Before you go to Hawaii, be prepared for sticker shock -- everything costs about twice as much as on the mainland. That includes hotels, car rentals, restaurants, and groceries.
In that context, the Kona Tiki Hotel is a great value, perhaps the only Kona coast waterfront hotel with rooms around 100 USD per night including tax (kitchenette rooms are about 120 USD).
The usual resort amenities are absent, but so are parking and resort fees. What you do get is a waterfront room with roaring surf and gorgeous sunsets.
The pool is small, the parking is tight, and traffic on adjacent Alii Drive is heavy; but the atmosphere is laid back, and guests form a loose-knit pool-side family at cocktail hour.
The hotel was built in the 1950’s and has been well-maintained (but not modernized) since then. Remember jalousie windows? Filigree balusters? Board and batten? Bingo! The Kona Tiki has them, and lots of other old Hawaiian charm too.
The resident managers rotate. Gary and Michelle, who were there during my most recent stay, did an outstanding job of making guests welcome and helping them enjoy their vacations.
Granted, the hotel’s deposit, cancellation, and cash/travelers checks only policies are stiff, but these are logical based on the small size of the hotel (only 15 rooms), which gives the owner less leeway to cover losses.
Guests don’t seem to mind. Many are perennial returnees, and the Kona Tiki Hotel was running near 100% occupancy during the winter season of 2011-12 when the average for the Big Island was around 65% overall.
If you are not sure that the Kona Tiki is right for you, consider hedging your bets and splitting your stay between the Kona Tiki and a more conventional resort.
Preferring the value end of the hotel spectrum, we have enjoyed internet specials from the Outrigger Keauhou (adjacent to the great snorkeling of Kahaluu Bay); the Royal Kona Resort (near downtown Kailua-Kona, formerly the Hilton before it moved to Waikoloa); and the semi-luxurious Hapuna Prince Hotel (on the best beach in Hawaii).
We have not stayed at the Casa de Emdeko condos in Kailua-Kona, but friends have liked them. We have not stayed at the Paniolo Greens condos, which are on a golf course several miles inland from Kohala beaches, but their ratings have been good and prices have been very low recently on bidding websites.
All in all, we have been returning to the Big Island more often than the other Hawaiian islands because of the great variety of landscapes and activities it offers, even though one must drive farther to enjoy them (a rental car is almost essential).
We enjoy the Kona Tiki as a great value in Kailua-Kona, with a wonderful waterfront (but not beach) location and a charming old Hawaiian atmosphere.
- Kona Tiki Kailua
- Hotel Kona Tiki
