Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel — Hotel in Hawaii

Kona is a lava-rock coast - still pretty but it's not what some people expect, like Oahu. The hotel is in a great location and has a small beach (sand over lava rocks), pool, dining and activity access as advertised. There's also a luau on site - a bonus for many! The luau is only on select days so check dates and availability if this is on your bucket list. They also had talented live music at the pool in the evenings.||ROOMS: Third floor "Ocean Front" is not the clear, relaxing view you'd imagine; the "Ocean Front" rooms are actually "Ocean View" rooms if you can sneak a water view between structures and trees (keep the trees!). I'm highly disappointed in the cost of the 3rd floor "ocean front" room with a view of the cruise ship pier, canoe boats, pool, and you could clearly hear every word everyone said at all hours. If you want to spy on your teens at the pool, this is the room to get - not for the tranquility the price should provide. Maybe higher floors are better but costs should be adjusted appropriately for the view. The sun hit the balcony, which was nice. The unavoidable people watching from this balcony was excellent.||COST: The daily room cost was $85/day higher due to fees and taxes. EACH DAY was charged as follows: $325.60 (room) + $43.14 (Occupancy Sales Tax) + $15.34 (State Occupancy Tax) + $22 (Destination Amenity Fee) + $1.04 (DAF Tax) + $2.92 (DAF Occupancy Sales Tax) = $410.04 per night. Parking is $35 more per night; if you rent a vehicle and there's no other parking option near the hotel. ||TRANSPORTATION: Uber works for the local areas but is not massively available after 9pm unless you schedule a pick-up. There is a bus system with a stop right outside the hotel doors which can be useful but be sure to read the bus schedules. The bus does run to Waimea, if that's your groove, but beware of the very limited bus stop times. Renting a car for two full days (one night fee) is worth it to stretch your legs and see the rest of the island.||LOCATION: The location was worth it has a home-base for exploring on foot and vehicle. You're surrounded by shops and dining options and access to the pier which is nice for nearly all boat excursions. There are canoes for rent. The hotel provides designated beach chairs for guests (first come-first serve) and the pool is beach-front. Beware of the pool sitters who get there early and hog the few seats all day - not cool. Many people from local B&Bs came to the beach and rented chairs so having direct access is nice. There's also the luau on-site - a plus for many!||For walkers (or Uber), 1-2 miles north is an easy (but hot after 8am) walk to the Old Airport State Rec area with lava-rock and sandy beaches, some shade, a fenced playground, ball field, and picnic/pavilion areas that seemed popular with the locals and some homeless - but there's so much space to stay safe and private. One to two miles south is a nice walk past the palace and along the coast with some tiny parks - and more homeless but worth it. On this walk, you'll see more restaurants and shops and a Wed-Sun market with many mass-produced "Made in China" booths and some nice local items. ||MARRIOTT COMPARISON (KONA): We've stayed further up the island at the Waikoloa Marriott which is pricier and much more posh; it has more high-end, Vegas-like shops and a golf course in its own community built over lava rocks but with a bigger beach/pool complex. We felt trapped there due to the location and costs; we didn't want to stray too far when we paid so much. The King Kamehameha gave more freedom and more access to local diners and shops. It's a better base and you wouldn't need a care for at least 1-2 days if you do explore the local shops and/or take a water excursion - don't rent a car those days and save the fees.||HOMELESS: Welcome to another city overcome by the homeless. While we've never had issues, there are smells, stares, sounds, and behaviours that will stand out. Be careful if you drive as some have pets that come very close to the road. We had no begging from homeless but some from waitstaff for tips if that isn't ironic. ||TIPS: Tourist locations globally want the money, not the tourists - for varied, arguably legit reasons. Be aware of tips-before-service. At a few locations, we planned to tip cash after service in their jar. While paying, the workers watched our credit card entries for the tip which was zero because we tip at often 50% with cash AFTER service. We were skipped for our beverages, sloppy attitudes, and half-filled drinks. So watch your servers' at the to-go locations. We had zero issues with sit-down...

As two seasoned travelers who visit Hawaii 3-4 times every year, we found the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel to be a delightful surprise. We are jaded travelers who have high standards when it comes to service and amenities.

Full disclosure: Courtyards never been a place we stay, due to some prior less-than-ideal experiences. But boy, did this one change our minds! A year earlier, I had stayed here using a free night certificate, and the exceptional experience compelled me to bring my family back.

We booked my birthday week here this year: We scored a 5-night stay for only 156,000 points, our best Marriott point spend, ever.

Stepping through the front doors, we were immersed in exceptional customer service that truly embodied the Aloha spirit. Warm smiles and shell lei greetings, acknowledgment of my Titanium Elite status, and a welcome upgrade to an Ocean Front View room set the tone. The special attention for my birthday included a couple of extra perks, including two boxes of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, which added to our warm welcome.

The high standard of service didn't stop there. The Aloha spirit radiated from every staff member we encountered, from the bellmen to the breakfast crew, the front desk personnel to the housekeepers. We all - including my grown son who joined the birthday celebration - were treated like royalty.

Our room and balcony provided an idyllic backdrop for my birthday celebration, and we appreciated the thoughtful treats and gifts that would arrive throughout our stay. We also enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere at the tiki bar Billfish, where the food, drinks, and stellar bartender contributed to our memories.

We also rented two cabanas for half-days ($75) and the only suggestion we have for the resort is we believe they would sell out if they offered a day rate of $100 (versus $150), based on what we have paid for two-seat covered beach and pool cabanas at other resorts throughout Hawaii.

The pool and hot tub are great, but swimming in the lagoon was the best. Another hidden gem was the free historical tour this unique resort offers as it features an impressive display of Hawaii's rich cultural heritage, with exceptional Hawaiian historical artifacts and artwork. And the chants our tour host provided were simply a beautiful and spiritual way to begin and end this tour. Kudos, again.

Overall, what we liked best was the resort’s vibe: it has a charming retro tiki bar ambiance, reminiscent of 1960s Hawaii, creating a vibrant feeling that you could almost see Elvis hosting a beach party there.

For the first time on the Big Island, we did not rent a car. The good news: we found Uber to be a an incredible value and high efficient since we have visited this island many times and already did the major tourist attractions. Uber cost under $30 to and from the airport and the trips we took locally were around $7 and we never waited more than a few minutes!

There’s also a free Trolley stop conveniently located right outside the ABC Store (another huge bonus!) housed inside this resort. Because you are in Kona, you're within walking distance to nearly all the major fast-food brands as well as local dives, grocery stores, retail outlets and high-end restaurants too.

Even though housekeeping is now every other day, this crew deserves a special mention for their excellent service, always accommodating our requests for additional towels and extra coffee. And the rooms? Spacious, beds were comfy, TV channels plentiful on the large flat screen and the bath featured a powerful shower (tub/shower combo) - a rare find these days.

All in all, we STRONGLY recommend the Courtyard King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel for couples or families. Pro tip: as soon as you can, enjoy the free drink at the Tiki Bar, which covered by the resort fee, because it an absolute must. Bottom line: this Big Island resort in the heart of Kona is a...

I can't believe the customer service here is so horrible. I usually never write a bad review before. But this is a MUST for other guest to see and maybe the hotel would change their way of treating guest. For what you pay you can't even get room service. We tried calling many times over and over no one picks up. Please don't put a land line it in the room if your not planning to pick up. We tried different days to see if it was just our first day. So our first day we barely checked in and the restroom would not flush. We also tried calling to get some towels and nothing. I ended up having to go down to the lobby every time to ask for something.

There is a green grass area next to the beach that me and my son are throwing the football and they told us we can't do it. We had to move to the beach area. Which had lots of folks that can get hit by the ball.. Which doesn't makes sense that football is played in grass also... It's not a big deal for that but I feel like I'm on vacation and just throwing a ball and getting kicked out for doing it with me son. We are just throwing it and minding our own business and away from everyone. So the next day I went out and I say a group of folks doing it and no one told them anything.. Which is odd because they were loud and going nutz while me and my son are just throwing it...

As a guest to this hotel we should have a little more service then being treated like non paying guest. On another occasion, we just came back around 1pm from our trip to another beach and the complementary umbrella are all taken up. So I asked if I can put the chair on the open table which belongs to the hotel. They said said ok no problem, it belong to the hotel. I was just sitting there doing nothing and minding my own business and Someone from the hotel came up and asked us to MOVE it...Wow how annoying can this be? Can't even sit and watch my son go to the high tides and explore...:(

We stayed here for a week and now I'm regretting choosing this hotel for the place. There are so many other ones to choose from. If this is a must for you to stay then do it. The rooms are not even updated but I knew that coming here and did not expect to be treated like this.

Also there are homeless people that comes and go some are not aggressive but one day we had a guy with the pitbull dog cussing at kids and going nuts in front of everyone. I guess it's not the hotel fault it's a public beach but just something to note. Keep your kids nearby.

On a GOOD note the front desk was very nice and helpful her name was Trisha and she was very understanding and she probably save this hotel from a few stars. I would definitely give them a 1 star.

Location is good and that's probably the only other reason to book it here. All the restaurant and stores are walking distance we stayed here with 8yr and 2yrs old so everything nearby is essential. All and all if they would change the way the treat their guest and have some compassion maybe I would consider staying here again.

There is a 30$ a day parking which is normal for all hotels on the beach parking was ok. Didn't have a issue finding a spot. Didn't use the wifi here but my 5g works...