Beautiful location in Waikoloa Beach resort. The condo complex has access to a lovely Ocean Club -…read moreOceanfront , reasonably priced restaurant, exercise pavilion and freeform pool (with adult and kids area) and sand bottomed spa. All of these you can use if you stay in Hali'i Kai resort.

beautiful resort, sufficient fitness area with gorgeous view. my only gripe is the pool area has…read moreZERO shade. no umbrellas at all around the pool.

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.

ROACH INFESTED! Roaches were in the kitchen, the 2…read moredownstairs bedrooms, under the sink and in the dishwasher. A couple sprinted across the counter. The follow-up reply from the host was, "We get really used to them because they are everywhere in our tropical environment much better than spiders!" I am no stranger to the Big Island, this is my 5th time here this year. I am here at least twice a year. My mom is from Hilo and her entire family is here. This is the only rental or hotel I have stayed at on the Island that has had roaches inside the unit. The property was beautiful, very nicely appointed and clean, except for the roaches. When we started using the kitchen there were roaches. I moved the trash can from under the sink and spotted the first one. We sprayed it and other roaches scattered. The spray only slowed them enough to get them with a newspaper. I called and emailed the host. She said someone would bring traps and have the service come. The traps were delivered and placed under the sink. She said the service would be by later, but no one came. The next day, my sister had to kill a roach in her room, my son killed a roach in his sister's bed and the downstairs shower. My daughter opened the dishwasher and saw at least 10 roaches scatter. Before we left we made a video and sent to the host. I really felt as if I was being blown off as if I was just a complainer and my concerns about the roaches were unwarranted. Not what I expected from a "Luxury Property".

Love this place I…read morecould spend forever in this area, I miss it and can't wait to go back. I love the pool And being able to look into the ocean

HAWAII VACATION #7: LAST MINUTE ACCOMMODATION AT THE BIG ISLAND…read more Prior to this past May I've never been to Hawaii. Last February my family and I booked our trip to Hawaii to attend my nephew's high school graduation in May. We planned to stay for five days at the Big Island. We were going to stay at Royal Kona Resort through a family discount. However two weeks prior to my Hawaii trip we ended up not getting the reservation. Desperately at the eleventh hour on Friday before Cinco de Mayo my cousin's girlfriend booked this place. Even though we were about 45 minutes away from our original destination to stay we had no choice but to book the reservation at this place as everything else was booked. Where you stay affects your itinerary. By staying here I had to change my itinerary. If things don't go as you plan you have to make the most of it. Even though I wasn't able to stay at Royal Kona Resort there were some benefits of staying here. First this place is about 2 minute drive away from Queens Market Place, which not only was the pickup destination for the Kohala Waterfall Tour but also there was grocery place Island Gourmet Markets and Starbucks that serves Kona Coffee, which you can't find at any Starbucks on the mainland. Second unlike the busy resorts full of tourists this place is separated from all the noise because you're staying at a condo. Third this condo is very safe as you don't have to worry about theft as this a gated facility. The house we stayed at was a two-story with 3 three bedrooms. In this facility there is a tennis court and swimming pool. During my 5-day stay here on the last week of May I had a relaxing, quiet time here. There are drawbacks staying here. First unlike the resorts that are situated next to a beach this condo isn't close to a beach that is walking distance. Second is this condo is more expensive than a resort. Third and the most important is you are responsible for cleanup through the usage of the kitchen and bathroom. By staying at a resort you don't have to worry about the cleanup. I'll be honest my rating had to do by not staying at a hotel and ended up by staying here at the last minute. This place isn't for everyone. If you're with family I believe a resort would be more beneficial. However if you plan to have a bachelor or bachelorette party this place would be more useful and convenient than staying at a resort. At the end it all depends on you where to stay.

We have stayed in other units and had great experiences. This year was completely different…read more There were cockroaches all throughout the kitchen. There were stains covering the furniture and carpets. The carpet felt dirty to walk on. The white sheets had a yellow hue. The beds and bedding were extremely cheap and uncomfortable. There was dust and dirt through out the unit. There were spills that had not been cleaned.

We arrived at check-in time and the staff was friendly and attentive. When we arrived at our room,…read morehousekeeping was just finishing up. Once they left we started to "settle in" when we discovered trash from the previous renter had not been removed. We called the front desk and the garbage was collected in less than five minutes. As we continued to get situated we noticed that condo had not been cleaned very well. Then we found a bowl of won-tons in the microwave. All of the dishes were dirty. The front desk was notified, said was too late to clean the unit at that time but assured me that a thorough cleaning would occur the next day. The normal cleaning fee at departure was agreed to be waived. A few minutes later housekeeping returned to the unit, apologized, and worked very hard to clean the unit. They even replaced the rice cooker that had been ruined by a previous tenant which we had not yet checked. After an initial missed step, the management worked hard to get things tight courteously and professionally. However, while the furniture was in better shape than many condo rentals, serious updating needs to occur. Toilet seats were clean but worn, dishwasher has not been installed properly, appliances are mis-matched and dated, kitchen cabinets need replacing and the list goes on and on. Yes, I would stay at this property again but I would need assurances that the unit I rent will be in much better shape than Unit 307. Personally, I believe Aston management should refuse to rent unit 307 until it is renovated by the owner.

We stayed at the Waikoloa Shores for 7 nights on our recent trip to the Big Island in February…read more Overall, we enjoyed our experience at this hotel and it was a good deal. We had a little hiccup with our outbound flight from LA and therefore arriving later than expected. We called the hotel and learned that their offices close at 9pm, but they e-mailed us detailed instructions on how to get into our condo after business hours. I am pleased to say, that we had no issues getting to hour condo and upon arrival were pleasantly surprised that we were upgraded to a spacious 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom condo instead of 1/1 we paid for. At first, it felt like we traveled back in time and landed in 80s, it's an older property and they did very little to upgrade the décor. But, the hotel is clean and very well looked after; the grounds are beautiful and offer all the amenities for an enjoyable stay. Having a kitchen is great, but having a nice spacious patio on top of that to enjoy your meal in is even better! The kitchen is fully equipped with mostly everything you need to prepare a meal. If you don't have something, just call the front desk and they will deliver it to you (we needed a can opener and it was dropped off within 15 min). The property also has barbeque areas (outside your unit); we tried them out several times. Dishwasher, washer and dryer are available in the unit. While we were happy with our stay, there are some things I'd like to mention for those of you who consider staying here. We had a little issue with our kitchen - little ants running all over the counter the first two days. We called the front desk and they promptly sent a handyman to take care of the issue. And we saw no more ants thereafter! The pool... is very small; water in the Jacuzzi was not hot, it was the same temperature as the pool. While it didn't matter to us very much (we enjoyed the abundance of gorgeous nearby beaches), take that into consideration if you plan to stay at the hotel for the most part of your trip and like to hang by the pool. Cleaning service: our unit was cleaned only once during our stay and I use "cleaned" loosely. The bed was made and towels refreshed, but not much else. When we called the front desk, we were explained that if you book your stay as a regular hotel room, they'll clean it every day. But if you book through time share exchange service as we did, your unit gets cleaned only once a week (Wednesdays, although ours was cleaned on Tuesday). Tennis courts - no lights after sun set... so we only got to play once since we were out and about most of the day. Lighting overall in the Waikoloa resort area is pretty bad, we tried to go for a walk one evening and turned around since some areas had no lights at all. The hotel is not an ocean front property; it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the ocean (but not the beach). There is a beach by the Mariott, but that's a bit of a walk and there are by far better beaches just a little bit north (Wailea/Beach 69, Hapuna, Mauna Kea). All in all, I would recommend this hotel to someone who would like to stay at a reasonably priced condo, but doesn't plan to spend a lot of time in their unit. If you are on the Big Island to explore, this is a great place to have breakfast at on a patio and grill some ahi or beef steak for dinner. If you are a golfer, perhaps you'll be out on the field and this will work for you as well. But if you are planning to spend most of your days by the pool, you can probably find a place with a better and bigger one. And last but not least, I'd like to mention that front desk has been very helpful during our stay. They were very knowledgeable, helped us make Valentine's dinner reservations the day before, and booked a snorkeling cruise. They even lent us beach chairs and umbrellas as well as flippers; some guests leave that stuff behind and if it's available they'll let you borrow it at no cost. I would consider staying here again, but that may not happen for awhile... Maui and Kauai next!

It's so very pretty here. Places are individually owned. So I can't vouch for all, but we really…read moreliked ours. And Outrigger went out if their way to help us with a couple different hiccups. Location is ideal down here. Gym has the open walls, very cool! Pool is pretty, but warm water. I know that's a plus to most, that's why I'm mentioning it. Try to get a place that backs up to the golf course. Simply beautiful. Would love to stay again. We have stayed down here approx 20 times. I do like this place for the money. Sure there are fancier spots. But if this fits your budget, go for it!

We got lucky and had a really good condo booked through Costco. It was better than I expected and…read morewe were really happy and enjoyed our stay there. When you arrive you have to go to the office on the 2nd floor at King's Shops, across from the gelato place. The staff was friendly and helpful and we got our keys quickly. The overall condo felt modern, and the only thing that seemed dated was the wicker furniture. The kitchen had nice granite counters and all the appliances worked fine. The kitchen was well stocked with dishes and utensils and we were left wanting nothing. They even leave a ton of garbage bags hanging on the bin which was a nice thought. The mattress in the main bedroom was a bit too soft and lumpy for my liking but was acceptable and I was able to sleep. There was plenty of towels and we never ran out. The lanai was really great with an awesome view of the fairway (see my photos). The location is pretty ideal, we could walk to King's or Queen's shoppes and also there was a petroglyph park next door which was interesting for the kids to explore. The parking is gated so security is really good and no worries. The closet in the kids room had plenty of beach toys and chairs for use to borrow. The kids enjoyed the decorations and the twin beds were perfect for them. Checkout is really easy, I just called the office and let them know and we left the keys on the kitchen counter. There is a significant cleaning fee of $350-400 so be aware when comparing prices. Overall we had a great stay and would gladly book this place again!

Beautiful historic hotel lovingly preserved by awesome couple. Clean, serene…read more Only come here if you have respect for all things Hawaii history, and gently , carefully lived in spaces. Such a gem!! A continental breakfast is served downstairs in the breakfast room, the original lounge and Gathering Room of the hotel complete with original Hawaii style wood bar. Private rooms with private baths are available. Some of these rooms are upstairs with amazing ocean views! All things are simple and pared-down, so don't expect sound machines at the bedside, Golf Channel, multiple outlets for plugins, Etc. Free parking in the parking lot out front.

The bedding had a smell, it felt dirty. Every time I stay at a hotel…read moreI always check for bed bugs. Sure enough they were bed bugs, we booked 4 rooms, we didn't stay at that hotel. We left as soon as possible.

We are so glad we stayed here at the shores! Beautiful grounds, perfect 5ft deep swimming pool,…read moreclean, quiet & really pretty! All Condos have huge Lanais & engineered so smartly. We have stayed down here so many times & never here. Will definitely try to stay at The Shores again