small "restaurant," as well as another black sand beach.

We booked ours through a travel agent and with the car, it was the best price we could find. They are pricy, but we were a bit scruffy (the hiking/snorkel type, we didn't even bring true resort wear), and like the "seclusion," as opposed to the busy resort ways.

If you go, the beachfront restaurant at the fairmont is top notch (and doesn't require resort attire)! Expensive, but it's outdoors and we were at sunset...definitely the best and most memorable meal of trip!

Enjoy the trip...once you go, you can't stay away!

Well, more scruffy than stuffy - which is how the following article/review described the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel :rolleyes:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...nd/H26926.html
"The Hapuna Beach Prince is more formal than other hotels on the Kohala Coast; guests, many from Japan, dress up here, some in the latest Tokyo fashions. You won't feel comfortable parading around in your T-shirt and flip-flops."

I like the sound of the Mauna Lani Bungalows but I think we'll probably just be beach bums for the two days we're on the Kohala coast since we'll have just come from VNP. Thanks for the suggestion anyway though!

Thank you for all the positive, and helpful, replies, I'll be making the reservations very shortly! Can't wait 'til we get there!

So much for Frommers. They obviously don't know what they are talking about. I've never really seen much dressyness there, and we've stayed there a lot. You'll feel plenty comfortable in t-shirt and flipflops.

We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa recently and I would recommend that you avoid it. It was much too artificial and contrived - like they went through immense effort to physically isolate you from anything naturally-occurring :(

While they do offer a bus to to Hapuna Beach, you have to take the monorail to get to the bus, and be careful not to accidentally board the bus that goes to the shopping mall :rolleyes:

I have been staying at the Orchid every year since it was newly built (as a Ritz Carlton). I refuse to wear anything nicer than shorts and a t-shirt when I am in Hawaii and I have never been made to feel under-dressed for it. Hawaii is just like that. No need to dress an nicer.

I've stayed at the 4 seasons and Kona Village, only visiting at the other spots. The Hilton is very artificial, and although you would fit in to the sea of humanity that stays there, the other spots are better! Kona Village is by far one of the coolest places on earth, and you can wear whatever you want. Rather expensive though, so it depends on the circumstances. Hapuna Beach is fabulous, and I'm sure the Prince Hotel would be great. Have fun!

Exactly. jtkauai's advice is spot on.

Do you mean the "condos" at Mauna Lani or the "Bungalows"? Big difference!! The Bungalows are like $4k a night if I'm not mistaken. There are only like 4 of them at the Mauna Lani hotel and they have a private entrance and are basically like private residences. The condos are probably much cheaper than that (but still not as cheap as regular Mauna Lani Bay Hotel rooms) and have the separate "private" (if you can call it that) beach area and restaurant/clubhouse. I highly doubt either of them have any priviledges at Four Seasons. Four Seasons is nowhere near the Mauna Lani. Maybe you mean Fairmont Orchid?

Did I say Hapuna?!

Beach is one of the best in Hawaii (actually hotel is too). Perfect location. If you want to go upscale, they have wonderful 1,000+ sq. ft oceanfront suites and there are rental residences there as well (http://www.maunakearesortrentals.com/).