Kanaloa at Kona by OUTRIGGER

The people who live here are welcoming and kind, and the Kanaloa feels secure. I’ve been coming back for years and wouldn’t stay anywhere else. It’s peaceful, with lovely gardens and a great atmosphere. The staff are terrific, especially Uncle Ken, who I often chat with when I see him at the front gate or making his rounds in a golf cart. He’s a real gem.

We were here for four days in mid-August and had a great stay, with attentive service, good facilities, and a convenient location. We even spotted a manta ray from our balcony!

The ocean is close by, and that’s the only reason I’d give this place even one star. Google needs a zero-star option. The condo was disgusting, old, musty, and filthy. The online photos give a misleading impression, and I doubt it’s been updated or refreshed since it opened. The kitchen was so grimy that we had to wipe down the cabinets, since touching them left residue on our hands. There were bugs everywhere in there. The showers had mold, and the floors were sticky and dirty throughout. Bathroom tiles stuck to our shoes and were coming loose. The beds were awful too, with old mattresses where you could feel the springs and linens that looked like they were from the 70s. The fans were filthy, and the blinds in the master bedroom, which faces the parking lot, were broken and wouldn’t close for privacy. We were charged almost $400 for cleaning, but I can’t tell what they cleaned, because it certainly wasn’t the condo. Air conditioning also costs an extra $33 per night. 😵‍💫

The condo is right by the beach, with an ocean-view path just below it, and manta rays are down the road. It’s a beautiful place, but parking was a hassle because the space was so small. I had to drop everyone off before parking or leaving. There are also several pools and hot tubs to choose from.