Royal Kona Resort – Hotel Test Big Island Hawaii
The Royal Kona Resort is on the island of Hawaii. The resort is located in Kona, a little town on the west side of the island Hawaii. Kona has a nice strip next to the water, plenty of restaurants and bars and is definitely worth a visit.
The Royal Kona Resort
The Royal Kona Resort was built in 1968. It was renovated in 2008. We think it aged very well. We stayed there in 2018. The rooms might like a little upgrade, but nothing major. And hey, you’re in Hawaii. You should be outdoors and enjoy the Big Island with its waterfalls anyways.
The Location
The Royal Kona Resort is a beautiful waterfront Hotel on the Big Island. Overlooking Kailua Bay on Hawaii, this Hotel is definitely worth a closer look if you plan on staying on the Big Island during your Hawaii vacation. The Airport is about a 20 minute drive away. The Royal Kona is only a short walk from the restaurants, shops and bars on the Strip. We think you are far enough away from the “craziness” but close enough to just go for a beer even if it is later in the evening.
The Amenities and Food at the Royal Kona Resort
The salt water pool was decent sized. We never really used it because we found something WAY better – more later. The pool bar was definitely a highlight. Amazing views over Kona Bay. The drinks were reasonably priced. If you like to save a few dollars, the bars on the strip are only about a five minute walk away. The man made lava rock pool behind the wall next to the pool was really cool. Just sit in it and let the ocean fill it. Very relaxing. Click the link if you like to know all the amenities of the Royal Kona Resort.
One of the coolest things we found was the little cove, tucked away at the end of the hotel. There is a little bay with a tiny beach. Only about 10 people fit there, but since it’s not well known, we ended up having the cove to ourselves. Turtles and fish in the water, completely quiet and overlooking the ocean. This cove alone made our day! It is so secret, not even locals know about it. Check out the comment we got on YouTube!
Food at the Royal Kona
To be honest, we only had breakfast there. We wanted to explore the town, so we ended up trying different bars and restaurants for lunch and dinner. There is so much to see and so many really nice locations. A lot of bars are overlooking the ocean, very different from the beach bars in Waikiki. Kona town is worth a stroll at night. Lots of live music! Really enjoyable. Food is good and service was also very good wherever we went.
The Rooms
We had a beautiful corner room on the 4th floor. The endless balcony let us look on the beautiful mountains on one side and over Kona bay with its turquoise water on the other. Two Queen sized beds, a flat screen TV, a bathroom with walk in shower and double sink as well as a small refrigerator were inside the room. The room was spacious enough for the whole outrigger canoe crew of 6. We asked for an extra bed, which was brought to the room within 10 minutes. Yes, great service!
What we think
This Hotel gets a BIG thumbs UP! If you are planning to stay in Kona on the Big Island, make sure to spend some time at the Royal Kona Resort. We are big fans and will definitely come back.