Hawaii’s Big Island has much to offer traveling families, but finding a comfortable home away from home during vacation can be tough. Parents want a place they can relax, but they also need a hotel that caters to the sometimes high energy level kids can pack into vacation. The Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay offers 22 acres of fun the entire family will enjoy.
The Kona Resort in Hawaii draws inspiration from its community and surroundings. The hotel shoreline is known for manta ray sightings, and the influence is clear in the hotel’s décor and design. The lobby, public areas, ocean front, and ocean view rooms, also showcase fabrics and prints created by well-known Hawaii designer Sig Zane, back when the property first opened as the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa.
Less than 30 minutes from Kona International Airport, the property offers 485 rooms and 24 suites. I stayed in an Oceanfront Double. The balcony offered views of the mammoth and incredibly popular pool along with the ocean.
It was also a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Eighty percent of guestrooms at the Kona Resort & Spa have partial ocean views or better.
The large closet and mini-refrigerator are handy to have, especially for families. The bathroom is split into two areas. The space for the vanity and sink is open to the room, but the toilet and shower space is a separate area, making the bathroom accessible to more than just one person at a time.
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It’s hard not to be attracted to the hotel’s gigantic pools. The inner pool takes up most of the hotel’s indoor atrium and connects to the Manta Ray Super Slide & Pool that flanks the outer ocean side of the resort. Along with a beach-style entry shallow kid’s area, there are waterfalls, bridges, fountains, and a 200-foot waterslide. It’s one of the longest waterslides in the state. The pool is open from 8 am to sunset daily.
The Club Le’ale’a Teen Lounge is located next to the inner pool. Open from 8 am to 10 pm daily, kids can play ping pong, pool, foosball, air hockey, and an assortment of gaming systems.
If your Hawaii plans include a trip to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay is the closest leeward resort to the park. Plan on about a two-hour drive south.
Hawaiian culture plays a large role in day to day life at the hotel. The remnants of an ancient fishing village on the resort grounds have been preserved. Cultural tours run on Tuesday and Thursday. Lei-making, ukulele, and hula lessons are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The hotel has four on-site restaurants ranging from waterfront and upscale, to a casual poolside café and a coffee bar with light meals.
The Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa charges a resort fee of $31.25 including tax. It covers amenities such as internet, self-parking, cultural activities, and unlimited use of a trolley that runs to local beaches, parks, and shopping centers.
Rates for an Oceanfront Double range from $219 to $419. Compare rates at Hotels.com, Expedia, or any other online booking site.
Review and photos by Dana Rebmann. Her stay at the Royal Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay was hosted by the Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau (when the property was a Sheraton), but as always her thoughts and opinions are her own.
