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.
My wife and I visited the National Park some time following the Kilauea late spring eruptions and the volcano had quietened down somewhat although hot steam was still pouring out of various areas showing signs of activity. Many of the trails had been lost and other trails were either closed or shortened for understandable safety reasons. The Volcano House Hotel is well worth a visit as it is perfectly located near the rim of the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, a pit crater located within the much larger summit of Kīlauea which doubled in size following the May eruptions. At the rear of the hotel, there is an outside viewing area and informative Rangers are there to provide their expertise to visitors.
Just reopened in October 2018 with a new different view
SCalif
(Los Angeles, California)
I managed to snag a crater view room just after the hotel reopened. The staff must have gone all out to get the place on line. The restaurants opened while I was in house. So I got to enjoy the breakfast buffet each morning. Thanks to Daniel the “omelet man” for his conversations. Sadly the ever burning fireplace has chimney damage, so was not burning. Maybe someone took some coals and the tradition will be reborn!
The rooms are nice and clean. Don’t expect TV, but the WiFi worked well and I was able to send out pictures of the new look to friends. The staff were to a person happy to be back at work with the public after a five month closing.
I was disappointed that some of the nearby trails are closed for safety reasons, but did catch a beautiful rainbow at the end of Chain of Craters Road.
Cool place to see a live volcano
Joel C
(Telluride, Colorado)
The Volcano House Hotel sits right on the rim of the steaming Kilauea volcano inside the national park. The staff if so friendly. Watching the sunset at dinner overlook the crater was sensational. Free bikes to explore and a wonderful buffet breakfast at a very fair price. Not to miss.
Resturant review only
jennyf791
(Stockholm County, Sweden)
Do not eat here!
The menu looks great but in reality the fish and chips are basiclly very dry fish sticks and the fries were not freshly made.
It said on the menu that they would be coconut and macademian nut crusted but it tasted like bad panko crust.
You better head to the Volcano Village for food.
Worth the splurge
A_Red_Travels
(San Francisco, California)
We stayed here just after the volcano park opened this fall. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable with a desk and enormous closet. Good room but nothing special since we faced the front of the property. You might consider a room facing the crater for a phenomenal view.
The best part of this place was the view from the restaurant, making breakfast a highlight.
It was great to wake up in the Park. If you’re a morning person, you can be the first one out and have the trails to yourself. I loved getting a solo run in such an amazing place before others hit the trails.
The only downside was the limited food options. The hotel kitchen was closed during our visit, so we ate in nearby Volcano, but the town shuts down early!
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.
Nice Older Complex in a Good Location
familytravellerz
(Victoria, Canada)
We had a two bedroom condo that we booked through VRBO so we did have any interactions with the Aston staff. The condo was spacious (with the exception of the outdated and cramped kitchen) and comfortable with a large lanai and its own BBQ. The Shores is a beautiful complex in a good location. The grounds and common areas were well maintained. Pool was good. The fitness room is small but very clean and well enough equipped. The resort seemed to have a lot of full time residents.
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.
Aston Kona by the sea is in a great location. The facilities are lovely, sitting on the balcony with the see right there, was magical. Amazing sunsets.
The staff were all very friendly. Our apartment was very clean, comfortable beds and had everything we needed.
Our stay was perfect and we would definitely stay again.
Beautiful Stay
tchristie2005
(San Jose, California)
Best oceanview rooms. Loved how close we were to the Ocean and every sunset was so unique. The rooms were spacious and very neatly decorated. The rooms had a washer and dryer which made our stay really easy as we had toddlers with us. Room service was decent.
Great place!
jeanldrummond
(Bishop, California)
I loved this place. It's a great location right on the ocean and has a unique salt water pool. Just be careful when big waves come-- pretty exciting and scary! The condo was great. There's not a lot of restaurants within walking distance but did find a nice local coffee house nearby. It's out the the busyness of Kona which I liked.
Beautiful Spot
Sharyn T
(Randolph, NJ)
Beautiful location right on the ocean. The grounds are meticulously kept and there is free, ample parking (at least there was in October). You will need a car to get to the restaurants and bars. The condos are spacious with a large bedroom with en suite, full kitchen, nice sitting area, and extra bathroom. Our oceanfront room had a balcony where we sat every night and listened to the crashing waves while watching the I sunset. There is a large tv in the sitting room and a small one in the bedroom. The kitchen was stocked with everything we could possible need, and beach chairs and towels were provided. There was also a washer/dryer with a small box of Tide which was a bonus! The rooms could use some updating and paint, but I would still recommend this hotel for its location and spaciousness.
Loved It
Tcruzer
(Fresno, California)
Beautiful grounds, Friendly Knowledgeable Staff, Excellent Amneties, great location. First time Lodging on the "Kona" side of the Big Island. Looked for reasonable priced Hotel with quiet location this is it!
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.
