The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows

We just got back from 7 nights at Mauna Lani for our first time on the Big Island. We booked 2 connecting ground-floor rooms for our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids), and we would do this again in a heartbeat. Having the kids be able to walk straight out from the back patio made things really easy, especially with the bracelet keys everyone had. There also wasn’t a super long trek from the rooms to the pool like you get at some resorts. The rooms were comfortable. I liked having individual sinks instead of side-by-side sinks, although I was surprised there was no bathtub. The on-site laundry room was a nice touch. They provide laundry pods, but bring your own if you want unscented ones. We took advantage of the complimentary SUP for 30 minutes each day and really enjoyed that. Get there early because it’s first come, first served. We also never had trouble finding shaded loungers at the pool, which was a big plus. The sand in front of the resort is quite course. You'll want some type of water shoes or footwear. The gym was great, with both indoor and outdoor areas. There are also several filtered water dispensers around the property, which we appreciated. It bugs me when filtered water is hard to find at resorts and this was not the case here. Our kids spent a lot of time in the game room, especially playing shuffleboard. It was actually one of their favorite parts of the resort and a nice place to escape the sun for a while. Coffee shop opens at 5am. This is appreciated, especially on the first few days of vacation when you're still adjusting to the time. Con: The coffee itself isn't great, even the Kona drip. My husband and I usually treat ourselves to massages when we’re in Hawaii, but we skipped the spa this time. The spa doesn’t have the more traditional amenities like a sauna, steam room, or hot tubs within the spa, so it was hard for us to justify the prices for just a massage, especially since we get massages regularly at home. Breakfast was probably the biggest disappointment for me. The breakfasts in Hawaii is usually the highlight of my trips, but the buffet here is just OK, especially compared with some of the other Hawaii resorts we’ve stayed at. There was less variety and it was pretty much the same every day. Service was also just okay (we went for multiple days and it was consistently below average). It could take a while to get coffee once seated and even longer to get a refill. If you go at peak hours, expect a 10-15 minute wait. The birds were also a pretty big issue as soon as you got up from your table, although I know this is common at open-air Hawaii resorts. Note that 20% gratuity is automatically included with the breakfast buffet. Even when we ordered “grab and go” from the coffee shop, they automatically added 20% there as well. We tried all of the restaurants on-site for dinner. We especially enjoyed the pastas and pizza at Ha Bar — I’m picky about pizza and thought the crust was really good and I liked the smaller size too. We also liked the ambiance and service at Canoe House, although the food itself wasn’t anything to write home about. That probably depends a lot on where you live. Our bar for food is probably pretty high. One other thing to know if you want to play pickleball or tennis: the sports center is about a 10-minute walk from the lobby. Not a huge deal, but something I didn’t realize before going. Overall, we had a nice family vacation, but I don’t think I’d stay here again. I just didn’t feel like the overall experience was quite at the level I was expecting from an Auberge resort. Nothing was terrible, but there were enough little things — breakfast, service, the spa — that I think we’ll try somewhere else on our next Big Island trip.

Great visit to the resort after many years. A lot of families and children present when we visited. Resort is big enough that there is plenty of room to spread out. Rooms look a bit tired around the edges. Food choices are good but relatively expensive. Service on site is very good, we did have a minor issue but it was dealt with quickly and efficiently. Beach is nice - but worth taking shoes as the sand and entry to the water is relatively rocky and not simple to traverse. Golf courses are great and worth a visit.

Wife and I had a great get away. Upscale hotel that had a wonderful beach. And service that was perfect. Can't wait to go back!

Beautiful resort with excellent food options and unparalleled service. Our second time here and we will undoubtedly return.

Beautiful resort and perfect for families with young kids. Our boys went to the kids club for two days and had a great time. We really enjoyed hanging out around the lawn in the evening and watching the kids run around and play.