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.
Breathe deep, and take in the fresh air. Feel the magic in the volcanic mountains, deep valleys, hot springs, and cascading waterfalls. 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.
Let me start off with the food, it was fantastic: I ordered the mauka and makia. The lobster was cooked to perfection, and the char on the steak was mouth watering. Now let me talk about the service. Our waiter, John, was great. He was funny, interesting, relatable, and everything else you would want. The view was amazing. We could see the stars and it was gorgeous.
Two dining rooms, one with table cloths and one without
Jarvis1234
(Waikoloa, Hawaii)
We ate near the window facing the crater in the fine dining room. It was wonderful. Kevin was a good waiter. Nice variety. Probably our nicest meal. The volcano house was closed for awhile, now reopend with great new management. It's been there for many years. We've eaten there many many trips. It's like "old money" eats there. Fine dining, with cloth table cloths and cloth napkins. The atmosphere is wonderful, and food is good and well presented. Prices were high, but what do you expect for a 5* type restaurant. Our best location and meal on the Big Island. On the Crater rim, and you can see the smoking crater. Jarvis
Great location for visiting volcano national park
zzzsteve
(Southampton, United Kingdom)
Hotel sits right on the rim of the volcano. Although there is no visible lava there is still a lot see in the park. This hotel is great for driving and waking to the park. The hotel itself is rustic and average but it’s location is excellent and it means you make an early start to exploring the many volcanic sites across a very large area. Food is good and buffet breakfast is good.
Kiluea Caldera Lunch
531JimB
(Belleville, Canada)
We recently visited Volcano House restaurant at the Kiluea Crater. The panoramic view from our table by the window was incredible. From this view the volcano seems quiet and inactive. The food was great and the staff were very friendly. Our waitress Stacy showed us pictures on her cell phone of the active rift zone located near her house. We could tell from her story that it was a scary experience.
Stunning location, great service
k808a
(Honolulu)
We had stopped by many times on around-the-island trips, but this was our first overnight stay. The building dates to the 1940s, so no one should be expecting glam resort treatment, but everything was totally comfortable, clean & functional. We were served complimentary mimosas on check-in, and the free morning coffee was excellent. The staff was friendly and helpful. There are no TVs (by design) but the Wi-fi was at least as good as many city hotels. Our room had a safe, but no refrigerator -- you must go down to the bar to get ice. As the only hotel inside the park, it's a short walk to the visitor center and Volcano Art Center and an easy hike to Steaming Bluff and Sulphur Banks. And of course Kilauea caldera -- with Halema'uma'u crater vastly expanded by the summer 2018 collapse -- is literally a few feet away. We came away thinking about our next visit.
Aston Staff Are Superb & The Grounds Are Wonderful
yes2travel
(Atlanta, GA)
I must begin by giving high marks to the Aston desk staff. Jenny Tolentino knows her business and how to make customers happy. I spoke with her before and during my stay and she went over the top to make things wonderful. If you stay here through an Aston booking don't hesitate to ask for her assistance if needed. You will not be disappointed.
Our unit was a 2BR Garden View. The unit size was terrific and the balcony out of this world wonderful. The unit itself is privately owned and was very dated. There were patch marks on the walls, worn out cabinets and a general "1970's" type furnishings, sinks etc. The kitchen appliances and furnishings definitely need replacing and from something more upscale than Wal-Mart. Regardless of the shabby room disappointment we had a lovely time and will definitely return to the resort in the future. (Albeit requesting a different room.) The pool and grounds are fantastic. The tennis courts very well maintained. It is lushly landscaped and very quiet. Access to Waikoloa restaurants is easy and the nearby hiking trails wonderful. Wish I was there right now!!
Beautiful, gated community that felt like home
Janie4359
(Round Rock, Texas)
This is a lovely, gated community and the Aston management property employees were extremely friendly and helpful. Hailey was very nice and helpful with our check-in process. There's even a free movie rental box in their office to take some movies to your unit. We got lucky and were placed in a Villa (#18). Villas are grouped 4 together; 2 upstairs units and 2 main level. We scored an upstairs villa that had nice furnishings. Since these are privately owned properties, each unit will be different. The villas have a carport for one car for each villa. 2 separate carports for the building of 4 villas. If you can be lucky enough to get placed in a villa, you will have an ocean view overlooking the golf course. The lanai was very large with a table for 6, a couch and even had access from the Master bedroom as well as the 2nd bedroom. Each night we were treated to a beautiful sunset. This was a 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath condo. The extra 1/2 bath came in real handy with 4 of us getting ready. Both bathrooms were large with the master having a large, 2 headed shower and the other bathroom having a garden tub and lovely shower. Both bathrooms were double vanities. There's a safe in the master closet. You are close the the Kings Shops and Queens Marketplace as well as the Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. The only minor issue was some pesky sugar ants which the management company were quick to come and spray. Central air so it was very comfortable. We will definitely return here on our next visit.
Redoak1977
Redoak1977
(Jamestown, Pennsylvania)
We spent a week at the Shores. It was clean, roomy, and comfortable. A wonderful condo with beautiful grounds. The staff was very helpfull and friendly. If you are going to be on the Big Island, I highly recommend staying at the Shores.
Great home away from home
vegewalk
(Santee, California)
Our two bedroom condo was overlooking the golf course. It was way bigger than I imagined. We booked through Costco and feel like we really got our money's worth. Having a washer and dryer in unit saved us from bring more luggage. It was clean, service was great for check-in and check-out. We chose not to get daily maid service.
We used the condo as a launching pad for most of our adventures driving around to other places, so we didn't do much on property. When we needed to stay in and relax the condo definitely suited our needs.
Units are good; location is touristy
John H
(Fullerton, California)
The units are very nice, AC is good, and lanai is very nice. Units are spacious. The pool is very nice, clean, and has a range of depth from 3-5, but not much 3 feet. Little kids will need floaties. Hot tub is nice although the jets are not very strong. In July the place felt deserted; might be due to weather (90), volcano, etc.
The area is very touristy and pricey. It's about 0.5 miles to rocky shore and 1 mile to sandier A-bay. The grounds feel safe and are green, but everything is spaced out (ie, need a car to get around comfortably), and it feels 100% tourists. If you want to mingle with locals, this is most definitely not the place.
I was surprised by the size of the villas. Our family of 4 stayed in unit 403, which was very private and overlooked the 10th hole of the Waikoloa Beach golf course. It was a clean, 2 story unit with 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, a stocked kitchen, and a large, open living area with an additional fold out couch. There is a lanai off the master bedroom and a patio off the dining area with views of the golf course and blocked from other units. In the garage was beach and pool toys as well as 2 boogie boards. Other units in the complex are not as private, so note the location of the condo you rent. The villas are located close to the Hilton and the Kings and Queens shops. There is a garage attached to the unit and this unit also had a reserved parking space. Walking to the beach, restaurants, and Buddha Point is easy from the condo. It is a quiet, gated community with easy access to everything in the Waikoloa Beach area.
HAWAII VACATION #7: LAST MINUTE ACCOMMODATION AT THE BIG ISLAND
Gerald R
(Oakland, California)
Prior to this past May I've never been to Hawaii. Last February my family and I booked our trip to Hawaii to attend my nephew's high school graduation in May. We planned to stay for five days at the Big Island. We were going to stay at Royal Kona Resort through a family discount. However two weeks prior to my Hawaii trip we ended up not getting the reservation. Desperately at the eleventh hour on Friday before Cinco de Mayo my cousin's girlfriend booked this place. Even though we were about 45 minutes away from our original destination to stay we had no choice but to book the reservation at this place as everything else was booked.
Where you stay affects your itinerary. By staying here I had to change my itinerary. If things don't go as you plan you have to make the most of it. Even though I wasn't able to stay at Royal Kona Resort there were some benefits of staying here. First this place is about 2 minute drive away from Queens Market Place, which not only was the pickup destination for the Kohala Waterfall Tour but also there was grocery place Island Gourmet Markets and Starbucks that serves Kona Coffee, which you can't find at any Starbucks on the mainland. Second unlike the busy resorts full of tourists this place is separated from all the noise because you're staying at a condo. Third this condo is very safe as you don't have to worry about theft as this a gated facility. The house we stayed at was a two-story with 3 three bedrooms. In this facility there is a tennis court and swimming pool. During my 5-day stay here on the last week of May I had a relaxing, quiet time here.
There are drawbacks staying here. First unlike the resorts that are situated next to a beach this condo isn't close to a beach that is walking distance. Second is this condo is more expensive than a resort. Third and the most important is you are responsible for cleanup through the usage of the kitchen and bathroom. By staying at a resort you don't have to worry about the cleanup. I'll be honest my rating had to do by not staying at a hotel and ended up by staying here at the last minute.
This place isn't for everyone. If you're with family I believe a resort would be more beneficial. However if you plan to have a bachelor or bachelorette party this place would be more useful and convenient than staying at a resort. At the end it all depends on you where to stay.
Great beach services
tarajog
(Visakhapatnam, India)
Great Beach services. It supplies all snorkeling gear, beach gear and chairs. It provides super market just out side the villa area called Queens market. Accommodation is very nice with scenic view, clean and neat. Tennis court and swimming pool facility is available. There is Beach next to it called Waikoloa.
First time visit
Buttons560
(Beaverton, OR)
We have stayed in several condos in the Waikoloa area but we thought we would stay somewhere new. It was very nice. Where we had to check in at the Queens shopping center was quite a ways from the actual condos. The staff was very helpful and friendly, especially Emmie. Every time we interacted with her, she was so willing to help us with anything we needed. You had to go into Aston's office to get extra coffee, shampoo, soaps, detergent , etc.. which was kind of a pain. The condo itself was very nice, parking was kind of an issue. Not a lot of spaces for people that rent in the facility, I think it was more owner occupied. The swimming pool area was very slippery and dangerous when wet. I saw several little kids falling down and the edge of the pool was very sharp, saw a man cut his foot. All in all it was a nice place to stay.
A great option considering space, cost, and location
snowseekerWA
(washington)
We made our reservation through Air B and B and a group called Resortica. This is the same property, but possibly different units than those available through Aston, but it's the same overall development/neighborhood/property.
Wiakoloa village is a great place to stay and this condo complex was perfect for the price, location, and amenities. The unit itself is a well designed townhome with minimal shared walls, was spacious and very comfortable. The bed arrangements were perfect for our family (two singles for the kids, a queen for grandma, and a king for mom and dad), the kitchen/dining area was well stocked and had more than ample space, and the living room with very tall ceilings had a great feel to it. There was a HUGE grass/green space out the back sliding doors, which was perfect for the kids to let themselves out and play. The appliances were new and efficient making it as easy as being home to get the dishes and laundry done. The only thing I would change if I were building it myself would be to increase the outdoor patio space. Also the owners/managers go out of their way to say you get a "starter" amount of laundry detergent/dish soap etc... We were very pleasantly surprised to find enough supplies (garbage bags, soap/detergent, shampoo, etc...) to probably last a month. Lastly, it was really great to have a nice collection of beach chairs, beach umbrella(s), boogie boards, tennis equipment, some sand toys, and towels galore. All this stuff is really hard to travel with and we were very happy to have it in Hawaii waiting for us without having to spend a bunch of money to gear up on arrival. They even had some basic cooking things like oils (vegetable and peanut), salt, pepper, balsamic, and a few other things. The kitchen supplies, pots/pans, dishes, were better and more numerous than anything we have at home.
This particular unit was nice in that it was across the street from one of the pools. The pool was also wonderful. It was warm, but refreshing. It was really fun to swim under the stars without being too cold. The hot tub was large and accommodating. The grills around the pool made making a poolside lunch/dinner easy and fun. My wife enjoyed the work out facilities and there are many paths and lots of space in the roadways for running/biking and kid play.
Having the pass to the Hilton was the icing on the cake. While it's a bit of an outing/effort to navigate the resort because it's so big, it is a wonderful perk to have. We had one day where it was too windy to be on the beach and we were able to retreat to the Hilton for more fun in the sun instead of feeling like we had to retire to the room or condo pool. It's a very easy to walk there from the rental, however, with two younger kids and LOTS of pool and sand toys it was only practical to drive. The kids (ages 3 and 6) did scooter with me to the Hilton while my wife drove and we met up in the parking lot to gear up. It's also easy and fun to head over to the Hilton for their luau and its nice to have free parking for the event, too.
In the end I would highly suggest the Wiakoloa Village Resortica as an excellent location and we really enjoyed this rental as an outstanding place for your Hawaiian adventures.
We were really happy with our full ocean view apartment. The view was stunning, pool and bbq area was terrific and we used the BBQ along with other guests. The apartment had everything we needed, comfortable beds, clean, well equipped kitchen, small grocery store just up the road or a short drive to bigger store. The decor was slightly dated but still nice. We had a car for our entire stay, which I would recommend, not just to get in and out of Kona town centre but because the island has so much to explore.
We really recommend this place.
Perfect location
tishymckay
(Westwood, Massachusetts)
Stayed a week during Christmas break and really enjoyed the vibe here. It’s small enough to feel cozy but big enough to give you privacy. Had a two bedroom ocean front and the view from the balcony was perfect. Each sunset was framed by a few palm trees over looking the crashing waves. Close enough to activities but also not right down town. Really enjoyed our stay.
Great visit
slhawk
(California City, California)
We have stayed here three or four times over a span of many years. This was probably one of the best visits. Condos have been updated. There is still some things that should be done but is an improvement. The front desk staff is great. We had some issues with a rental car and the maintenance guys jumped right in to help. We really felt like they cared. We will definitely be back!
For the cost of our room plus the daily extra chores supposedly for the room to be serviced, it was very average.
Janelle P
Our room had a wonderful view of Wakaii Beach however it was very dated, nothing in the mini bar, had to ask for the coffee machine to be fixed, the coffee was disgusting! Over the bath shower was not acceptable as we are older ladies...certainly not 21yr..not much older however! Location was good, every day was soooo expensive due to the extra charge they put on (daily) for room service!
Fabulous anchor point for island exploration
jays4
(Brisbane Region, Australia)
We had a fab ocean view room on the second floor. This unit had good quality fixtures and fittings and everything you could possibly need in the kitchen including a fantastic coffee machine. We cooked in and ate out. We were going to bbq one evening but it was very busy so we decided to cook in and eat on the balcony. A few times we used the pool area and lounges for sunset viewing - this was always very clean and ample room in and out of pool. Spa very popular. Great parking for our hire car which you do need as too far to walk to restaurants in the evening. Little beaches either way and same for food stores etc. checkin and checkout easy and daily room service very accommodating with free coffee sachets each day. Would stay here again for another fortnight in a heartbeat.
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 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 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. Feel the magic in the volcanic mountains, deep valleys, hot springs, and cascading waterfalls. 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.
