Best Things Nearby:
Be sure to visit A Bay and Hapuna Beach, two of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. A Bay is within the resort area, so it's only about a 3-minute drive. Hapuna Beach is about 10 minutes away, but has more waves, boogie-board rentals, and a snack bar. Also, don't miss the Hilton Resort, which is amazing. Kona is about a 30-minute drive away, but a fun town to visit for a day, with lots of shopping and the only parasailing we found. They have some fun restaurants, too!
We went on the Fairwinds Snorkel Cruise, which was VERY WELL WORTH the money we paid. Even my 6-year-old could snorkel, and the lunch they provided was fabulous.
Best Things About the Resort:
The accommodations are BEAUTIFUL! Be sure to attend the island orientation the first morning, available after you arrive. The Bay Club activities staff is the best at helping you find exactly what you want to do and helping you plan it into your week. There is a Volcano Spa that is a bit hidden; look for it behind Building 6 (I think). Be sure to check out both pools---we didn't visit the other one until the last day, and wish we would've discovered it sooner. We shopped at Costco and took advantage of the barbeque areas at the resort a couple of nights. We met others doing the same. Everyone there is soooo nice, staff and visitors alike. On the last day, we had to check out by 11am, but we were able to leave our luggage and come back and shower in their facility before heading to the airport - this way we didn't miss a day at the beach! They even let us use their towels for the day, even though we had checked out.
Resort Experience:
I had never been to the Big Island, but simply fell in love with the sights and culture. Be prepared for LOTS of lava rocks everywhere and beautiful palm trees mixed in when you least expect it. There are always activities going on at the Bay Club and the Kings Shops. The Marriott Luau was fantastic! The Marriott also has a great restaurant overlooking the sunset. The Bay Club Golf Course Restaurant is also very, very good. We took a drive across the island to Hilo and the Volcano National Park--it's a very long day if you try to get all the sightseeing in--we stopped at Akaka Falls, Waipio Lookout, the winery, Botanical Gardens, and the volcano park. It was exhausting, but each one was VERY worth a visit.
The Bay Club is EXACTLY what I was looking for in Hawaii: beautiful, serene, and friendly, with palm trees, waterfalls… everything I could imagine. I would HIGHLY recommend it to families with young children, as well as couples. You really don't have to leave the resort area all week to enjoy all the pleasures of a Hawaiian vacation. I would recommend checking out the rest of the island, though, because it has soooo much to offer. Be sure to rent a car! Even the airport is too far from the resort to rely on a cab!!! Plan on picking it up at one of the car rental places at the airport.
- Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
- Activities: Excellent
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent