PACIFIC 19 Kona — Hotel in Hawaii

At the moment, I would definitely avoid this hotel if you’re older, like to sleep in, disabled, have children that need tv to be occupied in the evenings, or can not walk a fair distance from your car to the hotel… I feel like this place will be good eventually, but not nearly there yet….. also definitely important to note, they sell more parking passes than available spots. So one night I had to make circles around waiting for a spot to open up to park my car, which I already had paid for that day. They do not tell you this upon buying the parking pass.

There is currently loud construction going on directly in front of the lobby- I’m talking drills, jackhammer type of thing, tons of cords, a literal gap you have to jump over, and wood with uneven walking surfaces which are definitely a tripping hazard. The construction people didn’t even stop as guests were trying to walk into the lobby and at points you had a maybe two foot gap to walk around them. Very loud noise. A gentleman in a wheelchair had issues upon checking in trying to get over the literally gaping ground.

A mini fridge is listed, but it is FILLED with mini bar drinks/alcohol so there is no room for your actual food/drinks available in it. 😅 I finally moved things around enough and got two cans in it.

This is a no smoking hotel, but apparently just for the guests. As I witnessed multiple times staff/security smoking in the parking lot. So I got the enjoyment of walking through giant puffs of cigarettes. edited They followed up with an email letting me know that there are areas staff/patrons can smoke, so that’s my mistake. If I could recommend it not be in the most heavy foot traffic area and done in a less frequented place for the patrons, it would be great. Just because everyone walks from the beach through the parking lot to get into the lobby.

You can not bring outside alcohol in, or their alcohol out. They have three liquors to select from (dark rum, pricier tequila, and vodka), and I tried the organic vodka- don’t recommend. I thought it was my mixer and first, so I made two drinks total. Wasn’t the mixer- didn’t even use 1/5 of the bottle. The prices are obviously marked up from the liquor store down the street as well.

My hotel key kept messing up, so after the first thing I made sure to keep it away from my phone/cards/etc, but after the third key I got the receptionist said it may be an issue with the door (which made me concerned for my stuff inside)….

A couple was having a domestic violence issue across the hall from me (I recorded it) and as extremely loud and threatening physical violence. I reported it, and actually followed up. They said security went up there and didn’t hear anything. (Quiet does not mean everything’s okay).

Take your money down the street to King Kamehameha’s hotel! You’ll have a muchhhh better experience even though it’s a little more expensive. You’ll save money on their discounts for activities you’ll want to do.

The rooms were however very clean, and staff extremely friendly. Like I said I think it’ll end up being a good hotel in time, but I’d avoid it until all the construction and...

Our stay at Pacific19 was okay, it's the after service that has been awful.

The stay itself was alright. The AC was good, the beds comfy. Our room key stopped working 3 times but was quickly handled each time. Annoying, but not a huge deal. The room was super dark, poor lighting and tinted glass. Keeps it cool but never gets any sunlight. On that same note, the AC blocks the curtains from closing all the way right next to the bed. The location is good right in Kona town. Walls definitely very thin. No TV, but we don’t mind it. No coffee or microwave.

The reason I won't come back and can't recommend them is they seem to be running scams to nickel and dime you. We were offered a parking pass when we arrived, which we declined to the front desk as it was $20 per night. The lady asked for my plate anyway, I assumed to make sure we weren't using the lot and to charge if we did. She wrote up a tag for our car to hang in the mirror, I thought to track IF we use the lot to ensure we were actual customers? Well, apparently that was a parking pass which she gave us even though we declined it. She said to "just use it if we need it" even though we said we would not be using it. We took it into our room and never used it once, assuming they are not charging us if we were parking elsewhere. The lot is tiny, it's not unlikely that they check it. We didn't park in their lot a SINGLE night, not wanting to pay $20 per night to park. Luckily, we found street parking each night and walked back to the hotel. After my stay, they never sent a receipt. After prodding for one, they finally sent it over. Turns out I was charged for items in the minibar which we did not take. We did not eat or drink anything from the minibar. We don't drink soda and didn't like any of the offerings. The gummy candy alone was $7 for a tiny bag (there is a gas station right across the street??). They also CHARGED FOR PARKING each night! Apparently just having a pass in your possession, they will charge you. I emailed them and let them know that we had declined the pass and never parked in the lot for our entire stay. Had I known I was going to be charged, I would have parked there and not walked and searched for parking every night... they emailed me back that they would not be refunding me, not even for the items in the minibar that we LEFT THERE and never purchased.

Poor practices. Scammy. Now I need to watch my card to make sure they're not tacking on anything else and I have to dispute charges with my credit card. Not worth the hassle, there are better places and Airbnbs near by. Reading other reviews, seems it's common practice for them to surprise overcharge folks. Or charge whatever they want.

Also, their smoke alarm chirped the entire 5 day stay we were there. Poor...

The location of this hotel is definitely convenient—close to everything we needed—and the lobby has cute, inviting vibes with a charming little coffee truck outside. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended for me.

From the moment we arrived, the staff interactions felt cold and unwelcoming. I wasn’t greeted upon entering; both front desk employees barely looked up, and I had to initiate conversation just to ask if I was in the right place to check in. The process was quick, but I was given no information about the hotel—just a vague “you’re in the annex, go through that doorway,” with zero explanation or orientation.

The annex itself felt like an afterthought. It came off more like a budget motel tucked away in the back of the property rather than part of a hotel experience. We were surrounded by loud coqui frogs, barking dogs that were scratching at doors, and an overwhelming smell of marijuana that seeped through the window slats or hit us every time we walked to the lobby. It felt more neglected than intentionally rustic.

The rooms are decent, not carpeted. The A/C unit is behind the curtains, so if you want it blowing into the room you have to leave them open which allows a bright yellow parking light the shine in the room all night. The coqui frogs ensure that you’ll be blasting a sound machine to fall asleep.

To top it off, my 5-year-old was approached by a houseless woman who was smoking in the parking lot—not exactly the kind of atmosphere you want when staying somewhere with your family.

It also would’ve been nice to have basic amenities in the room like a coffee maker or microwave. Instead, we had to walk back to the lobby building just to reheat food.

In short: if you’re just looking for a place to crash with easy access to town, this might work for you. But if you’re expecting hospitality, comfort, or even a typical hotel experience, this place falls short—especially if you’re placed...