Mauna Lani Bay Hotel

We love this place. If you want a nice place with friendly staff and great ambiance but you’d prefer not being treated like a celebrity, stay here. We’ve been to many other resorts in the area for dinner and such and they are too fancy for me to relax. The staff is great, the rooms are nice, the beach (one word: hammocks) and pool are fantastic. Monstera at the Mauna Lani shops is awesome. Get a lava flow at the beach bar, bring it to a hammock, and chill.

I would never stay here again. We payed biiiiiiig bucks for an ocean front room, 2 queen beds and a pull out bed. We were given one full bed and one sofa bed. Wow. I called Helen of the front desk and was told it was only a request and no guarantee. they keep a poor manta ray hostage in a small little pond. Only extra star is for food. Expensive but you get what you pay for. The rooms are super tiny and everything is old. Nice open layout but every hotel in hawaaii has that. for this price go to four seasons.

Great stay at a quality hotel. It’s starting to show it’s age but the service and employees make up for anything that’s lacking in the building itself. Highly recommended, based on the location and service/​staff alone.

I’ve been spending about 30 nights a year here for the past 3 years — and it’s like coming home to family. Everyone is warm and welcoming and goes above and beyond. It’s nice to be remembered each day by the staff. I travel a lot, and this is one of the few hotels where the quality of food is so good that I look forward to room service. The breakfast buffet is terrific.
It’s nice to NOT be «nickeled and dimed» as some of the other resorts do for amenities such as valet, using the fitness center, wifi and many other things that fall into a single resort charge. Other hotels charge the resort charge+valet+wifi+beach chair rentals+daily water bottle charge +make you carry around a pool card or wrist band. This place is relaxing and stress free. Even when it’s fully booked, it’s quiet, tranquil and beautiful.

One of the best resorts I’ve ever stayed at. While the facilities are a few decades old, everything has been refreshed and updated very tastefully. The food and the service in the restaurants were both superb. The view and the oceanfront location are spectacular, just beautiful. There were also plenty of cabanas and pool chairs to go around, and no added fee for oceanfront cabanas which was a welcome relief. We will definitely be back.

We just finished our vacation on the Big Island and had a great stay at the Mauna Lani!
We really enjoyed all of the staff during our stay, especially the concierge and the shuttle drivers. The concierge was extremely awesome. I emailed them about two weeks prior to our stay to set up reservations for dinner and expeditions and day trips to do during our stay. We did two of the recommended trips, the hike and glow tour of Hawaiian volcanoes national park, and the Ali’i swim with the Dolphins and snorkel tour. They were both great and the concierge took care of every detail from signing up, payment, and getting us information prior to the event. They also recommended some great restaurant at and around the hotel and the area. We had a great dinner every night. The shuttle the Mauna Lani provides for getting around the property is great and we loved all of the drivers. They were very friendly and provided recommendations on things to do and places to eat.
We had a great hotel room facing the beautiful ocean bay. We saw whales off our balcony every morning and every night during our stay which was magical. The bathroom was spacious and well lit as was the closet. Our room was always nicely made up each day.
We ate at three of the restaurants on the resort, the Canoe house, the Napua restaurant, and the grill by the pool. At each of these places we had good food and service. The views of the bay from each of these restaurants were breathtaking.
My parents played both golf courses on the property and they said they really enjoyed both. The courses were slightly difficult but fun and provided spectacular views of the property. My husband and I played tennis one day and the tennis courts were in great condition and the staff was very friendly.
The beach on the property is great, there are not a lot of waves crashing ashore due to the lagoons created by the lava rock. It’s prefect for snorkeling and wading in on a hot day (which is every day in Hawaii). The pool was nice and has just been renovated. The lounge chairs were comfortable and they had plenty of umbrellas to catch some shade under.
The hotel has been around for a long time and is a little dated which can be seen in the lobby and ground floors. There is not a lobby bar which is a missed opportunity. They change the coffee lounge on the bottom floor to a bar every night but last call is at 11:15pm and they usher you out by 11:45pm. They really should think about creating a lobby bar that overlooks the beautiful bay and has live music. The breakfast buffet provided each morning can get busy and you might have to wait to be seated. Most of the waitstaff there are very nice but service can be slow. It is also a very expensive buffet each morning.
Overall we had a great stay and would love to come back on our next visit!

We stayed at the Mauna Lani for our Honeymoon in Aug 2015. We booked the resort w/​rental car through Costco. We stayed here after a recommendation from a friend. The resort is older and definitely could use a facelift in areas, particularly the rooms and atrium, however the service is impeccable. You are greeted with juice and a customary lei upon check in. We were upgraded, likely because of being honeymooners to a better ocean view room. We also received a complimentary bottle of champagne and strawberries for our first night at the resort.
Most days we enjoyed breakfast at the Bay Terrace restaurant. The chorizo tacos and the pineapple french toast were amazing!!! We also enjoyed drinks and food at the poolside grill.
Lauren, the concierge we worked with was extremely helpful. All her recommendations were spot on. We booked our Manta Ray Snorkel with Wahine Charters through her and also took some dinner recommendations from her as well.
The snorkeling at the resort was great and we enjoyed lounging at the beach under a cabana. The gear was included to use while staying at the resort. We got to see turtles sunbathing during our early morning strolls through the property grounds.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this property to any of my friends or family traveling to Hawaii.

Wow, this is one of the better hotels I’ve been in. Granted, I haven’t been to too many so take this with a grain of salt.
Right when you pull up you are greeted with the valet who will help you with your bags and park your car.
At the front desk you are treated with a glass of juice and a cold towel.
We got a room that over looked the front area, it was huge! When there were only two double beds, they were very spaced apart. There was also a sofa and a large space to relax in.
The balcony was super long as well! Unfortunately because there was only a couple of chairs and a table, it made things look empty.
The washroom was huge, it had a shower stall and a bath tub on either end with a long two sink counter between.
Service was top notch, everyone was very friendly and helpful.
Snorkel gear is free for four hours, as many towels as you want in the beach and pool area, free cold water stations every where. If you’re going to snorkel, go to the other beach, the water there is much deeper and has more reef so you will see more.
Beach is a little rocky, so walking bare foot is a little uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Unfortunately did not see any sea turtle while there. However there was a lot of cool ponds with fishes to check out all over the property.

I feel badly giving this place 2 stars as the customer service has been top notch so far but the rooms and common areas leave a lot to be desired
I was a regular for years at Hapuna Prince but in recent years had grown weary of their customer service and charging for everything so I decided to try the Mauna Lani (plus I got a great deal through Travel Zoo)
I paid for an ocean view and while there is an ocean view the room is located at the end of the building with a partially obstructed ocean view (I wonder if I was paying rack rate if the room would have been located differently)
The room itself is small and furniture well used (the cheap couch fabric is like burlap and not usable) and the lanai furniture looks like it has been here since the hotel opened
The mattress is so worn that it caves in the middle where the coils are-management’s solution is to stick a piece of wood between the mattress and box spring
The hallways are horrible-​very reminiscent of a high school hallway-​stark white walls that clearly need a paint job and dimly lit
Compared to a room at Hapuna this room pales in comparison –Hapuna rooms are twice the size of this room
If I was paying rack rate I would be very unhappy and would ask for my money back

They do everything right! The grounds, the hospitality, the people! We loved every minute– I can’t wait to come back. I wish I could give them 100 stars.

Ive stayed at many resorts in Hawaii as our family returns almost every year. I agree with the minority of helpers regarding the out dated public areas, small beach and surprisingly small pool.
With its blue and white décor it could be located in Miami or LA… 20 years ago.
The reason to come here is for quiet and for personalized service. It’s like the poors mans four seasons. Focus is on service at every turn. Public areas are neglected and overdue for repairs.
The Marriott down the road is a similiar property with superior natural setting of fish in the ponds. It won’t have the service note the snorkeling.

My family and i stayed here for our family vacation on the big island and we would definitely return again!
The hotel itself is beautiful, i was worried it would be «run down» as described in previous reviews but it’s not at all. When you arrive, the first thing you notice are the ponds filled with colorful koi fish surrounding the entrance walkway. When spotted, they all begin to swim towards you, gathering together, waiting to be fed. Someone from the bell desk was kind enough to give us fish food to hand feed them, they have no teeth. It feels so weird but i enjoyed the experience! The lobby area is open and has a lot of natural light flowing in and air circulating. In the middle of the hotel itself, there’s a sitting area next to another pond, waterfall and an assortment of green, tropical plants. The ambiance is very tropical and directed more towards nature. It’s a beautiful scenery.
Our check-​in was great, we were given each a refreshing glass of juice, a cool towel scented with lavender and a shell lei garland! I was feeling pampered already. The front desk was very informative, telling us about near by activities and activities within the hotel.
Our room was clean and well-​decorated! It overlooked the garden which was a view of green tropical plants and trees with a waterfall cascading down into a pond of turtles and fishes swimming about. It was absolutely breathtaking! Just within sight was the ocean too. We’d leave the glass sliding doors open and just kept the screen doors closed so that we can enjoy the relaxing sounds of the waves and waterfall as we slept.
Housekeeping was also awesome! Every time we returned to our room, everything was restocked, towels, coffee, you name it, we didn’t have to ask for anything. One thing i thought was sweet was when we had left our room to go out and about one day, my daughter left her stuffed animal «sleeping» on the bed, wrapped in a towel. When we returned, the beds were made and her animal was right where she left it, wrapped in a fresh towel lol! Brownie points in my book!
The bell desk team in particular were very nice and helpful. They went beyond their duties to really make our stay easy and convenient. Giving us extra beach towels on our way out to the beach and even offering to take our luggage and keys to FIND our car, load our belongings and park it along the outside of the entrance, ready for us! They were all kind and made our stay enjoyable.
The concierge was also helpful, Natasha offered us a variety of activities to do on the island. She arranged for us to go to a luau!
If i had to say anything about this hotel, it would be that i wish they had put two regular coffee servings in the rooms since it was my fiancé and i. The one serving was not enough for the both of us and made a weak brew. We ended up getting our coffee in the café downstairs or in the nearby shops.
Overall, this hotel was wonderful and i look forward to staying there again!

Before we get into the details, I just want to say that we loved staying here and would definitely stay here again if we come back to Hawaii island. While the Fairmont is rated higher, it’s also a solid $ 100 more per night. Despite being slightly «dated», this is still a fabulous hotel and at a very reasonable price point for this area!
Hotel in general: We got here early afternoon and it was blazing hot. As you step into the lobby and the atrium, it really was amazing how open, airy and cool the entire place is. Then you get served a cold drink and a cool towel. While yes the hotel is 80’s style concrete, I truly think the this atrium area is still beautiful in design. Not need to use AC is also eco friendly!
Room: We got upgraded to an ocean view room by the pool. It’s not one of the super nice ocean front rooms but waking up to the sound of the ocean was still great. The room was not the nicest or newest but it was large and clean. And I always appreciate a double sink!
Pool and beach area: Multiple pools and a beautiful hot tub right by the beach. There are also hammocks out right by the beach that offers such a nice relaxing way to enjoy the sunset. There’s plenty to do around such as snorkeling, and if you’re willing to walk a little with the free snorkel gear, there’s more secluded areas down the coast with great fish viewing and we saw a couple of sea turtles that were just hanging out and swam up right next to us!
Restaurant: We only ate at the pool side bar. The Unilocal reviews for it are poor but I actually thought it was pretty decent though of course pricey.
While not the overall «fanciest» hotel we’ve stayed on our Hawaii trip, we truly enjoyed the couple nights here and would definitely stay here again next time!

This great hotel came to our rescue yesterday. We are on the Big Island of Hawaii vacationing with our family. We went for a day at the beach. When we tried to return home, the police had blocked off the road due to wild fires.
We rolled over to the ML which was the closest resort. We had swim gear, cover ups and my AE card. Larry at the front desk was great. Calls were coming in from other folks who had been evacuated. Larry hooked me up with 2 rooms that connected. They called in staff to get everything ready. Within minutes of checking in, we were given cool, scented towels, fresh juice and a welcome lei.
Once in the room, Larry made sure that we had emergency toiletries and fresh ice for our drinks. In addition, he made reservations for us at the nearby Tommy Bahamas. A few cocktails later, all was right with the world. Today, we get to see what the wildfires left us.
Thank you Larry, and ML, for your great service.

A+ hotel–
PROS
+ Turtles! And July 4^th they have a turtle release program for the ones they’ve rescued
+ Gorgeous Views
+ Open air lobby with lush décor
+ AWESOME BREAKFAST BUFFET included with room: Japanese breakfast options like natto, salmon, pickles, & miso soup, pastries, malasadas, eggs benedict, omelette bar, meats aplenty, fresh fruits, fresh juice breads of all kinds, waffles, etc.
+ Free bikes you can borrow all day for biking around the large resort property
+ Fantastic fitness center… definitely utilize it if you can although it isn’t attached to the main hotel
+ Very nice and clean rooms, ours had oceanfront view
+ Friendly service from all staff we encountered
+ Many hammocks perfect for snoozing on the beach
+ Sand volleyball court
+ Kamaaina rates available
CONS
–Rocky beach… but it’s Kona so that’s not their fault
–Warm pool!?! Why was it so hot…
–Toilet flushing mechanism was inconsistent so we weren’t sure if it was broken or not?

An amazing hotel and staff
What a wonderful experience watching the sea turtle release. Such a beautiful hotel and the most friendly personnel
Hands down international sea turtle release event at this hotel is a bucket list (on July 4)
The hotel also works to help conserve the sea turtles … Awesome experience and great memories … Mahalo

Our B&B told us about the Green Turtle sanctuary they had at Manua Lani Bay Hotel so the Mr & I came over to check it out
Super plush hotel grounds. Very open airy atmosphere & wonderful atrium in the lobby area. If we were going to stay at a resort, this definitely would have been the place
Turned out the «sanctuary» was just a constructed pond w/​fish & about 5 baby turtles but it was cute to see them all swimming around. Our understanding is that every July 4^th, the mayor comes over & there is a big celebration as these babies are released into the wild
So for offering a lovely, non-​evasive, non-​commercial place for the Green Turtles to grow & get strong, unlike a certain dolphin-​experience-​horror from a neighboring hotel, plus their incorporation of nature & tranquility into their bulding designs, have to say we’re huge fans!

This place is paradise! I have nothing to complain about and only nice things to say. My first time here and I will most definitely be back.