Kona Coast Resort I VS Kona Coast Resort II?

[Bearvet]

We have 2 units reserved (through RCI exchange) for July 2-9, 2010. The first is a 2-bedroom unit at KCR I, the second is a 1-bedroom at KCR II. We will use 1 unit and our friends will use the other (2 adults in each unit - no kids). Which would you keep for yourself and/or which would you give your friends (BTW they are paying us a nominal amount to cover exchange fee, etc)?


Thanks for your help!

 

[teepeeca]

The KCR-I will be "up the hill" farther away from the larger main pool, and from the ocean views and golf course. They are larger units (than comparable KCR-II units), and have private garages. Originally, they were built as whole-ownership condo's, not timeshares.

We have stayed in both, and prefer the KCR-II units, usually having an ocean view, across from the golf course.

Tony

 

[JanB]

KCR I or II?

We own in both. For 2 couples, I would keep the 2 bdrm for myself even though it is in the back of the resort and most likely will not have a view - which could also happen in a KCR II unit. The KCR II, 1 bdrms require a couple sleep on the couch and they have a much smaller lanai. We tend to spend most of our time on the lanai. For 4 couples, the KCR I, 2 bdrm lanai will accomodate all 4 couples comfortably whereas the 1 bdrm lanai will not.

 

[teepeeca]

JanB

I think the original poster said that there would be TWO couples traveling, and that they have reserved TWO units, one in the "I" phase (a 2-br), unit and one in the "II" phase (1-br) unit.

That way, each couple will have their own timeshare unit.

Tony

 

[Bearvet]

Thanks for your replies. Is the 1 bedroom at KCR II more of a studio than a true 1 bedroom? If so, I will be very disappointed. The other couple - the husband - has problems sleeping (severe restless leg syndrome), so I was leaning toward giving then the 2-bedroom and keeping the 1-bedroom for ourselves. Now I'm more confused than ever!

I'll check the KCR website and see if they show the layout for the 1-bedroom.
Any other suggestions??

 

[vacationdoc]

You are very thoughtful to consider your friends' comfort. I would agree that the 2BR would be better for a restless sleeper.The KCR II 1BR is not a studio type room like you find in some of the older Honolulu ts's. It has a nice floor plan that you can enjoy with your guests. There is no elevator if stairs are an issue.

 

[teepeeca]

The KCR-II is definitely NOT a studio type. It is a very spacous 1-br/2-ba unit, somewhere around 800 sqft, if I remember correctly. If one person might need their own bedroom to give the "partner" a decent night's sleep, then they should be given the 2-br unit.

Tony

 

[Bearvet]

OK - I get it now! JanB thought we had 4 couples, but we only have 2 couples (she thought 2 couples in the 1-bedroom, so 1 couple would need the pull-out sofa).

The week prior to this we are in hotel units in Waikiki, so I will give our friends the 2-bedroom so he can have some extra space. As long as the lanai is big enough for the 2 of us (for the 1-bedroom unit) and we don't have to sleep on the pull-out, we'll be very happy. Stairs (no elevator) are not an issue for any of us.

Thanks again for your help - it really cleared things up for me.

 

[GregT]

Bear,

If possible, after the trip, please post any pictures that you think would be useful. I've wanted to stay at KCR and any insight you can share after the trip would be appreciated.

Enjoy the Big Island!

Greg

 

[Bearvet]

We returned from Hawaii last week and Kona Coast Resort was fantastic! Our friends used the 2-bedroom unit in KCR I and loved it - the place was huge. They were in Bldg 5 unit 101 which seemed to be a good location. They had tons of space here and were very grateful for it after spending the previous week in a hotel room.

We took the 1 bedroom in KCR II and it's the nicest 1 bedroom unit I've ever seen. Two full bathrooms and a huge lanai - with partial ocean view. We had unit 20-306. My only complaint (and this is strictly a design flaw) is the shower in the master bath sprayed directly onto the glass door. No matter what I did, the floor was soaked every time. We could not move the shower head.

We were given lots of gifts - there were water botles in the fridge when we arrived. There was a letter giving us a free 1 day beach item rental (boogie board, snorkel gear, cooler, beach chair & umbrella) which came in very handy. Housekeeping stopped by to see if we needed anything and brought some nice gifts - box of choc macadamia nuts, shortbread cookies & luggage tag. We felt very pampered.

The resort itself was gorgeous - we mostly used the main pool and jacuzzi (although 1 night it was only lukewarm). We also liked the poolside restaurant and bar - they had great beer selections. The activities desk was staffed until 9 PM and were helpful with directions, and suggestions. We booked all of our activities from home, otherwise they would do that too. Staff was very friendly everywhere we went. The location was great - best snorkeling was just around the corner at Kahalu'u Beach Park. It was a good base for exploring the rest of the island. The Big Island was our favorite of the 3 we visited (Oahu and Maui are the other 2).

This goes on our list of favorite resorts - I highly recommend it. If someone can tell me how to post pictures, I have many of the 1 bedroom unit.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks for the report! We have a trade here for Dec. 2011 and are looking forward to it.

Question: Did you request a unit, or was that what you were given? Did you get the unit on your confirmation?

Here's how I upload pictures:


Resize your pic so it's no more than 600 wide for a horizontal pic or 450 wide for a vertical pic.

Go to www.photobucket.com and open a free acct.

Upload your picture and save it:
1. click on My Album tab
2. click browse
3. choose photo stored on your computer
4. click open
5. click upload
6. click save and continue
You will see your picture in you photobucket "album." Under the picture there will be several url options.

Click on IMG Code and the link will automatically be copied.

Then go to the TUG thread, add a post, type in your caption, and then paste the IMG Code.

You can click preview, before actually posting, to see if it looks the way you want.

 

[Bearvet]

Living Area

Dining Area

Kitchen

Bedroom

Bedroom

Master Bath

Teak Furniture on Lanai

View from Lanai

The pictures don't quite do it justice, but not too bad. We did not request a unit - just took what we were given and it worked out well.

 

[DeniseM]

It looks nice! Thanks for posting!

The flat screen TV over the dining room table seems odd?

 

[Bearvet]

I guess when you look at the picture the TV does look odd. The sofa faces it - very open with cathedral ceilings. I don't think we ever used the TV though - we were so busy. If you're interested, here's my trip report - I was exhausted just typing it! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...and_7_2_7_9_2010-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

My husband is a big sports fan and the TV schedule really threw him for a loop since all the viewing times were so different!

 

[DeniseM]

Great trip report! I'm exhausted just from reading it!

How were the restaurant and bar prices at the resort?

 

[Bearvet]

We just had drinks and pupus at the bar one night and prices seemed reasonable. The special drink was a frozen fuzzy navel for $6 or $7 and it was a pint! It was delicious but I couldn't finish it. Sandwiches looked decent. As I mentioned, they had good draft beer choices. We didn't go to the Monday night BBQ but seems like people like it. http://www.shellhospitality.com/hotels/kona_coast_resort/documents/alohafridays.pdf

Our friends had breakfast there one morning - just bagels and coffee but it was really convenient. I didn't even realize they have room service until I just looked at the website. Hope this helps!

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks for the menu! I saved it in our trip file.

 

[cheezz]

questions about the Kona Coast amenities?

We returned from Hawaii last week and Kona Coast Resort was fantastic! Our friends used the 2-bedroom unit in KCR I and loved it - the place was huge. They were in Bldg 5 unit 101 which seemed to be a good location. They had tons of space here and were very grateful for it after spending the previous week in a hotel room.

We took the 1 bedroom in KCR II and it's the nicest 1 bedroom unit I've ever seen. Two full bathrooms and a huge lanai - with partial ocean view. We had unit 20-306. My only complaint (and this is strictly a design flaw) is the shower in the master bath sprayed directly onto the glass door. No matter what I did, the floor was soaked every time. We could not move the shower head.

We were given lots of gifts - there were water botles in the fridge when we arrived. There was a letter giving us a free 1 day beach item rental (boogie board, snorkel gear, cooler, beach chair & umbrella) which came in very handy. Housekeeping stopped by to see if we needed anything and brought some nice gifts - box of choc macadamia nuts, shortbread cookies & luggage tag. We felt very pampered.

The resort itself was gorgeous - we mostly used the main pool and jacuzzi (although 1 night it was only lukewarm). We also liked the poolside restaurant and bar - they had great beer selections. The activities desk was staffed until 9 PM and were helpful with directions, and suggestions. We booked all of our activities from home, otherwise they would do that too. Staff was very friendly everywhere we went. The location was great - best snorkeling was just around the corner at Kahalu'u Beach Park. It was a good base for exploring the rest of the island. The Big Island was our favorite of the 3 we visited (Oahu and Maui are the other 2).

This goes on our list of favorite resorts - I highly recommend it. If someone can tell me how to post pictures, I have many of the 1 bedroom unit.

Hi Bearvet -

We are off to the Kona Coast Resort in October and I was wondering... are there BBQ grills? We plan (with 9 people) to do a lot of eating in. Are the "fully equipped" kitchens stocked well with pans, skillets, electric mixers, muffin tins, etc. - you know, anything you might need to throw together a complete meal and dessert? I am *assuming* we must bring every spice, condiment, etc. that we might need?

Thanks!

 

[cheezz]

I guess when you look at the picture the TV does look odd. The sofa faces it - very open with cathedral ceilings. I don't think we ever used the TV though - we were so busy. If you're interested, here's my trip report - I was exhausted just typing it! http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...and_7_2_7_9_2010-Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii.html

My husband is a big sports fan and the TV schedule really threw him for a loop since all the viewing times were so different!

REEEELLY fabulous trip report!! I made several notes for my upcoming trip and so enjoyed your description of everything. And yes.... I read ever word

Thank you for posting it.

 

[Bee]

Denise,

We stayed at the Kona Coast II a couple of years ago. The TV really is in a good spot, as the living room sofa will look straight onto it. It's an open floor plan, so it works. I enjoyed the resort, thought it was very nice. When we arrived they gave us a choice of 3 different units. We had both garden and ocean view. The grounds were very nice. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Bee

 

[Bearvet]

Cheezz-
Yes there are BBQ grills. The kitchen seemed very well stocked, but we really didn't do any real cooking there. Pots and pans yes, but not sure about baking items (mixer, muffin tins, etc.). It was one of the few timeshares we've stayed in that provide salt and pepper. Other than that you'll need to bring or buy spices and condiments. Even though we were in a 1 bedroom unit that sleeps 4, there were enough place settings (dishes) for 6 or 8.

Thanks for reading my trip report - we were busy but really loved everything we did there. Have a great time there - we'd go back in a heartbeat!!

 

[PClapham]

Is this tripadvisor review also here on tug? If not, PLEASE post it!

Anita

ps-I looked and didn't see it....

 

[Bearvet]

PClapham-
Where would I post my trip review on TUG? I'm still fairly new here and didn't know there were trip reports posted....
Thanks!

 

[John Cummings]

Question: Did you request a unit, or was that what you were given? Did you get the unit on your confirmation?

We stayed in a 1BR, 2BA unit at Kona Coast II this past April. They were very good about going out of their way at giving us a unit location that we wanted. We did it when we checked in.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Living Area

Dining Area

Kitchen

Bedroom

Bedroom

Master Bath

Teak Furniture on Lanai

View from Lanai

The pictures don't quite do it justice, but not too bad. We did not request a unit - just took what we were given and it worked out well.

Wow, nice remodel on the decor there since our last stay at KCRII 6 years ago!