Best Things Nearby:
Princeville Golf Courses and cute little town of Hanalei
Best Things About the Resort:
Amazing concierge service and just the thorough job the resort does in making sure all the "little" things are in place so that you can enjoy a fabulous vacation!
Resort Experience:
We stayed in a one-bedroom condo at the Bali Hai villas, and even though it was part of the first phase of development for this complex, the unit itself was spacious, clean, and pretty modern. One thing we really appreciated was the fact that the unit came stocked with all the "little" conveniences, like dish soap, dishwasher detergent, a package of laundry detergent, beach towels, toiletries, extra toilet paper!, and all the appliance and smallwares that you could ask for. They even had a pizza tray and pizza cutter! There was also a Cuisinart coffeemaker and four-piece toaster. Units did not have air-conditioning, but trade winds kept the unit cool at nights. If you were in the condo during the day, it still got pretty hot and sticky (but then again, who would stay in their condo all day in Hawaii???), and although I saw previous reviewers complain about the construction noise, I didn't notice it from our unit (no. 222), and we weren’t at the resort much during the day. I could see it being a problem if you stayed in the units by the outdoor pool, since they were constructing the new phase right next to it.
When we entered the clubhouse, the concierge immediately greeted us leis and mai tais. The welcome orientation is a MUST if it is your first time on the island. It was very informative, as they talked about what there was to do on the island and different vendors put in a 5-minute plug for their tours/activities, but the best part was the door prize draw at the end, where pretty much everyone who attended the orientation won something. My husband and I won a 2-for-1 to the Kilohana Plantation Luau, which was amazing, and at 2-for-1, that worked out to under $35/each for buffet dinner and the luau show. Great deal! Not only that, but after the orientation, the concierge helped us plan our entire week’s worth of activities--we didn’t have to do the phoning around, they did everything for us. What fantastic service! If you attend their timeshare presentation, they will give you another 2-for-1 on any of the tours/activities you want (we chose the zip n’ dip excursion) and an additional gift certificate, plus 10% off all other activities. They assured us that it was a “no pressure” sales presentation, and they were true to their word!
If you're a golf fanatic (which my husband and I are!), the Bali Hai Villas get a special rate at the Princeville courses. They offer green fees for $85 at the Makai course when regular green fees were $125. There were also discounted rates if you booked a round at both the Prince and Makai course. The resort itself also had a lot of activities to offer throughout the week, and most of them are free or have a minimal charge, so you don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy a full week’s worth of activities!
- Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
- Activities: Excellent
- Amenities: Excellent
- Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Excellent