Makalawena Beach

Kona Islander Inn is a great low cost option for staying in Kona. Its location on Alii Drive makes everything walkable.

Words cannot express how amazing this resort is!!! Our experience staying at the Mauna Lani was beyond excellent! The resort is absolutely gorgeous, nestled on Big Island's west side surrounded by superb views of the coast, volcanos and nearby lava rock fields. The grounds are absolutely stunning, the facilities are top notch with lots of attention to detail and the property has a nice white sand beach in a bay where lots of wildlife seem to congregate (we saw 5 sea turtles in the water one morning!). The views of the sunset here are amazing and can be seen either from the beach, walking along the walkway riding along the coast or from the beautiful pools on property. The resort is pretty remote from a lot of places, and we needed 2 1/2 hours to drive down to Volcanoes National park but being so isolated and disconnected was the best! Our room was an oceanfront room with a beautiful view looking west (sunsets here were amazing to see to!). We found the room very luxurious, roomy and clean. The fine dining restaurant Canoe House was excellent in terms of the taste & quality of the food and the service, plus the resort has a bar near the pools and a little market for buying lots of snacks and drinks. We recommend this hotel to anyone staying on Big Island!!!

Really loved the location and especially the pool that overlooked the ocean. It was nice that it was never busy with loud kids/people and was pretty mellow. The room we stayed in, however, was a bit run down and kind of smelled like it was cleaned with a dirty sponge and the floor looked like it was never washed, based on my socks turning black after walking around on it. Also wasn’t a fan of the centipede’s crawling on my bed and floor. I wouldn’t recommend staying on the ground level. On the positive, all of the staff was amazing and attentive. Great customer service and welcoming. (Even after my complaints 😬) I’d consider staying here again in the future.