The Kona Islander is of the new breed of condotels that are sweeping the state of Hawaii. (Please see my experiences article on the condotel phenomenon). One of the best features of this property is the location. Although I looked at many maps while planning, all of them really skirted the issue of where things are located. For example, everything is just "minutes from the beach." It turns out that most of the properties I researched were a good 5 miles out of town near rocky beaches unsuitable for swimming, with no markets or restaurants in the area. The Islander, on the other hand, is smack dab in the middle of town, with bars, restaurants, gift shops, supermarkets, a beach, and pretty much anything you might want all within walking distance.

Each studio is equipped with a fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, dishes, phone, and cable TV. Any more than that depends on the unit. Our room was nicely appointed in rattan and island prints, and our view of the garden couldn't have been better. The "kitchenette" was added by tearing out what used to be the dressing area, where you would normally find a bathroom sink and a closet. Instead they installed a kitchen sink on one side, with a refrigerator and microwave where the closet was. I found it a bit disturbing to brush my hair and watch my husband shave in the same room where we prepared our food. It was not so disturbing that we left, but it was a weird set up that you may not care for.

The garden area sports a very nice pool, hot tub, tropical garden, and two large gas grills for community use. The grills were popular since all anyone had to cook with in their room was a microwave and maybe a toaster oven if they were lucky. From our lanai, I watched the nightly procession of cooks from 4:30pm to well after sunset wait their turn, fish in hand. We ate between 7:30 and 8pm, after everyone else was done cooking, to avoid the rush. The grills were cleaned every morning by the grounds staff, as was the pool.

The Islander is a homey, comfortable place to stay at a budget price. It isn't the Marriott, but it isn't priced like the Marriott, either. The room quality can vary greatly; make sure you insist on a "four-star" room.

We returned to the resort, friendly staff check us into our villa, were we ever surprised. It was so spacious and well maintained. Stocked with everything we needed. The living room was comfortable; I loved the wall-to-wall sliding glass doors leading to the balcony, which provided a view of the beautiful blue ocean, across the street. We had a Jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom with a private door leading to the balcony. The balcony had a dinning area, underneath a ceiling fan to circulate the air on those hot days. There were also two chairs with a small table in the corner. We enjoyed peaceful morning breakfasts and watched the sunset as we enjoyed our home cooked dinners on the balcony. We prepared our dinners in the kitchen equipped to make cooking; easy work and clean ups were a snap with the handy dishwasher. We were even able to wash our clothes before we left because our villa was equipped with a washer and dryer.

Maintenance was called to fix our dishwasher and a leaky air conditioner. They were fast and courteous; they fixed the problem with the dishwasher, but were not able to fix the leaky air conditioner. The grounds were well maintained and were beautiful although we had a problem with stray cats that took over our balcony. There were activities planned such as the Aloha Party, crafts, ukulele and hula lessons, and other activities.

On the second day of our visit, the concierge staff had a very informative session to provide information about island activities. I found this to be very helpful. Representatives were present to give details about the activities. The concierge staff was willing to HELP with booking activities for us. They offered to provide some activities for free, provided we attend a timeshare sales meeting, I refused the meeting and this is where my vacation went downhill. I was treated in a rude manner and when another staff person took over after I complained, my problems got worse. There was a mix up with two activities. The resort took steps to correct the first problem but the second error was charged to MY CREDIT CARD, to the tune of $118.74. Neither Roberts’ Tours nor Fairfield will take responsibility and I was charged for a service that was never rendered. This is a warning to confirm your own activities.

All in all, the retirement celebration was great.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Very Good

Kona's Ali'i drive was great to explore on foot, many restaurants and shops. Free parking across from waterfront row.

Best Things About the Resort:
Our unit was near the swimming pool. The units are huge and very nice. Luxurious amenities. Very artistic island handicraft touches everywhere, from the magnificently hand-carved wood entrance door to the teak patio furniture on the lanai, the Hawaiian quilt bedspread, the rattan placemats, the lovely hand crafted palm fronds waste baskets, the vases with tall bamboo sticks, the unique cabinetry in the kitchen and the armoire in the living area, the bamboo shower doors, and the old style therapeutic bathtub. All gave the unit the feeling of a Polynesian hideaway! There are gas BBQ areas for guests to use, along with beach mats, chairs, floats, etc. all available free of charge.

Resort Experience:
The grounds are nicely landscaped, with many varieties of tropical flowers in bloom everywhere. The numerous cultural activities offered at the resort range from lei making to Hawaiian dancing lessons to Hawaiian language classes, and many more. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent