Big Island Keauhou Surf & Racquet 181…read more I stayed 5 nights at Keauhou Surf & Racquet #181 and was very disappointed. The condo is poorly maintained, and several issues made my stay uncomfortable: ant infestation in the kitchen, lights and fans only working from the breaker, shutters in the master bedroom stuck closed (I had to track down a maintenance worker myself to pry them open since management never answered my calls), scratched cookware, no air conditioning (making it unbearably hot at night), and paint chips in the guest room. This property fell far below what was advertised and did not provide the quality or comfort expected. I cannot recommend it until major improvements are made.

The gated complex itself has tennis courts (yay!) and a pool (nothing special, but good sized), but…read moreof course the main draw is that is it right on the ocean by Keauhou Bay. Keauhou means "New Era" in Hawaiian, and this complex was probably just that when built but it is starting to get a little dated. Still, the main draw to this place is that it is built right by the water, right on the shore's edge, which was allowed back when the condos here were built. To get the maximum benefit you need to stay in a direct ocean front unit. That's what we did, for two weeks, and it was a fabulous experience. The waves are right there both to hear and watch, as is the bay itself and its shoreline. You really can't get much better than that as far as location. The inside of many of these units, is - to best describe it - 1970s. Although the one we stayed in had been updated as far as appliances, the carpet and upholstery all had that "sticky but not quite sticky" feeling of stuff that needs to be replaced. (However, keep in mind that being right by the ocean tends to do this to all cloths, over a not so long period of time.) Our unit was an end unit townhome, one bedroom (bedroom upstairs, full baths upstairs and down (showers only, no tub), with kitchen and living room downstairs). No A/C in these units - ceiling and portable fans only. This is fine some months of the year and inadequate other months - just depends on the weather (blame President Trump and global warming!). Keauhou Bay is more of a snorkeling beach than swimming, and the shoreline is pebbly and rocky. It's not really a beginner snorkeling area - you must deal with rocks, some of them sharp, to launch past the shallow areas, and then if you go too far, which isn't really too far at all, currents will start pulling you out depending on what tide is in action. If you want a soft fine sand beach for swimming, such as you'd find in southern California, you need to go elsewhere. Around the bend are petroglyphs that commemorate a great battle between the Big Island chief who used to reign here, and the Maui chief who invaded, lost, and was pinned to the shore for seven days before he was slaughtered. I went fishing just below our unit, and caught something on most every cast, although most of what I caught I threw back as being either too tropical or too small. No fitness complex. No sauna/steam by the pool. No jacuzzi. In all, a far superior Hawaii experience to staying in a hotel. Fully equipped kitchen. For our unit the owner's property manager sent someone within a day whenever anything needed repair. Nearby KTA Super Store sells everything you'd find in a mainland supermarket, plus fresh locally caught fish, and even fresher fish is available from other smaller local vendors. Centrally located to Kailua-Kona, and to the attractions that are driving distance to the north and south.

Beautiful, well manicured establishment. Friendly residents and staff. We felt very safe there…read morewith a locking gate and codes on doors. The neighborhood is also stunning with a local farmers market and store in walking distance. There is a salt water and chlorine pool. The grounds are kept in tip top shape. The pavilion has coffee in the morning where people congregate and visit. Conche blowing ceremony at sunset...compliments of the dedicated residents. Can't wait to go back!! No reason to stay anywhere else.

We stayed here when Lala showed up. The other side of the big island got hammered. Not us. This…read morebuilding is built tough. The walls are concrete. It's impossible to hear your neighbors. You can however hear someone above you but not next to you. We had no worries at all. Our electricity didn't even flicker 1 time. I will say that the "air conditioner" wasn't working at all. They shut it off our second day there and "repaired" the system. From that day on it never worked. The best it did was 77f. when it was 81f. outside. 4 degrees difference isn't working, it's barely considered operational. Then there was the night not 1 but 2 Hawaiian Cockroaches fell out of the non working Air Conditioning Vent for the living room. I closed the vent so more didn't find their way out. Where there is 1, there are thousands hiding. Oh and Lala rained on us in Kona big time. I get it. It took me 2 days to figure out the water in the hallway wasn't from us drinking or coming in from swimming, it was the air conditioner intake filter leaking. I'm positive because it splashed me in the face when I finally figured it out, standing underneath, looking directly up at it. It was funny at the time. The cockroaches can't be helped. I'm from am old city. I worked in a restaurant that had to spray ever 3 weeks because of how tenacious they can be. The hotel was also scheduled for pest control within the month. Now the good part. Secure parking lot. There is an overflow area but we never had a problem finding parking in the same spot all week. The courtyard is beautiful. 2 pools. 1 us a heated saltwater pool next to the ocean. The other is a regular pool surrounded by a beautiful plant landscape The are plenty of places just a short drive away. Lots of great restaurants and shops. We loved it here and plan on coming back next year but fir two weeks. Did we complain about the air conditioning yes. Did we sit on the deck ever day drinking coffee or having dinner, also yes.

My wife, daughter and I planned a vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii. We had previously stayed…read morein the south Kona area and wanted to stay in the Waikoloa Beach Resort area to experience the north side of the Big Island. We are a repeat customer of Hula Girl Vacation Rentals, and the owner Candace, is a gem. Before arriving, she provided us with lots of information on things to do, the beaches, restaurants and what the local population likes to do. It was very helpful planning our fun in the sun. Hula Girl Vacation Rentals is Candace's company that offered three very nice vacation rentals on the Big Island. During our first trip, we stayed at the condo located at Kona and that condo was very nice and located close to Kona's historical area. LOTS of FUN! This trip, we stayed at the large F-3 condo located in the Fairway Villas complex at the Waikoloa Beach resort. The condo was close to shopping, restaurants, beaches, and the big resort hotels - the Marriott and Hilton. Boy, was the F-3 condo nice! A first-floor one-level condo with two bedrooms, two full baths, full kitchen with all the appliances, dining room, family room, and an outside sitting area (with table and chairs). The counters were all granite and the furnishing made the stay very relaxing. The Master bathroom - large bath tub, separate shower and a large walk-in closet. Candace did a great job! The condo even included modern electronic amenities or us geeks - flat panel TV, cable TV, and easy to access wireless internet. How many times have we been somewhere where it takes a rocket scientist to figure out how to connect to the internet. Not here! There was also stuff at the condo for us to enjoy the beach: beach towels, boogie boards, snorkeling gear, beach chairs. There is also a community pool (infinity) close to the condo overlooking the golf course, jacuzzi, several BBQ grills for our use. It was so convenient to grill steaks and hamburgers in the evening instead of eating out in the restaurants every night. We got to meet a lot of really nice people there too! It is about a five-minute walk to a nice sandy beach near the condo, and along the way there is the Lava Lava Beach Club - open to the public. If you are not careful - too many Mai Tais! The condo is also a short drive to several nice sandy beaches with lots of parking - Mauna Lani, Mauna Kea, Hapuna. The snorkeling was crazy! The sand is white and the water is clear. The sunset at Mauna Kea is ..... WOW! I HIGHLY recommend Hula Girl Vacation Rentals!

Loved the surf, the surfers, the turtles and the Dolphins that we saw morning and evenings from the…read morewonderful lanai. Everything that you need is provided in this wonderful condominium plus, did I mention... the sunsets! The owners were responsive and easy to work with. The pool and grounds were well cared for plus the barbecues. We really enjoyed the pool area when taking a break from the snorkeling in the area. This condo is close to everything but not in the busiest part of the tourist area which was perfect. The ocean is 20 feet from the lanai plus the floor to ceiling wall of windows meant that you always had a view whether you were in the kitchen living room, dining room, or master bedroom.. The beds and sheets were extremely comfortable. Had a wonderful trip and we will definitely be coming back, hopefully to this beautiful condo. Mahalo Candace

Owners are so friendly and accommodating! Place is so clean, beautiful and comfortable! We checked…read morein early in the morning and didn't wanna leave! Spent our first day hanging out and enjoying the view! They think of everything here! Highly recommended!

Stayed here while we were on the big island. Great place, great rates, great views. Nice change…read morefrom staying in a hotel but similar cost. Close enough to everything to not be an inconvenience but out of the touristy downtown lodging area. Randy and Atzumi the owners are very nice and will never bother you unless you want them to. Super clean. If you rent the home and the cottage you could sleep up to 10. Hot tub and infinity pool to boot. On a little plot of coffee land . The Kona snow as they call the coffee flowers were in full swing while we sat on the lanai such a amazing smell. Took home a couple of bags for $10 each. A little gem we would return to again.

It's hard to put into words what a beautiful place this is. When I saw the pictures online, I knew…read moreit was where I wanted to get married. When I saw it in person, I knew I would never want to leave (Valerie warned me that would happen). The house and property are spacious and so beautifully decorated; a stunning mix of old an new, rich in history and art, not to mention the priceless ocean view. The house was nicely stocked with everything we needed and more. Despite our concerns of not having air conditioning, the house stayed nice and cool with the ceiling fans and ocean breeze. We spent every single evening gathered in the outdoor lanai with friends and family. Every morning was a walk on the beach. And every day we went to bed and woke up to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. I honestly have never slept so well in my life. Plus we saw plenty of turtles up close, right on the beach, and whales breaching right off the coast (unbelievable). The best part of the trip was that all our guests got to enjoy this paradise with us. My family stayed next door at the Zen Cottage and showed off to their friends with daily facebook posts sharing pictures of the view and beach. It was very important to me that they had a good time and I could tell from Day 1 that they were in heaven on earth. Valerie was such a wonderful lady to work with. I am forever grateful that she allowed me to spend my big day there. We were in close contact for the months leading up to my wedding so I had zero stress. I cannot thank you enough! Additionally, Cecilia was nearby on the property to help us whenever we needed her, whether it be to show us where to find things on the property, or help us prep for the wedding. Both ladies are so kind and a true embodiment of the spirit of aloha. I would 100% recommend The Plantation Manager's Beach House or the Zen Cottage to anyone. Please invite me too.

My husband surprised me with this trip and finding this beautiful place. The accommodation's are…read morenot my issue. It's the forever Chirping Frog! Noise that had us up loosing our peaceful sleep. You couldn't muffle the sound by closing the windows as you need them open for airflow. It didn't ruin our stay but has us thinking into our future stays. Moving forward from this will add Ear plugs to our packing list.

Office staff, housekeeping personnel are all fantastic! Clean, comfortable, loved having a full…read morekitchen, bbq, ping ping, and no car needed since you can walk to anything you. Free trolley gets ypu to great beaches !!

We've been timeshare owners since 1997, and we rarely stay in our home resort because we love to…read moretravel and explore other places. We recently stayed at the Billfisher in Kona. If you trade and stay with timeshare, you kinda know what to expect and (hopefully) you go into your accommodations with normal expectations (i.e. you don't expect every unit to look like the Four-Seasons or the Omni), so when we booked at the Billfisher I just assumed it would be the normal timeshare stuff like uncomfortable bed, AC that didn't work well, etc. Here's what we found: The good stuff: AC worked incredibly well- we were so surprised that we could turn it on and cold air came out, and the fan ran through the evening (instead of turning off all the time). Well-Stocked - the unit was well-stocked, even had beach chairs and other gear. Location - could not have been better for a condo unit of this age, it was .25 mile to a beautiful little beach to sit under trees and watch the waves or get in a little bit to cool off (Kona is ALWAYS HOT). Right across the street from the Royal Kona hotel which has a great restaurant and bar (and you can book at Luau there), along with Hugo's and On the Rocks only steps away. You're 1m walking to the Pier area of Kona-town, with shops and restaurants and bars. Literally located on the main road directly across from the ocean in town. Location just couldn't get any better! Size - for a 1 BR unit, it was very roomy. The feature to open the sliding wall between bedroom and LR was so nice, it made the unit feel really huge. Laundry - they do towel exchange a couple times a week, super easy process. They also have a small laundromat to wash our clothes...$2.00 wash/$2.00dry FYI. Pool - really nice pool-deck area, and a big pool that was heated I think? or cooled, I dunno but it was refreshing. Perfect temp! Lanai/patio - our unit was 1st floor and we had a HUGE outdoor patio/lanai area with table and chaise lounger...we did spend time out there even though Kona is always so stinkin' hot ;) Bed - So, for context, I travel for work, alot, and I'm always sleeping in hotel beds but there's no bed like your own (right?!), but I gotta say, I slept so good in the bed here. It was comfy, not too firm and not too soft (just like Goldilock's Bear bed) and didn't have the huge dips from people wearing it out. This was probably my fav feature of our time here...that I slept well. The other stuff: Slightly Tired furnishings and fixtures. So, it's a condo built probably 70 years ago? It's been updated with modern amenities but everything is still a bit tired. Not unnaturally tired, but a bit. Of note - I did hear them share that they are starting to work through the units and remodel them, so in the future this issue will be gone. No specific complaints, just the normal stuff like furniture that guests have beat up, old fridge and stove, etc. Everything worked like it should, just shows a little bit of age. That's it! Really zero complaints at all. We didn't have any issues that required a call to the office, but the staff is wonderful to text/check in regularly and was available for questions if they came up. We will definitely stay here again as the opportunity affords itself.

What a treat! We left about 3/4 weeks ago and miss Honu Kai so much already!!!!…read more If you are looking to really experience the island like a local instead of just staying at a hotel, I highly recommend honu Kai, especially if you love nature. Honu Kai provides a unique yet comfortable stay. This was my first time at a b&b so I had a lot of questions. Months prior to booking, I called and texted Amy with my questions, and she always got back to me quickly. Location was great because target is only 10 min away if you need to stock up on the essentials. Lots of amazing restaurants are within 15 minutes as well. The property is so beautiful and well maintained. It truly felt like a second home. It has a peaceful and zen feeling that is extra magical at night due to the coquis. Our bed was so comfortable and our room was cleaned everyday. The fresh breakfast everyday with coffee and juice was excellent as well. The fruit was always fresh and sweet! I'm someone who appreciates quiet mornings alone so I was unsure about having breakfast with other people, but I'm so glad we did it. It's a really amazing and unique experience to sit and eat with people from all over the world! I truly miss sitting on the porch watching the birds and chickens on the lawn. What really made our experience special was Amy. She is so friendly, personable, and just a genuinely kind soul! Absolutely loved her! Our time here wouldn't have been the same without her. She truly goes above and beyond and really cares. 100000% recommend Honu Kai. We will definitely be back!

I originally had a night reserved here before flying out from Kona to Maui but after the Lahaina…read morefire, had to pivot, cancel the Maui portion and tried to extend our Kona stay. Unfortunately, with less than a month to go and only 4 rooms total was not able to get extra nights here. The one night we did have here was exactly like how I imagine old Hawai`i would look like. Just a short drive to downtown Kona for food and even Costco but far enough that you feel like you can disconnect. With so much shared public area and again only 4 rooms, nothing ever felt crowded. You had access to an outdoor dining area, gardens, sundeck, grill, plates, utensils, your own shelf in the fridge and even snorkel and beach gear. The only issue I had was when I used the hot tub, my eyes started stinging so not sure if it was overly chlorinated so only lasted less than 5 minutes as I kept tearing up. The rooms were comfortable, very thought out and has such nice little touches that make you feel at home. Only thing to note is since they are in such a tropical setting, they do not want you eating in your room to avoid ant infestations, etc.. Again, no big deal as they have a spacious dining area right downstairs that we had all to ourselves when we wanted to eat or snack. Innkeeper Amy was friendly, welcoming, and made sure we were taken care of. The breakfast in the morning was better than what you can get at a restaurant and the ambiance just cannot be beat. The sound of the rain while we ate our takeout dinner was so soothing and relaxing and the sound of the birds on a sunny morning paired well with that breakfast. We honestly didn't want to leave that we lingered after check out enjoying our lunch at their public area. I honestly could not ask for anything more.

This is our third stay here and accommodations are always nice in the 2 bedroom units with full…read morekitchen and all the amenities to feel at home. There are swimming pools designated for groups of units. The parking garage has ample space (upper and lower), with a loading/unloading zone near the front of the property. We stayed here for 12 nights but had to book a 1 bedroom for the first 5. The 1 bedroom was a bit dated, with a wooden pull out cutting board. We were placed all the way at the end despite checking in early as we had an early flight- made it a bit difficult given the walk to the parking garage and activities in the heat and humidity. However, there is always a bellman on duty who can drive guests to the units as well as help carry luggage and other items to the room. CJ, Gerald, and Creighton, in particular, were all amazing. Please tip them accordingly as they each were always there the help. For those with devices - mobile, gaming consoles, laptops - beware, the internet service through Comcast is horrible. The front desk is not able to help with this service though we were provided with a hotspot that still was very spotty with the same internet speed as the WiFi. I felt like I spent half the vacation speaking with Comcast customer service (outside of the US) to get all of our devices whitelisted to no avail, then having multiple tickets escalated. There are no routers in the rooms, nothing to connect an Ethernet cable to - only access points throughout the complex. We were told one of the access points was down, that I should contact maintenance to have them reset it. I argued that it wasn't my responsibility to do that. I received an email the next morning saying that it was reset. After several Internet speed tests, download never stayed beyond 5 mbps - same with upload. I realize vacations are meant to be an escape from things like technology but the fact is, we need it on a daily basis - I had to check in on work, kids brought their gaming console and iPads for the evenings, and we need our mobile phones for various things. Cellular service is slow and a working WiFi would've helped. The service was spotty in the first unit we were in. It was horrible in the second unit. Supposedly getting f a reimbursement for the "premium" WiFi that they claim provides speeds up to 50 mbps for unlimited devices.

Amazing and very affordable with everything provided. The location is south of Kona but less…read moretraffic and good if you want to explore. The hotel location is also near a dock/ small beach. Clean, professional, and excellent customer service.