A great condo choice in a great resort!…read more Condos are a great alternative to the hotels at this resort, and MLP is the best here! (I'm assuming you know what a great resort Mauna Lani is, so won't go into that). For roughly the same price as a room at one of the hotels, you get much more space, privacy, fully equipped kitchens, etc. There's a pool pavilion, access to a great beach club, and concierge services. No room service, though (unless someone in your party is nice!) The units are all owner furnished, so they're all a bit different, but high quality. They have a blend of 1 and 2 bedroom units, with ocean or mt views, so lots of options (and price points). A few seem to be owner occupied full time; many are owner occupied part time; and many are part time owner/part time rentals, so the result is, it never seems that crowded. This is one of the older condo developments at the resort, and that's a good thing. These units all are solidly built with thick walls and ceilings; no noise at all from the neighbors. Plus, the buildings are arranged so that the units all look out over the golf course or such; they don't all back up to each other the way the newer developments tend to. Don't get me wrong, the new ones are pretty nice, but they remind me a bit of a Calif suburban condo development. Disclaimer -- after coming many times over the last 20-some years, I finally bought a place here a few years ago. But my review would have been the same before that!

Stayed here for a little over a week and I will tell you right now, this is probably the best place…read moreto stay on the island for a reasonable price. It may cost more per night, but with the close proximity to the market and a full kitchen, you won't be spending as much money on food as you would at a hotel. The Islands are a neighborhood of condos, each complex with four condos connected to one another. There is no beach view, but on a clear day you can see the valleys to the north as well as Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to the east and southeast, respectively. The beach is about a ten minute walk from the Islands. The Mauna Lani Resort beach has great snorkeling when the surf isn't crazy, and I would even go as far to say that it was the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. If you have kids, it's great, too, because it doesn't get much deeper than 6 feet. We saw lots of Ono, massive sea-slugs, schools of Angel fish, urchins, star fish, and much much more. We even saw two sea turtles, both of which were very tame and friendly. The pool is near the entrance to the Islands. It's a good lap-pool and is nice to cool off in, but if you want to dive, good luck not hitting your head on the bottom or the sides because it is pretty shallow. The good side is that it's nowhere near as busy as the Mauna Lani Resort's pool. That's not to say The Islands don't have their shortcomings. The pool is not heated so as soon as it gets in the shade on a windy day, you will get cold very quickly. You can also get loud neighbors, but for the most part, everyone is quiet. The furniture is uncomfortably large, but chances are you won't be staying inside much so it doesn't really matter. It can also get very windy which makes sitting outside not an option unless you want seeds or dirt in your face. All of these are minor conveniences that you learn to ignore. The one thing that really disappointed me, however, was that the website told us that we had free access to a fitness center, spa, and large lap pool. This was not the case. The fitness center belongs to the Mauna Lani Resort. If you aren't staying there, you have to pay $35 a day or $175 a week, which is ridiculously overpriced. The equipment is very basic: many machines can only have their weights adjusted by increments of 15lbs (6.8kg). There isn't much room to do any major weightlifting. It seemed that it was designed more for those interested in aerobics rather than strength training. Don't waste your money here. All in all, the condo was great if you're like me and love vacationing while still feeling like you have the freedom you do at home.

This is a nice plantation style Inn in the heart of Hawi. It's very neat and clean and modernized…read morewith fast Internet, good beds, and an extremely helpful staff. Highly recommended for a modest inn with walking access to coffee, restaurants, many art, galleries, and other sites.

Simple clean and quiet place with old fashioned single rooms. Plush bath towels. The AC unit worked…read morereally well. We actually had to shut it off at one point. The tiny Hawi downtown is just around the corner. The parking lot is right next to the building. The front desk women were very nice and helpful. This town and hotel with lower your blood pressure and get rid of your stress.

This home is amazing! I spent four days here with my elderly parents, my sister and her fiancé, my…read morehusband and my three year old. There was something for everyone! The view is spectacular! It's 180 degrees of unobstructed ocean views and rolling green hills. The adults spent a lot of time drinking coffee and wine on the porch. My 3 year old loved the gentle horses and goats, the hammock, and tree swing. The home is only 8 minutes away from a cute beach town with amazing food and shops. The owners are super responsive and kind. They built and designed this home themselves and they really recreated the Hawaii cowboy aesthetic with modern amenities. It's really was a very special stay that my family will remember forever!

Wai'ula'ula is on the property of the Hapuna Prince Resort on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of…read moreHawaii. Most of the Wai'ula'ula properties are privately owned, but the owners rent them out. For a family that needs more space than a hotel room (or couples that want more privacy) this is a great options. You get all the amenities of staying at the Hapuna Prince and Mauna Kea Resorts, but the comforts of home. Plus some extras! They have a gorgeous and uncrowded pool/spa (saline!) and gym right there, no hotel guests allowed! Ah, paradise. My words do no justice: http://mauneakeacondo.googlepages.com is the link to the one I am staying at. Look at the pictures!

Our Hawaiin beach home for the last few days with dear friends Al & Kathy. Arguably the most…read morebeautiful beach in the world.

Lovely Plumeria suite Bed and pillows very comfy…read moreWhole hotel well appointed Loved the chaise lounge area for reading and morning coffee Use of kitchen a plus Pool area nice Easy walk into town

This place is absolutely amazing! It's a large home with every detail taken care of. You can rent…read moreone room or the entire house. Inside includes a huge kitchen, TV, piano, multiple cozy seating areas, and lots of games. The grounds are full of fun wildlife, including a variety of birds, beautiful and chatty chickens and roosters, cats, and geckos. Be sure to visit the pool, orchid house, and yoga studio too. Hawi town is a short walk from the Inn, where you'll find lovely shops and galleries, plus truly excellent coffee. The hosts of Hawi Sugar Plantation Inn are super accommodating, kind, and readily available for questions and suggestions of things to do on the island. Do it. Go there. And prepare to fall in love with Hawi Sugar Plantation Inn.

I came here for a week for my momcation and I cannot wait to go back. The service month above and…read morebeyond, from the time I arrived. I was able to get a room upgrade and had an amazing view! This resort is absolutely stunning. I love that there was a little bay that had calmer water for little ones and those of us who just wanted to relax and float in the water. I also love that they have some chairs up on a little viewing deck near the ocean that you can just sit and chill at as well. They also have an adults only pool, which is great and it is pretty kid friendly which is also awesome. The entire properties laid out really nicely and still makes you feel like you're in the secluded area. There are a lot of food options on site, which is nice. There's also a couple of shopping centers up the road where you can get food as well. The food at the resort is pretty awesome to me. I loved breakfast! It was so delicious and that donut wall and pastry table had me in the chokehold daily. I loved sitting on the bay. There's so much to do and you have a lot of water activities available to you. I recommend getting the pass (about $80) while you're there, because it's worth it if you want to rent any of the paddle boards. Noodles are free to use. Drinks are available on the beach and there's a little shack for snacks if you're looking for tacos or a quick bite. The rooms are standard but just beautiful. The lanai is amazing and so restful. I really loved the small touches at this place. I love that they had a welcome tray of snacks waiting for me when I came back from the pool my first day, and then they turned my bed down every single night and left me with an inspirational card. It really is the small touches that went such a long way. I probably would say that my only slight recommendation is for the spa to be a little more exclusive or have more to it. But I will say that I loved the massage hut. Those were just absolutely amazing and nothing beats it. If you can get one overlooking the beach. Go for it. But, being in a massage hut in general anywhere on the property is worth it. I would recommend renting a car, because there's just so much to do on the big island. Do you want to be able to get around and you can always take rideshare, but it's worth it to be able to have the freedom to come and go as you please. This was an amazing trip with amazing service, I really can't wait to go back.

Glorified Motel with Disappointing, Inconsistent service…read more We chose the Fairmont Orchid for our 6-night honeymoon, but after just a few nights, I was seriously debating asking for a refund to move to a different hotel. Coming straight from the Four Seasons on Maui, the difference is night and day. For $600-$800 a night, you expect luxury and exceptional service. Instead, this property feels outdated, with half-assed, tired service that makes you want to leave the resort entirely. I would never stay here again and will warn people off. I would gladly pay double to stay at the Four Seasons for less time, or pay less and stay in Kona where at least I can go have lunch and dinner somewhere nice. The Positives: * Arrival & Room: The front desk was incredibly welcoming, and the housekeeping team has been great. Our room is comfortable with a pretty view overlooking the neighboring property and a glimpse of the beach. * Valet & Room Service Delivery: The valet staff has been great so far (though we did notice a large scrape o on our rental car, it's hard to prove where it happened). The room service delivery staff was also very friendly and helpful. *luau was super fun but no signage anywhere so we walked around the whole property before finding it. Tickets didnt say anything about tennis courts either. The Dealbreakers & Service Failures: * Shocking Customer Service: Service here is wildly inconsistent and often feels like an inconvenience to the staff. The absolute lowest point was at the beach rental shack. The two girls working the booth (Kila and Kristin?) were outright rude, condescending, and made me feel uncomfortable. I have no idea why they directed such a weird, personal, and hurtful attitude toward a kind guest just trying to enjoy a honeymoon. * Safety & Maintenance Neglect: The beach cove is cute for snorkeling, but the area directly outside of the cove is full of sea urchins. There are zero warnings posted, and the rude staff at the shack certainly won't warn you. Furthermore, our shower was completely clogged and flooding, and despite calling it in two days ago, nobody ever came to fix it. * Stomach-Turning Cleanliness: There was what appeared to be blood on one of the elevator buttons that stayed there for days. We had to avoid it entirely and started jokingly calling it the "blood elevator." It's insane that a luxury hotel misses basic biohazard cleaning. The tables at both breakfast and our first dinner were dirty and had streaks on it with food debris. Our in room menu also had food caked on it. When all these things and more are going on together it just underlines that this place is dirty. * Terrible Food Options: Lunch options are highly limited to a few pool bites and a taco truck. Room service doesn't start until 5:30 PM. The property deli is horrible- serving dried-out sandwiches and overpriced $16 salads that are just bare leaves with zero protein. * Binchotan Fly Infestation: We ate at Binchotan for our first dinner. While the food and service were good, the restaurant is outdated and had an unbearable fly infestation. We literally had to pack our food to go and finish our first honeymoon meal in our hotel room. * Lack of Luxury Amenities: There is no laundry service available. When I asked, I was told to use the guest laundry machine on the 3rd floor. There is only one machine, and it was taken. I do not want to compete for a single washing machine on my vacation. Our honeymoon here has felt like a series of unfortunate events. The Fairmont brand should represent top-tier luxury, but this property is severely lacking. Save your money and go elsewhere. Like literally anywhere else

If you can only do one tour on Hawaii, this is the one to take. Not only do you get to see the…read moremagnificent scenery of the Waipio Valley, you learn about the history of the land and all it has to offer. Our guide was Keanu...so much knowledge of Hawaii and even more passion sharing it all with us. And the best part was that we were honored to have the owner of the taro farm, Uncle Morgan as our other guide. The two together just made it the best tour - it felt real, it felt like Hawaii. We've had some great moments here, but nothing has matched our experience with Hawea Waipio Valley Adventures.

was visiting Hawaii with my fiancee and his family. His family has been to Waipio Valley a few…read moretimes, while this was my first time, and we are all in agreement that this tour was absolutely perfect. We wouldn't change a thing about it! To start the day we were met by Makano, a local who lives in the valley, who drove us down the steep winding road to the bottom of the valley. The car ride was incredibly educational and Makano made sure to point out all of the beautiful views the canyon had to offer and make sure we could stop and take lots of pictures. Once we were on the family farm we learned all about taro and how its grown. Makano was very knowledgable and shared all of his experiences with us. We got to walk into the Lopi where the taro is grown, got to pick some ourselves and even tasted some freshly made poi.  After the taro farm we headed deeper into the property to try some more of the islands fresh fruits and berries. To end the day we walked to an entirely secluded waterfall, and yes we were able to walk right in!  This tour is perfect for all ages. It's great that it really doesnt have a "touristy" feel. Makano and his family do a great job of showing you just how a Hawaiian lives (or used to live back in the day) the tour is very personal because of the small group aspect. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to actually go down into the valley and experience all of the beauty the island has to offer!

It is a historically interesting site. The Inn is layered with luscious foliage beneath towering…read morepine trees dancing within the trade winds. Stepping into the foyer, I was enveloped by a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere. Their Ohana staff welcomed my Ohana family. As a yogī~, I was reinvigorated by the fertility of the land and found myself drawn to explore my breath, my body, my spirit, and my heart. At the heart of the kitchen, you will find a tempting all-organic cafe (currently vegan) nestled next to a locally made boutique.