Help Need Advice ASAP about Big Island!!

[Quimby4]

Which property and location and do you think is better on the Big Island?

2 bedroom at Paniolo Greens or 2 bedroom at Kona Coast Phase 2

We are traveling with our 2 teen sons 16 and 14 years old.

Thank you

 

[DeniseM]

Paniolo Greens is inland, and you have to drive everywhere.

 

[slip]

Paniolo is close to one of the best beaches on Hawaii but it is away from most
Everything else. It is also pretty windy up there too.

 

[Luanne]

I've stayed at both. My pick would be Kona Coast.

 

[BocaBoy]

Paniolo is close to one of the best beaches on Hawaii but it is away from most
Everything else. It is also pretty windy up there too.

Paniolo Greens is a better location for driving over to see Volcanoes National Park, but for most other things Kona would be better. We spent a week at Paniolo Greens a couple years ago and it was fine. I am glad we stayed there once, and I would be willing to stay there again, but I am not looking for a repeat stay. It would be a backup choice.

 

[Quimby4]

Great, thank you for all of the comments.
Now of course I cant pull the 2 bedroom Kona with my week, but I can get the 2 bedroom Paniolo, I am going to wait it out and hope it matches my ogs overnight.

I am still concerned about the mosquito fever, so I will buy the Eplus just in case we have to cancel

 

[presley]

I am still concerned about the mosquito fever, so I will buy the Eplus just in case we have to cancel

It's a concern, but I've never been bit by a mosquito on Hawaii. I actually haven't even seen any the times I've stayed there. Just use the suggestions already made about deet and covering up, etc.

 

[Luanne]

It's a concern, but I've never been bit by a mosquito on Hawaii. I actually haven't even seen any the times I've stayed there. Just use the suggestions already made about deet and covering up, etc.

I've never been bitten either, and I'm one that mosquitoes love. But I'm concerned due to the increase in reported cases. It's gone from none to over 100 in the past couple of months.

 

[Quimby4]

I've never been bitten either, and I'm one that mosquitoes love. But I'm concerned due to the increase in reported cases. It's gone from none to over 100 in the past couple of months.

Ditto, but the mosquitoes luv my younger son and he swells us, so I am concerned. The outbreak lasted 10 months on Maui early 2000's so I am hoping it will be done by June...if not I'll Eplus to Cabo or somewhere

 

[Quimby4]

Update:

I played my cards right, I cancelled the 1 bedroom at Kona Coast II and left my OGS for a 2 bedroom there. I could see the 2 bedroom with my Marriott 2 bedroom but not my Riviera Beach Spa Resort II 2 bedroom....a few hours later the OGS matched the 2 bedroom at Kona Coast II!!

Not sure if it matters, but it is Shell Vacations at Kona Coast II (KN1)

 

[presley]

Update:

I played my cards right, I cancelled the 1 bedroom at Kona Coast II and left my OGS for a 2 bedroom there. I could see the 2 bedroom with my Marriott 2 bedroom but not my Riviera Beach Spa Resort II 2 bedroom....a few hours later the OGS matched the 2 bedroom at Kona Coast II!!

Not sure if it matters, but it is Shell Vacations at Kona Coast II (KN1)

So, it was your Riveria Beach Spa that matched? If so, it's nice to know that ongoing searches will pull stuff that we can't see.

 

[BevL]

You definitely made the right choice. We've stayed at both. Liked the units a PG but it is a lot more time in the car because you're far from pretty much everything.

 

[Quimby4]

So, it was your Riveria Beach Spa that matched? If so, it's nice to know that ongoing searches will pull stuff that we can't see.

Yea, that doesnt really make sense...I couldnt see it when searching online with Riviera Beach Spa, but it matched my OGS...II is not a perfect system, really shouldnt feel like a mini lottery win when I get a confirmation, but it really does, lol

 

[BocaBoy]

Paniolo is close to one of the best beaches on Hawaii but it is away from most
Everything else. It is also pretty windy up there too.

What beach? Paniolo Greens is quite a few miles from any coast. At least 20 minutes of driving if memory serves me right.

 

[Luanne]

What beach? Paniolo Greens is quite a few miles from any coast. At least 20 minutes of driving if memory serves me right.

Yep, about 20 minutes sounds right. That would be to Hapuna Beach.

 

[slip]

Yep, 15 to 20 minutes from Hapuna.

 

[DaveNV]

Yep, 15 to 20 minutes from Hapuna.

As opposed to being an hour south of there. Or thereabouts.

Dave

 

[Mahlon]

You really have to drive to get anywhere of interest from either resort. Kona Coast is a good location for Kona and attractions south. Paniolo Greens is better for beaches and attractions north and east. I have stayed at both and both are decent resorts. If it is your first trip and for only a week, either would likely be OK. If you are a beach family , personally I would opt for Paniolo Greens.
Merry Christmas,
Mahlon

 

[slip]

You really have to drive to get anywhere of interest from either resort. Kona Coast is a good location for Kona and attractions south. Paniolo Greens is better for beaches and attractions north and east. I have stayed at both and both are decent resorts. If it is your first trip and for only a week, either would likely be OK. If you are a beach family , personally I would opt for Paniolo Greens.
Merry Christmas,
Mahlon

This was more my point when I mentioned being close to Hapuna. I wasn't
Necessarily recommending Paniolo though. To me it depends on what you plan
On doing. I know people that go to the Big Island every year because they love
Hapuna and go there three to four times during their stay so being 15 minutes
Away would be a plus.

 

[Luanne]

This was more my point when I mentioned being close to Hapuna. I wasn't
Necessarily recommending Paniolo though. To me it depends on what you plan
On doing. I know people that go to the Big Island every year because they love
Hapuna and go there three to four times during their stay so being 15 minutes
Away would be a plus.

When we stay at that end of the island, either at Paniolo Greens or the Bay Club, we were at Hapuna Beach every day. When we stay in Kona we tend to go to Kahaluu Beach Park for the snorkeling.

 

[slip]

Hapuna is one of my favorite beaches of all the islands.

 

[Luanne]

Hapuna is one of my favorite beaches of all the islands.

Probably still my most favorite is the beach at the Mauna Kea. That is right next to Hapuna so the two are very similar. The parking is more limited at the Mauna Kea. But it's my favorite because it was the very first Hawaiian beach I was ever exposed to. In 1968 my parents brought my sister and I to the islands for the very first time. We landed in Hilo (that was "THE" airport back then) and stayed overnight in Hilo. The next day we drove to the Mauna Kea which was the only resort hotel there at that time. That first day when I walked out onto the beach I was in love. And I was a southern California kid so it wasn't like I'd never seen a beach before.

 

[slip]

Probably still my most favorite is the beach at the Mauna Kea. That is right next to Hapuna so the two are very similar. The parking is more limited at the Mauna Kea. But it's my favorite because it was the very first Hawaiian beach I was ever exposed to. In 1968 my parents brought my sister and I to the islands for the very first time. We landed in Hilo (that was "THE" airport back then) and stayed overnight in Hilo. The next day we drove to the Mauna Kea which was the only resort hotel there at that time. That first day when I walked out onto the beach I was in love. And I was a southern California kid so it wasn't like I'd never seen a beach before.

That's a great memory to have! I love seeing older photos taken on the islands during the 50's,
60's and 70's. It looks like it was a totally different experience than today.
We took our family trips in the late 60's to Devils Lake in Wisconsin. That's still
A beautiful place and has great memories.

 

[Quimby4]

I guess I should have specified, we are beach lovers and that I live to snorkel...

Hopefully we can get up tp Hapuna beach a few times. I didnt realize Kona and Waikoloa were that far apart

Actually I just remembered that I bought E-plus..I could retrade if I wanted to.
So which resort would be better for teen boys Paniolo or Kona Coast...more activities, possibilities of meeting other teens?

My 15 year old loved Ko'Olina over spring break, meeting all kinds of fun teens

 

[BevL]

You will be almost walking distance from Kahaluu Beach Park. I'm not a huge fan of snorkeling but really enjoyed it there. It can be crowded but it's safe and you are definitely going to see a lot without going out very far. I have underwater pictures of my husband literally swimming beside a sea turtle. You had to be careful not to touch them one year when we were there.

You are also closer to the beach by the City of Refuge, which is good for snorkelling.

Hapuna Beach, to me, is not a place I think of going for snorkeling. It's just a great time to sit on the sand, love to body surf or boogie board there. Pack a lunch, a beach chair and a book and it's a day worth doing.

And Mauna Kea is fabulous, but the parking is super limited. Unless it's been expanded, the hotel controls the parking and they have about 20 to 30 spots a day that are available to the public. So if you don't get there really early, you're out of luck. Plan to go there early on a weekday.

As for where the teens will be, neither Paniolo or Kona Coast are "destination" type resorts. SO I can't really suggest that one would be better than the other for your kids. We did find that the pool and hot tub at Paniolo were really small for the size of the resort. It was almost impossible to get into either.