Fairmont Orchid

Overall this was a disappointing stay. We stayed 2 years ago and while they have done a superficial refresh since then it really needs to be completely redone. My first impression was walking into the hallway where doors are beaten up, there are chunks out of trim, wallpaper is ripped...

Overall this was a disappointing stay. We stayed 2 years ago and while they have done a superficial refresh since then it really needs to be completely redone. My first impression was walking into the hallway where doors are beaten up, there are chunks out of trim, wallpaper is ripped and coming apart and there is a constant musty smell. I entered my room and the door stuck, corners and baseboards were not clean, hair in shower and in many corners in room/bathroom, shower had mold, toilet seat kept slipping, fridge made noises all night long, sheets so thin you can see mattress through them. Also, I asked housekeeping to change my sheets one morning when they came in and imagine my surprise when I found my socks in the bottom of the sheets that same night (I had kicked off the night before). So, obviously not changed. They need some retraining and customer service on the housekeeping side. My room was "garden view" and my view was just of a golf course..no garden. In all fairness, had I come into a clean room with a slightly better view I would have felt differently about my stay. Now the good...The grounds are beautiful and I really enjoyed my time when I was outside my room. Service at the pool was good, you don't have to rush down for chairs, and the pool is large with an adults only end. I want to love this hotel b/c the location is good, I like the feel of it meaning it's low key but still nice, doesn't feel overly crowded etc. If I ever do return I will upgrade my room at the very least.

This hotel is the most comfortable with just the right mix of luxury and informal. The staff is wonderful - Casius kept our room sparkling which makes such a difference and nothing was too much trouble. The whole hotel is kept beautifully. Swimming in the little bay was delicious and...

This hotel is the most comfortable with just the right mix of luxury and informal. The staff is wonderful - Casius kept our room sparkling which makes such a difference and nothing was too much trouble. The whole hotel is kept beautifully. Swimming in the little bay was delicious and the view from our balcony was incredible.

We enjoyed a lovely six nights at the fairmont orchid. We stayed on the gold level ( so worth it, a great value!) and we were spoiled with such wonderful customer service. Everyone is so kind. This hotel turned out to be a wonderful jumping off place for near and...

We enjoyed a lovely six nights at the fairmont orchid. We stayed on the gold level ( so worth it, a great value!) and we were spoiled with such wonderful customer service. Everyone is so kind. This hotel turned out to be a wonderful jumping off place for near and far exploring. Nearby there are AMPLE tide pools, beaches with turtles, whale views, crabs, birds, just so much nature to enjoy. Or get in your car and be to Volcanos national park in two hours. Plus black sand beaches, Hilo, mountains, waterfalls, lookouts, horses, cattle, there is just so much to appreciate. Be aware the food and beverages here are RESORT PRICING. But that is one of the reasons that the gold level is such a good value. We rarely needed more food than what they serve in the lounge. We also planned when we were going to splurge. . We always found a new pretty spot to watch the sun go down in the evening and always gorgeous relaxing live music. I am not sure how they decide what rooms are “ocean view” but I was surprised that ours qualified. The ocean view category was an upgrade we chose and paid for. But our room was the farthest back from the ocean as the other rooms ( literally at the end of the building AWAY from the shore) and although you could see the ocean from the balcony, it was a stretch to call it ocean view. I would say MAYBE partial ocean but mostly golf course. That being said the course was lovely too, just not the ocean. I will include a panoramic of our room view for reference.

We stayed at this resort because of a meeting. I cannot stress strongly enough how well we were treated by every single staff person we interacted with. They have it down to a science! The resort is lovely, clean, beautifully constructed, the food is wonderful, and the people who work...

We stayed at this resort because of a meeting. I cannot stress strongly enough how well we were treated by every single staff person we interacted with. They have it down to a science! The resort is lovely, clean, beautifully constructed, the food is wonderful, and the people who work there take pride in their job. I would highly recommend this hotel. It is worth what you pay for.

Stayed at the Fairmont for 3 nights as a couple. Our welcome to the hotel was actually terrible. We pulled our car into a spot near the entrance to go check-in and rather than someone greeting us with a welcome and offering to assist with our bags, a person came...

Stayed at the Fairmont for 3 nights as a couple. Our welcome to the hotel was actually terrible. We pulled our car into a spot near the entrance to go check-in and rather than someone greeting us with a welcome and offering to assist with our bags, a person came up to us asking if we were valet or self parking and when we said self parking, he said we have to move the car- with one person checking in and the other paring. Bad way to welcome someone. At check-in, the desk person said that he saw that we were celebrating an anniversary (had asked on the registration along with my husband's name), and he asked what is my wife's name. Politely told him my husband's name was Benjamin. He looked flustered. When Ben returned from parking, he did not say happy anniversary to him. This was a general theme of the place. I am not particularly sensitive to homophobia and seldom see it at hotels these days (outside of Jamaica and the mid East), but it did seem to be pretty pervasive at this hotel. Nothing overt, just in general not treated the same as other guests by many (though not all) of the staff. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. The rooms are a good size and nicely decorated (though showing lots of wear and could use a freshening-up). The bed was comfortable though a little too soft (worn). The rooms and hallways had a decidedly moldly smell that was often covered with aggressive use of air freshener. The food and beverages throughout the hotel are very expensive- breakfast $50 pp + tax and tip, sandwiches and burgers close to $30, drinks in the $20 -25 range, and overall not of great quality. The breakfast buffet for example was nearly identical to the club breakfast that we had a Hyatt Regency in Honolulu (free) with the addition of an egg station. The service throughout the hotel was hit or miss and definitely not at a 5 star level. Housekeeping was good. We placed a wake-up call for our last morning and it never happened. The gym was very good. The beach was nice though no life-guards. On our 1st day, I had to go in and pull a young woman to shore who was in distress. First, booking through Costco was great. Booking through Costo was a great idea, as we did receive a room upgrade, included breakfast and $25 a day food/drink credit and water sports rentals (which would also have been very expensive). While we enjoyed being on the Big Island and the pretty grounds, probably would not stay here again, and would not recommend this hotel to gay couples.

We got married at the Fairmont Orchid in February 2025. Absolutely amazing event with excellent service by our coordinator on-site, Yvette. She made our day and week extra special 💗. The grounds are immaculate! Great beach area with lounge chairs and perfect spot for a little lagoon snorkeling. Brown's Beachouse...

We got married at the Fairmont Orchid in February 2025. Absolutely amazing event with excellent service by our coordinator on-site, Yvette. She made our day and week extra special 💗. The grounds are immaculate! Great beach area with lounge chairs and perfect spot for a little lagoon snorkeling. Brown's Beachouse Restaurant is amazing! Great food and perfect ambiance. I would definitely stay here again!

Elijah got me in the right spot. Gave me a heads up when the good set was coming. Had a great time. Scored seven nice rides and had a lot of fun. Went back and did it again 2 Days later. The entire staff at the beach desk was super...

Elijah got me in the right spot. Gave me a heads up when the good set was coming. Had a great time. Scored seven nice rides and had a lot of fun. Went back and did it again 2 Days later. The entire staff at the beach desk was super helpful and friendly all week.

Wow wow wow! The best facial I’ve ever had! Lisa was so informative the entire time, explaining what she was doing and what was going on my face. She examined my face under light before doing anything and made recommendations explaining and answering all my questions. My skin is shining...

Wow wow wow! The best facial I’ve ever had! Lisa was so informative the entire time, explaining what she was doing and what was going on my face. She examined my face under light before doing anything and made recommendations explaining and answering all my questions. My skin is shining and feels so soft. The staff was friendly and kind. Kayla was so sweet. We used the spa all day going in and out as it was our last day on the island, so used all the spa amenities to freshen up prior to travel. Thank you for making our last day relaxing and easy! Mahalo!

What more can be said about any Fairmont property. We are members and try to frequent as many Fairmont properties as possible and this one is definitely upper echelon! The grounds are superb, the amenities were amazing and all the food and drink you need is located on the property...

What more can be said about any Fairmont property. We are members and try to frequent as many Fairmont properties as possible and this one is definitely upper echelon! The grounds are superb, the amenities were amazing and all the food and drink you need is located on the property with the restaurants being deemed as some of the islands best!They have a thorough calendar of activities for entertainment and education, and every night there was live music. The best part is that the Fairmont Orchid is ideally situated to give you immediate and hassle free access to some of the areas best beaches, snorkeling sites, cultural sites, and more. Not to be missed

Let me start out by saying we have been to this resort many times over the years. Its location on the Kona coast can’t be beat. The hotel is in serious need of being refreshed but hopefully not so much as to dramatically change its understated appeal. A couple observations...

Let me start out by saying we have been to this resort many times over the years. Its location on the Kona coast can’t be beat. The hotel is in serious need of being refreshed but hopefully not so much as to dramatically change its understated appeal. A couple observations from our most recent visit. The Luna lounge remains a great evening spot but is way understaffed. That needs to be fixed pronto. Whoever the hotels interior design person is, they failed big time selecting the new furniture in public areas. It looks like something to be found in the lobby or halls of a Holiday Inn not a great luxury Hawaiian resort. Same can be said for the furniture in the refreshed rooms. Looks out of place and who would put new furniture in rooms that has no drawers ?.

This was our second visit to the Fairmont. Our last stay was in 2018, and we had been thinking about returning ever since. This time, we upgraded to the north building, which offered a stunning view of the water (and the glorious evening sunsets), and we booked a rate that...

This was our second visit to the Fairmont. Our last stay was in 2018, and we had been thinking about returning ever since. This time, we upgraded to the north building, which offered a stunning view of the water (and the glorious evening sunsets), and we booked a rate that included breakfast each morning. Both were excellent decisions. The rooms appeared to have been updated since our last visit. I would describe the décor as laid-back luxury with an island influence. The accommodations were well-equipped with everything one might need. The beds were exceptionally comfortable, the bathrooms were spacious, and the furnishings included a small sofa with an ottoman, along with another comfortable chair. The one odd thing is that the hotel doesn’t have Netflix or anything similar on their entertainment system they have movies on demand instead. That seemed very 90s. One of the Fairmont’s greatest assets is its staff. Everyone we encountered was friendly and consistently went out of their way to be helpful. We dined at nearly all of the on-site restaurants. While none were truly exceptional, the food was good, and we enjoyed each experience. A couple of times, we rented beach beds, which made for the perfect beach day. One tip: when renting snorkels and masks at the beach (the first hour is complimentary), they offer masks with corrective lenses—an excellent option for those who wear glasses, as it makes it easier to see the beautiful fish. Lastly, I must mention the stunning gardens and grounds, which contribute to the hotel's wonderful atmosphere. We look forward to returning in the future.

We had a wonderful stay on the Gold floor at the Fairmont Orchid. The room was clean and comfortable and we saw whales from our lanai each day. The grounds were beautiful and there was a nice trail along the beach that was great for walking, seeing the whales or...

We had a wonderful stay on the Gold floor at the Fairmont Orchid. The room was clean and comfortable and we saw whales from our lanai each day. The grounds were beautiful and there was a nice trail along the beach that was great for walking, seeing the whales or watching the beautiful sunsets. The food and snacks from the Gold Lounge were delicious and very convenient. The restaurants were also really good and the friendly staff all over the resort went out of their way to make us feel welcome. This was our second stay at this resort and we had the same great experience each time!

Wonderful hotel in a beautiful location. Very comfortable bed, spacious well appointed room. Clean and quiet. Very good breakfast buffet. Friendly and helpful staff. Good amenities snorkelling, pickle ball & golf and coastal trail walks.

Aloha! This is the place to get close to what we felt was real Hawaii. Clean and very tasteful; well maintained;flowers and Koi ponds set in a golf course with hiking and running trails along the beach; very low tourist pressure. The sunrise canoe with Hawaiian guide was fantastic! Not...

Aloha! This is the place to get close to what we felt was real Hawaii. Clean and very tasteful; well maintained;flowers and Koi ponds set in a golf course with hiking and running trails along the beach; very low tourist pressure. The sunrise canoe with Hawaiian guide was fantastic! Not at all strenuous! Ahi, (our guide) was informative but refreshingly casual. Nice guy that loves what he does. He explained some Hawaiian traditions and the challenges of sustainability in today’s setting. We saw whales breaching, then they came to within 200 feet; you could easily hear their breathes. Beautiful crystal clear warm water with colorful reef fish. Tide pools just north of hotel were fun too. By far my favorite Hawaiian island and hotel.

For those accustomed to a 5 star experience at Fairmont properties, it's best to adjust expectations down one notch. I've reviewed this place harshly in the past, and am revising my attitude to be much more favorable. It is a decent 4 star experience. The hotel itself, especially the lobby...

For those accustomed to a 5 star experience at Fairmont properties, it's best to adjust expectations down one notch. I've reviewed this place harshly in the past, and am revising my attitude to be much more favorable. It is a decent 4 star experience. The hotel itself, especially the lobby and common areas, is tired and due for a significant upgrade. That said, there is enough of an experience to be had that it's worth a visit if you go with eyes open. Brown's Beach House, Binchotan, Luana Lounge, and Hale Kai restaurants are all quite good, with Hale Kai being the informal option. And Luana Lounge earning coolest light dining/boozing option this trip. The Orchid Court (same space as Binchotan) offers a good breakfast buffet. The grounds are quite pretty if not elaborate, and the ocean views are spectacular. There is a smaller, very protected bay with a beach that is ideal for young kids, though decidedly not for wave jumping or boogie boarding. Watching sunsets from the oceanside chairs is a must. We saw a ton of whales offshore as well. The workout room is big and functional, if a little cluttered. The spa proper is tiny, but the appeal is that treatment rooms are all outside in private huts or at the water. Not bad as long as it's not mowing day. The pool is fine, and includes an adult area. It is nothing compared to the turbo crazy pools at some resorts, but I didn't hear anyone complaining. The nearby "mall," part of the larger Mauna Lani resort area, is pretty depressing. Locals tell us the property management company is to blame. That said, Tommy Bahamas, Foodland, and the Island Hopper Tap Room are exceptions. There is a spectacular walk from the Orchid property along the shore down past the Mauna Lani property, through fish ponds, and down to the Mauna Lani South golf course. You'll need your smart phone or real camera. It makes for a great 4 mile morning down-and-back. We priced the travel independently via internet and also through Costco travel. Costco was BY FAR the best package, including airfare, rental car, hotel accommodation, and breakfast. We'd return as long as the price was right again. The nearby "mall