Royal Kona Resort

We have stayed at 2 different places back in 2022 while visiting Big Island - a cool down to earth hotel in Hilo, and an a vacation rental in Kona here on the west - so with 2025 return we decided that the best way would be to combine it...

We have stayed at 2 different places back in 2022 while visiting Big Island - a cool down to earth hotel in Hilo, and an a vacation rental in Kona here on the west - so with 2025 return we decided that the best way would be to combine it with the form of accommodation from 1st + location 2nd = Royal Kona Resort experience with an oceanfront view without breaking the bank - and that's where really Royal Kona is - it's not a boutique place, nor high end resort, but a down to earth with a stunning black lava rock ocean front resrt, cool open bar and some nice theme throughout the grounds, that sadly during our January 2025 were either closed or affected by the renovation - once Location: easy, roughly, 20 minutes drive south of KOA airport, walking distance to downtown Kona town, with plenty of restaurants near by, big parking lot, I think about $20 a day or so, nothing terrible and super convenient and desperately needed/appreciated for the area. Facing wests for great sunsets and whale watching from the hotel, and the rocky oceanfront is super unique - the hotel looks really unique and cool - definitely for me a very symbolic building for the area. Room: we got the room in the Lagoon Tower, which is undergoing renovation - it didn't affect our inside the room comfort at all, we would be usually gone during the day and never bothered us, and the room we got was renovated on the 6th floor so we were thrilled :) nice big bed, spacious balcony, "rustic" furniture mixed with modern colors, we though it's a good combo. Mini fridge, sink, don't recall the safe but I bet they have one, WiFi worked great - views were awesome as well, funny enough you could see from our room the Luau they were having Hotel Grounds/area: I think the pictures depict it all, it's pretty cool Polynesian style, I really loved it after being to French Polynesia 3 times, and now 2nd time to Hawaii I gained lot of appreciation for the theme, as a Tiki theme in the mainland USA in a concrete jungle just does not do it for me, here in the islands it feels natural and cool! The huge Tiki in the middle of the hotel adds to that vibe and plenty of other sculptures around the area. The beachfront open wall restaurant/bar is an added bonus. There are 2 areas for Luau/shows - one open air and then another one behind the gift shop area/closed walls and we bumped into them doing either one - we attended a Luau before so we didn't care to sign up for one, but randomly seeing the action as a hotel guest was definitely an unexpected bonus :) Beach: During January 2025 the private lagoon/beach was unfortunately damaged and closed from access - it look pretty amazing so I was a bit heart broken about this not being mentioned anywhere - after all the resort fee is paid here and does not cover really too much, parking is paid separately so this should be probably told more openly in advance as otherwise there is no more direct water/beach access from the hotel and you have to drive somewhere else. Once fixed this looked amazing! Otherwise there is nothing to say here because there is no other beach access. Food & restaurant options: we had a dinner at the hotel once and one breakfast - reviewed separately, it is a convenient thing but I would encourage everyone to explore the area, Hawaii has a really good food scene and of course good coffee Things to do: you are really close to everything from Kona, you do need a car though - whether to go south towards Volcanos National Park (about 2h scenic drive), or to go north to the beach, or to hop across the Saddle Road to Hilo - the closest attractions are all the coffee forms within 45m-1h drive, plenty great ones. "Chocolate" farms etc. - and if that is not your thing plenty of the unusual attractions like Salt Farm, Vanilla Farm etc. closer to the airport. Big Island is like Iceland of Tropics, it's a paradise for adventure seekers and people who want to see/try/taste local culture, products etc. - although there are some very nice white sand beaches in the north I would say the island has too much to offer to "waste" it on a beach :) and I doooooooo love beaches! Overall: this is a really great place to stay, it has everything one needs to make a pleasant stay and without breaking a buck, once the renovation is offer this will be for sure a 5/5 place, hopefully they just don't increase the prices too hard as that will then offset the whole balance of +/- :)

A very nice hotel in a very nice location! It is on the water so the views are incredible. It is right in the middle of town with lots of things to do within an easy walk. Loved the vibe of the restaurants and shops. The hotel was very nice...

A very nice hotel in a very nice location! It is on the water so the views are incredible. It is right in the middle of town with lots of things to do within an easy walk. Loved the vibe of the restaurants and shops. The hotel was very nice and comfortable. Plenty of room.

The staff is outstanding. From the room cleaners, the wait staff at the restaurant and the desk staff are friendly and always ready to make our visit special. We have been there at least 6 times or more and never had a complaint. The desk staff remembers us and treats...

The staff is outstanding. From the room cleaners, the wait staff at the restaurant and the desk staff are friendly and always ready to make our visit special. We have been there at least 6 times or more and never had a complaint. The desk staff remembers us and treats us special. The sunsets are magical from the pool and restaurant. And if you’re lucky you might see Joe ( the dolphin whisperer). He swim out daily to spend time swimming with his dolphin friends.

Every traveler has different requirements, expectations, and standards. For those who like a high-end traditional tourist Hotel you might be best to spend time at Waikoloa in a Hilton, Marriott or Westin. Believe me, we've stayed at the Marriott several times thus we have included our experiences there when evaluating...

Every traveler has different requirements, expectations, and standards. For those who like a high-end traditional tourist Hotel you might be best to spend time at Waikoloa in a Hilton, Marriott or Westin. Believe me, we've stayed at the Marriott several times thus we have included our experiences there when evaluating the Royal Kona Resort. Which do we like best? The Royal Kona resort. Why? First, the location. It feels like you're really in Hawaii and not part of a Disney generated experience on the mainland. Second, the incredible friendliness and thoroughness of the entire staff. From the front desk to the pool attendants to the housekeeping staff. Everybody had a smile and was accommodating. What about the food? Plentiful and tasty. Additionally, by Hawaii standards, reasonably priced. HINT. Order a kids meal for those who are not super hungry. Makes a great lunch snack. The hotel location near all the restaurants and shops of Old Town Kona make it a perfect place to stay. Yes, the rooms may be slightly dated efficient air conditioning and plentiful hot water) there may be signs of wear and tear on the physical facilities ...with that said you just can't beat a big saltwater swimming pool situated right on top of the lava rocks while the Pacific surf pounds only 50 or 100 ft away. Don't like the swimming pool? Walk to an amazing secluded location just south of the third building. A saltwater Lagoon complete with fish, a Pacific Breakwater just feet away and a Sandy Beach offer an isolated getaway from the hustle and bustle of the town. Of the many hotels on which we've stayed on several of the Hawaii islands this one seems to be the best choice. All the amenities a real Hawaiian feel and genuinely enjoyable and pleasant staff.

Hidden fees and hidden parking fees. We booked through Priceline: one package price. At check in the clerk made us pay $120 “resort fee” and made us think we had to pay for parking $25 each night, so $100 more. You can park free if you’re lucky on Kahakai Road,...

Hidden fees and hidden parking fees. We booked through Priceline: one package price. At check in the clerk made us pay $120 “resort fee” and made us think we had to pay for parking $25 each night, so $100 more. You can park free if you’re lucky on Kahakai Road, white painted curb. Or park free on Walua Road a block or two away-hotel will not tell you this. Hotel is under construction. A/C is too cold when running, wakes me up. Tiny ants everywhere. Lagoon is closed. Pool hours end at sunset so we can’t use the pool. This place is my grandparents 1960’s Hawaii dream, falling apart.

Beautiful location, friendly staff, nice ocean view from our room. Bed was a bit too firm for us, but that's due to back issues. Great breakfast and dinner options. We will stay there again when we return to Kona. Hopefully next time we can see the luau.

Rooms definitely need updating and the check-in process was painfully slow. Other than that it was okay for the one night we stayed. That is really my only complaint but since I need to use extra characters for some reason I'll just babbe on like this.

The hotel is dated but it is right on the ocean. We had an oceanfront room on the 4th floor and the sound of the crashing waves was constant. The room was spacious, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom, while small, was adequate. The hotel has a nice pool...

The hotel is dated but it is right on the ocean. We had an oceanfront room on the 4th floor and the sound of the crashing waves was constant. The room was spacious, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom, while small, was adequate. The hotel has a nice pool area, a restaurant overlooking the ocean and is within walking distance to shopping and dining.

Short notice reservation, booked because we where coming in a day early due to weather in the states. Booking was amazing, staff was amazing, grounds and view was amazing, price was great especially since I booked with less than 24 hour arrival, food and view was a 10! Definitely coming back.

Absolutely wonderful location. Was able to walk to all restaurants. Parking was $25 a day but worth it to have a car. Resort is somewhat outdated but very clean, great amenities, very pleasant staff. Would highly recommend to anyone. Location, location, location.

Overall, our experience was great! Our room was ocean view and comfortable. The resort is attractive because it sit right on the water, so views are beautiful, and most definitely the sunsets are the bomb! Location is perfect to walk to restaurants, coffee, shopping. Only major downfall was there was...

Overall, our experience was great! Our room was ocean view and comfortable. The resort is attractive because it sit right on the water, so views are beautiful, and most definitely the sunsets are the bomb! Location is perfect to walk to restaurants, coffee, shopping. Only major downfall was there was a sticky wet substance on the carpet near the bed. We put towels over it, and reported it to the front desk. They offered to move us to another room, but we already was completely unpacked, and our stay was only 4 nights. They said they would report to maintenance, and would clean it up the next day. It never happened, and we didn't complain.We just kept towels over it. Did not want to spend our vacation dealing with it.

We stayed here January 22-29, 2025 - Partial Ocean View Room 546. It is one of our Favorite Hotels to stay at, except for the room renovations made during COVID. They took out the most comfortable beds in the rooms. The renovations to the rooms was a downgrade from the...

We stayed here January 22-29, 2025 - Partial Ocean View Room 546. It is one of our Favorite Hotels to stay at, except for the room renovations made during COVID. They took out the most comfortable beds in the rooms. The renovations to the rooms was a downgrade from the rooms furnishings and beds from the previous years. This was a VERY CHEAP Renovation to all the hotel rooms. The cheap renovation took out the Full Length Mirror, End Table Lamps and Large dresser drawers in the rooms. The lighting in the bed headboard for the room is inadequate on both sides of the bed. CHEAP replacements for table lamps! The beds are now very low to the ground, no box bedspring and the mattress installed is very hard to sleep on. We requested a Mattress Topper, which was a large foam cover they put on top of the mattress. This helped but nothing to write home about as a helper. My back was sore after 2 nights sleeping on this bed. I asked the front desk if they had rooms with better mattresses and they told me that ALL the rooms have the same mattresses when they replaced them during the renovation. The Hotel rooms were a 3.5  rating in the past prior to the renovation. I can't say they are more than a 2.5 after the recent room renovations. The best thing they can do to make an improvement is to Replace ALL The Bed Mattress in all of the rooms. They have renovation work going on on the outside of the Lagoon Tower right now from 9am-4pm. The jack hammering of the concrete outside vibrates into the rooms so loud, you have to turn up the TV to almost MAX VOLUME to hear anything. Best to do something away from the rooms in the Lagoon Tower. There was a large Ocean Surge around the beginning of January, 2025 that took out all the sand from the Lagoon Beach. The Lagoon is closed and they told us that they need to make major repairs to the wall before bringing back new sand. So your only swimming available is in the hotel pool. They have put more security in place to keep out locals and outside visitors from using the pool area. The pool area is open for Hotel Guests ONLY! They still have not reopened the hotel restaurant they closed during COVID-19. The only food available is in the open bar area and reservations are required for seating now. You can make a reservation ahead as a Hotel Guest. Otherwise you go down to the restaurant bar and check-in for the next available table. There is Live music on Thursdays and Saturdays 5pm-7pm. Table reservations book up quickly. There are Reserved Tables for the musicians guests and Groupies all the time. So seating is very limited for those showing up at 4pm. Henry Kapono, a major recording musician, plays here on the 3rd Thursday of the month. We try to schedule our stay to see him at the hotel when we come. They have a Luau at the hotel 4 times a week and we found it to be very expensive to attend. Currently it's $189 per person and $230 for VIP Seating up front. It's an easy walk from the resort to the local restaurants and the ABC Store for gifts. There is a resort fee of $30 per day and it does not include parking fees. Overall, the hotel grounds are kept up and clean. The only major downside is the beds for sleeping comfort during your stay. If I were paying the over $300 per night rate, I would definitely look elsewhere for accommodations. I sent in my Hotel Review Comments asking for some compensation and the Hotel passed them on to someone else for possible reply. I never heard back for over 2 weeks now. I'm not holding my breath for a reply. A lack of Customer Service!

Place is in need of alot of help.Very old and antiquated.Some staff members were rude.Did not get the bedding choice I booked.Have stayed all over the world and have never seen such a high late check out rate or no guest computers. Need to have more choices at restaurant.Parking rate...

Place is in need of alot of help.Very old and antiquated.Some staff members were rude.Did not get the bedding choice I booked.Have stayed all over the world and have never seen such a high late check out rate or no guest computers. Need to have more choices at restaurant.Parking rate is high!!

We stayed here for one night before heading to our VRBO. We have tracked the world and have never felt so unwelcome before in our lives. I will say though that the front desk ladies were very nice and helpful. Karen at the pool screaming at us asking if we...

We stayed here for one night before heading to our VRBO. We have tracked the world and have never felt so unwelcome before in our lives. I will say though that the front desk ladies were very nice and helpful. Karen at the pool screaming at us asking if we go to the hotel. Asking us for a hotel key. Another male pool attendant 15 min later asking us if we are staying at the hotel. Asking us for a room key again. Bartender very rude and rolled his eyes at us when we asked for our complimentary Mai Thai. Told us to go to the other bar and also asked us if we were staying here. He said you need a voucher which I didn’t know was with the room keys in the sleeve. Basically told us to go away. It was like we were bothering him. Smelly wet carpet in the hallways which in the morning was sprayed with fake gross smell to mask it. Plugged/clogged bathtub drain with a 5 min shower. Standing in a foot of water….so gross. See picture. The aftermath was even more disgusting. Construction noise starting at 8:45 am, after they changed our reservation from the lagoon room that was being renovated on. Is it because of our age? Or because my husband is brown? Neither of us slept because we were so upset and distraught at how we were treated. The location seems good but then you walk past the homeless people to get to the touristy overpriced restaurants. I recommend staying no where near here. The manager refunded us our parking and resort fee was not charged. He said he would talk to Expedia about refunding our money however that never happened. Expedia said they couldn’t get a hold of him.