Hawaii may be the “Big Island,” but you could drive through all of it in as little as two days. But you won’t want to rush it. The longer you stay here, the more you will uncover Hawaii Island’s many secrets and surprises. See the stars from volcanic mountains or venture out and treck valleys to see the Hawaii Island coastline.
Breathe deep, and take in the fresh air. For a more relaxing experience visit Punaluu Beach or see the iconic waterfalls throughout the island. Observe the peculiarity of ancient petroglyphs and green sand. And let the ever-growing, lava-flowing shores bring something new for you to explore each day. This is an island that never gets old. Literally.
Love Kona by the sea, highly recommend! Had a very enjoyable family vacation location was awesome! Overlooking beautiful lava reef area, with tide pools great also! Enjoyed the view from the master bedroom in the 2 bedroom unit!
20th Anniversary
ChuckAlabama
(Hartselle, Alabama)
My wife and I had an amazing anniversary/vacation here. Everyone was extremely nice, helpful & courteous. Would recommend the Aston Kona by the Sea to friends and family as well. Beautiful ocean view from our veranda.
Beware of hidden fees!
Shinz789
Great location, great kitchen, great room, awful service. They don’t clean the rooms, charge for towels, and give enough shampoo for one when 4 people are in a room. Hidden fees galore and poor service have made me really regret this reservation. Don’t make our mistake.
Excellent
kahealanimakuakane
(Hilo, Hawaii)
We liked our room we extended one more day. The kids loved the pool. The adults enjoyed the ocean view in the morning and evening, I have only one suggestion have a light out the balcony our room didn’t have one, Other then that we loved our trip
Beautiful Island
micheledU3033NF
The room size and amenities inside the room were great. Rating themselves as a 4 star hotel is questionable.
My 2 problems were (1) front desk person who made us wait outside for 6 hrs with our luggage. I had called twice in advance and asked if they would hold our luggage indoors while we waited and was told yes. That didn't happen.
Granted we flew in 9 am and we're told check in was at 4 pm. But she was very rude, and offered nothing for us but the key to use a restroom. The sign on the office said it closed at 4pm, so how people checked in before then was a mystery. Everytime I checked to see if maybe we could get our room soon the answer was always " check in is at 4pm". Then by 3:30 pm we were told 10 min, then another 10 min wait...very aggravated by then.
(2) the outdoor furniture was rusty, torn and moldy cushions....not what you expect for a 4 star hotel!!
My only other complaint was a not so comfy bed.
Checked in on Aug 16th, 2021 in room 215.
We absolutely loved our condo at Waikoloa Shores. Possibly the best VRBO we have ever had! 322 had everything we could have wanted. Quiet, great views, comfortable furniture, fully stocked kitchen, and balcony supreme. Did we mention A-1 parking spot?
Thanks to Peggy with Waikoloa Realty. Peggy was with us throughout our process. We had multiple COVID-19 related changes. We had a seamless transition throughout!
Nick and Lori
Henderson, NV
Do not stay here. Very disappointed.
Coastal45854206169
(Choctaw, Oklahoma)
This place is horrible. The pictures that are posted are deceiving. They look nice and very updated but in actuality this place hasn’t been updated since the 70s. We were put on the third floor with stairs and the elevator was broken. We both are disabled and they had nothing else. The bed is dated back at least twenty years. Mattress very hard. No air, very hot. No cooking pans, no dishes. Limited towels, no tv. Shower was very hard to get into. No handicapped parking . Huge cockroaches. Awful awful awful. All lies. Would have given it a zero but that wasn’t an option.
Good for the price.
Mikaela C
(Rochester, Minnesota)
The condo itself was really nice- large open space with high ceilings, big kitchen, nice big patio/lanai. The kitchen has good utensils and new countertops. There were lots of towels. But the furniture was really worn out and old. The linen was scratchy and there was only one thin ugly blanket. I brought a beach blanket that I ended up using on the bed because the one provided was so poor.
Not what we expected
loritC5745UB
We stayed there thing it would be a nice place . Our room was nice enough bu the pool and surrounding area were so hot, you could not walk on stones surrounding the pool . Forget about going in the pool it was like a hot bath . I felt like we were a Floating Petri dish . We went in for less than 1 minute . Not sure what you can do to cool down maybe some umbrellas ??
Lovely property
Lucinda B
(Norton Shores, Michigan)
We enjoyed this property. We have stayed at other Ashton's and we're impressed by the grounds of this one as well. This one does not have the office on property so influenced the score a bit. The condo itself was nice but a little more dated then others I have stayed at. The bathtub/ shower has a huge step in and out with no grab bars. There is no cleaning service included in the stay without an additional cleaning fee. Towels are in abundance and cheerfully delivered. The dishwasher had something awful in the bottom that we reported. The Lanai was beautiful and beds clean and comfortable. It seemed like this unit hadn't been used for awhile as the plants and end tables were dusty and there were a few bugs (this is the tropics). The beds were comfortable. Over all the stay was great and I would stay at an Ashton again. All three of us enjoyed our stay here. We especially enjoyed our evening visits to the pool and hot tub. Very convenient location. Quiet property which suited our needs. Grills scattered throughout property for use. Gated community with a code for entry. A different code for pool and fitness center. I would stay again.
First of all...this is not a resort nor hotel. Huge disappointment. Our 3 bedroom 802 villa was fithy...Gross and disgusting. The kitchen sink has some kind of gross mold growing around the edges. So out dated, the coffe maker was straight out of the 80s. The glass dining room table had finger prints covering it, like it wasn't even cleaned for our arrival. The out door furniture was so old and weather you couldnt sit in the chairs without getting a splinter. All the baseboards have a thick layer of dust. Windows, glass doors dirty. Our upstairs shower was leaking down a vent into the half bath downstairs. The beds in each room were the most uncomfortable and wrapped in some kind a plastic coving the matress. The grounds are beautiful, but of course it's Hawaii. I can't understand after staying here why it's a 4 star..
Not impressed
Rob7039
I’m not 100% sure the staff assigned us to the correct
Room. There was a baby crib in the room when we checked in . The next day the staff called to see if they could go in the room to get it to which I said use, They them called three more times and emailed twice! This isn’t how I wanted to spend my first day of vacation.
They were not very generous with supplies either- I think there was one extra roll of toilet paper and one extra
garbage bag. The sofa bed was old and in pretty bad condition. We ended up purchasing an air mattress because there was no way anyone was going to get any sleep on that thing.And i was really unimpressed when we got locked a few days before we were due to check out. .The door code had got changed without notifying us. I wondered what would have happened if we had come back to the unit after office hours?
Not impressed anyway- wouldn’t recommend.
Quiet and beautiful
maicoman1
(Waikoloa, Hawaii)
I have been to the Big Island many many time and Colony Villas is the best place we have ever staye 2 pools and nice excersise facilities, and a very nice tennis court to boot. I would come here again without hesitation. Also felt very secure and safe
The Big Island 2019
Lucretia L
Property was beautiful as was the 3 bedroom villa we stayed in.....couldn't have asked for a better location. Home was well appointed and we did not lack for anything! Centrally located for all of our activities and with a pool and restaurant on property you really didn't need to leave if you didn't want too.
Poorly Managed
Hugemaniac1
(San Jose, CA)
These are lovely Villa style units which have fallen upon disrepair. We stayed in Unit 801 which has a great floor plan and nicely furnished. The unit though is showing signs of aging which was apparent in broken blinds lading to the patio. The management company is doing a very poor job: on check in we were missing all sorts of items such as kitchen dish soap, no sponge, a single trah bag, no soap for the dishwasher, a single partial roll of toilet paper in the bathroom among other issues. The blender smelled as if something died inside of it. On the positive side, the sleep experience was good, quiet with good bedding. The fairway views are quite lovely and the grounds are well maintained. These units have great potential but are suffering as the result of management which seems a bit indifferent.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the hub of Hawaii’s volcanoes. Head there to see the erupting Kilauea up close, and discover how the islands were made.
The Kona Coast is sunny and delicious. The land is rife with coffee, fruit, macadamia nuts, and cocoa, and there’s top-notch snorkeling off its shores.
Hilo is Hawaii Island’s doorway to discovery. You’re never far from enchanting parks, elegant gardens, and exciting happenings in this historic city and district.
Hawaii Island’s beaches are generally rugged and rocky, but A-Bay (Anaehoomalu Beach) and Hapuna Beach have soft sand, gentle shores, and classic Hawaiian beauty.
No matter when you visit, it’s time for a celebration. The Merrie Monarch Festival (week after Easter) and the Big Island Film Festival (May) are two shining examples of the festivities that are happening year round.
There are health risks related to exposure to high altitudes and volcanic fumes. Please be careful if you’re pregnant, under 16, or have breathings issues.
There are 8 distinct climate zones, and different weather patterns across Hawaii Island. If you’re heading out on a road trip, check the weather at your destination and bring appropriate clothing.
Puna and Hilo are the rainiest districts on Hawaii Island; Kona is the driest.
Must Do
Farm & Brewery Tours
Go (macadamia) nuts on a tour of Hawaii Island’s many farms and delectable breweries. You’ll sample delectable goods like Hawaiian chocolate and Kona coffee, and learn all about how Hawaii Island’s tasty treasures are harvested.
Ancient Hawaii
Add time travel to your itinerary. History buffs will love delving into the history of Hawaii Island’s sacred grounds, and the mystery of its ancient petroglyphs.
Green Sand Beach
You’ll be seeing green when you head down to the olivine shores of Papakolea Beach. You won’t find another place like it in Hawaii (or the entire U.S.).
Touring Expedition
Make a mad dash down Hawaii Island’s coastlines on an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), soar through hard-to-reach places by aircraft, or unwind on a horseback tour through awe-inspiring valleys. Every seat is a good seat.
Napua Okimoto
“I find the Big Island to be the most amazing place on the planet. The unique diversity of climates… and the warm inviting people make it feel unlike any place I have ever been. It is like being called home.”
Breathe deep, and take in the fresh air. For a more relaxing experience visit Punaluu Beach or see the iconic waterfalls throughout the island. Observe the peculiarity of ancient petroglyphs and green sand. And let the ever-growing, lava-flowing shores bring something new for you to explore each day. This is an island that never gets old. Literally.
