Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kailua-Kona by IHG

Staff very nice, breakfast is good with a variety of hot and cold food. Pool and jacuzzi very relaxing. Rooms were cleaned every day. Our room had two beds with pull out double sofa. We ended up getting parking cuz we got a car. Very welcoming stay. Laundry facilities, gym and centrally located to walk to many different spots. There was also plenty of resources to find out attractions and renting a car. Definitely would recommend if you're going to be busy on the island it's perfect to fill up on a great breakfast and then be out for the remainder of the day come back relax and swim 👊

We recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Kona and overall had a great experience. The hotel is clean, well-maintained, and visually appealing. Our room was exactly what we were hoping for—comfortable and quiet, with everything we needed for a relaxing stay.||That said, the hotel does seem to be understaffed. We tried calling ahead several times with no luck, which made the arrival process a little uncertain. Once we arrived, though, the staff on-site were friendly and helpful—they quickly resolved a blanket issue we had, which we appreciated.||The facilities are quite nice, including the pool and fitness area. It's a solid choice if you're looking for a reliable, clean place to stay in Kailua-Kona. Just don’t count on reaching them by phone in advance

Stayed here one night to visit family. Room was fine, but very poor service upon arrival and check-in from front desk (Donna) did not leave a good impression at all. It's pretty close to the airport. Rooms are good enough only if you get a low rate. Otherwise, the nearby hotels over here offer a better value.

I didn't like that we only had 2 sets of towels to start off (there was 4 of us) and had to ask a couple of times for clean towels and I had to ask for the sofa-bed linens (they knew there were 4 of us. Why should we have to ask) and they did not sweep the room and the night lady was not friendly. Loved the morning receptionist, she was very friendly.

Solid, standard room like so many that we've stayed in. Clean, bright, comfortable with everything most people would need at a surprisingly decent price for a tourist area. Easy walking distance to the Kona Inn Shopping district and the ocean. Staff are friendly and helpful. Good complimentary breakfast from 7 am. I think breakfast starts earlier on weekdays. There is an elevator, a pool, spa. Parking is limited with some remote parking lots. It's a bit tricky finding the way into the hotel's parking area.

We only needed a room for one night, but everything was fantastic from check-in ho check-out. The ladies at the reception desk were very friendly and accommodating. The beds were comfortable, and the room had a lovely scent that wasn't overbearing. We enjoyed the breakfast that was varied and fresh. We would definitely stay here again.

We stayed here on a recent trip to the Big Island. The location was a challenging to get to at first with GPS but we found it. It was the perfect location once we got settled. Parking can be a little tough but they guarantee that you will get a spot to park. The rooms were clean and the staff were friendly. The breakfast was a little disappointing though.

Everything about my experience was smooth. I enjoyed the central location of the hotel. The cost of parking was reasonable. The breakfast had a variety of things to choose from. Everyone that I interacted with at the front desk was friendly and professional. I would absolutely stay here again!

Decent hotel for a stay close to the main area in Kailua-Kona. We booked an ocean-view suite with two queen beds and a sofa bed many months in advance. It's Thanksgiving week and they were severely understaffed, so it wasn't ready when we got there around 3:15 pm (check in was 3 pm). We waited around for about half an hour. Room was clean and comfortable, but barely big enough for our growing family. It had a large TV, microwave, coffee-maker, fridge, safe, extra chairs, and plenty of storage - all of which we used. There is a view of the ocean, which was nice. The safe was locked when we got there, and the TV didn't work. We reported this to the front desk, but it wasn't taken care of till the next day, when I found the maintenance technician fixing a door and mentioned it to him. This gentleman - Kame - was very apologetic and fixed both issues right away (he had not been informed about our complaints). The other staff member worth calling out is Maricris (front desk). She gave us excellent local recommendations (Kona Coffee), and also procured a cream cheese for us from the kitchen. She was not the person we had made our original complaints to. Breakfast was hit or miss - if you timed it correctly, you got plenty of food and a table to sit. I enjoyed the biscuits and gravy, chicken cutlets and sausages. Parking was tight but plentiful. Make sure you display the parking pass prominently on the dashboard. They have a small gym which I used, and a pool which we didn't. You can get pool or beach towels from the front desk, but there is a $20 per towel charge if you forget to return them. Room rate varied from $310 to $320 per night (breakfast included). Parking was an additional $10 per night. Total cost for our stay was $1142 after tax. Would stay here again because it is so convenient.

The room was cozy beautiful and quiet!! The pool was beautiful and the breakfast was yummy!

Solid, standard room like so many that we've stayed in. Clean, bright, comfortable with everything most people would need at a surprisingly decent price for a tourist area. Easy walking distance to the Kona Inn Shopping district and the ocean. Staff are friendly and helpful. Good complimentary breakfast from 7 am. I think breakfast starts earlier on weekdays. There is an elevator, a pool, spa. Parking is limited with some remote parking lots. It's a bit tricky finding the way into the hotel's parking area.

Friendly staff Super soft toilet paper Two hooks in the bathroom Coffee and tea cups Tons of lighting Rooms are much larger and spacious than most hotel rooms in Kona

This goes out to Rick! Our flight was delayed.....and then around 12:30 am....we got confirmation it was cancelled. The hotels were booking up fast and fortunately we were able to get a room here. We only had about two hours to be able to sleep until we had to go back to the airport. Rick got us checked in so quick, made sure we were comfortable. I had also scheduled an Uber ride but he mentioned it's a hit or miss. Well....here we were and no ride yet. He was still at the hotel, cleaning and prepping things and he jumped into action. Calling EVERY taxi company on the island. Fortunately....and we're not kidding. Out of PURE luck. We got a ride....and the driver even said "yeah there's no drivers at this time it's too early. I just decided to get up early today".... So this review is for Rick! You saved us, and provided better customer service than the airline companies! Our room was also very comfortable and surprisingly quite spacious! More spacious than the 5 star resort we had stayed at. I know. Surprising! And they even have a gym AND laundry facilities. Thank you Rick for the exceptional customer service. We appreciate you!

Second time staying here, again for work. Unlike my first time, it wasn't as enjoyable. When I went to the counter to check in, there was a customer at the counter complaining about something to do with the housekeeping service. So I had to wait about 5 minutes to hear him complain about how he and his wife were in the medical field, and if they did something like that, they'd be in trouble. Rolling my eyes. Anyway, I didn't care much about that. But the real irritation was when I turned off my lights to go to bed, for the next hour, I had to hear kids screaming and laughing either in the hallway or the room next to me. As well as adults partying and talking the whole time. Ended up not getting to sleep for at least 1.5 hours after I shut off the lights. The room was still very clean and modern looking. Although I couldn't get the Keurig to work.

Absolutely a Waste of Money Staying Here No Service No Aloha Construction going on all day. No Toilet Paper. Smells like Dust in the rooms

This hotel is close to the Kona waterfront and a good value for the Big Island. This is our third stay and we will continue to stay in the future. I have to give a shout out to one of the staff. Akia, who went out of his way with the breakfast and addressing our requests

I was born and raised in Kona I now have a family of 5 and we stayed in a 2 queen bed room, very clean and very nice. Came with a mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker and ice bin. Bathrooms were clean and stocked with shampoo, conditioners and soaps. We checked in super late and was greeted with Aloha! Complementary breakfast was tasty and close enough to take back to our room. Pool was gross, murky water! Location was great! The only downfall was the price! It was $350 for one night!!!! That is ridiculous! And parking is an additional $15

Like many people, our funeral arrangements and other arrangements had to be postponed due to COVID. My late grandmother's wishes were to be scattered off her favorite fishing spot in Kona so we finally were able to take care of that wish this past June on her birthday. We have family on the Big Island but a couple of us decided to stay at the Holiday Inn instead to make things easier. We had a great stay. We were constantly on the go the few nights and days that we were there but this Holiday Inn provided such phenomenal customer service that I would definitely stay here again. LOCATION: They are located at 75-146 Sarona Road in Kailua, Kona. There are a couple of routes to take to get there. If you use mapquest, mapquest will make you take the Ali'i drive route which is nice but if you have to drive at night like I did at night, the quickest way to get there is to take Kuakini to Sarona road. There will be a one way sign but it is only a one way if you are coming up from Ali'i drive, not to turn down and into Holiday Inn. It is so convenient to Ali'i drive and there is a McDonalds Mauka across the street also. OVERALL: Although, Ali'i Drive was very empty because of the pandemic, it was still a nice stay in Kailua Kona. This stay was primarily for family business reasons anyway so it served its purpose. Our room was very clean, we had 2 beds and a pull out couch so it was perfect for 3 adults. The bathroom was big and we also had a microwave, sink, and fridge. Everything was great. I slept very well after each long day that we had in Kona. I would've slept a whole day if I had the opportunity lol. Holiday Inn also practiced all safety protocols. Their free continental breakfast is still available but they are pre-packaged and you have to request what you would like from the front desk. The employees were very caring and provided excellent customer service. I would definitely stay here again. Check them out!

5 stars for a Holiday Inn? Sure, why not. The location is excellent. Just a block away from the main drag. The room was good-sized and clean. The staff was friendly and efficient. You get a free continental breakfast included. It's nothing great (biscuits, scrambled eggs, crappy bacon, cereal) but if you have kids, or you're not picky, you'll save some bucks by partaking. Is this a "5 star hotel"? Of course not. But value means something. I'd stay here again in a heartbeat if the price was right.

This is a hard review to write. Night 1 our room had a couple of roaches. Gross but it's the island and we were on ground level so we dealt with it. When we got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom 2-3 more scattered when we turned on the light. 5 were too many so we were going to move to a different hotel. The next morning we spoke with the receptionist as the manager wasn't in yet. She said the manager would be in at 10 and reach out to us. She didn't. When we checked back the receptionist convinced us to stay. She moved us to the 3rd floor, had her cleaning crew check the room and guaranteed the next 3 nights would be bug free. Those 3 nights were good. Cons: Bad customer service on the manager's part. Over the next 3 days she made no attempt to contact us. Diamond level loyalty doesn't mean much I guess. Bugs/roaches on ground level floors. Too gross to even consider eating the free breakfast. Pros: Location is great. Parking was always available. Maricris and Rick at the front desk were very kind and helpful!

By Hawaii standards this hotel is mid-range in price, with tax it came to $290 for a night. The hotel is modest but it hits the three main criteria: quiet, clean, and the beds were comfortable. There is a pool so the kids (or adults) can swim. Free breakfast. Parking is $10 a night. The staff are friendly. Best of all, the location is great. Tons restaurants and shops are not more than 5 minutes away. This was a great find for a night and I would definitely stay here again.

Everyone here was incredibly friendly and helpful. I was really blown away by the hospitality from every front desk employee and hotel staff that I encountered. In a world where not everyone you meet is kind anymore, thank you for the patience and generosity to make my hotel stay home away from home. Especially Donna! Mahalo!

I should have researched this place a bit better before I booked this hotel as our final night in Hawaii. During the past year of the Covid pandemic, this hotel has been used to house the homeless. Upon checking in and getting to our room I began to realize what a mistake I had made. Almost immediately, when you must use your room key to enter the building through the main lobby. While this red flag of additional safety may be appreciated by some, it puts me on edge. Upon entering the room, the first thing I noticed was the pungent cover up of air freshener masking a scent that I can only describe as morgue-esk... The sheets and carpet appeared to be stained with what I tried to convince myself was red wine. I slept on the side of the bed with this "red wine" stain. Upon going to bed I pondered life and what had happened here... upon waking up, I was quickly greeted by the reminder that I had just slept in the very spot someone most likely took their last breath. I've only smelled death a few times in my life. But it is a smell that you don't soon forget. Someone without a doubt was dead here...

Excellent location. It's only minutes walk away from downtown and all the cute shops. Parking - you pay $10/night for Parking. It's right next to hotel, so very convenient! Breakfast - the hotel provides continental breakfast. It's nothing fancy but saves you a few bucks if you're not too picky. They hv different kinds of juice, bakery, and the basic scrambled eggs, bacon/sausage, biscuit, etc. The room was nice, clean, and spacious. I love that they have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the big bottles in the bathroom already. Our view wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. The pool and jacuzzi were nice and never crowded at all when we were there. In fact we had it to ourselves the few times we went in. Overall we would stay here again!

I normally rate this chain 3 stars but for this stay I'm giving it 4. I was hesitant coming here as I have stayed at the HIX in Waikiki and felt the room cramped. This was the Holiday Inn Express experience I get on the main land with a little Hawaii thrown in. To start there is on site parking ($10 per day). The lobby is open-air so an occasional bird or gecko may be present. The breakfast is typical for the chain but being served to you due yo COVID. Key cards are required to access the hallways even from the lobby so it feels secure. There is an outdoor pool and hot tub from 9-9 and an exercise room. The room was spacious. Two beds yet still a sofa, desk and small table to eat at. Mini fridge and microwave to heat up left overs or items bought in vending machines. The site is a block off the main drag so very little street noise. I was told by a local this is a fairly new facility. I found the staff there extremely friendly. Donna would greet me each evening and we would talk about Hawaii, my travels or whatever the topic tended towards. Definitely has the aloha spirit. Great stay and would definitely return when back on the island.

My wife planned a family getaway trip to the Big Island for our family of 11 and this was the location for two nights of our trip separated by a gap. The IHG is typically our go-to hotel as we've accumulated a lot of reward points and enjoy the atmosphere. The parking area is somewhat small and caters to compact cars leaving us and our Ford Expedition in a tough situation. There were a few larger spots in the front of the hotel but the compact cars parked there as they were prime spots in front of the hotel. We had four in our room but there were only two bath towels each time to where we had to ask the front desk for more. We also used the pullout bed and had to request a sheet set. Typically not an issue but the elevator was so slow and we were already tired from the day. The rooms were spacious, comfortable, and clean. There was a little kitchenette with sink, refrigerator, and microwave. IHG typically has a decent hot breakfast but with COVID this location offered cereal/milk, banana, and bagel. Not exactly the stellar breakfast associated with the IHG. I also noticed this location didn't recognize the rewards program as other hotels do. Typically, they acknowledge your participation in the rewards program, offer a welcome gift or points, etc. I had to ask if they had my rewards number on file, and then later learned via email that points were added to my account. I assume they don't offer the option of welcome gift, and it's an automatic thing to issue the points. Not quite the welcome I imagined considering the IHG email advertisements I receive encouraging me to visit. The hotel is within a block of the main street of stores and restaurants making it a nice walk for a meal. Although, we were in the area in July and saddened to see so many empty stores along the road due to COVID presumably. Not the best IHG I've ever visited but it satisfied my family for our visit.

Q: When is the smell of body odor on a pillow OK? When is mildew and mold on a door jamb OK? When is it OK for you to have to ask for TP at a hotel? A: NEVER. Several of the reasons I chose this place: 1) no resort fee 2) parking fee is only $10 a day, vs $20 at the Sheraton 3) smack dab in the middle of Ali'i Drive (but sadly, a COVID ghost town) 4) walking distance to restaurants and bars 5) free "breakfast" - which is restricted to cold items, no hot foods, including coffee. They have a coffee maker in the room. 6) cheaper than the Sheraton, of course. 7) microwave and fridge in room. Need fridge for wine and stuff. 8) Yelpers and Tripadvisor mentioned this place was "clean" - hmmmm. What I loved, besides the reasons above: 1) super cold A/C 2) quiet rooms, couldn't hear neighbors talking or snoring 3) large room 4) hard, stiff comfy beds (I love hard beds) What I did not like about this place: 1) BODY ODOR ON PILLOW. The minute my tired head hit the pillow, it smelled like Uncle Billy Bob's armpit. I am not making this up! Fortunately it was only restricted to the hard two pillows, so I tried sleeping with the soft marshmallowy pillows but they sucked, so I ended up rolling a towel for my head and banished the smelly pillows to the couch. 2) dirty stained carpets, and I mean stains everywhere. You'd think with COVID closures they had time to clean the carpet. I told my son to keep his slippers and sneakers on. No walking barefoot here! 3) mold/mildew on door jambs (see pics). I ended up wiping some of it off with hand sanitizer on toilet paper but I wasn't here on vacation to clean some dirty room! 4) Tipping the housekeeper did not help to get more toiletries. Nope. 5) I had to ask for toilet paper refill in the morning at front desk. The one in our room was skating on thin ice. I've never in my entire hotel life had to ask front desk for TP. Ever. 6) Front desk girl was a bit frazzled. I felt grateful that she was ministering to me being there, that's how I felt. She was rather intimidating. My neighbors said the same thing, so it wasn't only me who felt a bit scared. Another morning there was a different woman, and her BF was sitting on some cabinets, that was weird. 7) Phone did not work, which was stupid, because I had to keep going downstairs to talk to the front desk. 8) Pull chain on lamps were either greasy, or corroded. My neighbors said the same thing about their room. It's not a good feeling so you have to wash your hands after you touch it. It felt dirty. Other tips: 1) there is a pool but if there are too many people in there, you can't go in (COVID) 2) ask to borrow their large beach towels at front desk for the pool. Just a hint - you can't take the towels off hotel property to go, let's say, for a night Manta Ray snorkel. Things nearby: 1) Walking distance to one out of three open ABC store that closes at 7:30 PM. 2) Only places open for sit down dining that I researched were Papa Konas (til 11:00 PM on Sat night), Fish Hopper (check hours), Gertrude's Jazz Bar, Gypsea Gelato, Pancho and Lefty's Mexican (about 500 yards from hotel). We actually ate at Pancho's and Papa Kona's and listened to Gertrude's pumping out the jazz on a deserted Ali'i Drive, it was kind of surreal. 3) Hulihe'e Palace (closed) and the Mokauikaua Church (not sure if open), and the Hilo pier where we watched people fishing at sunset. 4) Sack N Save and another grocery store five minutes drive so you can stock up on wine, sushi, chips and cakes by the slice. How much did all of this cost? Approximately $355 for two nights, including tax and two day's worth of parking. Return Factor - only if I were really desperate and money was really and badly an issue.

No , it's not a fancy hotel by any means...pricier than most Holiday Inn's due to it being in HAWAII! But overall, good hot breakfast (scrambled eggs, omelettes, biscuits and gravy) decent hot tub and staff were mostly friendly and helpful. Good coffee too! Nice open air breakfast area and check in area. Our room was a double Queen bed with a mini fridge, microwave kitchenette. We opted for the first floor which was convenient. During our stay (April 2023) it wasn't too crowded at all, hardly any noise. The location very close to many shops, restaurants and bars. The ocean a couple minute walk. Downside was the pool, while it was big enough it was dirty with debris visible at the bottom! Could've used more chlorine as well. We would stay here again but we saw a couple other hotels we'd try first. It was a great stay.

This location is by far the worst Holiday Inn I have ever stayed at in over 20+ years. They simply are not equipped to handle the business they get. Checking in our reservation made room was not ready until 5:30 pm when check in at the location is at 3:00 pm (it is even posted 3 pm in the lobby, lol). Breakfast here is a joke and the guy running the breakfast service simply does not care at all. I asked about a few things every morning and every morning they are out of everything (no yogurt, no cheese in the eggs, even no cinnamon rolls, how do you run out of everything every day! Better management in this department is needed!). He really should be better trained or replaced with a more competent employee who can plan breakfast for the patrons that count on it with the hotel stay. This is just a place to sleep do not count on anything more or you will likely be very disappointed.

We showed up here on a mid-summer Saturday night after we had problems checking in at another hotel. Luckily, they had room for us. Let's pro and con this property: Pros: (1) Clean, clean clean. A very clean hotel in all areas, including our room and bathroom. (2) The pricing was great, especially since the room size was good, and includes breakfast. (3) The breakfast. My teen loved the options and the quality of the food was good. (4) The pool was great, large in size and right off the lobby. (5) They have a laundry here, which is great after a week in another state before we flew here. Cons: (1) The curtain in the room. Or lack of curtain in the room. It wasn't large enough to cover even half of the window, and since we were on the first floor off the parking lot, people were peeking into our room and passing by and looking in a lot. (2) The bed is average. Comfortable enough, but not a bed that would knock your socks off. (3) The front desk level of service was inconsistent. Checking in was wonderful, but when I asked to add my IHG number later, that never happened. We lost a room key and they didn't seem to know what to do in that situation either. The location of this hotel is not on the beach, but near enough to the dock, and the beach, to be very close and a short walk to the shopping area and the beautiful rocky beaches nearby.

COCKROACHES GALORE. NOOOO! Don't stay here! I don't post reviews often but damn! This hotel has gone down in quality and service. I stayed here in 2019 and LOVED it. The staff were pretty friendly and the cleanliness was superb. However, during my recent stay, we booked three rooms. Each room had their own problems. Room 1 had big, giant cockroaches in the bathroom upon arrival and a few more the following days. Room 2 key system failed EVERY DAY. Literally had to get a new key card every time we left the room. Room 3 also had cockroaches AND smelled like cigarettes. It was so embarrassing bringing my family here. Of course we voiced our concerns to the front desk. They didn't do anything (of course). Staff were nice enough. Not has friendly as a typical hotel... all staff had a Hawaii "dgaf" vibe. Would NOT stay here again. You've been warned!

With thick duvets and foamy pillows, I slept well! Shower head, pressure, and temp were all good! The room smells a bit musty--minus one star. Good, affordable option if you're staying in Kona and/or for your first and final nights on the big island.

We stayed here on a trip with my child's class and I was pleasantly surprised with this hotel. The room was spacious and came with a lot of seating. The complimentary hot breakfast was a nice benefit, but the juice was watery and the pancake machine didn't work for us. My only complaint about the room was there was no conditioner in the shower.

My favorite place when I come to Hawaii, the location is abdomen perfect and in the middle of everything. Customer Service is top tier any problem I had they solved it immediately. The breakfast is continental but it still gets the job done every morning it was packed with people. This is an affordable nice place to stay

Beautiful hotel! You can tell it's a newer hotel in the area. It has a total of 3 floors, a small pool and jacuzzi, a shared parking lot (make sure you park in the hotel section), laundry room and fitness room. They offer complimentary breakfast daily. They have a variety of breakfast from cinnamon rolls, bagels, turkey sausage, cereals, omelet wrap, fresh fruit (banana, oranges) and a variety of drinks from coffee, milk, juices and etc. The rooms are spacious. Lots of seating area from couches to chairs scattered around the room next to tables and desk. Bathrooms are a decent size. There are complimentary shampoo, soap, and etc. The one thing I did not like about this hotel is that it's located on an eerie back road off the main road. The area is dark around the hotel.

I tried to resolve my issue today, but Im left to leave a poor review due to the treatment I received from the staff. My room was Ok, nothing special, some dusty areas and only one toilet paper roll, the other was broken, but I let it go. I woke up and pulled the sheets down on both sides of the bed to find black spots on both sides of the top sheets. I called the front desk requesting someone come look at them, and they did after I asked again. The supervisor (Susie) said did you touch them, I said NO, I wasn't sure what it was so I called you. She picked them up and said it wasn't a bug, probably lint from clothing or something. I didn't sleep on both sides of the bed since it was just me, so since it was on both sides, it wasn't from me, and must have been there prior to my arrival. She took them with her as she left my room. When I requested to the front desk person for some kind of compensation I was told no, the housecleaning supervisor said you brought it in, and it was pebbles?! What, I was so speechless to be blamed for something that was not my responsibility and a story made up. The customer service here did not handle my complaint with any empathy, or offer any apologies. They must have enough business that they simply do not care, so sad that the Aloha spirit here is non existent . If you stay here, check out the sheets entirely before you get into them, and don't expect much help from the staff. See photos below. Room # 328, stayed Oct 19th for 1 night.

All i can say is that i was very very happy that i chose this place to stay.Everything is perfect i will for sure come back again.Thanks Holiday in for a great stay.FIVE STAR

Let me start off by saying that I have stayed in hotels 75+ nights since COVID has started and this was the worst experience. The staff that is available has been very friendly. There has only ever been one employee available at the desk for my entire visit. Check in time and Breakfast time are all very busy and you end up waiting in line for a long time. The bed and pillows are very uncomfortable. The curtains are missing so only a draw shade is available which lets it more light then I would like. Grab and Go breakfast which they keep behind the desk has been VERY limited. Multiple times throughout the week the only options have been Orange Juice, Guava Juice, Plain Bagel, and one oatmeal. No Coffee except for the Keurig in the room. The hotel ran out of Body Wash. The only option for going up to a room is one elevator. The other one is out of order. The staircase lock to go up does not open with a room key. Cleanliness has not been fantastic. We had a roach in our room, had to request service. The room cleaning was very average and didn't even replace our tissues. One star for good water pressure and one star for a good A/C. I have been an IHG member for fifteen plus years and literally signed up for a competitor the last day of my vacation largely due to this experience.

Pros: -Good location, within walking distance to lots of shops & restaurants. Was a pretty convenient option close to the airport. -Very hospitable; the staff was friendly & helpful with all sorts of recommendations. -Room was clean, but simple. Bed was okay. -The breakfast was quite good, with lots of cold & hot options... *However, they couldn't keep the bacon or coffee stocked, and there were long waits for the popular items to refill. Cons: -Was very easy to miss, with a tight turn around the circle, no visible signs from the road. Parking was also very limited. -You need to have an AirBnB mentality if you stay here, as they a la carte charges for cleaning. We left unopened bottles of water in the fridge, and they charged us $30-something after check-out... Good for one-night, to freshen up before heading elsewhere on the island.

This is a reflection on the corporate not this location. We were aware that big island was sold out everywhere, but we had a situation with our AirBnB where we no long felt safe to stay. So we called Holiday Inn Express directly to book and it lead us to a customer service center that takes reservations. We were able to successfully book two room, which I was surprised, and kept asking to make sure it's for Kona branch and they kept saying yes. I got confirmation numbers and was set. When I get to Holiday Inn Express and could not find my reservation. I called the corporate again and they said we had a reservation and wanted to talk to the front desk, so we passed the phone to her and she had told them they are overbooked and completely sold out and was super surprised we were able to even get a reservation. Then gave the phone back and told us sorry they don't know what happened and apologize and said let me see what I can do. Had us on hold for an hour then hung up on us.... basically leaving us stranded because every hotel, motel, hostel were all completely sold out. We called again and same thing happened. Donna, the woman working the front desk, was amazing. She tried to help us the best she could and had amazing customer service care. After we left she went further and investigated and found out that the customer service center had booked us for Waikiki when I explicitly said for Kona, and even the two representatives we spoke on the phone to confirmed reservation for Kona. Super shout out to Donna because if she hadn't called me to follow up, I would have never known about the booking in Waikiki and would have been charges for both rooms. Thank you Donna!

This was my first business trip to Kailua-Kona and surprised to find the lack of brand name hotel choices for such a popular vacation destination. HI Express had the best prices with great online reviews so I booked it. I checked in around 3 p.m. without any difficulties. Reservation was in order and even got a complimentary upgrade to a King Suite as an IHG Rewards member. I appreciated the fact that to access the lobby hallway to the elevator, business center and fitness room you needed your room key. This prevents anyone off the street from getting into the registered guest areas of the building. Your room key only has to be passed in front of any door locks to open, which is more convenient than the typical insert/remove models. To activate the room's HVAC system, you insert your key into a wall-mounted reader one time and then set your desired temp. The system was whisper quiet and held the temp nicely. The furnishings were modern and functional. I appreciate the rolling table top under the fixed desk so I could position myself at a comfortable distance from the TV while catching up on emails. The room was equipped with a free in-room safe, microwave and fridge, large flat screen TV and wireless internet. Download speed was a dismal 2Mbps download but a decent 2.87Mbps upload. Good enough for emails and small file downloads. No dropped connections. The room was quiet throughout my stay despite an occasional loud conversation out on the street. The view was described as "Ocean View" but that was a stretch. There was a small piece of visible ocean between other buildings between the hotel and shoreline, but that was it. If I was on vacation and booked the room based on its view, I would be disappointed. I did not partake of the complimentary breakfast, but the offerings were the usual fare of sausage, bacon, biscuits, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, juice, coffee, etc. There appeared to be ample seating. This is definitely my number one pick should I return to Kailua-Kona.

When I walked into my room, an immediate funk of mildew hit my nose. I realize this is Hawaii and it's humid, but the room should not smell this bad. The AC was also turned up so high I was shivering, and the thermostat in the room was a cruel joke. It had no effect on the climate control. The bathroom fan didn't work, and I have a sneaking suspicion none of them do. My co-worker switched rooms because his was so cold, and the fans in both his rooms were broken. The window was missing the sheer curtain, even though there was a space for one. The carpet was stained. The bottom of the nightstand was covered in mildew. This entire room needs a deep cleaning. Personnel at the front desk were friendly and kept saying they would fix things, but it never happened. I would never stay here again if I had other options.

Great staff. Pool is finished. Breakfast was great. Only thing was the old mop smell in the room. Floors are dirty...brown feet from walking on floors in room. Also the shower was moldy and smelly. A little bleach would go a lonnnnnnng way if they would clean better.

The hotel gets 2 stars for nice AC, location, and friendly front desk staff. There are quite a few things, however, that disappointed us. 1. The room smelled musty upon our arrival 2. The room keys demagnetized every day, despite us keeping them far away from our phones and other electronics. 3. When we requested to have our room serviced (fresh towels, trash taken out, etc) they didnt take the trash out which was about to overflow, and they didnt clean out our dirty towels even though we left them in a pile on the bathroom floor as instructed. All they did was drop a bag of fresh towels in the room. 4. Only one of the elevators work 5. The breakfast is not good. Very limited options and often they run out of those options. 6. They do not have bottled water or even a water fountain to fill up water bottles at and the tap water tasted like rust. These are mostly minor things that the hotel could improve cheaply and easily. I hope they fix some or all of these things because i really see some potential for this to be a great stay! But until some of these things improve, i couldn't recommend this place.

Dissappointed with the "ocean view" suite. Paid more for ocean view and all you really see is other buildings and and a little glimpse of ocean in the distance. Don't recommend paying extra for that. Rooms were good. Conditioner in bathroom was empty. Small things that could have been better but it was ok.

Impressed how good this hotel ended up being. Clean, quiet, good prices, nice staff, great location. Not 5 stars, only because it isn't a "5 star resort." But beat expectations!

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites was a surprisingly pleasant place to be. From the outside, it has a rustic feel. When you enter the doors of this establishment, the decor is modern and clean. The lobby is open aired, which is great on a bright sunny day in Kona. The rooms are enclosed and a corridor that leads from the lobby will take you to the other amenities that this hotel offers. It may seem a little tricky when trying to reach this hotel. There are lots of open lots that can lead you into the wrong direction. There is a few stalls around the front of the hotel, which is really tight. If you have a bigger vehicle, you may want to park on the backside of the hotel. The lobby leads to the front desk where you are pleasantly greeted and checked in/out. There is a common area where you can enjoy some television during your wait or to relax. This area also connects to the dining area where a complimentary breakfast is served daily. Lots of seating to choose from which is great for guests. From the lobby, you are lead to the main corridor to the suites here. You will find a fitness center and laundry room on the first floor as well as a few vending machines for drinks and snacks. You can also enter the pool area to lounge around or take a dip in. What's even cooler, or should I say hotter is that they have a jacuzzi. Be sure to pack some swim shorts! The rooms are beautiful and clean. There is mini living room where you can lounge around or have a quite bite to eat on the dining table. There is a pull out table that can be used also, which is under the main counter of the room. Here you'll find a flat screen television and a few drawers to unpack into. What's great about these rooms are they come with a Keurig machine and a microwave. Very convenient for snacks on the go and for your caffeine pick me ups! The restroom is spacious and has a blow dryer and a few necessities if you forget to pack them like shampoo, conditioner, and even make up wipes. You can call the front desk if you forgot your razor, etc and they'll be glad to provide you with a complimentary pair. Overall a great place to stay in the Kona area. Unfortunately it is not off the Kona coast or waters, but it's a clean place, with a modern look. Tons of eateries surrounding the hotel which is a plus. This hotel is also still in a central location of Kona town.

We've stayed here 3 times within the last 2 years (February 2020, August 2020, and November 2021). We have the IHG credit cards so between my boyfriend and I, we get 4 reward nights a year. We are not fans of the Oahu location due to the small rooms so we fly to Kona to use our nights. There was a small issue during our August trip (easily fixed) and a larger issue in November that I've added to the bottom of this review. Sadly, the last trip is what knocked two stars off this review. Staff: Staff was very friendly while we were there and the sweetest aunty worked the front desk in the evenings (the first two trips). She even gave us a few recommendations for restaurants. She's amazing and actually brought a smile to our faces after the incident with the last trip. Breakfast: We did not eat the complimentary breakfast in February and unfortunately, it was only a small selection of cold items in August. In November, there was a served breakfast. We stand in line and let them know what we would like. It was a decent hot breakfast. Parking: Parking is only $10/night. Not many stalls available for guests, as a part of the parking lot belongs to the little shopping area behind the hotel. In February, there was only 1 stall available (after 10PM), a tiny stall and both cars on the sides were on the line so that was a pain. In August, we did not rent a car that time, but there were many stalls available. And in November, as long as we came back before dinnertime, we were able to snag a stall easily. Elevators: The main elevator takes forever! The elevator near the side entrance and pool is much faster. I did not notice if there were stairs near the main elevator but there is a set next to the other elevator. With only 3 floors, stairs isn't a bad option. Room: The room was clean. It had a microwave and refrigerator which is great because we tend to bring leftovers back to our room and eat them later. Very spacious room with a couch and a small dining area. Area: Not on the ocean so if you're looking for that, this is not the place for you. But, it's only a 5-minute walk to the ocean. Issues: There was an issue on the August trip where we were charged for the 2 nights. These were reward nights so there shouldn't have been a charge. After calling the front desk, we were told someone would get back to us. Surely, that night someone resolved the issue quickly. The November issue stemmed from the housekeeping staff thinking we had checked out. The way the reward nights work, we have to book separate reservations for each reward so we have to check out and back in every day. So this is where the issue starts which I do not blame the housekeeping for the mistake, as I can see how it happened. However, my issue comes from management knowing of the issue and not telling us. Housekeeping had thrown out a case of drinks and our food (food was later put back in the fridge). We were not told of this. I discovered that things in the fridge weren't where we had put them then discovered the missing case of drinks. They were unable to tell us where the food had gone once it was removed or for how long it had been removed from the fridge. For context, we had poke (raw fish) in the fridge and without being able to say how long the food had been out or where it had gone, we had to throw out all the food (about $100 worth of poke and Two Ladies Kitchen mochi *heartbreaking*). One of the managers offered to replace the drinks but given that we were leaving the next day, we thought it was pointless. Our biggest issue is that no one on the staff thought to leave us a note or a voice message about the situation. When talking to one of the managers, she told us she knew and was the one that told housekeeping to just put the food back since the drinks had been thrown out already. Not once did they think to leave a message for us. I don't see how throwing out a guest's things even by mistake doesn't warrant a call or message.

Stayed here for our business trip and the staff was verY friendly. Parking was 10 bulks but worth it. Rooms were clean and amenities were offered if you forgot something. Highly recommended.

This place is quite average. There's really not much to dislike about it, the pool is about as big as six bathtubs put together and just about the same size as the hot tub. Speaking of which,It was occupied by a couple of the hotel workers or their friends who were chatting about the various rooms they had recently attended to and the various patrons who came to their store for to have their palms read. The breakfast in the morning was slightly better than the usual holiday inn in that it had more choices and the service was pretty good. There was an assortment of cereals some trays of eggs some various and sundry sausages, fruit, yogurt, plenty of coffee and no shortage of juices. It was somewhat annoying to have to use my key card everyplace I went. Going to the elevators-- swipe, going to the lobby bathroom--swipe, using the bus center--swipe, use the pool--swipe, get a beverage or snack from the vending machine.....you bet--swipe. At one point I decided to not do anything but just sit in the lobby rather than have to swipe so much...swipe that. The room was fine, it reminded me of places I used to stay with my family and we went on vacation circa 1960s. The lighting was as usual poor, the water pressure slightly better than average, but the rooms were maintained OK and the bed bug body bite (B4) counts were minimal if any. What I thought might have been bites Was much more likely just a stress rash due to the prolonged travel without Internet service. Since I was traveling for business, this average sort of place was just fine.

Pretty decent for a Holiday Inn. Layout of the room was good. In typical Hawaiian fashion, my room wasn't ready upon checkin. It always takes an extra hour. Service was friendly. Gym was small but clean and with working equipment. Breakfast was passable with no complaints. Plenty of parking in the lot, but many spots are compact. The only negative I can think of is that the bathroom wasn't the cleanest. It smelled like a cruise ship - kinda like when you're not sure if the stench is one that's too clean or too dirty. It was tolerable in any case.

Most mainland chains struggle in Hawaii. However this Holiday Inn is very nice. Free breakfast, which is a huge savings. It's your basic hotel fare but it's good, except the coffee, the coffee is awful. Pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, sausage, bacon, bagels, muffins, biscuits, cereal, etc. The beds were fairly comfortable. Good cable mix, outstanding air conditioning. Spacious shower nice toiletries. Roomy king room with chairs and sofa. Closet with a safe. You can check out nice beach towels and umbrellas from the front desk. Ice machine near lobby, laundry room, silly little gym. Now they do change $10 a day for parking but the location of this hotel is very convenient and there was always a spot.

Only 4 Stars due to the Hot Breakfast bar not being open. I think we may have paid for it on Hotels.com not knowing it was closed due to COVID-19 regulations. The pool & hot tub were open although only allowing 10 ppl at a time + singing up to get in. We didn't utilize the pool because there was a lot of families from Outer island with their kids not social distancing at all. There was a complimentary continental breakfast available although large groups and parties of family members with their kids weren't social distancing at the breakfast bar either. Overall the stay was nice. The rooms were great! The beds are very comfortable along with the pillows.

So far the stay has been very pleasant and nice the staff is wonderful and although me and my husband do not spend a lot of time inside the hotel we absolutely have enjoyed our stay so far!

A cute little hotel lost a block off the main drag, this place is clean, new and filled with Aloha. The nice folks behind the front desk are more than accommodating. The rooms are bigger then you would expect and that goes for the huge bathroom too. Comfortable beds, pillows and sheets. The obligatory fridge, iron and hair dryer were all present. The inroom coffee maker of the k-cup variety is a real plus. There is a huge in-room safe now large enough to accommodate a laptop or two plus more! Peace of mind when traveling is priceless. There is a very secure privacy latch in addition to the doorlock and deadbolt. I am getting one of these for my front door! The rooms are modern and clean, and now room keys have bar codes and you actually place one in a slot by the front door inside to activate your room controls for heat/air. Plus tap the door to get in. A small pool, workout room and generous free morning breakfast add value- though quite pricey for a 3 story hotel with a view of a parking lot...but I digress, there is free Wifi and HBO. Parking is $10/day. It is 1 minute walk to the Kona tourist district- just be wary of the area surrounding the hotel, there are large public parking lots and they get a bit sketchy after dark, so keep your eyes open and the more the merrier (and safer!). There is of course those who prey on tourists so be wary and don't freak out if clouds of pakalolo waft by- its Kona Town! Oh yeah- tip housekeeping for goodness sake! They are cleaning up after you and they are not your mother. Plus, a couple dollars goes a long way...

I was very impressed w/this hotels accommodations. We came here for one night for a rugby tournament just down the road. We got 2 rooms and wow when we walked into the rooms we were blown away at how spacious these rooms were. The FREE breakfast is amazing! The pool was alright, it's kinda on the smaller side so it's great for children. They have a fitness room, laundry facilities, vending machines, express checkout. Location is awesome so many places you could easily walk to. If your desperate there is even a mcds across the street lol If I come to kona again I'm staying here..Highly recommend for big families.

As an Elite Spire member, I enjoyed my stay here while visiting the Big Island. Rooms were clean and comfortable, although I did kill a couple cockroaches. Hawaii is a tropical island with cockroaches as part of the important ecosystem, and they can get in anywhere despite the best extermination measures. Staff were friendly and helpful. Their free breakfast was very good and bacon was crispy each morning. Excellent Hawaiian coffee was provided. We heavily used the hot tub and swimming pool to relax after snorkeling at beaches. The hotel is centrally located to everything within Kailua-Kona. A big plus is it's across the street from One Aloha Ice and Umeke's is next door. Both should be sampled for the best shaved ice and poke bowls in town. Mahalo!