OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa

Check-in was a little tricky because a huge tour bus got off right in front of us so that took probably 45 minutes. But the property was nice and we could see the luau from our room.

Great

Room was advertised as recently renovated. Plaster was patched and unpainted - no hot water at certain times of the day, air conditioning noisy, no shower pressure - dirty balcony, amenities shop only accepted cash. On the positive side, the staff were great.

Exceptional

I’ve stayed at numerous hotels throughout the Hawaiian islands and I think this is a great hotel for kids and adults. My two kids enjoyed the large pool with a direct view of the ocean and sunsets. The adult pool looked nice too. The hotel room was comfortable and large enough for 4 people. We definitely didn’t feel cramped like most hotels. The view from our ocean facing balcony was amazing and the night time sound of the waves was great. We saw dolphins splashing around in the morning and the manta ray boats in the evening. My only small issues were the pull out bed and our king bed was uncomfortable, lumpy soft, but we slept fine. The drinks at Piko were better than the pool bar. The lunch food was decent, but I did find some flaws that I’m sure most hawaiian restaurants face (bugs). The voyager breakfast was well worth it. In general the staff were very nice and welcoming. Parking valet was easy and quick. It’s a quick 15 min drive to Kona restaurant area. We would totally stay here again.

The grounds and pools Service was slow and seemed understaffed

Very nice pool with slide for the kids, but also an adults only pool, if that is something you would like. Great beds, big room and balcony! Few veggie options at the restaurants

The staff is friendly and the facility is good. If the close time for swimming pool could be late (till 10pm), that would be much better (as most night time you will need to spend in the hotel.)

Exceptional

Superb

The Outrigger is adding a Dukes restaurant -so there was lots of construction noise and debris. Would have been nice if this was disclosed. The Outrigger’s real name is the Outrigger Resort and Spa - but there was no Spa. Just a hotel room that was converted to a Spa. That is not that the same as a real Spa. Would have been nice is this was disclosed. The air conditioner stopped working on two of our four nights - so it was uncomfortably warm those nights. No apology or compensation offered by the front desk, when I complained.

I liked the location on the water. I liked that we had a view from both sides of our door, front door and our patio door one of the ocean and one of the mountain. The valet was so helpful. There were a lot of community activities in the area like food trucks and farmers markets all of the activities were right there within walking distance, like to go see the manta rays or to go snorkeling at the captain Cook Marine preserve. The the Landscaping and gardens were exceptional and the luau that they held there on site was lovely.

The views were amazing, pool area sensational Aged in parts, but room sizes and views made up for it.

Beautiful setting, pools and food options. Construction in one area.

Best hotel ever!

Breakfasts were absolutely the weakest point of the whole trip. Much better and definitely cheaper was to eat something outside the hotel. Three large cockroaches in the room throughout the trip.. but it wasn't a big problem, we just eliminated them ourselves.. but...

for renovation for the past four years (at least via Expedia). This was the primary reason we chose this property.

Unfortunately, several major issues overshadowed these positives. At the pool bar, our family waited nearly 10 minutes just to be acknowledged and seated. During that time, the bartender appeared to ignore us while openly chatting with other guests, without serving food or drinks. We considered leaving, but we were in swimsuits and had no other convenient dining option on-property. Once seated, we ordered a burger for our son and a poke bowl for myself. The burger was fine, but the poke was very poor quality. We live in WA and eat poke frequently, so we know good-quality fish. As the only non-white guests there at the time, the lack of attention also made us feel particularly unwelcome. I chose not to make an issue of it in front of my son, left a tip, and left. This experience was so disappointing that we avoided the resort's other restaurants for the rest of our stay. We later found a live cockroach in our bathroom, unacceptable for a resort-level property and premium room. At checkout, no valet staff was available to help with our luggage or retrieve our vehicle, so we had to carry our bags to the front desk and wait. Unfortunately, we do not plan to return to this properties due to the inconsistent service & pool bar experience.

Another issue is the lack of umbrellas. Considering how frequently it rains in this area, I was very surprised that the hotel does not have umbrellas available for guests. The parking area is also quite far from the rooms, which means that when it rains, you may have to walk a considerable distance and get completely wet. Overall, the experience was disappointing, and unfortunately, I can understand why this hotel currently has a rating of only around 3.0

The gym here is excellent! The equipment is better than the big gym chain that I attend. Nice amenities like free reef safe sunscreen and multiple clean bathrooms open 24 hours throughout the property. Great staff!