gleff

$99/nt Sheraton Keauhou (Big Island Hawaii) Spring Break (between March 31 and April 6, 2007)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7146423

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Earlier reports can be found at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

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hockeyfan

is there a club lounge at this property?
if not, as a platinum member, does this property provide you with breakfast vouchers and/or drink vouchers?

dick tracy

Stayed there over Christmas, no lounge and no vouchers. If you go for the buffet take a look at it first. It was not great. On the other hand the sunsets are great!

DZMAN

I read what has been posted (some dated). Given the points I have and need for 2 rooms, I will be selecting this hotel. I presume that's a glass 3/4 full... It will be good to escape the cold come January and what a better place than next to the pool and enjoying the big Island, which we haven't seen yet.

That said, if you have some good things to say about the property and location I would appreciate your input.. Should we request high floor? Hilo wing? Good deals nearby for breakfast, etc...

Thanks for staying positive...

emuyshondt

I was there two years ago and got upgraded to a nice suite. We were first put in an "upgraded" room whose lanai faced the kiddie pool. We asked to be moved and finally the manager put us in the suite. It had a really nice view and given that the stay was with points, I was OK staying there. The manta rays at night, right off their bar, were interesting. They shine a bright light and the rays come up to feed. You can watch them from an observation area in the hotel or go diving with them.

The location is a little closer to the Volcano National Park (though still hours away). It is also more convenient if you want to go to Cook's Monument or the Place of Refuge.

The area around the hotel is greener than up where the fancier resorts are. That part is surrounded by lava fields.

Anyhow, you're still in paradise and you're staying for free. Don't fret. It's not that bad when you consider what you're paying. The hotel is no dump, even if it is not as nice as some other Sheraton properties.

Zontar

Nice hotel, but marginal management I found. Concierges were very good though. You might have to fight quite a bit like we did to get an Ocean Front room. Conventions seem to go through there on a regular basis.

ferndale

We stayed here last summer, and were given ocean front. Pretty standard hotel room except the ability to stand on your balcony and watch the dolphins play for a couple of hours, and in the evening to have a glass of wine and watch schools (are they called that?) of manta rays come play in the lights below your room.
The pool was nice, plenty of room for kids to play and still other areas to be away from them.
We had a great time, and highly recommend this hotel if you are a fan of ocean life - you can't pay enough to enjoy these rare views.

flameryngster

For $169 a night almost all year round, can't beat it. Your Platinum status is a plus at this hotel.
Top notch service.

BearX220

Hi there -- no Starwood status here and a basic Hilton bias, but I am planning a family week on Kona in July and this place comes up with VERY attractive pricing + free cat upgrade on the NW WorldVacations site -- enough so I could forget about earning hotel points on this trip. Would the crew be disappointed if we booked Keauhou Bay instead of the HWV and basically used the place as a comfortable base for island exploring? I mean, unless it's a terrible dump... I can get us into ocean view rooms here and still come out $500 to $1,000 ahead of HWV rates.

adventurous

Have you been to either before? Your experience may play into your decision, but either place is decent. The Hilton is much larger. I was last at each a month ago and with elite membership at both and HWV had a lounge, which the Sheraton lacks. The food at the main restaurant at the Sheraton was great, and they have a few things for kinds like a childcare center and a waterslide, too.

A heads-up: the Sheraton's website doesn't tell you that their HS Internet comes at a fee like most Starwood properties that charge.

BearX220

Thanks. No, I've never been to either property before. Our kid is 14 and a five-star resort environment would be wasted on him -- we will not be having a lot of formal dress-up meals or using the spa -- but he appreciates nice hotels. I'm thinking we'd be leaving the property for driving adventures during the day, so this would be an OK fit.

Has anyone had difficulty specifying two double beds rather than a king + rollaway? We can't do a rollaway.

huts

I've stayed at the Sheraton, and visited the HWV to have a look around and eat at one of the restaurants. For the type of trip you're describing I'd probably recommend the Sheraton, while the HWV would probably be better if you wanted to spend most/all of your time hanging out at the property.

The Sheraton is more centrally located (for the Kona side of the island at least) and the pool complex, while nowhere near as elaborate as the HWV facilities, would be perfectly fine for downtime between excursions.

Factoring in the cost differential and the type of vacation you're after, I'd say the Sheraton would work pretty well for you. While it isn't as big as the HWV, it is still a pretty large property, so I imagine they would have pretty good flexibility about room type, but I don't have any specific experience on that issue. Overall I'd say the service was not outstanding (we had to follow up a couple of times sometimes to get a response to a request), but it wasn't horrible.

gregorygrady

I agree 100% with the previous post. For you the Sheraton will work just fine, especially since you'll be leaving the hotel most days. HWV is better for just lounging around at and NOT leaving..................^

freeupgrade

Has anyone been here recently?

Specifically,

1. Is pool heated?

2. Is there a jacuzzi? Does it have a nice view?

3. How far a drive to Hapuna Beach?

Mahalo - Thanks.

Absolut1377

I was there last year and had a very good time.

From what I remember about the pools they were not heated but did offer a nice view of the ocean on one end.

I don't remember if the jacuzzi did as well.