Royal Kona Resort

Resort is in an excellent location. Right next to Huggos on the rocks and a number of other great restaurants. Rooms themselves are slightly dated, it’s an older building. Pool is great, service is excellent and the food at the restaurant is good quality. $25 a day service fee & $25 a day parking does add up but as long as your aware of this no issues. Overall great location

This is our second stay at the Royal Kona Resort. Our room had a great view, with one side overlooking the shore and the other facing the mountains. While we didn't have a full ocean view, it still worked for us. The USB charging system could use some improvements. The pricing was reasonable, as expected. The resort is clean, thanks to the many employees who maintain the beautiful grounds. There was a brief disturbance from an employee strike that lasted a few hours. Overall, the service was satisfactory. We appreciated having a mini fridge for our cold drinks and enough counter space for cutting fruit. A shout-out to all the bartenders at the bar.

I spent three nights at the Royal Kona Resort during my July trip to the Big Island and would happily stay here again. It is not a flawless luxury resort, but the oceanfront setting, walkable location, comfortable renovated room, and sheltered saltwater lagoon made it a very enjoyable stay. Room & View I stayed on the third floor of the Aliʻi Tower in an ocean-view room. The room had the resort’s updated coastal décor, with lighter wood finishes, a mini-refrigerator, wet bar, and private lanai. The resort currently describes its guestrooms across all three towers as fully renovated, although I could not confirm exactly when the Aliʻi Tower renovation was completed. The lanai was easily my favorite feature. My view stretched across the rocky Kona coastline toward the open Pacific, with palms in the foreground and waves breaking directly below. It was the kind of view that made it tempting to sit outside much longer than planned. This is an older resort, and you can still see some of that age in portions of the property. Recent guests have also mentioned dated bathrooms, occasional elevator problems, and active renovation work in certain areas. My room, however, felt clean, comfortable, and refreshed rather than tired. Lagoon vs. Pool The Royal Kona does not have a traditional sandy ocean beach. Instead, it has a small protected saltwater swimming lagoon surrounded by lava rock. For me, that was actually one of the highlights. I spent part of the day there after my strenuous Humuʻula Trail hike, and it was exactly the recovery session my legs needed. The water was calm and clear, and the lagoon felt noticeably quieter and more relaxing than the main pool area. Some guests even snorkel there when conditions are good. The freshwater pool is attractively positioned beside the ocean, but it seemed fairly small for a resort of this size and became busier than I preferred. That has also been a recurring observation in recent guest reviews. Travelers who want a large resort-pool complex may be disappointed; those who prefer a peaceful dip in the lagoon may have the opposite reaction. Location The location is one of the strongest reasons to stay here. The resort sits directly on Aliʻi Drive, within easy walking distance of downtown Kailua-Kona’s restaurants, bars, shops, and waterfront attractions. I could enjoy the energy of Kona without needing to drive every time I wanted to go somewhere. The property itself occupies a dramatic lava-rock shoreline, so the ocean feels present almost everywhere. Depending on the room, that can also mean hearing powerful waves at night rather than gentle background surf. Light sleepers may want to request a room slightly farther from the most exposed shoreline. Recent guests have reported both loving the sound and finding it surprisingly loud. Costs & Practical Notes At the time of writing, self-parking is listed at $25 per day, and the resort also charges a $25-plus-tax daily amenity fee. The amenity fee includes Wi-Fi, fitness-center access, filtered-water stations, selected classes and activities, reef-safe sunscreen at the pool, and a welcome coupon for two mai tais. Check the details of your booking carefully because parking and resort charges can add a meaningful amount to the advertised room rate. Recent guests have occasionally reported difficulty finding parking during busy luau nights, so allow extra time if you are returning to the hotel during an evening event. I did not eat a meal at the resort, so I cannot comment on the restaurant or breakfast. I only visited Don’s Mai Tai Bar, which I have reviewed separately. Final Thoughts The Royal Kona worked extremely well for a three-night Kona stay. The waterfront location is beautiful, the renovated room was comfortable, the lanai view was outstanding, and the protected lagoon gave me a much more peaceful place to relax than the relatively compact pool. The property’s older bones still show in places, and the pool and parking situation keep it from being a five-star experience for me. Still, those were fairly minor drawbacks compared with the view, location, and convenience. Sometimes recovery from a 13-mile volcano hike requires stretching, hydration, and responsible rest. Sometimes it requires a turquoise bikini, a lounge chair, and several hours in a private Hawaiian lagoon. I chose wisely. Four stars. A great base for exploring Kona, especially if you book an ocean-view room and plan to use the lagoon.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ We really enjoyed our stay at the Royal Kona Resort. The ocean views were absolutely stunning, the grounds were beautiful, and the crystal-clear water made for an amazing setting. The saltwater lagoon was one of our favorite features and a great place to snorkel. The location is another big plus. It’s within walking distance of shopping and restaurants, and we appreciated that the Kona area felt much more laid-back and less hectic than Oahu.The staff provided excellent service throughout our stay and were friendly and welcoming. The resort itself is definitely showing its age, and while the pool was fine, it wasn’t anything particularly memorable. The food was also a bit disappointing, especially after the outstanding dining experiences we had on Oahu. Even with those minor drawbacks, the beautiful location, incredible views, and outstanding service made this an excellent choice for our Big Island stay. We would absolutely stay here again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing oceanfront resort in Kona and on the Big Island.