Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows - Hawaii (The Big Island)

Overall, we enjoyed our stay. Our room was a reasonable size with a king bed. Spacious balcony. The tub was small and looked to be very old. The carpet is ready for replacement. The pool and area around it were not inspiring, although the small beach did provide access to the ocean, which we've learned is a plus anywhere in Hawaii. We passed on golf, […] the courses looked to be practically empty, but the rates quoted in the pro shop were still ridiculously high. $18 a day for parking is a joke. Most of the employees were very friendly and helpful. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

mauna lani resort is a beautiful resort, well maintained and service was truly exceptional.any request made was fulfilled quickly by the hotel staff. the canoe restaurant was awesome, the sunset was amazing. any level on the oceanview rooms are great. can't wait to go back.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel was just perfect. The rooms were lovely. We didn't stay to eat but once, and that experience was delicious. The beaches were awesome, snorkling equipment was no charge. The coffee/tea shop was lovely. What was especially impressive were the grounds. We just loved the place and would stay no where else if and when we come back to Hawaii.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

could not have had a nicer experience

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great resort with a fantastic pool and beach area. The service was exceptional.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Very friendly stuff , wonderful bay and beach just in front of the hotel .

Genuine Expedia guest review

It was very nice for a Resort it was very expensive for the time we actually spent there. if your going to spend time where you stay it was awesome. We were hardly there. We had dinner a few times but we were off to see the island and did'nr spend hardly any time at the Resort. it had a lot of emminities that other might use and enjoy but we were not […] one of those persons. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Beautiful and peaceful property. The amenities are great. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great check in experience with a cool wash cloth and juice. Upgraded room was nice. Very friendly staff everywhere. Even the engineer who had to unplug the toilet after our son plugged it. Loved the free bikes to run to the store. The hotel looks a little dated but was very clean. The pool was great for our son. The best beach was a short walk past […] the fish ponds. There was not many activities for our son. No kids club like some other resorts. Overall a very good hotel. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Everything was dated. No.general store on premises. They really miss the boat with the pool.and dated decor. Positives are the fish ponds and the surrounding grounds, location..

Genuine Expedia guest review

We were made to feel very comfortable by the hotel staff, especially Lovey at the registration desk, who referred to us by name throughout our stay. The hotel grounds are beautiful with lots of activities available.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We were lucky and the hotel upgraded our room from ocean view to ocean front. It was spectacular! The view of the beach, palm trees, and whales breeching in the surf was unbelievable. The staff was exceptional! The pools running through the hotel and grounds were filled with salt water reef fish, turtles, sharks...so awesome

Genuine Expedia guest review

We stayed six nights in an ocean front room. Had a fantastic view of the beach, saw several whales from our balcony. The service from the hotel staff was excellent. The staff was not only attentive and helpful, they seemed to take a personal pride in what they we doing. At the beach, they include all of the equipment we needed even a prescription snorkeling […] mask so I could see the sea turtles and the fish. Dinner at the CanoeHouse was great. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Beautiful Location and great hospitality. It is more of a low-key area on the island, so it may be best for those who need a romantic getaway or for those who prefer less tourists. All of the great Big Island attractions are only a car-ride away so make sure to book a rental car in advance. But if you need to just relax, the resort has all you need […] to enjoy a great vacation. In terms of scenery, ocean view, and weather conditions this is the best choice compared to other resort locations on The Big Island. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The setting and grounds were beautiful and the beach turned out to be a snorkeling treasure (when the currents weren't running). The rrom was fine, nothing special and the service was quick and friendly. Our biggest gripe was the cost of everything, parking, internet, food and shops. This was our first stay at a "luxury" class hotel, and we weren't […] quite prepared for sticker shocks. Pretty remote location, but I'm sure that's an objective of many who stay here. Overall, however, given the lovely setting and access to the beach, we'll recommend the hotel. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Hotel was in the process of completing a renovation-some of the bungalows and the poolside bar. There are two other restaurants and one coffee shop so this did not have a huge impact regarding food availability. It will be nice though once they reopen the bar as it would be nice to grab a quick drink/snack/sandwich when you just want to hang out at […] the pool. I would highly recommend this resort especially for the price we paid. We booked through hotels.com and got a great deal. The hotel itself offered a "bed and breakfast package" that included the breakfast buffet for an additional $100/day which is not worth it as the buffet is only $31/per person. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The resort property is great - the beaches, the restaurants, the landscaping etc. All wonderfully maintained and a great location. The service was great - whether is was at the reception, concierge or valet. They did indeed value their guests! But, we were disappointed by the rooms/bathroom/balcony furniture/hallway. The hallway leading up to the room […] was not the cleanest, the carpets needed to be changed, basically the entire hallway wasnt well kept/cleaned. The room was very spacious, but lacked character and looked like it needed a renovation. The bathroom fixtures were dated and needed a complete renovation (though, this was also very spacious). It had the toto washlet, which was a nice feature! But, otherwise, we were not impressed. The balcony had a great view, but the furniture felt old and rusted. we had expected more luxurious furniture (like maybe the cane chair with cushion, rather than the old rusted metal chairs). Overall, I would love to go back here if the rooms are renovated! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Snorkeling right off the beach was the absolute best! Food in the Canoe House Restaurant was just so so but the ambience can't be beat. Beautiful beach, sun rises, moon sets, lovely!

Genuine Expedia guest review

We learned when we arrived that our room would be facing loud construction. Not a big deal except that this was the sunset facing room which is what we were hoping for. They accomodated with an opposite facing room which was fine. The hotel seemed empty dated a bit. Staff was exceptionally friendly so we were pleased by that. overall a 3.5 out of 5 […] if i had to rate it. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

A couple points... this is Hawaii so expect $$$ meals but breakfast for 2 adults and 2 young kids running over $80 is a bit much. Although the breakfast buffet is really good I'd recommend going to the Hawaiian Style Cafe about 10 miles away. There was extensive construction and demo going on during our stay. It sounded like a war zone for a couple […] days with a backhoe tearing down a little building by the pool. However, the hotel made it right at checkout time. Like others have said it is awesome having free snorkel equipment, lawnchairs and surfboards. That saved a lot of money. The drinks by the pool and on the beach were around $8-10 which is pretty reasonable in my book. We all enjoyed the hotel and the staff. We will definitely be back again in a year or so. The beach at the hotel is nice but there are several awesome beaches within a 10 minute drive also. We spent most of our time at Puako Beach or "Beach 69" which is amazing and the snorkeling is fantastic. Ask the staff about this beach and definitely check it out. Like I said, overall huge thumbs up. I doubt we will ever stay anywhere else on the Big Island. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Relaxing. Hotel started renovation and for 2 days, the digging noise was annoying and bothersome.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel is okay. Food is okay but very expensive. good for a first timer in Big Island or family.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Top notch service and facilities. White sand beaches, excellent snorkeling further down the beach at the corral reef. The only negative is their restaurant's prices. Go to the Kings and Queens mall 2 exits up to eat.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel was clean, the food was good, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the beach was nice. This was a great hotel to stay with the family.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great stay. Recommend using the beach for members around the corner from hotel if planning to do a lot of swimming or snorkeling. They have started a 30 million $ renovation project. While we were staying there they were demo'ing the pool bar area so a bit noisy. Suggest you call and ask what is underway before booking-- they do plan to re-do rooms […] which could be messy/noisy. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great hotel and spa too bad they started a resort fee. will likely stay somewhere else next time

Genuine Expedia guest review

My wife and I just returned from a week long stay. This is a beautiful hotel in a beautiful location. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The resort area is pretty large and they have a lot of nice amenities and services available. The fish ponds around the hotel are very cool and really add to the tropical feel. The beach was nice and the "Beach […] Club" area a short walk away from the hotel has some pretty good snorkeling. The food at the restaurants was excellent. The prices for food were a little steep, but not outside the normal range for the area. The sunsets are gorgeous and perfect for a romantic dinner experience. The area surrounding the resort is a pretty barren due to old lava flows so you will need to do some driving if you want to explore nature outside the resort. It's a big island, so that might mean a lot of driving. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone who wants to vacation on the Big Island. Read more

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

While showing its age a bit, the grounds are impeccable, the service very good, and the rooms classy and comfortable. The beach and surrounding walks, golf courses and restaurants are visually stimulating. The resort is a great launching point to surrounding areas of interest. Because they charge for parking ($18/night) and internet ($15/night), and […] because the decor is becoming slightly dated (though very well maintained with a degree of elegance), the rating a a strong 4-stars. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We went with a group of 6 family member including one 4 year old. The hotel was great for kids with a few kid friendly beaches, kids activities to learn about Hawaiian culture, a historical and pteroglyph park, easy beginner snorkling, kids pool, safe big pool, and Hawaiian fish ponds with turtles and sharks and tropical fish for kids to go gaga over. […] Location wise it was easy to tour the whole island and was not as busy touristy as Waikoloa but was close enough (3 miles) to go over there to hit a luau. Staff was very friendly and my son loved talking with them about geckos and sea life. The grounds are amazing. Only downfall was the shower did have a little grunge and one night the cleaning staff did not fully do our room. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We have been going to the Mauna Lani for over 20 years and love it there. I love the smoothies and pop cycles we get at the pool every day. We love the free snorkel gear and free cabana's. With the economic atmosphere changing it is unfortunate that the hotel now charges for parking, internet, coffee, tea and a portage fee. This hotel was one of the […] last hold outs to do so. When they start charging their hotel guests for the hotels cabanas then that will be a deal breaker for us. This was the last time our conference will be held at the Mauna Lani which is an end of an era for us. I'm begging you Mauna Lani to hold out on charging for the cabana's we may get back there afterall. Thanks to the staff for the wonderful treatment we got during the tusnami evacuation. Everything went smoothly and there was nothing that the staff would not have done for us. All of you guys are the best.l Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

great ocean front hotel. think better than hapuna beach or four seasons. would return. bit disappointed by parking fees, wifi fees

Genuine Expedia guest review

We just spent a week at the Mauna Lani and had a nice time. We upgraded to a room with a view of the beach which made all the difference in the world. The room was nice nothing spectacular except the view which was stunning. The breakfasts were very good, the grill was mediocre and their upscale restaurant was good; all were typical Hawaiian prices […] I.e. ridiculously expensive. Because of the location of the hotel we had to plan our days around where we were going to eat so that we weren't dining at the hotel for all our meals. One thing that would really improve this hotel would be a bar that was open in the evening so h There was someplace to congregate. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Although, as others have noted, the hotel looks like it's a little dated, that's about the only slightly negative you can say about Mauna Lani. The grounds and hotel are amazingly well kept and super clean. Lawns and flower beds are meticulously manicured and the various water features are also well kept. The only negative experience I had was with […] the staff manning the beach hut where you get your snorkel gear and towels. These employees all seemed to always be very rude and not nearly as helpful as all the other hotel employees. Also, the hotel and everything surrounding it (including the restaurants) are not for those who are on a budget. You pay for what you get. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I highly recommend this hotel. It's not too far from the Kona airport. I also like that it was not located in the major town of Kailua Kona where the majority of tourists stay. It's also much warmer here, it was at least 10 degrees warmer. It was close enough to drive to Waimea for dinner and not too far away from Kailua Kona if you want to hang out […] with more locals, get anything from major chains like Target and do a Kona coffee tour. It is about 2 1/2 hours from Hilo so plan your day accordingly. The hotel staff are friendly and very accommodating. I highly recommend the oceanfront view. It's worth the price. The hotel is serene and quiet. The Canoe House restaurant on its property is on the pricey side, but the food was fresh and fantastic. It is a resort so of course you can expect to pay higher prices for the convenience. But the resort was not too crowded. You can relax on their beach and you can easily access any state park beach if you don't want to be so isolated. But if you lounge at the resort, they offer great amenities like towels, free snorkel gear, canopy lounge beds and you can order food/drinks right from your sunbathing spot. It's a great place for couples or families. The hotel offers a free shuttle to their shopping center that has some more restaurant options, supermarket, etc. They also have a great golf course and spa facility. You really don't have to leave if you don't have to. It's a little community. It's a perfect relaxing vacation. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel is beautiful in an amazing setting -- an oasis in the middle of lava fields. They have two wonderful swimming beaches only a few steps from the hotel, historical sites, walking/biking trails, sea turtles, fish ponds, a golf course, petroglyphs, a great pool. We've had bigger and more opulent hotel rooms, but this was large enough and since […] we were ocean-front, the view of the sea -- particularly the spectacular sunset -- from our balcony made the room perfect. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

People service was excellent. Very friendly staff - including at the front desk and the Ocean Grill restaurant that I ate at twice. The hotel does look a bit old in terms of its style and the room was similarly a bit old-fashioned (dark wood paneling), but quite large and comfortable. Good view of the Pacific, and the bed and mattress was excellent […] . Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great resort. We really enjoyed it and were happy that we stayed at the Mauna Lani. We stayed there for a week for an "emergency stress reduction vacation".....we picked well!! Everyone was super nice, and the hotel is very nice, and well kept. Even though a large hotel, it felt fairly quiet and intimate. Beach was very nice. Breakfast very good, although […] expensive like everything in Hawaii. Really no negatives. The Canoe House had great atmosphere, and is worth eating there one night-although the food was not the best we had on the Island. The only other place we checked out was the Marriott...and made us extremely happy we stayed at the Mauna Lani. Ocean View rooms are very nice. I'm sure Ocean front are extremely nice, but the upgrade was the same as a very good dinner out, so we opted for Ocean View. We would definitely stay there again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Beautiful hotel. Great snorkeling. Gracious staff.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Mauna Lani was awesome. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. From the moment we pulled up to the entrance right through check out everything was great. Great beaches, plenty of cabanas and awesome snorkeling. The gardens and ponds were just wonderful. The food at the resort was very pricey but everything in Hawaii is more pricey. Plan on returning […] to the Mauna Lani again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

From the first people you meet to the people managing the upkeep, everyone is helpful, pleasant and makes you feel like they are ready and anxious to help make your stay a wonderful experience.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The Best at the Big Island hands down.............Stay and Play!

Genuine Expedia guest review

I couldn't decide between this hotel and Mauna Kea. After visiting the later to go to a luau, I'm really glad I picked this hotel. The beach was bigger at Mauna Kea, but the beach amenities I think is better at Mauna Lani. There were tons of comfy lounge chairs with adjustable covers -- we never had a problem finding a spot on the beach. And since the […] chairs had built in covers, we didn't have to worry finding one under a shade in the event it gets too hot. The spa was great! The service was done outdoors in little private huts (I had the lomi lomi massage). The room was awesome too. It was spacious and clean. The staff was very prompt in cleaning them and leaves chocolates on pillows after they're done cleaning (the best part about coming back to a clean room) Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

What a great, great place to stay. Only qualm is with the non-sound-absorbing room doors, especially with the doors to adjacent rooms. BUT: I'll stay there again no matter what, because everyone was very hospitable, the upkeep was remarkable, the fish ponds and gardens were magnificent, and the pools and beaches (and snorkeling) were amazing. Go there, […] you will not regret it. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Wonderful staff, comfortable rooms, convenient location by beach. Plenty of daily activities at hotel.Beautiful ponds and gardens with lots of Hawaiian history.

Genuine Expedia guest review

A wonderful experience - upgraded to ocean front room with fabulous view - lovely place, excellent service, very well maintained - and very comfortable and relaxing. Food was good as well.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

From day one we stay in the hotel we know that we pick the right place to stay in that island.The hotel is close to the beach,food in the restaurant are great,the view is superb both view of mountain and beaches as background of the hotel.Shopping mall plus grocery not far from the hotel either you go walking from the hotel or biking.We love biking […] outside the hotel w/c you can take more pictures.Beach is real good for family w/ kids.Most of all the staff are real nice and very attentive. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review