Hotel Overview

Even before you are welcomed to the Royal Kona Resort by the gracious staff you will be embraced by a swirl of salt air -- ha, in Hawaiian, the life-breath of the islands. You will see it ruffling the fronds of the palm trees that fringe the 12 manicured acres, tossing the waves against the stark black lava rocks at the property's feet, marching columns of clouds across the uninterrupted expanse of sky. The air here presents you with the perfume of tropical flowers. It is a reminder that you are on the Big Island of Hawaii, a reminder to breathe, to exhale, and completely relax.

Set oceanfront overlooking Kailua Bay in the heart of Kona town, the Royal Kona Resort is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, historical sites, and activities. Guests enjoy spacious guestrooms featuring a large lanai with beautiful mountain vistas or magnificent ocean views, a private saltwater swimming lagoon and sandy sunning area, oceanfront pool, tennis courts, and spa. The Resort also offers meeting facilities, a romance center, wedding services, and an oceanfront Luau. Dine at the water's edge at Don the Beachcomber signature restaurant or try one of the many unique Mai Tai creations at the adjacent Don's Mai Tai Bar.

At 390 square feet, the recently remodeled and spacious guest rooms at Royal Kona Resort are as expansive as the ocean and mountain skylines they showcase. For even grander appointments, the Corner King rooms offer 450 feet of relaxing space. At the heart of the resort is the Alii Tower, which is home to the open-air lobby, Front Desk, and Don the Beachcomber restaurant. The Lagoon Tower, on the south side of the resort, overlooks the private beach and saltwater lagoon. It also houses a beauty salon and self-service laundry. To the north, closest to Kailua-Kona, is the Bay Tower in which the massage and spa center can be found.

Designed by renowned Tiki architect George "Pete" Wimberly, the soaring, sheltering roofline of the resort's signature Don the Beachcomber Restaurant perfectly sets a tropical theme. Hawaiian music wafts through the dining area, flowing past the shaded, waterside tables. Don't be surprised if you are joined for breakfast by a pod of spinner dolphins, or starting in late October, migrating humpback whales whose breathtaking aerial performances bring the whole bay to a standstill. The dining is as spectacular as the view, a fusion of Asian inspiration, European technique, and the finest, freshest local ingredients.

Location

Kailua/Kona
Kona, HI, USA - Keahole (KOA) : 15 miles

Property Information

Year Built: 1968
Last Renovation: 2006
Accessible rooms: 4
Floors: 7
Total rooms: 436

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Hotel Details

Amenities

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Activities

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Hotel Advisories

Advisory The Royal Kona Resort is now a 100% non-smoking hotel. All guestrooms are non-smoking. Smoking is not permitted in any public areas. There are three designated smoking areas throughout the resort, please contact resort staff for further information. A $200 cleaning fee will be charged to those who violate this policy. The fee will be assessed by the hotel and charged to the guest's folio. Cleaning fee is subject to change without notice.
Advisory A minimum self parking fee of $25 (plus tax) per room, per night, per vehicle will be charged and collected by the hotel at check-in or check-out. Parking fees are subject to change without prior notice. The information published here is to give the client an estimate of additional fees they may be responsible for, but not a guarantee of the final amount due.
Advisory A minimum mandatory hotel-imposed resort fee of $25.00 (plus tax) per room, per day, will be charged and collected by the hotel at check-in or check-out. This fee is subject to change without prior notice. The information published here is to give the client an estimate of additional fees that they may be responsible for but is not a guarantee of the final amount due. For a detailed description of what is included in the mandatory fee, please see hotel policies.
Advisory Lagoon Tower Restoration Project - Based on this update we can advise that the project will continue throughout 2025. Additionally, the project team has advised some work may be required on weekends starting now through 2025.

General Policies & Fine Print

Check In: 4:00 PM
Check Out: 11:00 AM
Minimum Check-In Age: 18
General Policies: Check-in Policy:
Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.

Convention Policy:
Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.

Hotel Spring Break Policy:
This hotel cannot guarantee a spring-break-free environment.

General Information:
Room taxes are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.

Resort Fee - A mandatory hotel-imposed fee is charged and collected by the hotel either at check-in or check-out.

Amenities included in the resort fee are:

• Welcome to Paradise Mai Tais (one coupon good for two Mai Tais per room/stay)

• Bottled Water on arrival (two per room/stay)

• Filtered Water Stations 

• Enhanced Guestroom Wi-Fi

• Fitness Center Access

• Guestroom Safe Usage

• Local & 800 calls

• Daily Yoga/Fitness Classes

• Daily Hawaiian Cultural Activities (weekly schedule and sign-up available at Front Desk)

• Reef Safe Sunscreen (available at the pool)

• Complimentary Tennis Racquet Rentals, Tennis Balls & Water (available at Royal Kona Resort Tennis Club)

• $25 Island Activities & Tours Credit (valid when purchasing tours/activities valued at $200 through the Activities Desk) 

• $20 Lotus Center Spa Credit (available on 90-minute massages)

• $20 greens fee credit plus 50% discount on club rentals at Makalei Golf Club ($25 value)

• 20% off green fees and club rentals at Makani Kai Golf Course ($33 value)+++• Welcome to Paradise Mai Tais (two coupons per room/stay)

Inclusions subject to change and are based on availability. Some activities require reservations.
Pet Policy Pets Not Allowed

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_4.0 5474 reviews
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Great stay!

    We had a fabulous time! Our room was clean and comfortable! And the view of the ocean was great. The staff are super nice and always helpful, checkin was easy (and checkout too). Love watching the sunset from the pool deck - absolutely amazing!!!

    Nov 25, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 3.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Overall a good experience but needs major renovation

    Overall we were pleased with the Royal Kona as it met our needs. I'd give it 3.5 stars. The staff was great - friendly and professional. The ocean views from our room were beautiful. We enjoyed the lu'au. The hotel's open-air restaurant/bar was nice with views of the ocean (although Don's Mai Tai Bar closes early at 9 p.m. so you're not hanging out with friends for the evening). The room was clean and the bed comfortable. The hotel is a relatively short walk (5 to 10 minutes) to Kailua-Kona. Parking was convenient. The only catch is that the place is outdated and needs a major reno job. The extensive concrete spalling on the exterior walls was a bit concerning. Also, a minor point, but it was a little strange that you could not get anything other than a basic cup of coffee at the resort. My wife likes her latte in the morning while vacationing and we needed to walk into town every day for her fix. It was a pleasant walk but still . . . . If you enjoy going out for the day to sightsee and use a hotel as a home base I'd recommend it. If you're looking for a resort experience where you never need to leave the grounds I wouldn't recommend it.

    Nov 18, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Solo getaway

    Needed some quiet time so I booked an ocean view room for a weekend getaway. Wi-Fi worked well, lots of parking, and the Mai Tai bar downstairs was perfect for lite dinner. I feel rested and ready to take on life again. Will definitely be doing this again for some "me" time.

    Nov 18, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Just a shame

    We stayed here 10 years ago for my Mothers 80th and it was great, so we booked it again in November for my Mothers celebration of life with 35 family members. The people checking you in were fantastic, they were fairly quick with the check in process. We upgraded to a corner ocean front room $50 a day extra, the room was like it was 10 years ago the only difference was that the room is now older and everything in it. The coffee maker is a single cup style, not a Kurig style but a pouch with single serve terrible non Kona coffee. The air conditioning in the room was adequate in the morning, but by afternoon it couldn’t keep up causing the room temperature to raise up to 80 degrees and stay that way till 10:00 pm. The sliding glass door was hard to open and the corner room lanai was void of any style, two old chairs and a table. Only thing the room had that was good was the bed, very comfortable. The people that work here couldn’t have been nicer, room housekeeping was on point! Parking is the worst, you pay around $25 a day which is fine. Good luck trying to find a spot if you’re returning back to the hotel around 5:00 pm because of the Luau’s they host almost every night. The $25 a day resort fee is a joke, pool is tiny and with only a dozen lounge chairs. There is no coffee available after the restaurant closes and the coffee you do get there tastes as old as the hotel. I mean Kona has the best coffee in the world and they serve coffee that tastes like it came from my Grandmothers cupboard. We were the reason my family stayed here for 8 nights and were so disappointed, also they do not have a buffet breakfast anymore! We prepaid for the breakfasts but it’s ala cart now, they said since Covid! I have stayed in hotels all around the world and this one ranks as one of the worst, the only thing it has going for it is that it’s ocean front.

    Nov 18, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 5.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Great location and views, convenient to dining and shopping, needs better WiFi

    We stayed 6 nights here, loved the location - very convenient to restaurants and shopping. There is an ABC convenience store just a few minutes walk away with food, drink, clothing, and souvenirs. We splurged and got an ocean view room, worth every penny! We didn't rent a car; we used Lyft and/or walked instead and that worked perfectly for us. No microwave but was nice to have a small refrigerator. Room in need of some updating, but our main complaint was choppy, unreliable WiFi which made uploading and sharing photos difficult. We threw away a lot of empty plastic bottles, hope the resort recycles but we saw no bins specific for that. We would definitely stay here again if we get the chance to go back to Kona!

    Nov 17, 2024

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