Paradise on Earth!!! Kona Village Resort is just that! We found Kona Village Resort perfect in every way! I found Kona Village Resort while watching the Travel Channel. Sometimes these shows embelish the resorts, but not this time! Everything that was said was true and more. We visited the resort for 8 days the first of November and the weather was perfect! No rain, just all sun!!! From the moment we stepped on the property we were treated like royality. Lori, at the check-in office is one of a kind and will foever be a wonderful friend! Chad, at the Talk-Story Bar is one of the funniest and most personable people we have ever met! Every single staff member remembers your name, remembers what wine or drink you are having and will see you walking towards them and have it in hand when you reach them! The beach is spectacular with all the sea turtles sunning themselves, the snorkeling is stunning! The fish are very friendly and love to have their pictures taken!!!! We rented a car, and I would suggest not doing that again. We would be perfectly happy spending all our time at the resort. We had made plans to do some other sight-seeing, but never got to it. The car was a wasted expense. Some reviews have said for the money the hales were dated, but we found them very pleasant, clean and very spacious! We had one with a jacuzzi on the lanai and that was wonderful. We could sit in it and watch the ocean! The food is beyond description. All I can say is lose some weight prior to visiting this resort. The meals are exceptional and big portions. You are NEVER hungry and if you are, there is always somewhere to go to get food, at anytime! The luau's are fun, but I wouldnt suggest doing both the Wed. and Friday night ones. Do 1 or the other, but not both, unless you really LOVE the food. The shows are about the same! The managers are friendly and will go out of their way to help you. The staff is at your beck and call for anything! There were children, but they were well behaved and sweet. We left our kids at home and didnt have a problem with the children there. Late night walks back to your hale are well lit with tiki torches along the paths. There is ice along the path, as well as water stations and towel stations along the beach. Laundry facilities are available with all the soap, softners, etc. at no charge. This is a nice extra. All the guests are very friendly and we met many couples that will remain new friends. We are even planning to meet some next year! We walked the beach down to the Four Seasons, (which we thought about booking first) and we are so glad we didnt. Kona Village Resort is so far beyond Four Seasons.
If you are someone that needs a daily dose of television, computer time, cell phone use, then Kona Village isnt for you, but if you are someone that works hard and wants some private time with no interruptions I would say this is the place for you!!!!!
We are already planning our visit next year!!!

My husband and I stayed at the Kona Village Resort for four nights of our honeymoon. We were impressed with the outstanding service from the moment we arrived.

The food was INCREDIBLE (we ate more than our fill at every meal), and the beach was perfect.

I'd highly recommend Kona Village Resort to any honeymooners. We'll go back someday if we can!

We stayed at Kona Village on our first night in Hawaii. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the accommodation, location, food and the service.

The staff were friendly and welcoming. Our hale was excellent with a large, comfortable bed and a great bathroom. The resort was a peaceful, perfect retreat. No phones and no TV made you really feel away from it all and able to relax.

Lunch was a huge buffet - beautifully presented with a large selection of hot and cold food, and chef cooking sea bass and steaks.

The next morning we strolled along the beach watching a local fisherman and the turtles resting on the beach.

I'd thoroughly recommend Kona Village Resort.

My 13 family members were fortunate to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary at Kona Village Resort in July. We were there 5 nights and never felt the inclination to leave the property during that time. The staff graciously arranged a private dinner in a little palm frond hut at the water's edge where we surprised our parents on the eve of their anniversary. A wooden carved tiki held a sign, "private party" at the entrance, and the table was set up nicely with white linens and teak chairs. We had all evening there for our party. There was an extra fee for the setup (worth it) but of course no extra for the food.

Meals were wonderful! I had an oceanside massage and was courteously transported up to the remote location by golf cart. I often go to spas (Burke Williams in LA, The Peaks in Telluride and Spa Moana on Maui) and thought the quality/skill of the massage was among the best I've had. The only drawback is that a massage requires you to lie face down on the table and I wasn't able to drink in the 180 degree ocean view and the island of Maui in the distance! The friendly staff took an interest in my niece and nephews, and spent extra time teaching them about Hawaiian history and culture.

I am spurred to write this review because of the previous one someone posted that mentioned how much nicer the Hilton was with the dolphins. It goes to show that people are very different. After Kona village, my husband and I drove to our dolphin appointment (book it online at dolphinquest a few months ahead of time) at the Hilton before driving around to stay in Hilo so that we could visit the volcano.

Rested and enchanted by Kona Village, we arrived to a rude awakening at the Hilton. The abrasive energy of the busloads of tourists in the lobby waiting in long lines to check in was the first thing that reminded us of a theme park. Then we walked past the boat tram that runs on underwater tracks like the Pirates of the Carribean. This took us over an ostentatious arched concrete walkway with tired 1980's architecture complete with shiny Vegas-styled brass railings. We couldn't wait to do our dolphin encounter and get out of there. The only beach the Hilton had was a man-made one. Past the beach, we walked through a fake rock/waterfall tunnel a lot like Disneyland's Matterhorn ride (without the cute animatronic characters), to finally come out to the dolphin pool. If your idea of a vacation involves crowds and fake movie sets, this might be your place. Personally, I like Disneyland too, when in the mood for that, but unless something is created by Walt's tradition of Imagineers, it falls short.

I felt homesick for the sweet Hawaiian authenticity of Kona Village for the rest of our vacation. Kona Village, by the way, had nice beds. My idea of luxury is slipping in a freshly made bed of smooth high-thread-count white sheets after a day of swimming and sunning... so I did not take the eco-friendly route of saving the sheets. We're eco-friendly at home, so for our splurge I enjoyed a luxurious, soft, clean freshly-made bed every night.

If you go to Hawaii for a Hawaiian vacation, Kona Village is the real thing -- with the added enjoyment of 5-star amenities, staff and cuisine. If, however, you enjoy a fantasy of lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous, you might want to try the Mirage at Las Vegas, which will provide you with a tropical flair, trained dolphins, and all the marble and brass you care to see... at a price so low you can have enough left over to spend gambling.

We look forward to our next vacation to Kona Village, a sure bet!