Forgive me if this question isn't specifically Aulani related, but I've never been to Hawaii and all the commentators in this thread seem so nice and helpful that I am hoping they can help me make a decision! For some reference, this is an adults only trip and will definitely be post Covid, whenever that may be (hopefully maybe February, but even that's looking too optimistic right now).
I'm looking at going to the Big Island and do a split stay between two hotels. The reason for this is that the first three days I'm planning on being more adventurous and I don't want to spend money on a big beach resort if I'm barely going to be in the hotel. For reference, the plan is to arrive one day and explore Kona, then spend one day on a tour of the southern half of the island (including Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Volcano National Park, and stargazing near Mauna Kea) followed by another tour of the middle/northern-ish half of the island (including Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, and Rainbow Falls) another day (all through Wasabi Tours, which I've read great things about - let me know if you tried them!). The current plan is to stay somewhere like the Kona Seaside Hotel or the Holiday Inn Express Kona, depending on the best rate I can get.
After all that, I was to do three days doing the classic beach vacation, just relaxing by the beach and pool. After a bunch of research, I'm kind of stuck between two options - the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.
The pros of staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott is that it's walking distance to a lot of shops and restaurants. I don't plan on renting a car, so it would be nice to be able to eat or go somewhere that isn't just the resort, and possibly save some money on the marked up hotel food. There is also a beachside restaurant right next door, and some cool looking ancient petroglyphs just down the road. The beach it's on also looks beautiful. The downside is that the reviews aren't great, especially when it comes to the food. Also, the prices aren't that much better compared to my other option, and in some cases even look higher.
Which brings me to The Westin Hapuna Beach. It looks absolutely gorgeous! The reviews on everything seem great and the beach looks fantastic. There is also an adults only pool, and since it will be an adults only trip this feature is particularly welcome. It's definitely a step up in quality from the Marriott. Also, such a small detail, but all the rooms seem to have a large lanai/balcony with a day bed and a table and chairs, and it looks like all the rooms are at least a partial ocean view, which would mean just sitting out there should be a great experience. The downsides is that it is pretty far away from everything, and without a car it seems like you are pretty much stuck there for your entire stay, as going off property for food would be a hassle. Many of the reviews also mention a lot of noise and disturbances from construction pretty much in front of the hotel, but hopefully when I go (post Covid) it will have wrapped up (as a note, the construction seems to technically be off the Westin property so from what I can tell, there isn't much they can do about it, so I hate to fault them for that).
What do you guys think? Have you stayed at either hotel? I think I'm leaning towards the Westin, but something about being around other shops and restaurants is calling me back to the Marriott. What should I do?
I'm looking at going to the Big Island and do a split stay between two hotels. The reason for this is that the first three days I'm planning on being more adventurous and I don't want to spend money on a big beach resort if I'm barely going to be in the hotel. For reference, the plan is to arrive one day and explore Kona, then spend one day on a tour of the southern half of the island (including Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, Volcano National Park, and stargazing near Mauna Kea) followed by another tour of the middle/northern-ish half of the island (including Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, and Rainbow Falls) another day (all through Wasabi Tours, which I've read great things about - let me know if you tried them!). The current plan is to stay somewhere like the Kona Seaside Hotel or the Holiday Inn Express Kona, depending on the best rate I can get.
After all that, I was to do three days doing the classic beach vacation, just relaxing by the beach and pool. After a bunch of research, I'm kind of stuck between two options - the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.
The pros of staying at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott is that it's walking distance to a lot of shops and restaurants. I don't plan on renting a car, so it would be nice to be able to eat or go somewhere that isn't just the resort, and possibly save some money on the marked up hotel food. There is also a beachside restaurant right next door, and some cool looking ancient petroglyphs just down the road. The beach it's on also looks beautiful. The downside is that the reviews aren't great, especially when it comes to the food. Also, the prices aren't that much better compared to my other option, and in some cases even look higher.
Which brings me to The Westin Hapuna Beach. It looks absolutely gorgeous! The reviews on everything seem great and the beach looks fantastic. There is also an adults only pool, and since it will be an adults only trip this feature is particularly welcome. It's definitely a step up in quality from the Marriott. Also, such a small detail, but all the rooms seem to have a large lanai/balcony with a day bed and a table and chairs, and it looks like all the rooms are at least a partial ocean view, which would mean just sitting out there should be a great experience. The downsides is that it is pretty far away from everything, and without a car it seems like you are pretty much stuck there for your entire stay, as going off property for food would be a hassle. Many of the reviews also mention a lot of noise and disturbances from construction pretty much in front of the hotel, but hopefully when I go (post Covid) it will have wrapped up (as a note, the construction seems to technically be off the Westin property so from what I can tell, there isn't much they can do about it, so I hate to fault them for that).
What do you guys think? Have you stayed at either hotel? I think I'm leaning towards the Westin, but something about being around other shops and restaurants is calling me back to the Marriott. What should I do?