We are coming to the big island in January 07. We haven%26#39;t taken a serious vacation in three years and are looking forward to some deep r%26amp;r. We don%26#39;t mind paying for quality, but can be happy with foraging in local spots. Is the Village a trap for the rich or can it back up it%26#39;s high fallootin%26#39; claims. (Especially the food). We are coming for eight nights and don%26#39;t want to be disappointed. What%26#39;s the local take?
Kona Village- is it worth it?
There was a time....
When Kona Village was surrounded by miles and miles of unbroken black lava, creating a stupendous sense of isolation and exclusivity. The rustic, no-tech ambience was well suited for its location, and you could really get a feel for how old King Kam felt as he visited his shoreline oasis.
The food was prepared by award-winng chefs and was considered the best available on the island along with Mauna Kea Beach.
It was considered one of the top destinations in the islands.
Today, the Village is surrounded by upscale, modern resort projects (Kukio and Hualalai/Kaupulehu), golf courses and traffic. There are now dozens of restaurants in Kona-Kohala which offer as good, or better, food; and, several hotels which are equally or more exclusive.
In my book its theme and charm, unfortunately, have meaningfully vanished. Another local icon lost to unbridled development.
It probably barely (or doesn%26#39;t even) crack the top ten in the state among ';luxury'; resort hotels anymore.
If you are honeymooning and want privacy to the max, or if you just like to hang around drinkin%26#39; and eatin%26#39;, it could still be the place. But there are hotels with better beaches, better service and better food nowadays.
Kona Village- is it worth it?
Well, I guess it%26#39;s OK to disagree. I spend a long weekend at the KVR every year for 15 years now. It%26#39;s an exclusive resort and worth every penny IMHO. It%26#39;s the ultimate R%26amp;R. Hale Samoa, the resort%26#39;s main restaurant is one of the best restaurants on the island (along with Pahuia at the Four Seasons.) While the KVR price might seem high, all food and most activities are included in the price. Do your math and decide yourself. BTW, the best luau on the island is there too. (Another weekly event is the Paniolo Night, honoring the Hawaiian cowboys, but I was not imressed with it.) May and September are ';adults only'; months.
Thanks for your prompt and informative replies. We are curious where else (on the big island) anybody might recommend. The Village still has a certain draw for us; we have no prior experience there to compare it with. We have a little difficulty with the scale of things and also best use of time. We considered two nights in Hilo or four nights at the Mauna Kea, or countless other ideas. The luxury of too many choices!
I think that you need to decide what you want your vacation to be. If you really need down time without wanting to think about what to eat or do or where to go, Kona Village is probably your place. It%26#39;s a great place to escape and just let the days go by.
One other idea is the resort right next to the Kona Village, the Four Seasons Hualalai. The rooms are huge (and air conditioned), stunning baths (with the 1st floor ones having a 2nd outdoor shower), and beautiful grounds. The spa is incredible, the best I have used in all of Hawaii. The restauants are great, some of the best on the island, but you do have a choice and can go out for dinner and not feel like you should eat at the resort because the meal is included in the room rate (like at the Kona Village). All this luxury does not come cheap, but at a similar price to the Kona Village, and at the FS you get what has been rated by many as the best resort of all the islands. And if you want to avoid the traffic that is getting worse as you leave the resort, there is no reason to leave; the FS provides and environment that you will never want to leave. I feel you would not be disappointed by the FS.
Planker,
Hmm. Yes it is worth it. Is it the best on the island? Pretty close.
The food is excellent. The price is high. The ambiance is singularly unique.
Big, massive, huge difference between KVR and anything one may find in Hilo, so for your two nights on the East side consider Volcano, or if Hilo check out a B and B such as the Shipman house.
If you do split your time on the West side, I can highly recommend the Mauna Kea Beach. A fabulous beach with excellent dining (Sunday brunch is unbelievable) and close to Waimea, where additional fine dining can be had.
Here is what I would do, were it me:
Fly into Hilo and check out the Farmers Market, HVNP, etc. Spending one or two nights and eat dinner in Hilo.
Drive over to the West side and stay 3 nights at MKB hotel. Eat in Waimea at Merrimans and Thiebaut鈥檚, and try to time it so you are there for Sunday brunch. Enjoy Hapuna and Kauna鈥檕a beaches.
Then close with extreme luxury and relaxation at KVR the last three nights, eating there and at Pahuia.
Fly out of Kona.
';Looking for some deep R%26amp;R';
KVR is definately relaxing. I am not a local but did stay there last November for 10 days. It was, quite frankly, the best vacation I had ever been on. After the first day, we all feel into the routine of the village. This was our usual day.....woke up by birds and the quiet noises %26amp; whispers of other guest waking and grinding coffee in their hales. Walked to breakfast on the outdoor patio overlooking a stunning coastline. Had breakfast of macadamia nut pancakes, bacon, coffee, and fresh fruit...all terrific. Within 3 minutes of signing my bill, I was at the beach hut asking for my snorkle gear and swimming with the turtles. The snorkeling was great and abundant. When you surface from the water, you can smell the bacon and coffee! HEAVEN! Then off to the pool for swimmimg with the kids. Lunch is an incredible outdoors buffet...the ice cream and desserts are so good. Then more lounging, perhaps some water activity, gecko hunting, shell necklace making, noodling.....back to the hale, shower, dinner at one of two suberb restuarants and then a casual stroll back to the hale on the moonlit paths and peaceful sleep to the sounds of the ocean and breezes.
Not to mention the polite and kind staff %26amp; guests, the incredible sunsets, the amazing amount of turtles in the water and on the beach in the afternoon, the no t.v.s, radios, cell phones, phones, etc.
We liked it so much that we are returning om January 9, 2007 until the 23rd for a total of 14 days. Our first trip we did leave the village twice and couldn%26#39;t wait to get back.......so if you want to relax and unwind, this is the place. If you wanyt nightlife, entertainment, ';civilization';, the Four Seasaons is next door.
Ann
Yep, sounds like my long weekends there. You drop off your car upon arriving and don%26#39;t even want to leave the resort. They recently changed the minimum stay to four days so I guess I will have to take an extra day off next time! :)
Ditto echolynch%26#39;s plan! (If you want hotels.)
I am not good for a solid week of doing nothing in the company of strangers. Maybe it%26#39;s Only Child Syndrome? DH and I have visited Hawaii for 25 years -- only toured Kona Village, but that was plenty for me. I%26#39;m not a B %26amp; B person, either; don%26#39;t want to make polite conversation at the end of a sightseeing day.
If you haven%26#39;t vacationed in three years, that isolation may sound great, but will you really like it? DH and I have enjoyed self-catering in GB, some in isolated spots, but discovered we were happy to get back to where we could watch the evening news on TV!
I want my ';isolation'; at my own pace -- breakfast or dinner in my own condo -- in my jammies if I like. I want the choice of places to go and things to see without bumping out of a ';wilderness'; to get to them.
Obviously, there are a lot of people with different tastes or the tourist industry would collapse!
Given TT%26#39;s post above, one would have to alter my suggested itinerary to be the last 4 nights at KVR.
