Big Island questions

StephPlum

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
This isn't Aulani related but I've been reading on here and see other islands being talked about. Hoping someone here can offer any recommendations.

This is all for January 2021. I have flights booked and I need to move on to hotels. We are doing 4 nights on the Big Island. Can anyone recommend Waikoloa vs Kona for 4 nights? At this point, I'd prefer to drive distances than move hotels so I think we'll pick one spot to stay. For sure, we'll be visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Other spots are the coast and beaches (not too planned at this point). Any recommendations on accommodations?

I have points at Marriott and Hilton and lots of Chase UR points to help pay for hotels. I am fine with budget hotels. But I'd want to splurge on at least one hotel. We are going for 2 weeks and will be spending 4 nights on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii each. Where to pick the splurge hotel - Maui, Oahu or Hawaii?

Thanks.
 
I stayed at Hilton Waikoloa Village. It was described as the "Disneyland of Hawaii". It has a boat ride, monorail to transport you around, several pools, a lookout point to whale watch. I liked it
 
I can't speak to the Big Island, but with regard to your splurge hotel - did you have any ideas of where you want to stay in Maui and/or Oahu? Will you be staying at Aulani? For many, that would be considered the splurge hotel. If your Marriott points allow, the Marriott Ko Olina next door to Aulani is a beautiful property and would give you easy walking access to the restaurants there. If you'd rather stay in Waikiki, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a resort-like property that many enjoy in that area. We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki Beach which was more centrally located, and I would assume a lower point value as well. There's also another Hilton in Waikiki that's one block back from the main strip that is likely an even lower point value, but its still an easy walk to all things Waikiki and is also on the pink line for the trolley. For Maui, we loved the Westin in Kaanapali Beach. There are several Starwood properties along that stretch which I believe would fall under your Marriott points now.

For the Big Island, I know many prefer to rent Airbnb's there, which may be more budget-friendly depending on what you choose for the other islands.
 


I stayed at Hilton Waikoloa Village. It was described as the "Disneyland of Hawaii". It has a boat ride, monorail to transport you around, several pools, a lookout point to whale watch. I liked it
I looked at the Hilton and it is on my list. Thanks for the review.

For VNP, Hilo is much closer and not as touristy as Kona. The Grand Naniloa is nice and historic.

-Paul
Thanks. I am not keen on staying in Hilo all nights and would rather not move hotels if possible. I change my mind, I’ll look at the Grand Naniloa.

I can't speak to the Big Island, but with regard to your splurge hotel - did you have any ideas of where you want to stay in Maui and/or Oahu? Will you be staying at Aulani? For many, that would be considered the splurge hotel. If your Marriott points allow, the Marriott Ko Olina next door to Aulani is a beautiful property and would give you easy walking access to the restaurants there. If you'd rather stay in Waikiki, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a resort-like property that many enjoy in that area. We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki Beach which was more centrally located, and I would assume a lower point value as well. There's also another Hilton in Waikiki that's one block back from the main strip that is likely an even lower point value, but its still an easy walk to all things Waikiki and is also on the pink line for the trolley. For Maui, we loved the Westin in Kaanapali Beach. There are several Starwood properties along that stretch which I believe would fall under your Marriott points now.

For the Big Island, I know many prefer to rent Airbnb's there, which may be more budget-friendly depending on what you choose for the other islands.
I am not planning to stay at Aulani. I will look into Marriott Ko Olina but we‘re probably going to stay in Waikiki.

After more thought, I am thinking of splurging at Maui. That will be the last island and I would love to just finish our vacation in a nice resort, relaxing at the beach. I haven’t made up my mind on Maui. Thinking either Kaanapali or Lahaina.

Thanks for all the recommendations.
 
After more thought, I am thinking of splurging at Maui. That will be the last island and I would love to just finish our vacation in a nice resort, relaxing at the beach. I haven’t made up my mind on Maui. Thinking either Kaanapali or Lahaina.
Lahaina and Kaanapali are only about 3 miles apart. Lahaina is a little town/business district, and I only remember seeing boutique or bed/breakfast type hotels there, and there was no beach. If you want a resort atmosphere with amenities and a beach, you'll want to stay in Kaanapali. As I mentioned up-thread, we stayed at the Westin which we loved. All the Starwood properties in Kaanapali had a free shuttle to Lahaina.
 
I would pick Kona over Waikoloa. My family enjoyed Kona very much and it was easy drive to get to the northern beach areas.
Kona just had a great relaxing vibe and felt like a mixture of people vs just a big resort in Waikoloa. To us the tram/canal boats
at the Hilton felt very very out of place and we could have been in any place with a beach -- not a Hawaiian feeling at all.

For a splurge hotel check out Grand Wailea on Maui. It was very nice and did not feel out of place either. Wonderful views, great
beach, near restaurants off property and overall very relaxing. This is a Waldorf Astoria property so a Hilton property and we also
did use points for our entire stay of 3 nights. We did a similar thing and used this as a splurge/resort stay half way thru 20 days on
Maui in condos.

We did stay up in Kaanapali too and agree that would be better then Lahaina itself for a resort stay but we were glad we did the
resort stay in Wailea as the resorts we saw in Kaanapali where very, very nice but not plush. We did enjoy Kaanapali the most
(stayed in a condo a few doors down from the Westin) due to the sheer number of whales we saw daily from our lanai (Feb trip).
 


I would pick Kona over Waikoloa. My family enjoyed Kona very much and it was easy drive to get to the northern beach areas.
Kona just had a great relaxing vibe and felt like a mixture of people vs just a big resort in Waikoloa. To us the tram/canal boats
at the Hilton felt very very out of place and we could have been in any place with a beach -- not a Hawaiian feeling at all.

For a splurge hotel check out Grand Wailea on Maui. It was very nice and did not feel out of place either. Wonderful views, great
beach, near restaurants off property and overall very relaxing. This is a Waldorf Astoria property so a Hilton property and we also
did use points for our entire stay of 3 nights. We did a similar thing and used this as a splurge/resort stay half way thru 20 days on
Maui in condos.

We did stay up in Kaanapali too and agree that would be better then Lahaina itself for a resort stay but we were glad we did the
resort stay in Wailea as the resorts we saw in Kaanapali where very, very nice but not plush. We did enjoy Kaanapali the most
(stayed in a condo a few doors down from the Westin) due to the sheer number of whales we saw daily from our lanai (Feb trip).
Thanks. Whales!! :cool1: We were timing our trip to see whales. It is the last week of Jan/first week of Feb 2021. Hoping everything is back to mostly normal by then and it happens.
 
Hilo is more of a Big Island experience - quiet and small town. It's a nice change from all the tourists at Waikiki.

-Paul
I had little idea how true this was and was in such a state of culture shock when I went from Hilo to Waikiki. Wowzers.
 
Not sure what all you want to see and do but I’ll put in a vote for Waikoloa. We have done the Hilton a few times on points as well as the Hapuna Beach Prince hotel which is now a Westin property. We have plenty of Hilton points so the Waikoloa Village works well for us and it give us enough to do if we don’t want to head out and tour. Have also stayed in Kona and south of town. None are that bad so I’m taking in possible touring options.

From Waikoloa you could do two days of driving and hit plenty of sites. Obviously you can select your own things to do but here is an example. Day one going north and around to Hilo/volcanos. Going north some possible places to see along the way Waimea and Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, Laupahoehoe beach. Day two going south hit the town Kona, one of the coffee places, Captain Cook and down to Punalu’u black sand beach as the turn around point.

You can pick and choose other things but those two days should give you a full day of driving with stops. The first day is longer, especially with the volcanoes park as the highlight. Either side Kona or Hilo is fine but I would lean towards Kona and again, Waikoloa as a good starting point for driving tours. It also is pretty easy for boat and helicopter tours, or even fixed wing back at the airport.
 
I have also stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa. It was fabulous, but too big in my opinion. Long walks to anything. If ever on Maui. check out Napili Kai Resort. Only two stories, all ocean front, a real Hawaii feel with fewer buildings and guests.We also stayed at the Volcano LOdge on the rim of the volcano on the Big Island.
 
This isn't Aulani related but I've been reading on here and see other islands being talked about. Hoping someone here can offer any recommendations.

This is all for January 2021. I have flights booked and I need to move on to hotels. We are doing 4 nights on the Big Island. Can anyone recommend Waikoloa vs Kona for 4 nights? At this point, I'd prefer to drive distances than move hotels so I think we'll pick one spot to stay. For sure, we'll be visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Other spots are the coast and beaches (not too planned at this point). Any recommendations on accommodations?

I have points at Marriott and Hilton and lots of Chase UR points to help pay for hotels. I am fine with budget hotels. But I'd want to splurge on at least one hotel. We are going for 2 weeks and will be spending 4 nights on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii each. Where to pick the splurge hotel - Maui, Oahu or Hawaii?

Thanks.

We love Kona and go there all the time. Its much more laid back and less crowded than Oahu/Maui...beautiful too because its on the sunny/dry west coast of the island as opposed to rainy Hilo.

Where in Kona were you going to stay? Waikaloa is kind of like Hilton Hawaiian village on Oahu...a big bustling resort with its own tram system, if that gives you an idea of how it is. For me and my family its not our idea of Hawaii/relaxation but its an obviously popular place. They have a fun dolphin petting exhibit there. Enjoy! We were going to go to Kona and stay at four seasons there a couple of weeks ago but cancelled because of all the craziness.
 
We are going to the Big Island in February for 5 nights and also deciding whether to stay in Kona or Waikoloa. I've stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott 5 years ago and Royal Kona 10 years ago. If we stay in Waikoloa, it will be at the Hilton since I have lots of points, and Kona Marriott Courtyard since it is one of the few hotels in Kona with a beach.

Depending on time of day, getting between the two areas can be gridlocked. I agree the drive to Hilo and Volcanoes National Park was is convenient from Waikaloa. We've cut through the island on Saddleback Road at night stopping at Mauna Kea, its dark and the road was very windy but it gets you back quicker.
 
The real world is imposing on my vacation planning. Just getting back to this.

Hilo is more of a Big Island experience - quiet and small town. It's a nice change from all the tourists at Waikiki.

-Paul
I'll have to give this some thought. We are starting in Oahu and probably Waikiki. It might be nice for a change.

Not sure what all you want to see and do but I’ll put in a vote for Waikoloa. We have done the Hilton a few times on points as well as the Hapuna Beach Prince hotel which is now a Westin property. We have plenty of Hilton points so the Waikoloa Village works well for us and it give us enough to do if we don’t want to head out and tour. Have also stayed in Kona and south of town. None are that bad so I’m taking in possible touring options.

From Waikoloa you could do two days of driving and hit plenty of sites. Obviously you can select your own things to do but here is an example. Day one going north and around to Hilo/volcanos. Going north some possible places to see along the way Waimea and Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, Laupahoehoe beach. Day two going south hit the town Kona, one of the coffee places, Captain Cook and down to Punalu’u black sand beach as the turn around point.

You can pick and choose other things but those two days should give you a full day of driving with stops. The first day is longer, especially with the volcanoes park as the highlight. Either side Kona or Hilo is fine but I would lean towards Kona and again, Waikoloa as a good starting point for driving tours. It also is pretty easy for boat and helicopter tours, or even fixed wing back at the airport.
Volcano NP, Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls are all on the list. Other than that, beaches! Being in Ohio, I just don't get enough of beaches! Thanks for the road trip ideas. We'll have 4 full days. I think we'll be able to hit our spots and still have some down time.

I have also stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa. It was fabulous, but too big in my opinion. Long walks to anything. If ever on Maui. check out Napili Kai Resort. Only two stories, all ocean front, a real Hawaii feel with fewer buildings and guests.We also stayed at the Volcano LOdge on the rim of the volcano on the Big Island.
Oh on the rim of the volcano! I need to look into that.
We are doing Maui as well. I'll look into the Napili Kai Resort.

We love Kona and go there all the time. Its much more laid back and less crowded than Oahu/Maui...beautiful too because its on the sunny/dry west coast of the island as opposed to rainy Hilo.

Where in Kona were you going to stay? Waikaloa is kind of like Hilton Hawaiian village on Oahu...a big bustling resort with its own tram system, if that gives you an idea of how it is. For me and my family its not our idea of Hawaii/relaxation but its an obviously popular place. They have a fun dolphin petting exhibit there. Enjoy! We were going to go to Kona and stay at four seasons there a couple of weeks ago but cancelled because of all the craziness.
We have not fully decided on where to stay on Hawaii. Looking at all the options. I don't think we want something too big. We are not 5 star people either. Something clean and convenient would be good. Plus if it was on or at least walking to the beach.

We are going to the Big Island in February for 5 nights and also deciding whether to stay in Kona or Waikoloa. I've stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott 5 years ago and Royal Kona 10 years ago. If we stay in Waikoloa, it will be at the Hilton since I have lots of points, and Kona Marriott Courtyard since it is one of the few hotels in Kona with a beach.

Depending on time of day, getting between the two areas can be gridlocked. I agree the drive to Hilo and Volcanoes National Park was is convenient from Waikaloa. We've cut through the island on Saddleback Road at night stopping at Mauna Kea, its dark and the road was very windy but it gets you back quicker.
I was looking at Kona Marriott Courtyard. I have lots of Marriott points. I did see the beach looked lovely there.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone. I have lots of research to do to narrow down what we want to do.
 
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I was looking at Kona Marriott Courtyard. I have lots of Marriott points. I did see the beach looked lovely there.
Ehhh I’m not sure the pics tell you the whole story. That beach is tiny, and the dock (like where the cruise ships tender in) is right there. The heiau is also right there and while it’s cool, it takes up a chunk and people are crossing through to visit it. Plus there are a bunch of racing canoes out there, plus beach rentals, that take up a bunch of space. If you just want to lay in a lounger and look out at something pretty, it works, but if you want to play in the water, it’s really not a good place. I’d recommend googling some pics not posted by Marriott.

But it is right in the touristy part of town, so easy to walk to stuff, including Kona Brewing Company!!
 
We go every summer and spend at least a week on the big Island and a week in Waikiki. this year we are adding 3 days at Aulani (assuming this craziness gets under control by July).

We love Waikaloa. We own at Hilton so we usually stay at Kings Land which is a time share resort in the same area. It has golf course views vs. ocean views. But it is so much more convenient to get to the car and parking is free. We stay in a 2 bedroom condo. They have daily kids activities and my kids love the pool. It is huge and has a couple water slides, a beach volleyball area, a sandy splash pool, water volleyball and basketball. The lounge is near the pool with nightly live music during happy hour and they do a free hula show every Thursday. It's not exactly the same as a real hula but free is nice and since I don't care for luau food, I am happy too see a decent show and not have to pay for it. Of course, if you want to see a real luau, you could always do both! We also get to use the facilities at the Hilton Waikaloa village when we stay here. I am not sure if that's open to everyone or just us because we are owners. But I am thinking it is available to everyone.

We have stayed at the Hilton Waikaloa Village a bunch of times and we love the resort and the views but we do get put off by the parking and the size of the resort. Parking is expensive and everything is far away so you have to plan to walk or wait quite a bit or wait for the tram. But it's a beautiful resort so there is a worthwhile tradeoff. Especially if you want an ocean view. The views there are spectacular and the resort has something for everyone. We really enjoy the snorkeling lagoon with all of the beach toys for rent. If I had to choose my preference, it would be the Hilton Waikaloa Village, but I will have my ocean view in Waikiki so I am willing to give it up for the convenience of Kings Land.

You have to have a car out there because everything is so far away. So we drive to Kona a lot to eat. Lots of good restaurants with nice views. The Marriot you were discussing is very much like PP said. It's a small beach and pretty crowded. But it is a nice location to get to restaurants and cute shops. Parking cost is pretty steep. My husband stays there for work and likes it when he doesn't have a car. But we much prefer a larger resort for our Hawaiian Vacation.

Regardless of where you say, you want to drive around the island. We always visit the Hawaiian Style Cafe for breakfast in Waimea. They serve gigantic pancakes, the prices are super reasonable, and they only take cash. There is always a bit of a wait but it's worth it. Beaches at the resorts aren't great because everything is built on lava rock. But Hapuna State beach is a short drive from Waikaloa and it's one of the top rated beaches in Hawaii. Also Punalu'u for black sand beach. It's neat to see but not fun to play in the sand because it's almost like gravel. The Big Island isn't near as busy as Honolulu which is nice. The variety of climates is fascinating and there is so much to do. Have fun planning!

Jennifer
 
Just to throw in my two cents... My parents took my brother and me back in 2001, so I know this isn't the most recently accurate information. We stayed at the Ka'anapali Beach Club on Maui. We happened to be there for New Years and got to watch fireworks on the beach and my brother and I ordered fancy drinks and I cried because it was so beautiful. We were in Hawaii for 16 days, island hopping, seeing the sights and whatnot. But one of the things I remember the most about the trip as a whole happened at this hotel. And I do believe it still happens. Monk seals venture out in the ocean for days at a time, just to feed sometimes. And after they have fed long enough, they beach themselves to rest. This happens on Ka'anapali Beach just outside the hotel. There's a team of people who check up on these animals all the time, but most importantly go out and block off that area so the seals are not bothered by pesky humans. This was seriously one of the most fascinating things I learned and witnessed on that trip. Beautiful resort, but amazing experiences.
 
What is your travel party like (apologies if I missed it)? King’s Land in Waikoloa is amazing if you have kids....also a Hilton property (part of the vacation club), but away from the main hotel with great pools and amenities and privileges at the main resort. The nice thing about king’s land are the larger rooms (1 and 2 bedrooms). Very DVC like. Other great (hotel) options are the Hapuna Weston (BEST beach in the island) and Mauna Kea (also awesome beach). The beach at the Courtyard Marriott in Kona looks good in pics, but it is very small and not great. We often stay there when we first arrive (on points late at night) before moving up to the Kohala coast.
 
Here are the accommodations (all refundable) I have booked for me and DH. I am hoping that this still happens since it is next year (Jan/Feb 2021) but if the virus has a second wave or Hawaii doesn't open for tourists we'll have to cancel. Sorry it is just hard to get excited when things are so unknown right now.

Oahu - Hilton Hawaiian Village (on points)
Hawaii - Waikoloa Beach Marriott (on points)
Maui - The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas (UR points)

T]hanks to everyone for their advice on hotels.
 

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