beachfan

Thanks for the recent stay info! I’m booking my dinners now!


I’m also using SNA for a 6 night stay over Memorial Day.

I was worried that asking for a better non-suite accommodations would somehow preempt me from getting the suite I requested.

SwerveDonkey, Did you notice whether any of the higher category choices you may have chosen were available?

Also, do you remember how long before arrival it cleared?

SwerveDonkey

I was shocked my SNAs even cleared (5 days in advance and Ocean Premier room FYI) given some nights all room types were sold out during my stay. For what its worth, I did select all possible upgrade options when I applied the SNAs.

ArthurSFO11

Thank you to everyone who posted their recent experiences, it helps to set expectations for my upcoming stay at the end of May.

I'm a bit disappointed to learn that the breakfast is only a continental option. It's always impossible to keep track of breakfast benefits for Platinum members, but my understanding was that ex-SPG hotels still give Bonvoy Platinum members a full breakfast (not just continental). Is that not the case anymore? A part of the reason why I booked this Westin instead of a different brand is because I expected to get full breakfast (though continental is better than nothing).

For anyone with upcoming reservations, be aware that the hotel recently increased the resort fee from $30+tax/night to $37+tax/night with no notice. I contacted the hotel and they said they would honor the original $30 fee. It's their choice to increase fees on future reservations and I respect that, just how I respect travelers that choose other options because of this fee. However, it feels shady to retroactively change the resort fee on reservations that were already confirmed months ago, especially without notice.

bgriff

The SPG Platinum breakfast benefit was continental. A good number of hotels went above and beyond but that was never the requirement. (It also tended to be hotels in Europe and Asia that went above and beyond, less so in the US.)

ArthurSFO11

Thanks for the quick response. It's helpful to know the benefit was always continental, I didn't stay often with SPG back in the day. It's challenging with Bonvoy to know what you should "actually" get vs. what is "nice" to get since the program benefits are so unevenly applied across properties, countries, etc.

I'm still thankful for the continental breakfast and it's good to hear positive thoughts on it from other folks on the thread.

Cana2013

It was full breakfast and the quality was great back in 2019 when we stayed there, not as good as Mauna Kea but close. I think they changed it last year because of the Covid.

ArthurSFO11

Can anyone confirm if the daily parking is no longer included in the resort fee? When I made my reservation the resort fee was $30/night and self-parking was included in it. Now that the resort fee has gone up to $37/night I'm seeing conflicting reports that parking is no longer included.

Is anyone able to comment based on a recent stay? Thanks

pschris

We were not charged for parking

CMK10

Stay Report - 6/20 to 6/23. Buckle up it's going to be a long review.

Location: The hotel is located about a half hour north of KOA Airport just off HI-19. It's a mile and a half south of the more famous Mauna Kea Resort which is a sister property. 20 minutes to the northeast is the town of Waimea which has gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants. You can also find local restaurants about 10 minutes north in Kamuela. The isolation of the resort is a selling point for me as I like not being around other people in Hawaii but it's nice knowing that short drives can take you to local places.







Hotel: As a child I stayed regularly with my family at the Mauna Kea. I remember coming to the Hapuna in 1994, 1995 and 1996 (maybe just the last two years) but I remembered nothing about it so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am in love with what I found though. The hotel has a modern luxury feel which I really enjoyed especially when combined with all the beach amenities. The open air concept is not only lovely but it means masks don't need to be worn (except in the gift shop). I'll describe the hotel in some detail but won't capture everything.















The lobby is on the 8th floor. There's a small bar overlooking the ocean on 6 that doubles as a coffee shop in the mornings. 5 has the breakfast restaurant, 4 is the adult pool and koi pool as well as another restaurant and 2 has the children's pool, beach and pool bar. All the common areas are beautiful and just strolling through the hotel and grounds is a pleasure.

Marriott Elite Benefits: I feel this area is sorely lacking. I had a 3 night stay in a premier ocean view that I paid a premium for. My SNA request was denied. Any further upgrade request at the hotel was also denied. Late checkout was denied (and this included trying to just get 1 PM). I also felt the front desk staff were not very friendly. And this is in a big comparison to the rest of the staff who are amazing.

Room: Here I was very impressed. While the view was impacted by a parking lot and the residences tower the room is great. It's large and comfortable and modern and well appointed. I was happy to find an InterneTV, fridge, coffeemaker and plenty of power and good wifi. The large bathroom with two sinks, separate shower and tub are great and I made a lot of use of my balcony. No issues with soundproofing either. I was happy to spend a lot of time in the room. Oh one last note there is daily housekeeping.









Beach/Pool: All excellent. It's nice having the adult pool along with the children's pool and at no time did they seem overly crowded. The beach is also very nice and it was no issue getting chairs, umbrellas or towels. There is some fighting for the cabanas so if you like those grab them early.





Adult pool





Kids Pool







Dining: We had dinner at the pool bar which was fine though not memorable (their menu is really limited too). Obviously everything here is expensive ($11 beers, $18 Mai Tais etc.) but it's Hawaii. Breakfast for Titaniums is currently a large fruit plate, yogurt, cereal or oatmeal and a pastry basket along with juice or coffee. Upgrading to hot food is $14.



Titanium Breakfast Spread

Do note there's a daily $37 resort fee which covers such nonsense as water bottle refill stations. I will also note that we were told we could not go to the Mauna Kea unless we had a dinner reservation, not even to use their beach. We did go over for dinner and the gate guard didn't verify this or seem to care so YMMY there. Overall I liked being here, loved the hotel and most of the staff but dislike how little elite treatment there is. I think if you go into it expecting to get what you pay for (and to pay a lot) you can have a really good stay, I know I did.

escapefromphl

Nice report.

LOL is this a covid thing? They don’t want folks wandering around the resort I guess. It’s a public beach they can’t stop you going there. Yes there is limited parking, but you can always walk over there.

The Titanium/Platinum breakfast spread at the Mauna Kea seemed more substantial.

CMK10

Yeah I think it's a COVID thing. They told me I could walk over to the Mauna Kea beach but I wouldn't be allowed to sit in any chairs or use any towels. The front desk staff were uniformly unfriendly so it may just be a made up rule. When I drove over for dinner the gate guard just waved me through without bothering to check if I actually had a reservation. I doubt anyone at the MK would notice or care.

Cana2013

Thank you CMK10. Great trip report. Did they charge for parking on top of the resort fee?

jja34-1

I wonder if this is also related to capacity. I know the MK has been busier than expected since May with both club owners and guests. They're also trying to drive revenue with the [idiotic] Gray Malin Beach Club. Historically you have been able to use the facilities at either hotel. I stayed at the MK twice this year and they were operating their shuttle to the Hapuna. I drove over to the Hapuna a few times and was waved through because the hotels use the same type of parking pass that hangs from the rear view mirror. The MK beach was definitely busier than usual and they ask for the room number to dispense beach towels. But I never heard anything about the reciprocal benefits of the two hotels being limited.

CMK10

Sadly yes I had to pay a valet fee of $30-35 a day, I can't remember the exact amount I'm afraid.

It seems they're trying to prevent that now. The parking pass I was given was a standard Westin style one (gray and yellow) which makes it distinctive from the Marriott side. Over at the Hapuna almost all the branding is now Westin style while the MK is still distinctive.

Alex_I

We have stayed in Westin Hapuna in Jan 2021 just after New Year. At that time Titanium breakfast included fruit, pastries, juice + coffee and one hot item from the menu. Before Covid it was full buffet. Still had to pay $30 for parking but was given $5/night credit for fast speed internet included in the resort fee. With prices they charge now for this hotel they should be making tons of money even without cutting Titanium benefits.