Kona Bali Kai

I’ve noticed that most reviews aren’t that detailed and decided to provide as much detail as possible. This stay was our 3rd hotel of the island (Hilo first, Volcano second and now this one). With a month long 4 island vacation, this was the third island on the trip. We stayed here for 3 nights. We decided to book an ocean view unit and must say that the images on numerous websites really do not do justice to the place. The view alone from the ocean side is quite nice. The property is well maintained. We failed to realize that there was no early check-in and encountered a less than friendly desk clerk. No aloha for her. She did not offer to hold our bags in the security office till it was time to check in and flat out told us to come back at a later time. She must have had a bad day. Other than that one time, the staff was quite pleasant. So we headed off to the market for a few hours. We also failed to realize that the Bali Kai is quite a distance from town. Although the property is officially within walking distance to the edge of town, one still needs a car. The center of Kona town is exactly 3 miles away. If you decide to go for a walk, be aware that Alii drive is where some consider it to be the Hawaii version of the Indy 500. Even though the elevators are in the middle of the complex, the room was far from the elevator, almost to the edge of the building. Given that most units of this type are small, the unit was a nice size. The bedroom has a queen’s size bed and felt comfortable. Since we are near the end of the building, and although it’s an ocean view unit, the bedroom does face Alii Drive and may be a bit noisy for some, although being New Yorkers we have a higher tolerance for noise. The lanai is of average size, but has a very nice view of the incoming waves crashing onto the rocks as well as views up and down the coast. It has your typical patio table and chairs. Watching sunsets was a treat. The property’s pool is typically small but is stocked with your usual pool accessories. There is also a snorkel establishment on premises for those that are into that sport. With the new non-smoking laws taken into effect, there is no smoking anywhere on the property. So if you are a smoker you have to smoke downstairs on Alii drive. Do not even attempt to smoke in the rooms or the lanai. They make you sign a form informing you of the penalty and will throw you out if caught by the eagle eyed security guards. We kept the doors open and had the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks below to put us to sleep. Between the hotels we stayed in both Hilo, Volcano, and Kauai this unit was the most nicely equipped one. Only the Oahu hotel with its views of the ocean, zoo and Diamond Head has a better view. And even then this unit was visually more stunning.