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Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort
Rating Details »
78-6740 Alii Dr
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 322-3441
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 322-3441
- Price Range:
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$$
10 reviews for Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort
5 stars not because it's a 5 star hotel, but because it's an *excellent* value for a beachfront hotel, esp in Hawaii. Husband and I rarely stay in beachfront hotels when it's our nickle: usually not worth the expense. This place *totally* was, and I'd stay there again in a second.
Pros:
- large updated rooms; clean, comfortable
- big windows with views and balconies
- friendly staff
- large ocean front bar -- with *real cream* for my white russian (not milk or half-and-half like I often get served)
- views straight over the rail of the bar into shallow water -- watch the fish (esp at dusk -- they swim in the pools of lights from the hotel)
- easy access to highway -- no sitting in downtown Kona traffic
- nice pool area
- right next door / walking distance to the state park beach with the best snorkeling in Kona
- nice well kept grounds with some old Hawaiian ruins
- nearby/walking distance to Sheraton, if you want to go there for a change of scenery or for a meal
- near / walking distance to shopping center with groceries, coffee place, drugstore, movie theater, restaurants
- shuttle service to Sheraton and (I think) to downtown Kona
- out of the crazy touristiness of downtown Kona
- for guests who are checking out but taking a flight later in the day -- the hotel lets them into a fresh room in the afternoon, to shower and clean up before heading to the airport
Pro or con (depends on your perspective)
- quiet, middle aged crowd. Not a party scene.
- not great for kids IMO. Very few kids when we were there, might have been the month though (end Sept - -not a big family vacation time, since school just started). But the hotel isn't really designed for kids (unlike the Sheraton next door) -- there aren't many kid activities, the pool is Ok size but smaller than a big resort pool, etc.
We chose the Outrigger for its immediate access to Kahalu'u bay to the north, which has excellent snorkeling on mornings - if the sun is out the marine life colors are far more intense.
The south side borders the Ke'eku heilaus which can be a bit spooky if you're sensitive to such things.
We asked for a west room overlooking the turtle shallows - you can watch them crawl up on the rocks towards evening. But at this summer's height post-Storm Felicia the balcony was a broiler - we always take out local grinds for dinner on balconies when on the islands...this was painful.
If you like a visibly vintage hotel room [ours - what renovation?], with odd, noticeable structural creaks and groans, and very weak air conditioning [OK at night, on the bed after a shower and tuning the AC duct grills] this could be perfect for you. Opening the balcony's sliding door at night wasn't any cooler - zero breeze. Oddly enough the weak AC would still run with the doorwall open. Don't tell the State Energy Dept.!
Make sure you ask if your room has an adjoining suite door to the room next to yours - it compromises quiet and privacy, unless you like to hear the cadence of your neighbors conversation. Same for the balconies - right next to you. I always carry earplugs and an iPod loaded with ocean surf tracks for moments like these. Luckily everyone seems to crash about 10pm.
Very close to Keahou Shopping Center, OK restaurants, somehat remote from downtown Kona, better restaurants.
If I were to do it again, I'd ask for a North [edited!] room facing Kahalu'u Bay, no adjoining room door, and I'd be snorkeling and paddle boarding all day to burn off the irresistable breakfast [Coconut syrup pancakes FTW]. Breakfast includes local birds and cats for entertainment ;)
Lack of AC and privacy, 1 star, access to snorkeling, 4 stars... 2.5 overall.
A fantastic, beautiful hotel. The rooms are gorgeous, and I got a nice view of the ocean. The hotel bar/restaurant actually sits on the bay, affording an amazing view at sunset. There's a complimentary breakfast, with everything from fresh fruit to pancakes.
I booked through American Express travel, and got a great deal.
We needed a quick getaway and found very good Kamaaina rates here. The resort is situated just outside the hustle and bustle of Kona, but is only a 5 min drive into town. It is very peaceful and located right next to Kahalu'u bay which has great snorkeling. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the room was updated and nice. They have complementary breakfast buffet with ocean front seating. At the dining lounge, you can sit right over the tidepools and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere over a drink. We had lunch at the lounge and found the menu to be very reasonably priced. All in all, we had a very relaxing experience here. Even though we only live 2 hours away, it felt like a real vacation being at the resort.
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If you're a sea turtle worshipper like me, you've found the right place. Initially, the turtles were our primary reason for selecting this Outrigger, but over the course of our stay, we became more and more pleased with this hotel in its entirety. It's not a five-star resort next to the Fairmont, Mauna Lani, etc up on the Kohala coast, but our stay here definitely deserved a five-star rating.
The hotel was purchased by the local school district last year, which is great news to them. They've recently renovated the entire building and are now constructing new facilities for the marine research projects. After all, this hotel is located adjacent to the island's BEST snorkeling beach, Kahaluu Bay Beach Park. Go for a walk or swim in the morning to see a variety of fish and of course, the sea turtles. You will find many wonders there!
ROOMS & FACILITIES: The hotel is superbly well maintained. We were on the very top floor (7th) with an ocean view. We loved it, especially at sunset. The place has it all - the beach, gym, massages, salon, laundry room, bars (two of them), restaurant, pool & jacuzzi, tennis courts, complimentary internet access in every room, self or valet parking, snorkel rentals, etc. The Expedia activity desk can be extremely helpful as they hold an introductory seminar on your first day to provide you with maps, tour options and a bunch of other valuable information...like where the "locals" hang out. Amanda, the Expedia rep, is one of the most energetic, cheerful and resourceful guides you can work with.
SERVICE: Excellent service...except for some restaurant staff, which I won't go into details. The people at the front desk were really friendly and accommodating. For example - since our flight was leaving late at night, they provided us with a complimentary room, available for an hour at anytime after check out, so that we could head to the beach and come back later to shower, clean up, etc.
LOCATION: This hotel would be great for anyone who wants a more relaxed, not so populated environment. For major activities/nightlife, you'll have to make a five-mile drive up to downtown Kailua-Kona, but that isn't so bad. Plus, there's a large shopping mall (Keauhou Shopping Center) down the street from the hotel you can even walk to.
In sum, I'd recommend this hotel to anyone who enjoys having a little bit of everything.
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Big modern rooms (negative reviews on TripAdvisor must be pre-renovation), with free Ethernet internet access (for yelping).
Hotel restaurant leaves something to be desired.
Bathroom is kind of small (toilet and shower stall, no tub), but vanity area is large (sink, large counter, big mirror-door closet with safe, ironing, and luggage rack).
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This was a wonderful experience. At check-in, my girlfriend somehow finagled an upgrade to a corner room (sure, it was a Tuesday off-season, but we warmly appreciated the gesture), so that we got a wraparound balcony with a view of the ocean AND the lagoon below. Thanks to that, we enjoyed a great sunset and many peaceful moments watching the sea turtles in the lagoon. Thanks to the open veranda doors, there were also several types of birds and lizards flitting through the room which was a cool touch.
The next day we decided to chuck our plans and stay an extra night. We could not keep the same room, but, amazingly, the same front-desk lady hooked us up with an identical upgraded room on the other side of the hotel, on a different floor. So this time we got a view of the ocean, the beach, and the pool area.
We spent plenty of time by the pool both days, and it was never too crowded or rowdy (good for me who wanted to read, not swim). No drinks allowed on the pool deck but there was a beach bar adjacent, where we enjoyed the customary giant fruity umbrella drinks once or, um, five times.
The location was good, a few miles outside of town but convenient enough by car. The room quality was not the Ritz, but well within expected range for the price and overall very enjoyable.
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Like Nick from Tempe, I also saw some mixed reviews (on Trip Advisor). But for 100-50 dollars less a night than other local places, including breakfast and the fact that they'd be like 98% done with renos by the time we got there I decided to take a chance. The room itself is pretty in a sort of modern meets 70's Polynesian way, and there is a refrigerator so I suggest stocking up on liquids at the nearby Costco or Walmart or KTA Super Store.
In addition to the previously mentioned pluses:
- The Costco and Walmart are only a short driving distance away, and the KTA Super Stores is in the shopping center he mentioned has excellent Marlin Poke and other such seafood and Hawaiian classics such a Punalu'u baked goods.
-In addition to the tidepools, there are restored archaeological artifacts all over the hotel including restored ancient canoe's, and a Heaiu (ancient Hawaiian temple).
- Free bus line that takes you to the local hot spots so you can booze away and not engage in the stupidity of drunk driving.
- The resort has cultural activities you can participate in for free so look at the boards near the elevators for details.
- On site tennis courts which you can borrow balls and rackets for.
Cons (neither of which bothered me):
Small bathroom, big shower no bathtub
Balcony instead of proper lanai
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This hotel was pleasantly surprising. I saw quite a few mixed reviews on some travel sites, with the complaints largely having to do with how run-down the place was, but they were 95% through a renovation and this place was about as perfect as I could expect. Even though I had a room on the opposite end of the building from the beach, I could still see plenty of it, plus the road was obstructed.
Some other pluses:
-It's immediately next door to Kahalu'u Beach Park, so you're only about a minute or two away from some good snorkeling.
-The Keauhou shopping center is right up the road, so you can easily stock up on snacks and beer and save yourself an easy $100 over the course of a few days.
-There are a couple of hammocks on the front lawn that are really really comfy.
-The whole building is partially built atop some tidepools, and you can get a really nice show from the railing seat at the hotel bar.
They will add $7/day to your bill for parking, pretty standard for Kona.
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Great hotel. Extraordinary value. View of sea turtles while you eat breakfast. Beautiful birds everywhere. Away from downtown enough (which I found too touristy) to be quiet but close enough I could get there quickly (15-20 min?) for scuba classes. Highly recommend.
