Royal Kona Resort

Big Island, Hawaii

Virgin rating

Don's Mai Tai Bar
Ocean View
Standard Room
Ocean Front Room
Corner King Room
Don The Beachcomber
Don's Mai Tai Bar
Ocean View
Standard Room
Ocean Front Room
Corner King Room
Don The Beachcomber

The hotel

An established resort hotel, the Royal Kona is surrounding by 12 acres of tropical landscape, just steps from the sea. Its laid-back ambience ensures a relaxing stay with amenities such as an oceanfront swimming pool and a private swimming lagoon to tempt you. There are also tennis courts for those who’ve remembered to pack their whites and a fitness centre for keeping trim. A hot favourite we think will be the Mai Tai Bar, not only serving 10 types of Mai Tai’s but set in a spectacular location, against the backdrop of Kailua Bay. The Breezaway Lounge is also idyllic, with sofas and armchairs strategically placed to offer full ocean views. Grab yourself a seat, a Mai Tai (of course!) and admire dazzling sunsets night after night. At Don the Beachcomber, the dining is as sumptuous as the view, fusing Asian inspiration and European technique to create the most delightful of dishes. Not to be missed is the Lu’au — a feast of tropical delicacies, song and dance celebrating the legends and lore of Polynesia, the dramatic Fire Dance finale is breathtaking!

Amenities

  • Tennis
  • Bar
  • Evening Entertainment
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access
  • Laundry Service
  • No Smoking
  • Restaurant
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Beachfront location

Where is it

On the Island of Hawaii, beside the sea in Kailua-Kona, in the historical district and close to Hulihee Palace.

Hotel information

436 rooms and suites in 3 ocean front towers. All with air-conditioning, balcony, satellite TV with pay-per-view films, telephone, WiFi*, mini-fridge, coffee maker, safe, hairdryer, iron and board. Standard Room with 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Partial Ocean View Room with 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Ocean View Room with 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Ocean Front Corner King offer full panoramic ocean views with 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Don the Beachcomber Restaurant, Don’s Mai Tai Bar, Don’s Breezaway Lounge. Ocean front swimming pool, private swimming lagoon. Fitness centre. 4 floodlit tennis courts. Ocean front Voyagers of the Pacific Lu’au* (select evenings). Weekly Hawaiian Music Legends Concert Series. Regular live music. Activities desk. Hair salon*. Spa and Massage Centre*. Laundry self-service*. Shops. Self-parking $12 plus tax per day (payable locally, subject to change).

This hotel has a resort fee of $25 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change)

Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

*Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1776)
  • Very good (2065)
  • Average (938)
  • Poor (409)
  • Terrible (286)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Overall a good experience but needs major renovation

Nov 19, 2024 Dan G Santa Fe, New Mexico

Overall we were pleased with the Royal Kona as it met our needs. I'd give it 3.5 stars. The staff was great - friendly and professional. The ocean views from our room were beautiful. We enjoyed the lu'au. The hotel's open-air restaurant/bar was nice with views of the ocean (although Don's Mai Tai Bar closes early at 9 p.m. so you're not hanging… Read more
Overall we were pleased with the Royal Kona as it met our needs. I'd give it 3.5 stars. The staff was great - friendly and professional. The ocean views from our room were beautiful. We enjoyed the lu'au. The hotel's open-air restaurant/bar was nice with views of the ocean (although Don's Mai Tai Bar closes early at 9 p.m. so you're not hanging out with friends for the evening). The room was clean and the bed comfortable. The hotel is a relatively short walk (5 to 10 minutes) to Kailua-Kona. Parking was convenient. The only catch is that the place is outdated and needs a major reno job. The extensive concrete spalling on the exterior walls was a bit concerning. Also, a minor point, but it was a little strange that you could not get anything other than a basic cup of coffee at the resort. My wife likes her latte in the morning while vacationing and we needed to walk into town every day for her fix. It was a pleasant walk but still . . . . If you enjoy going out for the day to sightsee and use a hotel as a home base I'd recommend it. If you're looking for a resort experience where you never need to leave the grounds I wouldn't recommend it. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Solo getaway

Nov 18, 2024 gengalletes Ocean View, Hawaii

Needed some quiet time so I booked an ocean view room for a weekend getaway. Wi-Fi worked well, lots of parking, and the Mai Tai bar downstairs was perfect for lite dinner. I feel rested and ready to take on life again. Will definitely be doing this again for some "me" time.
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Just a shame

Nov 18, 2024 Journey10935229858

We stayed here 10 years ago for my Mothers 80th and it was great, so we booked it again in November for my Mothers celebration of life with 35 family members. The people checking you in were fantastic, they were fairly quick with the check in process. We upgraded to a corner ocean front room $50 a day extra, the room was like it was 10 years ago… Read more
We stayed here 10 years ago for my Mothers 80th and it was great, so we booked it again in November for my Mothers celebration of life with 35 family members. The people checking you in were fantastic, they were fairly quick with the check in process. We upgraded to a corner ocean front room $50 a day extra, the room was like it was 10 years ago the only difference was that the room is now older and everything in it. The coffee maker is a single cup style, not a Kurig style but a pouch with single serve terrible non Kona coffee. The air conditioning in the room was adequate in the morning, but by afternoon it couldn’t keep up causing the room temperature to raise up to 80 degrees and stay that way till 10:00 pm. The sliding glass door was hard to open and the corner room lanai was void of any style, two old chairs and a table. Only thing the room had that was good was the bed, very comfortable. The people that work here couldn’t have been nicer, room housekeeping was on point! Parking is the worst, you pay around $25 a day which is fine. Good luck trying to find a spot if you’re returning back to the hotel around 5:00 pm because of the Luau’s they host almost every night. The $25 a day resort fee is a joke, pool is tiny and with only a dozen lounge chairs. There is no coffee available after the restaurant closes and the coffee you do get there tastes as old as the hotel. I mean Kona has the best coffee in the world and they serve coffee that tastes like it came from my Grandmothers cupboard. We were the reason my family stayed here for 8 nights and were so disappointed, also they do not have a buffet breakfast anymore! We prepaid for the breakfasts but it’s ala cart now, they said since Covid! I have stayed in hotels all around the world and this one ranks as one of the worst, the only thing it has going for it is that it’s ocean front. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great location and views, convenient to dining and shopping, needs better WiFi

Nov 17, 2024 LoveRescueDogs Westminster, Colorado

We stayed 6 nights here, loved the location - very convenient to restaurants and shopping. There is an ABC convenience store just a few minutes walk away with food, drink, clothing, and souvenirs. We splurged and got an ocean view room, worth every penny! We didn't rent a car; we used Lyft and/or walked instead and that worked perfectly for… Read more
We stayed 6 nights here, loved the location - very convenient to restaurants and shopping. There is an ABC convenience store just a few minutes walk away with food, drink, clothing, and souvenirs. We splurged and got an ocean view room, worth every penny! We didn't rent a car; we used Lyft and/or walked instead and that worked perfectly for us. No microwave but was nice to have a small refrigerator. Room in need of some updating, but our main complaint was choppy, unreliable WiFi which made uploading and sharing photos difficult. We threw away a lot of empty plastic bottles, hope the resort recycles but we saw no bins specific for that. We would definitely stay here again if we get the chance to go back to Kona! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Old but STILL Beautiful

Nov 17, 2024 34bl

It is one of the oldest resorts on Ali'i Drive, but still has the most beautiful views. Needs some renovations but they are in the process of that. What makes up for the dated buildings are the nicest and most professional staff in Hawaii. From the bartenders to the grounds cleaning staff. I would HIGHLY recommend this resort to anyone who wanted… Read more
It is one of the oldest resorts on Ali'i Drive, but still has the most beautiful views. Needs some renovations but they are in the process of that. What makes up for the dated buildings are the nicest and most professional staff in Hawaii. From the bartenders to the grounds cleaning staff. I would HIGHLY recommend this resort to anyone who wanted to go to hawaii. Read less