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Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
75-5739 Alii DrKailua Kona, HI 96740
(800) 367-5102
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
Karen Y. said: "I love renting condos. It's like a home, but with maid service. Who wouldn't love that?! Stayed on the 4th floor which had a perfect view of the swimming pool below and the sea right at the edge of the resort. There's a little…" read more »
7 reviews for Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel
7 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah C.
Pahoa, HI
12/20/2011
Although this place isn't fancy it really was a nice and cozy place to stay. It was 69(standard room) kama aina rate with a 60 dollar security deposit. The room was clean and the mattress was in good condition along with the other furniture in the room. The only thing is I think the place could use a remodel but it wasn't bad. They did have a pool and hot tube which we didn't use as we were to busy hitting up the beaches and checking out Ali'i drive. The complimentary breakfast was good but limited. They offered it buffet style with fresh papaya, toast, english muffins and that type of stuff. They have good free wifi and TV and the staff was friendly. I will stay here again for sure. I recommend the place but don't go in expecting the all the frills of the Hilton Waikaloa, which in my opinion the place is over rated and expensive. If I'm going to Kona for the weekend I don't want to stay in the hotel all day, I want to be hitting up all the beaches that I don't get go to all the time.
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Review from William L.
Honolulu, HI
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice and cozy.
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Review from Megan M.
Honolulu, HI
5/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
First of all when it comes to cheap hotels you have to rate them among their peers, sure compared to the Hilton this place is a dump but then again if you wanted the Hilton you should just stay there not some cheap budget hotel! So with that said I would give this place 4 out of 5. Because among other budget hotels I have seen MUCH worse but I have seen better as well.
Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel is centrally located and within walking distance of basically every tourist trap in Kona Bay. When it comes to location and price it is hard to beat but you do get what you pay for. On first glance driving up the place somewhat resembles a prison from the back view. There is a complete lack of windows on the rear of the building (which makes sense since the ocean is on the front). The check in desk was easy to find and in a central location. The staff was very friendly, polite and even let us check in early. They do charge for parking but it is worth it to have your car close and also since pretty much everything is within walking distance. The rooms were a bit sleazy, I will admit I did check the mattresses for signs of bed bugs (but this is standard for me I do it at every place I stay). The "closet" didn't have any doors, but they did have a safe and a mini fridge. The bathroom was pretty standard for a cheap hotel, not nearly as clean as one would ever want in their own home. Corners were dirty and I am pretty sure if you have any sort of allergy to mold you *may* want to stay somewhere else if you plan on being there for longer than one night. The beds were old but the sheets were clean and stain free. The amenities were as expected. They had a larger pool with a depth of 5-8ft and a smaller kiddy pool that was 3ft. The continental breakfast was standard. Coffee, juices, toast, English muffins, mini muffins and fresh papaya was more than enough. The toasters needed to be replaced though but overall if you don't have high expectations it is harder to be disappointed! They also have a coin op laundry room!
The only downside to this place I would say was just a couple small things that sometimes you don't even think about. They didn't have any sort of in room guide that tells you about the hotel, history, area, local dining, TV channel guide, pool hours ect. I never really realized how useful those can be. Thankfully the hotel staff was nice and I just dialed "0" to ask them any questions I had. Another thing is that they really could improve with just attention to detail. The overall cleanliness was poor but that was somewhat expected for the price, but it wasn't anything huge. If someone were to just pay a little more attention to the rooms they could improve it quite a bit. I also feel they are missing out by not having a real restaurant on site but by looking at the town of Kona as a whole it seems like a dying tourist town.
Overall I would stay here again for a night on the Kona side, I didn't have high expectations for the place and I wasn't let down. You truly get what you pay for and if you don't mind saving a little money in exchange for a hotel that really just needs to be updated and someone to clean the corners then it is an okay place. If you want a nice clean hotel room with great food and all the perks then splurge on it! Otherwise if you are Kona side for a night or two it has all you need and friendly staff to make it tolerable.
We only stayed a night, so my husband could go on the manta ray scuba dive at night and I felt like I wasn't misled or unimpressed. I knew it wasn't going to be a 5 star hotel and I think that is why I didn't mind the place. -
Review from Erin S.
HONAUNAU, HI
7/13/2011
Of all the dive-y hotels in downtown Kailua Kona, this is my choice. It's kama aina rates are cheaper than the others, and the rooms (although run down and need of a major sprucing up) are nicer and bigger than most of the others. Plus they have a free breakfast and parking...that right there has me sold for all future stays in town.
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Review from Lotus L.
Austin, TX
1/24/2011 7 photos
Overall it's okay for a budget traveler looking for a place to rest their head. It's a cross between a motel and a hotel. In the central part of the Kona downtown area so you can walk to restaurants without a problem. Recommendation: It depends on what you want. I would stay here again if I was on a budget, I wouldn't stay here if I had a family or worried about cleanliness (or was a germ freak).
Pros:
1. Uncle Billy's let me stay until 3pm on the day of check-out for no extra charge.
2. Breakfast is complimentary and coffee is good.
3. Hotel stay was $75 a night.
4. Lots of parking spaces and it is $5/day.
5. Room comes with a small refrigerator.
6. Grounds were nice in the daytime. They have some pretty flowers.
7. Private lanai (or balcony)
8. Very close to the farmer's market.
9. Good location.
Cons:
1. Breakfast is only coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, papaya, muffins, and bread. Not much variety or meat but hey it's complimentary. So the bad part is that it's only from 6:30am to 8:30am. If they could extend it to 10am, that would be more of a pro.
2. Rooms are clean but kind of old looking. Some parts were rusty, some parts were gross. The bath towels had some stains on them. I carry a can of Lysol at every hotel I go to.
3. Not a family hotel, can get kind of creepy at night in the parking lot or when entering the hotel. They used to have this family buffet restaurant called Kimo's but now it's defunct and there are left over items which make the eating area creepy.
4. Hard to find the front desk, it's actually in the center of the hotel, I thought it was a hotel bar at first.
Last tip: If you're on the Big Island, I would recommend renting a car. If you want to go up Mauna Kea, then rent a 4WD car. You can drive on Saddle Road with a 2WD car without a problem if you wanted to get from Kona to Hilo or vice versa. -
Review from Jill D.
3/2/2009
Although better than their Hilo location it's still not worth the dolla' dolla' bills y'all. Their parking lot is around the corner and not well marked so when you have a night flight and have no effing idea where you are going you will drive in circles irritating yourself and your partner. Then you will try and sleep in but there will be street noise, housekeeping and all manner of other distractions to contend with. The decor is super old skool but in a not good sort of way.
The staff is friendly but that's all this place has going for it. I think you can stay somewhere nicer for a few extra bucks and I suggest you do so.
I most certainly will be taking my own advice next time.Listed in: Notorious BIG Island
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Review from Veronica P.
Chino Hills, CA
7/31/2007 1 photo
Okay, in a way I'm glad that I'm the first one to review this place. I feel like I took one for the team, although my intestines and other internal organs aren't so thankful.
Why did I eat here in the first place? Hungover? No. Lose a bet? No. On a dare? No. Sheer stupidy, it doesn't get any simpler than that. I should have known better, but I had a major brain fart on this fine sunny day.
The food was barely manageable, from the runny and lukewarm scrambled eggs, to the cold and limp bacon, cold and uneventful sausage. Almost everything was either cold, gloppy or just purely unappealing.
The only saving grace was the freshly cut pineapple and papaya. The pineapple was sweet and juicy, with just a hint of acid. The papaya was a majestic orange and was very fragrant. It was bursting with flavor and very juicy.
Please learn from my mistake and run, run far away from this place when you pass it.
