Royal Kona Resort

From our corner room in the Bay Tower we could see both the ocean and downtown Kona, and the balcony was great. The room was huge, and we heard the waves almost every night. There was also some music from downtown restaurants and traffic, but earplugs did the trick and we slept fine. We loved the salt water lagoon, pool, and hotel bar and restaurant. Downtown was an easy walk too. We had a wonderful stay and would come back, 10/10.

The location was great, with coffee and smoothie bowls across the street. We liked the partial ocean view, the pleasant restaurant staff, and decent food. The mattress was surprisingly comfortable, too. But the property and rooms were very dated and run down, with noise from construction in an adjacent tower. The walls also let through upstairs chair scraping, showers, and what sounded like flushing toilets. The bathroom was especially awkward: the toilet, shower, and door were packed together, the fixed showerhead sprayed everywhere, and the sink was poorly placed. Towels were scarce and didn't absorb well, there were no hooks, and there was no full-length mirror. The bed had no blanket, just a top sheet that came untucked, and there were no outlets by it. Wooden blinds let in too much morning light, pillows weren't great, and there weren't enough hangers or drawers. One drawer stuck badly. The TV was like something from the 1980s, with a slow channel-by-channel search. The gym equipment wasn't maintained and felt ergonomically wrong, leaving only free weights and a few dated ellipticals and bikes. Some parking spots were a pain to get in and out of.

The ocean views are beautiful, the property is clean and easy to get around, and it's conveniently close to the airport. The AC worked well, water pressure was great, and I loved hearing the coqui frogs at night. The rooms were comfortable. But the pool is tiny for a resort, and it closes at 6:45 p.m., right after sunset. The pool deck and viewing areas, basically the only lounging spots, are cleared out then too, which kills the evening resort feel. For a place costing over $300 a night, it's frustrating that the kitchen closes at 8:40 p.m. There's no late meal or backup, and no room microwave to heat leftovers. The WiFi didn't work for guests during our entire stay, which is a basic need in 2026. Parking was chaotic as well: public luaus use the same limited lot as overnight guests, so you're competing for a spot at the resort you paid hundreds to stay at. The views are stunning, but those early closures, lack of food access, no microwave, broken WiFi, and parking make the price hard to justify.

Special appreciation to Marianne & Rene! The Royal Kona is wonderfully walkable, and rainbows seem to love the spot. The lagoon was a delightful surprise, so bring water shoes and join the crabs. I felt safe traveling here alone. I think you get the aloha spirit once people see you aren't the typical mainland traveler and that you respect the environment and people around you. My very clean room had a superb ocean-facing balcony. The birds singing their island tunes were lovely to listen to. The rooms are dated, sure, but I'd call them retro or vintage. The open-air lobby is classic Hawaii, with a giant marlin and yellow hibiscus. If you can, do the Luau.