Paniolo Greens

[Calyn79]

I'm considering a December '17 exchange to Paniolo Greens (north on Big Island). I've been to the Big Island before, but not to this resort. I don't mind the 'out of Kona location' and its closeness to beaches. Can any Tuggers share thoughts regarding what building, east side/west side to request or can you direct me to a building site map. Also, is the vog something that I should give some thought to - is it often worse up that way? If my exchange says PG, is the t/share managed by ShellVac, or Wyndham. I understand that the whole resort (or some part of it) is currently having a renovation to be completed by October this year.

Anyways, I greatly appreciate any Tuggers who would like to share any info about PG. Thank you.

 

[DeniseM]

Unless you are an avid golfer, it's kind of far from the ocean. Personally, when I'm in Hawaii, I want to be closer to the water. There are many resort in the Waikoloa area that are closer.

 

[Luanne]

We have stayed at Paniolo Greens a few times.

The pluses:
- Unit size. All units are two bedroom and very large
- Location. Yes it's far from the water. But, we tend to like to go to Hapuna Beach and the drive from Paniolo is not bad. It might even be about the same amount of time as from the Waikoloa resort area. It's also closer to get to Waimea and northern portions of the island.

The shopping center close to Paniolo Greens has a decent grocery store and a wonderful Italian restaurant. There is also an Island Lava Java.

Minuses:
- It can get very windy.

I don't ever reminder a problem with vog.

It's been quite a few years since we've stayed there, we do prefer Kona or the Waikoloa resort area, so I can't speak to any renovations or updates.

 

[Luanne]

Unless you are an avid golfer, it's kind of far from the ocean. Personally, when I'm in Hawaii, I want to be closer to the water. There are many resort in the Waikoloa area that are closer.

There are three resorts in the Waikoloa resort area. None are on the water. They are all part of Hilton. They do bulk deposits, which sometimes makes them easy to get. Ooops, I forgot there is now a Marriott timeshare (part of the the hotel) that is also available. Again, not on a usable beach. Have no idea how easy it is to get this one. All of these units will be smaller than Paniolo Greens.

 

[WinniWoman]

We stayed there years ago and the town home was very nice. Our balcony faced the golf course and the smoking cones which were otherworldly. I loved the view. No issues then with vog. Also- we were like 15 minutes from Hapuna Beach- on Conde Naste's list of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Yes- it was a drive to the Volcanoes national park but we didn't care. We also took the tour up to Mauna Kea at dusk for the sunset and star gazing, which was the most awesome things we have ever done. We visited the Petroglyph sites.
I like that desert area near the ranches better than Kona, but that's just me.

 

[Luanne]

I forgot to add, I "think" all of the units have a golf course view. The patio/lanais on the first floor are nicer since they are larger. I'm also remembering that some, or maybe all, of the units are two level. I know we stayed in one that had the two bedrooms, plus a small den type room that had a fold out sofa, or bed.

 

[geoand]

I prefer staying at PG because it is so close to the best beach. Less than 15 minutes. I found that it took that long or longer either by car or walking to get to the beaches in Kona area. Parking up north does not pose as much as a problem as parking in the Kona area.

 

[geist1223]

We stayed there in January of this year. We enjoyed it. We had a choice of 2 Bedroom on first floor or 2 bedroom on second floor. We chose 2 Bedroom on second floor for better views and better breezes. What they forgot to tell us was that 2 bedrooms on second floor has 2 levels. The bedrooms and bathrooms were on the top level. So as long as you don't mind going upstairs every time you have to use the bathroom the view and breeze are worth it. Also you have to pay a daily fee if you want AC. They have a flock of wild turkeys that wander the grounds. Patti said the local grocery store had better prices than the Safeway in Kona. We did not have VOG. We visited Mauna Kea. We spent about 45 minutes at the Visitor Center to become acclimated to the altitude. Then we went to the top and played in the snow. We took cold weather gear for this part of the trip. We finished the day in the ocean.

 

[hobie]

Vog is rarely a worry around Waikoloa due to trades. Most buildings will be along the North East and have nice gold course views.