Royal Kona Resort

I stayed here 20 years ago as a teenager… and it was awesome. I stayed here again now, with my teenagers… still awesome. We LOVE the bay tower. It’s our favorite, because it has the fun open air courtyard in the middle. I used the very affordable spa several times. We ate at the super reasonably priced in-hotel restaurant a bunch, and it was great. We tried renting a cabana by the pool for the first time, and loved it! The private lagoon is the absolute best. My little swimmers were able to snorkel and play without me worrying about them in the big ocean. It was our private baby ocean. The parking is so easy to come and go from, worth every penny of the $25 a day. We had the best time, and were able to really vacation to the max with our huge pile of kids and grama without going broke. We are coming back next year, for sure!

We had a great stay at Royal Kona. Yes, the hotel is dated, but our room was spacious and clean, and everything in the room worked. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The view from our room and from the restaurant is worth the stay! Our meals at the restaurant were great, both food quality and service. We greatly enjoyed the pool and the lagoon. There are several restaurants within walking distance. I would stay here again.

My wife and I went. Stayed in the Bay Tower on the ocean front. Only a week but it was awesome! Enjoyed the open dinning. Loved meeting Zoe at the store and bought many things. I love my new shirts. The staff was great. Food was excellent as was the views. Going back in October this year for 11 days. Same tower. My wife and I can't wait. Oh, our trip in March was for our honeymoon! Did I mention Zoe was great!!

The room with an ocean view is spacious, clean, and nice. The hotel even gave us a bottle of wine, which we really appreciate. 🥰 The only thing is that there's a lot of little black bugs (annoying but harmless) in the restroom due to the humidity and aged sewer, and you can find hundreds of their bodies on the washing basin in the morning. The environment is very nice, great ocean view from the swimming pool, and the restaurant invites musicians to perform during dinner time. The location is close to everything everywhere, and they have a parking lot.

I just had the most wonderful stay! They got me in while my flight was rescheduled do to the tsunami warnings. They had staff and management come in in the middle of the night to ensure everyone was safe and got into their rooms after the evacuation!! Superb customer service and safety! AND as a bonus this was a super cute resort with a protected lagoon I could swim in even though the waves were huge, a great pool that sits on the edge of the ocean, a fun tikki bar and super yummy food at the restaurant. Both times I ate there my seat was literally feet from the ocean! No better view in town! I highly recommend!!

This hotel was far from cozy. One of the most frustrating things was that, despite being located in a remote area with no nearby stores or amenities, they only provided bottled water on the first day—and gave no notice that there would be no further refills. Yes, there is a refill station, but you need to go out and purchase your own refillable bottle just to use it. It honestly made me question why they offered bottled water at all. The room lacked even the most basic kitchen amenities—no electric kettle, no microwave, and not even an induction cooktop. We had to eat out for every single meal, and we couldn’t even warm up leftovers. To make things worse, the staff never smiled and didn’t make guests feel welcome. There was a clear lack of warmth and hospitality. On the final day, there was no hot water in the room. I contacted the front desk, but it was already late and the staff had gone home. They told me someone would get back to me—but no one ever did. No matter how nice the ocean view is, it can’t make up for the lack of basic facilities, poor service, and an overall disappointing experience. Sadly, I cannot recommend this hotel, and it won’t be a stay I remember fondly.

The rooms are very clean and large. We had a corner room, unfortunately, the balcony overlooked the trash bins. It also was very close to Alii drive so was pretty noisy thru the night. We had stayed at this resort in April and loved it. I am willing to give it another chance at a later date. The staff is great and the convenience of having shops and restaurants so close outweighs some of the unfortunate events.

This hotel doesn't deserve the one star but that's just the options that is available. They have poor customer service. When I arrived to my room because it was changed last minute house keeping entered our room without knocking. When I called to speak with a manager the front desk manager first response was will you like to find another hotel & I refund you. Now this is my first time in Hawaii & I will a large party. Once I explained that then all of sudden they wanted to accommodate. This was the stay from hell. The other hotel guest were more accommodating and helpful than the hotel staff. The room wasn't anything like the ones we reserved. Our breakfast was supposed to be included upon arrival was told that there is a separate fee for that. There isn't microwave in the room or in the hotel period. This hotel lacks basic accommodations, general communication skills and common courtesy. Negative zero stars. I do not recommend.

I visited in mid January from Oakland to get a break and had a great time! All of the staff were great and helpful, but I most appreciated Jayden, Wendy D. and Kevin the manger. Any time I had a question or concern about my room or my stay, they were polite, responsive and kind. I had a noisy room, and it was taken care of immediately ( Thanks Wendy!). I was going to be over charged by the travel company I used and it was addressed and taken care of at check in ( Thanks Jayden!) And, throughout my stay Kevin checked in on me and made sure all was well Will definitely be back! Margaret J

Royal Kona is a great value! It is a reasonable price and has the best live Hawaiian slack note guitar music on the island. Its central location makes access to all of the shops on Allii Drive very easy. The luau is strong as is the new gym facilitate. The views are amazing as is the staff. Special shout out to Albert who operates the Tennis Club, which now features two excellent over-striped pickleball courts. He went out of his way to accommodate my family and I. Thank you Royal Kona for a great stay!

If you are on a budget and just need centrality to town center, then this is your spot to book. Due to our rush, I didn't have time to check my fellow trusted Yelpers and am so regretting it. I trust my Elites and agree that the best thing about this hotel is the location and ocean views. Located within walking distance to the downtown Kona area, it makes it so convenient. You don't need a car if you are wanting to stay nearby and hang out. Note, parking fee is $18 daily on top of the resort fee. The hotel is located perfectly ocean front and you will get amazing sunrise and sunset views. The housekeeping staff is wonderful. Don's tiki bar is the only source for dining unless you do the luau. The rooms are outdated despite current construction going on in the Lagoon Tower. The amenities were pretty limited during our January stay. There really is only one pool next to the kiddie pool and it gets packed. Very limited seating to accommodate a hotel that size. The saltwater pool was closed due to construction and high tide. The gym is enough to get a workout in but just walk every where and you'll get your steps in with a better view. We stayed in the main ALII tower. I believe the other tower is more timeshare units. It is nice that rooms have lanais but the patio set is so uncomfortable. We almost moved the couch to the patio but too much work. Bathrooms are tiny and could have more towels. There is minimal storage space even if all you pack is bikinis and sundresses. The biggest uncleanliness score comes from the cockroaches in the room. We checked out early due to our neighbor who didn't respect the nonsmoking policy. We reported it and the entire floor smelled disguisting. It reeked into our room and I couldn't stop coughing. I will say management did reach out to resolve the issues after we left which is appreciated. However, I think I rather be further up north at Fairmont or Four Seasons knowing the quality of hotel I would be checking in for my vacation. I mean this is your vacation and you want to be happy enjoying it. Hospitality is making guests feel at home even if you wish they were!

Card key didn't open our room went to lobby twice. Parking is nuts so many gates, no where to turn around, very little parking especially during luau. Room had small black roaches by the bar and fridge area. Hair on floor by entry way. Rooms are run down. We had to ask to change rooms. We went from partial ocean view to no view. Really sad.

Very fun experience here. Their grounds are fantastic: Circular pool with ocean view, great bar with band at night (good burger too), private lagoon for snorkeling, and yoga and gym available. Room was spaceous and great lanai overlook the sea. Perfect location walking distance to the strip. Only two negatives. The lady at the tour and activity room was rude and not nice. The lanai are so close the drunk fool next door was loud at 3am and I had to tell his ass to shut up and close the f'g door.

Prime location and big bang for your buck! Located in the heart of Kona town right off Ali'i Drive, you'll find this gem tucked next to the ocean. Three towers on the grounds surrounded by tropical gardens and water features. This location has a separate Oceanside luau for purchase as well. The rooms are a little dated but very large. I stayed in the back corner room with a wrap around lanai giving me both sunset ocean views and rainbows on the Mountain View. Don's restaurant on grounds is doable for dinner with a large bar and friendly staff. Many places to eat within a few minutes of walking distance AND a little private lagoon for swimming.

Let's start with the pros, had a 3 night stay here for my husband's birthday and was pleasantly surprised with how huge that corner room and its 270 degree view balcony was. You could've fit another bed on one side of the balcony, it was that big. The view was my favorite from this oceanfront room where you can see downtown and the open ocean to catch the sunset. There was a mini fridge and a microwave is available upon request. The box of chocolates at check-in for his birthday was a nice touch. Cons: pool is only available during the day as the underwater lights are out, making it dangerous to be open after dark. I was surprised that it's not something they would've fixed since I noticed in one of the previous review that it was out for over 6 months before our arrival so not a new problem. Hopefully it has been fixed since. The last night there was a large roach on our balcony right by the door so luckily it had scurried away instead of into our room and it was our last night. I know this is a tropical location, but we didn't have any issue with even the B&Bs we stayed at on the Big Island, so quarterly pest control might be a good idea.

Huge altercation with man at 3am. Sounded like he was going to kill someone. Was up at 3am and could not sleep after horrific experience. Called hotel operator x3. Police came. I asked for a complimentary nite in future. Yet to hear.

5/15/2024 Royal Kona Resort 75-5852 Ali'i Dr. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 We stayed there for 4 nights starting on a Saturday with a Costco package. At check in I was informed that there was an additional $25/day parking fee for sometimes unavailable spaces. I asked an attendant what to do in this case and he told me to contact the front desk to make "arrangements". I was given blue key cards for the room and parking lot gates. Our room was in the Bay Tower with a nice ocean view of Kailua bay, a higher floor would have removed any tree obstruction of the view. My request for two beds was honored. The room was clean and Spartan appointed with amenities. There was no microwave and the refrigerator had no freezer. There were also issues with the room; there was a problem with control of the water temperature of the shower when switching to the shower, the bath sink faucet nozzle screen was clogged, the patio sliding door was very difficult to slide and there was no screen door so we had to keep it closed to prevent bug and critter entry. The complimentary WiFi was running at a 2 MB rate, which is very slow these days. There was a purified water station in the ice machine room next to ours which was great because Kona water tastes terrible. Although this hotel is rated 4 stars, I would rate it at most 3 stars based on our room experience. It is very conveniently located within walking distance along the Ali'i Drive dining and shopping strip. I may repeat if the room issues were corrected.

Sorry for this belated review. Wife and I stayed here for 3 days in Oct 2024. No complaints and we were satisfied. The property is showing its age and our room was no exception to this aging comment, but it was adequate and OK. Outside within earshot was the area where they have the nightly luau and that was loud, but it only lasts to about 8 pm so that was not too bad too. Pool area is also old and in need of refurbishment, and pool itself is in poor shape. But we enjoyed our lounging at the pool and the amenities there. We ate twice at the restaurant and while that too was adequate, the food and service was maybe 3 stars. All in all, if we visit Kona again and get a discounted deal for a stay at the Royal Kona, we would go again, but we would certainly not want to have to pay their retail, rack rate.

Location is everything on vacation, this location has 29 restaurants in walking distance. Great views and great staff. (So nice and friendly) Rene checked us in and Rocco stored our bags while our room was getting ready. Get the ocean front corner room worth it perfect views and roar of the ocean. We met people here who have stayed here many times and we will also be back. True Aloha at a good price

Yes, I agree this is a 3 star hotel. If the room we stayed in is typical then the rooms are showing their age: carpets, furniture, bed. Rooms do not have microwaves so you can't reheat any leftover foods. Our room was on the 7th (top floor) in the Alii Towers overlooking the front of the hotel with a partial view of the ocean. There are two elevators in this tower. At night we were able to watch the hula show from our balcony. In the other building are 4 washers and 4 dryers on the ground floor - $2.50 to wash and $2.25 (60 minutes) to dry - pay by credit card. There are 2 parking lots- $25 per day - in/out privileges with your room key. Parking can be challenging the evenings of the hula shows which is from 5:00-7:30 PM. There's a filtered water station on the 2nd floor next to the beverage machine. Beverage and ice machines on every floor. Sundry shop across from the red was very convenient; we bought cold drinks, bandaids but they had variety of snacks, toiletries, clothes, souvenirs, etc. I already commented earlier in another post about their restaurant. Hotel is walking distance to great restaurants - see my restaurant posts.

I'm coming back in August . They have a great happy hour food and prices and one is the best views . You can see clear to King Kam Beach and entire Kona village walk-way. The entrance has beautiful bigger than life paintings of past Warrior Kings & Queens of The Islands . Rich with history. Food is delicious view magnificent prices reasonable . Staff nice .

This review is long overdue . I have stayed here 2 times since coming to Hawaii World Championships as media. I loved the 1st year when I came with my travel buddy Linda as she was so easy to travel with and loved the retro hotel views and hearing the waves crash outside our balcony. We strategically picked this hotel since it was walking distance to the Ironman expo next to the ocean and short distance to race start . The hotel offers an open-air restaurant and bar as well as a small lagoon that my sister discovered on my 2nd visit to the hotel. Their hotel customer service was courteous and offered Ohana service with a smile. They even offered some medical help after a fall during a short run on Al'i drive at night. The beds were comfy enough, and the location made for a good stay.

BOOK A VRBO ACROSS THE STREET INSTEAD!! There are very loud parties and events held here. We couldn't even hear our TV in our room at 9:30pm on a Sunday night. I called the front desk twice to complain and got canned robotic responses that seemed like they were reading a script. The bathroom is the same as a Motel 6. We will never come back. I wish we would've booked a condo across the street.

Great location right along the shore with prime shopping and restaurants within walking distance. We were there for one night and stayed in a very spacious suite. I must add that the cost was VERY competitive compared to nearby resorts. Quiet, clean and comfortable. My only snag was that the place looked a bit rundown. Although the carpet in our suite looked new, the hallway carpet needs to be replaced badly. There were also visible cracks on the balcony. The wood furniture could also use some refinishing. I do recommend staying there.

The spirit of aloha is alive and well at the Royal Kona Resort. From the beautiful Room located near the outside dining area to the pool, luau and the friendly employees who greet you, the only place to stay in Kona is the Royal. It is royal; everyone takes that name seriously. In comparison to other nearby resorts that are now managed by large hotel chains, this is quickly going to become all islanders favorite hang out. The Dons Beachcombers Restaurant still serves a mean Maitai, the food is a great value, and tasty. The music on Thursdays is a treat. Last night famed Kapono, always draws a huge crowd; more Aloha please! Great crowds fly in to see this spectacular round of musician's.

3.5 stars. LOCATION - Firstly the location, can't beat the location; walking distance to everything in tiny touristy Kona town. We could walk to breakfast places across the street, to ABC Stores for cheap coffee in the morning, Black Rock Pizza for lunch, Cheeky Tiki for cocktails and dinner at where ever you choose (do not recommend Papa Kona, see my review). It's hard enough to get parking in Kona that just staying at the resort and paying for the daily parking is worth it if you want to just walk from one end of Kona to the other (10-15 minute one way). PARKING - we paid $25 a night for parking and as others have mentioned, you can get street parking if you're diligent, but pay attention to the Luau nights, as parking can get filled up and you're stuck without street or lot parking, and if that's the case, come back after the luau is done and you will find parking. You scan your room key at the parking gate and it opens up so you can park. We never had any problems the 3rd week in April we were there. CHECK IN/CHECK OUT - no problems for us whatsoever, no lines, either, for both check in and out. AMBIENCE - old Hawaii retro vibes outdoors in the lobby, which I loved; koi ponds, lava rocks, tiki torches, Don the Beachcomber bar/restaurant downstairs; landscaping with hibiscus flowers, tropical plants. ROOM - We got the 'renovation special' at the Lagoon Tower for a discounted fee for "Oceanfront view", which meant no neighboring guests, so the only thing that was loud was the crashing/booming surf nightly, the weird chirping sound of some kind of monitoring device in our room (not sure what it was). The rooms were advertised as "modern" but the lighting was pretty poor and the bathroom was pretty dated. Musty smell in the whole room. Our tub backed up on the 1st night but a call made that right in less than 30 min. Beds were twin, comfy, but pillows smelled like body odor. I used my rolled up towel for a pillow because I know too well from all my years of travel that they don't clean the pillows. Elevators were super fast as most of the Lagoon Tower did not have full occupancy. There was a solitary roach that I spotted on the last night of my stay there. It was hanging out on top of the fridge, and scurried away when I opened the door. I sprayed with hair spray (no effect), Deet (no effect) and mineral sun screen (no effect). In the end I squashed it with a square of toilet paper. I have to say that the construction may have created this roach to appear. SALT WATER LAGOON - was super stoked to swim in it, but it was closed due to construction. SERVICE - pretty good, attentive service in PERSON. Ignore the texts they send you, it doesn't get addressed in a timely manner, call front desk instead. Housekeeping was pretty spot-on and daily (except gross pillows). OTHER - complimentary Mai Tai cocktails downstairs, which was a scoop-into-plastic cup affair with super sweet syrupy cocktail, but hey, it was free. We didn't eat at the hotel so we have no advice, we just went off-campus and out of Kona with our rental car (Costco was the cheapest). RETURN FACTOR - Yes, but will avoid using the hotel pillows. Will also make a nightly trip to Cheeky Tiki at the other end of the strip for the BEST cocktails and will also avoid Papa Kona Restaurant at all costs. Since Kona is so small, may opt to stay in Waikoloa next time to stir things up a bit.

Birthday trip hotel #2. After staying slightly off the grid for a couple days, I chose the Royal Kona for an additional 3 nights away because the price was decent, I love the location, and the view are... absolutely amazing. I splurged for a corner room. DO THIS. Our balcony was ridiculous. You could have had a party for 30 people on it (don't do this) and still had room. The waves crashed right below us and we had a million dollar view. For me, those are the reasons for staying at the Royal Kona. Our room was comfortable but disappointing, if that makes sense. It's an oversized room with a bed and couch. Lots of room to spread out. Very outdated decor and furniture and the bathroom left a lot to desire. The mirror was so rusted out I actually thought it was blood splattered at first. I love the vibe of the main bar area. The bartenders are pleasant and know what they're doing and the food is decent. This place would be an absolute gem if they were to invest in a remodel. I'd still probably stay there again.

Great ukulele class, one hour with Brett under the gazebo. Hiw cool to have a class if 4. How to hold it. Hold to strum it. Forward and backward. Learn key of C, a, d. Ready for another lesson on Saturday at 8:30 am.

here's to this fish feast! love the atmosphere the fish and fried egg galore and thr coffee and juice your choice island oceanfront oyster bar! took several photos will review the hotel itself after I'be taken the hole experience in . Aloha

We stayed at the Royal Kona with a large family group to celebrate a milestone birthday. I would rate the Royal Kona at 3 stars for the hard product, but 4-5 stars for service and location. First, the hard product is just okay. The rooms are somewhat dated and tired. But, everything seemed clean and spotless. I did like the "old Hawaii" vibes of the common areas like the open air lobby and restaurant. We stayed in a corner king room that was situated oceanfront. The view was incredible. We loved watching the boat traffic out on the ocean and listening to the waves crashing onshore. Our room had an enormous wraparound lanai. Unfortunately, the lanai was sparsely furnished with just a bar table and two stools. With the consistent and dry Kona weather, it would be great to fully furnish the lanai with lounges and more options to enjoy the views and sea breezes. The pool area was small, but we found it was rarely crowded. The pool lounges were luxurious and we found the pool to be well attended by helpful and friendly staff. The restaurant was expensive and the food wasn't great (but we found that was typical of most options in the Kona area). The location is excellent--oceanfront and walkable to downtown Kailua (farmer's market, shopping center, restaurants). The front desk staff was accommodating and helpful. Overall, service was quite good wherever we went on property. We also attended the luau. The pork with poi is the highlight on the buffet! The show was entertaining and fun, with a stunning Hawaiian sunset as a backdrop.

We are staying at this hotel currently, and not happy about it. While the grounds are nice, the rooms and booking experience are way less than satisfactory, especially for the price. We booked this hotel as a more special treat for our babymoon, but the 2 Airbnb's we stayed at on the trip were both way better and way less expensive. We booked one night for the beginning of our trip, and 3 nights for the end. We booked a king bed for all nights, because obviously we had hoped to sleep in the same bed for our last pre-newborn vacation. The first night they put us in a building where the AC was broken, so it was unbearably hot and super noisy when door was open. We complained so they moved us to a room with AC, but 2 small double beds and a horrible view of rooftops. On our return, we got booked the same horrible double bed and view situation AGAIN, even though we booked for a king bed with 2 months notice and babymoon noted. They told us we didn't get the king bed request because what was "guaranteed" was the view, but the view is also terrible. Not only that, but they don't even have a room we can stay in for all 3 nights. So we will have to pack our bags, leave them with the bellhop all day until we can check back in for the next room the next night. While pregnant and on vacation, this is the last thing I want to do. We talked to the receptionist about these issues, and she was warm and understanding but seemed there was nothing else in her power she could do. It seemed she stepped back and consulted with the manager, who likely did not care about this crappy experience for a pregnant guest. So spare yourself and book something else.

So convenient and beautiful views. We've heard about the updates but have not seen any new amenities or bedrooms yet. The rooms are very outdated. If the rooms were updated, this would be an amazing resort!

From Check to our view to the customer service, everything is fantastic The only thing that I would recommend is make sure that you have your room key to open up the ice room door. Also, the rooms are a bit outdated, but that's OK. The hotel is legendary.

The service at this resort is some of the worst I have experienced. Out here with friends to show support for an athlete racing the Ironman World Championship. One friend rented a room at this resort -- which has a 5 night minimum stay (ridiculous #1). We decided to hang by the pool and charge the e-bike we rented so that when our athlete starts running we can follow her. That's when Ron arrived. Apparently hotel policy is not to allow bikes to be parked in totally out of the way spots while being charged, even when sitting right next to the group of people at the table. See the pictures -- bike would have been completely out of the way of pedestrians and no issue to the hotel. Ron, unfortunately, although he is a manager, is unable to make adjustments to hotel policy, even when they make sense. His words, not mine. Instead, he grew belligerent and hostile. A really unfortunately change of pace, especially after we had encountered such good and friendly service from Danny at the pool. Will never book this hotel again, and recommend avoiding. Go to the Courtyard instead.

We had a nice 4-night stay at Royal Kona. Dinner was delicious along with the beautiful sunset.

All day construction. They don't warn you about it on booking. For the price you can stay at the King Kamehameha on the other side of Ali'i.

This is rare find as far as the few hotels that actually check you in early when rooms are available. Location is perfecto! There's a natural salt water pool aka tide pool only for Royal Kona resort guest and it's gorgeous. Conveniently located to shops and restaurants and priceless views of sunsets and sunrises. Lots of parking and just overall a wonderful, competitively priced hotel. Would definitely stay here again. They are doing renovations to the exterior of the hotel. The interior was nicely done. Staff were all so incredibly kind. We even had a staff member text us if everything was ok and we could text them to check out. Everything was 5 stars. Can't forget the food is delicious at Dons if you need a quick bite or just lazy to leave hotel. Nice laundromat for guest only and a spacious fitness center.

Rooms are old and filthy. My tub was filthy. The luau hostess messed up our names on the announcement for our engagement and was very condescending, after I purchased VIP tickets. The Saturday bartender was rude. Just rude. How can you work on such a beautiful island and not take pride in it. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone I hated.

We reserved 7 nights for late October in June of this year. We had to cancel our reservation mid-August due to a required work training, and the resort kept our thousands of dollars. When we called customer service, the representative was extremely rude and said tough, they were keeping our money, and refused to allow us to speak to a manager. She said because we cancelled online and didn't call (call who?), our room reservation was non-refundable, which is no where on their website. By the way, their website has completely contradictory information on cancellations, some info saying some rooms are refundable, and some info saying nothing is refundable. The agent wouldn't even allow us to choose next Spring to change our visit dates. We are still having to appeal to our credit card company because the resort outsourced another company to dispute our dispute. What a terrible resort; we're never going back to Hawaii after this experience.

Without a doubt always a favorite spot when we visit Kona! We enjoyed the happy hour prices at Dons MaiTai bar, and exceptional customer service! Often, when you bring kids in, there can be a dismissive reception, that sense of "let's put them in the back and rush them through the meal"..A real bonus to see a glimpse of the luau across the pool and hear the music! Fish tacos are super flavorful and not a ton of stuff on them so you can taste the freshness of the fish! Mai tais flow endlessly and that's why I can't remember anything else about our fun night!Lol!!just go there!!

Definitely run down and needs some work. My first room had a loose doorjamb that moved when the door was opened and was a tripping hazard. The second room was distressed a bit, and I needed to work to get the sliding glass door to shut since it was warped and would not lock if just closed normally. But the unbelievably loud wedding party hosted on the grounds, with music so loud I could hear it and the douchy DJ *while taking a shower* gets rid of any illusion this is a relaxing place in any way deserving of the name "resort". For what it's worth, this is my third, and will be my final, stay at this place.

I'm giving a five star rating to a three 1/2 star hotel. Yes it's dated. Yes it's a vintage, but it is in the best possible location for Kailua Kona...And the place is kept up very nicely. It's clean and I have no complaints ...The staff could not have been more accommodating. Very on point! The room was clean with fresh paint and great housekeeping services each day...we had a huge wraparound lanai with a stunning view of the bay and Kailua Village. We can easily afford to stay at a much more expensive resort north of Kailua and have a luxury hotel experience but we also like staying in town and enjoying the access and walking ease to markets and shops....so if you're gonna stay in town, this IS the place to stay. It's a really old school fun vibe and I highly recommend this place. Parking is close and easy and inexpensive...and for kamaaina it was free.....Just be realistic and understand that this is not The Four Seasons.... It's a classic Hawaii experience which we enjoyed... they are operating it right and doing everything on point in my opinion.

BIG ISLAND HAWAII 2023 VACATION #14: 6-DAY STAY In May 2018 I came to the Big Island to attend my nephew's high school graduation at Kailua-Kona. I was supposed to stay here and planned my itinerary based off this resort, but things fell through as my cousin and I ended up staying at a condo at Waikoloa Village. Not staying at the Royal Kona Resort affected my itinerary. Fast forward five years later I was back at the Big Island for my niece's high school graduation from the same high school her brother graduated. Through Hawaiian Airlines I booked a bundle for a flight and hotel, which included the Royal Kona Resort. I was able to book a room with an ocean view. I stayed at the Royal Kona Resort for six nights from Tuesday to Memorial Day. The Deluxe Room where I stayed was spacious. I wouldn't say this is a big room, but there is so much space around the bed that you don't feel cramped in the room. There are certain features of this resort. First is the resort is located in the heart of Ali'i Drive, which I believe in about 10-15 years can be the next Waikiki. Walking along Ali'i Drive are shops and eateries. I'll admit they cater to tourists, but they're convenient if you are staying at a hotel close to Ali'i Drive. Another feature of this resort is the ocean view, which is what customers pay a premium for. There are two pools: regular pool and the lagoon pool. The regular pool has an ocean view where you can gaze and relax. The lagoon pool, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to stay at the Royal Kona Resort five years ago, is a natural lagoon with water so clear you can see fish, crab, and sea urchins. I swam at the lagoon pool for one day. As a guest you can partake in yoga daily through the fitness center in the morning. If you want to go to a luau, Royal Kona Resort hosts the Voyagers of the Pacific Luau. Five years ago I attended this luau at Royal Kona Resort. That was the first time I went to a luau. I'll be honest the food at the luau wasn't great, but the performances were entertaining especially with the view of the ocean. One of the benefits of the Royal Kona Resort is the water dispenser that is located at the check-in/ check-out area of the hotel where guests can get free cold, distilled water. The water from this dispenser is coldest, cleanest water I had from any hotel. There is one major drawback - the balcony overlooking the ocean view. During my stay I woke around 4:00 AM every day because of the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. The sound was a thunderous slam. The sound of the waves tempered by 6:00 AM. That's two hours of lost sleep on my vacation. Despite this drawback I enjoyed my stay at the Royal Kona Resort. Five years later from the time my cousin and I were supposed to stay here staying at Royal Kona Resort was worth the wait.

I enjoyed my stay during a weeklong work trip and I agree with other reviewers that the resort is more basic than others I've stayed at in Hawai'i. Still, the view from my corner room couldn't be beat and I spent every morning with sweet, chirpy birds on the balcony, while I drank coffee and the sun increased its shimmer on the ocean. I particularly loved snorkeling in the clear water of the private lagoon, set apart from the open ocean by large rocks. It has incredible biodiversity-- urchins, parrot fish, tangs, sea cucumbers, crabs, and so many other colorful fish-- and is very accessible. I highly recommend wearing shoes to prevent accidentally getting an urchin sting. Also, a sea turtle hangs out in the calm waters, so here's a reminder that sea turtles can be admired, but they are endangered and you need to give them their distance! The cost per room is relatively good and the happy hour at the restaurant had some great price points! I'm looking forward to my return stay at Royal Kona Resort for my next business trip!

This is a horrible place to stay for any occasion (I wouldn't call it a hotel or resort! More like a Motel). They charge $300+ a night for a room that's Outdated, rusting, very dirty and everything in the room is falling apart (including the walls/the doors/the tiles and vanity). Crazy! I'm here for a wedding and unfortunately due to being part of the wedding party we had to stay on this property. Do yourself a favor and book somewhere else (maybe Marriott Courtyard it's 10min walking distance from this property) cleaner, newer, that has resort activities such as a beach front, (I'm not sure why they charge a resort fee- they have no activities or amenities - their fitness room is a joke). Horrible rooms (they supposedly renovated in 2021), 1. the carpets are OLD and discussing you can't walk barefoot on them in the room. 2. The walls are falling off (you can see all in my photos) 3. We booked a king bed... that doesn't even look like a king bed 4. cockroaches are flying around on the property on the walls 5. Our sink had ants overflow from the day we arrived. 6. bathrooms are super outdated and old, I'm so grossed out to take showers We literally when to another hotel to spend time during the day, to have a beach front and to get quality food and drinks.

This hotel is a little older, but the resort itself is absolutely breathtaking. The staff is both professional and inviting. They were very accommodating from check-in. They have a little gazebo with a water garden with a few egg chairs in the lobby. The resort fee includes a $20 credit to the bar, $25 activity credit, and additional benefits. We definitely took advantage of the bar credit and ordered some drinks. The rooms are a decent size, I like that the island was large and had a sink because I personally don't like washing things in the bathroom. The rooms were clean and we experienced no issues. Our favorite part of the resort was definitely the salt water pool. So beautiful and unique we were surprised that it wasn't busy there but we're glad it wasn't. Parking is $25 with in and out privileges.

To be honest, I give the resort 3 stars because it's your basic hotel room but the location bumps it up to a 4 star. We arrived at the resort around 1pm and asked if we could check in and have them hold our bags while we explored the area. Their actual check in isn't until 4pm but they happily checked us in first, stored our bags and asked us to pick up our keys after 4pm. The lady who checked us in was super friendly and informative. There's no lobby area but you can't really miss the check in area. The view of the ocean from the bar/restaurant is really something special. I wasn't sure if we'd really get an ocean view room but sure enough, we did! Our view also happens to face the luau and bar, so it was interesting to watch. You do hear the waves crashing against the rocks at night, but it shouldn't be too bothersome. What is a little strange is that the balcony areas are somewhat easy to cross. Your neighbors could literally just walk right over to your balcony. This location is amazing. There are plenty of restaurants and stores to visit, although many of them do close at 9pm. We actually walked to Kona Brewing Co. our first night here. It's about a 20-25 minute walk which I thought was great because then we didn't need to worry about looking for parking later at night. There are a couple restaurants that are just down the driveway and a couple cafes a little further down. This was great because my boyfriend and I could walk to get a cup of coffee while waiting for the rest of our friends to get ready. There are other resorts in the area as well so, as a first timer, I really enjoyed the location and the convenience to so many local spots. I was a bit worried about the location at first because there were many reviews that mentioned it was somewhat dangerous, but honestly I think it's just the amount of homeless people around the area. If you're from the Bay Area (specifically SF or East Bay/Oakland) it's very, very tame. I didn't see anyone hassling tourists. Some things to note: - Daily parking fee is $25/night - They provided a $20 credit to Don's Mai Tai Bar - They host a luau on weekdays - There is a fridge but no microwave - If possible, ask for an ocean view - Located near many, many restaurants and stores Overall, this is a great place to stay for a decent price in a great location. I wouldn't recommend staying here if you're planning to visit Hilo daily, since it is a 1.5-2 hour drive, but there are many great spots on the west side of the island.

The view is very nice (probably the best place in Kona to watch the sunset?) The rooms and facilities are old, with average amenities and service. The waitresses in the hotel gift shop were very nice.

The front desk staff is definitely the highlight here. They are amazing, especially Deanette. But sadly the satisfaction ends there. The rooms are terrible, unless you're into motel 6, we had two adults and a child in our room, which was the reservation.We had to call everyday for wash clothes, towels or to even get our room cleaned. The luau food was great, the show was pretty horrible, I thought the staffed sucked but.. then I read the sign. Which sign? the sign that said management sucked. The sign, as an executive manager, i would never allow. It's sad that this would be allowed and this hotel should be avoided at all costs. Stay elsewhere! The staff deserve better!

Would be 3 stars but the view, fish tacos, and friendly bar staff bring it up to 4 stars. The outside bar / restaurant has a great view. There is a lot of hype and history with their Mai Tais. They were good but not special. Not any different than any other hotel Mai Tai served in a plastic cup. There are better Mai Tais at "Leahi" and "Three Dots and a Dash".

Check in was fast and easy. They do have their own parking lot. The room was spacious. We had a view of the ocean and overlooking the pool. The entire staff was friendly. My wife and daughter took an early morning yoga class, on site. There are three towers and only 1 pool, so finding a chair at the pool can be challenging. The lagoon is phenomenal. There are lots of great restaurants, and shops within waking distance from the hotel.

Beautiful location and grounds, but dang this hotel is in rough shape. It looks like it's 2 decades overdue for a major remodel. We stayed in a corner King room, the view was great but I expected better for the price. The deck was HUGE but was lacking any kind of comfortable seating. Instead of lounge chairs they only had 2 stools and a small table. The interior furniture wasn't much better. A small uncomfortable loveseat with a waterproof, slippery nylon like coating. Yuck. The King bed was very low to the ground and left us tossing and turning every night. They charge resort fees as well but offered nothing that interested us as we spent most of our time elsewhere. They also charge for parking. All being told I would not stay here again. There are much better Hotels in the area with newer and better amenities and accommodations. Every other hotel we walked by looked more appealing than the Royal Kona.

We chose this location based on the photos and location. When we first arrived we were very impressed by the upgraded check in area outside. As we got to our room though we knew something was not right. The ceilings were low and the halls smelled musty. As soon as we opened our hotel door the overwhelming musty smell hit us like a ton of bricks and almost knocked the wind out of us. The carpeted floors were moist to the touch and the bedding was damp and musty smelling. My husband went down to the front desk and talked to the manager where we're were informed that all rooms they could move us to would be very similar in condition. We left moments later and went to Courtyard, where we had a magnificent experience. We tried to get our money back or at least part of it and were denied. Vacationer beware.

I stay during the weekdays for work. Take a walk because it's worth it. Enjoy some fresh ocean air and enjoy the view. Walking distance to the shopping and restaurants. I will definitely be coming back. God Bless y'all.

We booked Royal Kona because our friends had a death in the family and had to cancel our Airbnb last minute. We were able to book a room. There's no guarantee that you'll get a king! Unless you pay extra. So dumb. We came on a Wednesday and they weren't able to give us a King/Queen. We got 2 fulls. The room was older but they tried to renovate it a little. It wasn't too bad. The balcony needs major renovation. You can see and go into your next door neighbor. Bathrooms are old, cabinets old and beds are old. But the maid service came everyday and cleaned our room. Pool: super small pool and lounging area. Chairs run out but if you go later in the day, you can find something. On a Saturday they ran out of pool towels. You can order drinks at the bar and drink at the pool. Pool water looks dirty, but we think it's the pool color. Major kids everywhere screaming and running around as well. Also diving which isn't allowed but no one to enforce. Parking is about $25/day with in n out. Lot gets full at night! But there's always at least one left. You can park on the streets actually. Down the street all free for all. Overall, Not the best resort due to it being so old and outdated, but in such a prime location!

Close to the waterfront, the location of this resort is ideal for anyone visiting Kailua-Kona, Big Island. For locals who are doing staycation, be forewarned there are ALOT of tourists visiting the islands. I'm from the island of Oahu and I thought Waikiki was crowded but this area is just as crowded (is it obvious I don't care for crowds)? If you're a tourist and reading my review, here's a few tips: 1. Courteous goes both ways. Please kind to the front desk staff as they are literally catering to everyone's request or inquiries. (I actually witnessed someone demand they call him a taxi to bring him to the airport at 12pm, which the staff promptly schedule but only to find out he wanted it the next day. Then, he asked what was he to do for an hour because he checks out at 11 but the scheduled pickup time is 12) 2. No one is entitled to anything even locals 3. Not all locals you see around the hotel are employees 4. Instead of standing in line at the front desk for directions, nearby stores or restaurants...Google or Yelp works fine. Overall, friendly staff, artwork, waterfront scenery and the recent renovations made it a pleasant experience. Note: If you're one to bring a water flask on vacation, they have a pure water station in the lobby area for you to fill up.

It's an ok place to stay. Most employees we encountered were pleasant and friendly. The grounds are very nice and well kept. The entire entrance area is really plush and beautiful. Some people complained that check-in is outdoors. That was no issue. The condition of the resort is a bit run down. Lots of peeling paint outside and inside. The hallways show a lot of that aging with missing paint, scuffs, and dings. The first night, we got a room with 2 beds. The beds were insanely small. I'm average height, and my feet were nearly hanging off the edge. We moved to a king bedroom the next night. The room didn't seem outdated, but don't expect anything overly fancy. Mattresses are hard as rocks and pillows are ultra flat, not a comfortable sleep. The shower had minimal water pressure. The Mai Tai bar downstairs has good drinks, but food was lack luster. Servers seemed annoyed at times. Their "gift store" was not filled and just seemed to be an afterthought. Overall, it was simply ok. The location in proximity to shopping and food was great.