Big Island Help Needed!

[SeattleKnitChick]

Hi all!

It's possible I am doing a terrible job at searching for old posts but I keep getting stuck so I figured I'd ask.

We are looking to go to the Big Island for Spring Break (the week after Easter for our school) next year. We want a 1 bedroom for a week. I want a resort that has a good amount of stuff for kids to enjoy as we have a 5 year old and that also has easy options for food because this Mama isn't spending this vacation making food for everyone!

Do we choose Kingsland, Bay Club or Ocean Tower? I'd like a pool that's a bit nicer that a motel pool as I bet we will spend a lot of time at it. Ocean Tower appeals to me because it sounds like the tram and boat are cool for a kid to enjoy but maybe they are just a hassle. Also I think that's the place parking is most expensive.

I was about to book Kingsland and then got all confused by the codes - DR vs BR etc. I just keep going around and around and I feel like I should book now because I locked myself out of Ohau by waiting!

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[buzglyd]

Kingsland for sure. Not sure how many points you have to spend but phase II one bedroom cost fewer points than Phase 1. You'll notice the difference in points and square footage of the units when you look. Kingsland has a fantastic pool for kids and has access to the hotel pools as well.

 

[jmann]

I'd go with Kings Land (Just my preference), for what your looking for.
It has a small zero entry pool (at the main pool area) that has a sandy beach area and bottom. There is also a buffet breakfast. You also get free access to the Hilton Waikoloa resort. Hilton Waikoloa also has a large breakfast buffet that looks out onto the lagoon.

 

[brp]

For what you want, I'd also suggest Kingsland. We prefer Bay Club, but we're not "hang out by a nice pool" types, so it works better for us. For the pool experience, Kingsland is superior (and more point costly). Also, Kingsland has the far superior pool bar

Cheers.

 

[Luanne]

I agree with Kingsland for your wants/needs. We haven't stayed there, we prefer tne Bay Club for the units and location. By the way, everyone has access to the Hilton grounds, boat and shuttle. What Kingsland guests get it access to the pools. We stayed overnight at tbe Hilton once some hears back and our daugnters were bored after a few hours.

 

[2disneydads]

Another vote for Kings' Land. The pool there is great for a younger child. The resort is beautiful.

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[SeattleKnitChick]

Thanks All! So can you help me understand what I should reserve? I see the 1BR that is 600 sq ft and 4800 points for the week, The 1BR DD1 that is the same size but 2 double beds instead of a king. Then a 1br plus for like 6200 points and more 1 br for 7200 points. I have this stupid 3500 points every other year thing so I will have to dip into the next year too so what really is the difference between the plus and the regular 1bd?

 

[GT75]

I also suggest king land. Have you looked at the Sticky information?

 

[2disneydads]

Thanks All! So can you help me understand what I should reserve? I see the 1BR that is 600 sq ft and 4800 points for the week, The 1BR DD1 that is the same size but 2 double beds instead of a king. Then a 1br plus for like 6200 points and more 1 br for 7200 points. I have this stupid 3500 points every other year thing so I will have to dip into the next year too so what really is the difference between the plus and the regular 1bd?

The units in the second and third phases are smaller, less luxurious in decor and across the road from the main building and super pool. The higher point units will be bigger, more nicely furnished and closer to (or at least on the same side of the road as) the main building and super pool. The plus units likely are on the second floor of the phase one buildings, while the premium units are likely on the third floor. The higher you are, the better the view.

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[brp]

The higher you are, the better the view.

And, presumably, it's also related to what floor you're on

Cheers.

 

[buzglyd]

Just do the lower price unit. The buildings are only three floors high and the 1 Br Phase 2 views don’t change much. The upside is you are a short walk to the pool. It’s a fantastic property and the shuttle bus will take you all over the resort. The Queens grocery store has prepared food so you don’t have to cook.

 

[Luanne]

Just do the lower price unit. The buildings are only three floors high and the 1 Br Phase 2 views don’t change much. The upside is you are a short walk to the pool. It’s a fantastic property and the shuttle bus will take you all over the resort. The Queens grocery store has prepared food so you don’t have to cook.

I love the Island Market in the Queen's Shops. I grew quite fond of their poke. I'm not a big fan of the restaurants at the Hilton, or most of them in the King's and Queen's shops. I do like Sensei, I had the best sushi there I think I've ever had since it was so fresh. There is also a very good Italian restaurant up in Waikoloa Village. We also found the restaurant on the golf course had a very good breakfast.

 

[buzglyd]

I love the Island Market in the Queen's Shops. I grew quite fond of their poke. I'm not a big fan of the restaurants at the Hilton, or most of them in the King's and Queen's shops. I do like Sensei, I had the best sushi there I think I've ever had since it was so fresh. There is also a very good Italian restaurant up in Waikoloa Village. We also found the restaurant on the golf course had a very good breakfast.

I agree. The last time I ate at KPC it was so disappointing (and overpriced) I vowed to never go again. The bento boxes in the Island Market are good as well.

When we stayed at Grand Wailea in April, there was an Island market near the property. It saved us a ton on over priced Waldorf food.

 

[JIMinNC]

I love the Island Market in the Queen's Shops. I grew quite fond of their poke. I'm not a big fan of the restaurants at the Hilton, or most of them in the King's and Queen's shops. I do like Sensei, I had the best sushi there I think I've ever had since it was so fresh. There is also a very good Italian restaurant up in Waikoloa Village. We also found the restaurant on the golf course had a very good breakfast.

I agree. The last time I ate at KPC it was so disappointing (and overpriced) I vowed to never go again. The bento boxes in the Island Market are good as well.

I agree that dining options on the Big Island are not as good as in Lahaina/Kaanapali/Kapalua on Maui, but on our last trip there in March we had some great meals:

- LavaLava Beach Club - great spot for sunsets and dining in the sand - at A-Bay behind Queen's Shops
- Merrimans in Waimea - great Big Island steaks. Probably our favorite place on the Big Island, historically.
- Roy's Waikoloa in King's Shops - Yes it's a chain, but the Hawaiian chain is managed separately from the mainland Roy's. Consistent and a Waikoloa tradition for us.
- Tommy Bahama's at Mauna Lani - Not a must-do place, no different than others we've been to, but was ideal for a first night dinner after flying in from Maui
- Kamuela Provision Company at the Hilton hotel - A new discovery for us this trip. KPC isn't cheap, but the prices didn't seem that out of line with most of the other places we eat in the islands. Entrees were mostly $45-$60pp. Our entrees were very good (forgot what we got), but it's that view at KPC that is priceless. Now a must-do place for our next trip in Feb 2020.

 

[brp]

I do like Sensei, I had the best sushi there I think I've ever had since it was so fresh.

Sansei has a special on Sunday and Monday night. Get in by 5, last order by 6. (Just about) everything half price. Line up by 4:30 latest.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

I agree that dining options on the Big Island are not as good as in Lahaina/Kaanapali/Kapalua on Maui, but on our last trip there in March we had some great meals:

- LavaLava Beach Club - great spot for sunsets and dining in the sand - at A-Bay behind Queen's Shops
- Merrimans in Waimea - great Big Island steaks. Probably our favorite place on the Big Island, historically.
- Roy's Waikoloa in King's Shops - Yes it's a chain, but the Hawaiian chain is managed separately from the mainland Roy's. Consistent and a Waikoloa tradition for us.
- Tommy Bahama's at Mauna Lani - Not a must-do place, no different than others we've been to, but was ideal for a first night dinner after flying in from Maui
- Kamuela Provision Company at the Hilton hotel - A new discovery for us this trip. KPC isn't cheap, but the prices didn't seem that out of line with most of the other places we eat in the islands. Entrees were mostly $45-$60pp. Our entrees were very good (forgot what we got), but it's that view at KPC that is priceless. Now a must-do place for our next trip in Feb 2020.

View attachment 13562

Great Lava Lava picture. Of the places you listed, really only Lava Lava seems worth it to me. KPC was, as others have said, overpriced and just OK. Roy's is,a s you said, a chain and not particularly special. Have not been to the Tommy's, but also a chain.

I should also note that we simply don't eat a lot of food, so that factors in.

Also, we will buy some food (steaks, fish) and do them on the grill.

Kona Brewing Company (a bit of a drive, but worth it, IMO) is a very fun place, especially if you can find a table inside with all the concert posters and boards.

Cheers.

 

[JIMinNC]

Great Lava Lava picture. Of the places you listed, really only Lava Lava seems worth it to me. KPC was, as others have said, overpriced and just OK. Roy's is,a s you said, a chain and not particularly special. Have not been to the Tommy's, but also a chain.

Kona Brewing Company (a bit of a drive, but worth it, IMO) is a very fun place, especially if you can find a table inside with all the concert posters and boards.

Cheers.

That pic is from Kamuela Provision Company, not Lava Lava. It's the view at KPC that makes it so special in our opinion. As I said, it didn't seem that overpriced to us. Food was good and service was attentive.

We've thought about trying Kona Brewing Company, but it has seemed more of a casual spot for dinner. We're not beer people, so a nicer place with a bottle of wine is more our style.

 

[brp]

That pic is from Kamuela Provision Company, not Lava Lava. It's the view at KPC that makes it so special in our opinion. As I said, it didn't seem that overpriced to us. Food was good and service was attentive.

We've thought about trying Kona Brewing Company, but it has seemed more of a casual spot for dinner. We're not beer people, so a nicer place with a bottle of wine is more our style.

Well, the ocean looked familiar But now that I see the railing, I realize that it's not LLBC. Acting like one knows things gets in the way of the people who do

Kona Brewing is definitely about the beer, although the food is quite good. We look at more for lunch.snack. We're actually wine people more than beer, but good beer calls out at times. (Wine is also considerably lower in carbs )

Cheers.

 

[Luanne]

I agree with brp about KPC. We ate there once and were underwhelmed. A lot of money and we didn't get a particularly good view. Here is my personal list of favorite restaurants on the Big Island:

Starting at the “North” end and working south:

Havi:

Bamboo Restaurant – we’ve only been for lunch, be sure they are open (I think they’re closed on Mondays)

Waimea:

Merrimans

Lilikoi Café – this is a tiny little kind of take out place, some friends of ours who lived in Kona recommended it. Really good for lunch. Kind of hard to find, it’s hidden on the back side of a shopping center.

Village Burger – order at the counter and pick up at the counter. There is seating in the center where it’s located, the seating is for all of the food court type restaurants there. It is highly rated and does have a decent burger.

Waikoloa Resort area:

Sensai Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar - in the Queen’s Shopping Center. Had the best sushi roll I’ve ever had there. They have a pretty extensive menu, not just sushi.

Lava Lava Beach House – right on the beach, in fact you can sit in a table in the sand.

Waikoloa Village:

Pueo’s Osteria - very good Italian

Island Lava Java – a coffee place, but they have a nice menu. Ate dinner there our first night on the island. Not a fancy setting at all. The outdoor tables have a view of the parking lot.

Kohala coast resorts (these are all pricey, the food is good but we go for the atmosphere):

Four Seasons Hualailai – Ulu Ocean Grill, there is also the Beach Tree Bar (I’ve been there for lunch, not dinner)

Fairmont Orchid - Brown’s Beach House

Mana Lani - Canoe House

Kona:

Huggo’s (this is not the same as Huggo’s on the Rocks. We’ve been to the On the Rocks one and it’s good, very casual, but we really like Huggo’s

Kona Brewing Company & Pub – good pizza, nice local beer selection

Fish Hopper Seafood & Steaks

Kona Inn Restaurant – mostly for the atmosphere. We’ve only eaten lunch here.

South of Kona:

Keei Café

Coffee Shack – for breakfast

Volcano Village:

Kilauea Lodge – make a reservation if you’re going for dinner

Ohelo Café – Open for lunch and dinner, we’ve only been there for lunch.

Café Ono – part of a complex that has a one unit B&B and a gallery. Only open for lunch, vegetarian menu…..but very good.

Hilo:

Café Pesto

 

[JIMinNC]

I agree with brp about KPC. We ate there once and were underwhelmed. A lot of money and we didn't get a particularly good view. Here is my personal list of favorite restaurants on the Big Island:

Starting at the “North” end and working south:

Havi:

Bamboo Restaurant – we’ve only been for lunch, be sure they are open (I think they’re closed on Mondays)

Waimea:

Merrimans

Lilikoi Café – this is a tiny little kind of take out place, some friends of ours who lived in Kona recommended it. Really good for lunch. Kind of hard to find, it’s hidden on the back side of a shopping center.

Village Burger – order at the counter and pick up at the counter. There is seating in the center where it’s located, the seating is for all of the food court type restaurants there. It is highly rated and does have a decent burger.

Waikoloa Resort area:

Sensai Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar - in the Queen’s Shopping Center. Had the best sushi roll I’ve ever had there. They have a pretty extensive menu, not just sushi.

Lava Lava Beach House – right on the beach, in fact you can sit in a table in the sand.

Waikoloa Village:

Pueo’s Osteria - very good Italian

Island Lava Java – a coffee place, but they have a nice menu. Ate dinner there our first night on the island. Not a fancy setting at all. The outdoor tables have a view of the parking lot.

Kohala coast resorts (these are all pricey, the food is good but we go for the atmosphere):

Four Seasons Hualailai – Ulu Ocean Grill, there is also the Beach Tree Bar (I’ve been there for lunch, not dinner)

Fairmont Orchid - Brown’s Beach House

Mana Lani - Canoe House

Kona:

Huggo’s (this is not the same as Huggo’s on the Rocks. We’ve been to the On the Rocks one and it’s good, very casual, but we really like Huggo’s

Kona Brewing Company & Pub – good pizza, nice local beer selection

Fish Hopper Seafood & Steaks

Kona Inn Restaurant – mostly for the atmosphere. We’ve only eaten lunch here.

South of Kona:

Keei Café

Coffee Shack – for breakfast

Volcano Village:

Kilauea Lodge – make a reservation if you’re going for dinner

Ohelo Café – Open for lunch and dinner, we’ve only been there for lunch.

Café Ono – part of a complex that has a one unit B&B and a gallery. Only open for lunch, vegetarian menu…..but very good.

Hilo:

Café Pesto

We really need to try Huggo's again. Haven't been in a long time, back when we were staying at a hotel near Kona. The long drive back to Waikoloa after dinner has always been a deterrent, but I recall it being very good. We came close to trying it again back in March, but eventually decided just to go get a couple steaks at Island Gourmet and grill out for once at Kohala Suites. May have to try it next February.

We ate lunch one day at Fish Hopper and it was very good, but very filling for lunch. We usually don't eat lunch, saving our calories for breakfast and dinner.

 

[Luanne]

We really need to try Huggo's again. Haven't been in a long time, back when we were staying at a hotel near Kona. The long drive back to Waikoloa after dinner has always been a deterrent, but I recall it being very good. We came close to trying it again back in March, but eventually decided just to go get a couple steaks at Island Gourmet and grill out for once at Kohala Suites. May have to try it next February.

We ate lunch one day at Fish Hopper and it was very good, but very filling for lunch. We usually don't eat lunch, saving our calories for breakfast and dinner.

We tend to eat dinner at the Kona restaurants when we are staying in Kona. We don't like driving back in the dark either. I am really sad that Cafe Pesto in the harbor north of Waikoloa closed. That was a favorite dinner spot as well.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I think you will be happy with Kings Land. We usually stay in ground floor unit in phase one, i like the larger units with direct access to the grass and a short walk out the sliding glass doors to the grills.

As for places to eat, lots of good suggestions above. We have always had good luck at KPC with the food, service and view. But our favorite place is Brown Beach house at the Fairmont, i think the food and service is better than KPC. One annoying thing at KPC is the path aground the resort goes thru the restaurant and that can create commotion.

Lava Lava is fun, but i have had very mixed results on the food and service. Plus it can get very crowded at Sunset, and since its a casual place on a public beach your view often gets blocked by people rushing to get pictures in front of you.

 

[Luanne]

I think you will be happy with Kings Land. We usually stay in ground floor unit in phase one, i like the larger units with direct access to the grass and a short walk out the sliding glass doors to the grills.

As for places to eat, lots of good suggestions above. We have always had good luck at KPC with the food, service and view. But our favorite place is Brown Beach house at the Fairmont, i think the food and service is better than KPC. One annoying thing at KPC is the path aground the resort goes thru the restaurant and that can create commotion.

Lava Lava is fun, but i have had very mixed results on the food and service. Plus it can get very crowded at Sunset, and since its a casual place on a public beach your view often gets blocked by people rushing to get pictures in front of you.

Even though I put Lava Lava on my list it's not someplace I would really rave about. The food was okay, but we found it very hard to get into, meaning we had to make a reservation days ahead.

I do love Brown's and also really loved the restaurant at the Four Seasons.

 

[brp]

Even though I put Lava Lava on my list it's not someplace I would really rave about. The food was okay, but we found it very hard to get into, meaning we had to make a reservation days ahead.

Lava Lava is just about a must for us, but we go in the afternoon, happy hour time, when the music is playing. We've never had a problem getting a table just walking in. Their soups are very good, and the rest is quite nice, even though there is certainly better to be found. It's just very destination-specific as opposed to even good restaurants that could be anywhere else.

We will sometimes take a stroll down the road to LLBC past the little radar tower building.

But this is why they have so many places to eat

Cheers.

 

[ontilt]

Love all the food recs especially Merrimans. One vote for Kohala Burger and Taco -- we usually hit it 2x during our stay there. May sound cheesy, but you can get beers at the gas station next store and bring it in and they'll pour it in a frosted mug inside. Shaved ice next store is good for the kids too.