OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa

Absolutely gorgeous property. So much is included with your resort fee, and there are multiple activities to do every day. Kona is beautiful and Keauhou is magical. Swim in the bay, lay by the pool, see the mantas...it's all worth your time. Highly recommend upgrading to the club offering or joining the Outrigger's Platinum program because v47 access at this site makes life easy.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon here, and let me tell you, we loved it! We spent most of our time by the pool and would absolutely do it all over again. The slide was incredible, and the pool staff was fantastic—always attentive and on the go! While I don't remember everyone's names, one person really stood out to us: Alica. She was wonderful! We got a cabana, and she checked in on us every 30 minutes, making sure we were having a great time. She definitely had that manager vibe! My husband and I are already looking forward to coming back again and again!

I have mixed feelings about this place. First off, we're not resort people. We don't spend enough time at the hotel to warrant the extra fees. So if you like resorts, this might be your new favorite place. The pool area is really nice, including the part with the sand bottom and the huge slide was a hit. I didn't like that the slide steps were not within the viewing area of the pool, so kids are not within sight of their parents for several minutes while they make their way around. The only refreshments we ever saw (as included in the resort fees) was that a person came around one time and offered us pineapple chunks on toothpicks. We had an issue with gnats in our room and elsewhere. No, we didn't leave fruit or anything out. The view from our room was beautiful. The manta viewing area was nice. We were never around to take advantage of any of the promised "cultural events" that come with the resort fee. I called for assistance in finding an ice machine and was given a room number. Turned out the ice was actually on a completely different floor. We had a $250 hold placed on our credit card at check-in. Two or three more holds of varying amounts were added during our stay. We didn't charge anything to the room, so this seems out of line. We had a nice, large room with a fridge. If you want a microwave, none are available in public areas, but you can rent one for $10/day. Overall, the stay was fine. I think the resort fees are out of line with what guests actually get in return. We paid for parking and resort fees, both, at checkout. We received shell leis, a drawstring bag and two metal water bottles as part of those extra fees. If you plan to spend time at the resort and take part in the cultural events, you may have a completely different experience than we did.

I rarely leave reviews, but my experience at the Outrigger Hotel & Spa on the Big Island was so disappointing that I feel compelled to share. To start, Michael at the front desk was amazing—friendly, professional, and helpful. He was the one bright spot in an otherwise frustrating stay. The rooms were clean and spacious, but flies were everywhere, just as other guests have mentioned. We waited over two hours for our room to be ready, which set a bad tone from the beginning. The property was advertised as one of the more family-friendly resorts, but in reality, there’s only one pool and one small water slide. That was extremely underwhelming considering the price and expectations. There’s also no beach on-site, which isn’t clearly stated when booking. The food at Voyager wasn’t good and definitely not worth the cost, though the staff there were kind. On the other hand, the young female towel attendant had a consistently bad attitude, which really affected the overall vibe. I don’t get much time off work and was looking forward to a relaxing vacation. Instead, I left feeling stressed, disappointed, and like I’d wasted my time and money. This was easily one of the worst resort experiences I’ve had. Save yourself the disappointment—stay somewhere else.

The employee Tay at guest check-in was amazing. We were so tired and confused when we arrived, and she went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed, and taken care of. She resolved any concerns we had, and turned what could have been a frustrating situation into a relaxing enjoyable experience! Thank you Tay!!!