Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

My boyfriend and I just wrapped up our 4-night stay at the Fairmont Orchid and absolutely loved our stay. We've frequented a fair number of Fairmont hotels over the years, but Fairmont Orchid was truly special. Special enough for me to make a trippadvisor account for the first time, with the sole purpose of leaving this review. The hotel itself is beautiful with the most lovely staff - everybody was so welcoming and friendly, from the housekeeping team to the restaurant staff. The most impressive however was the Fairmont Gold team. We were actually flying in to celebrate my boyfriend's 40th birthday, and I had been in communication with the Gold team in the months leading up to the trip. They were all fantastic in helping set up special touches, making recommendations, and overall, ensuring that my boyfriend felt truly special on this trip. Thank you to Lora, Juliana, and an extra special thank you to Samuel White. Samuel was beyond helpful before the trip and also during the trip as well. He made sure to check in with me about the various birthday surprises I had planned for the duration of the trip, and I am truly grateful.My boyfriend also wanted to golf one of the days, and he went above and beyond to book a tee time that worked best with our preferences. We both can't wait to be back at the Fairmont Orchid. Highly, highly recommend.

The Fairmont Orchid is a set on lovely grounds with a nice small sandy beach. We were upgraded to a partial ocean view room but it was mostly a view of the golf course. The room was nice and well appointed and toiletries were Le Labo products. It’s good options for those wanting to stay on the Kohala coast away from the hustle of Kailua-Kona. The restaurant options were okay, we honesty just had the breakfast here. We did pop by the Mauna Lani, Auberge for dinner and will say that the Fairmont isn’t as grand or updated. The property could use some modernization. But we enjoyed our stay and happy with the experience and property.

Incredible service by every aspect of the staff.

Went with my husband in September to celebrate our anniversary. We had stayed there 30 years ago and it was amazing so we were pretty excited to go back. Let's start with the good...reservation agent Elizabeth was really helpful. Front desk agents were kind and friendly. Nanae at the breakfast restaurant was delightful. The location of the property is beautiful and we had a wonderful view from room 2559. So why did we change resorts to Mauna Lani Auberge halfway through the trip? Two main issues....the first being cleanliness. We walked over to our room after check in and noticed as we walked the corridors it just looked grimy. Peeling paper on the walls. Scuffed up paint. Old and dated. Elevator buttons had grime all over them. Got to the room and went to use the bathroom and found a used Q tip behind the faucet. Found a big wad of hair on the floor by the toilet. Went out to the lanai and the chair cushions were super stained and yucky. They put towels there for us to use, but our first impressions were that they had really let the place slide. Absolutely nothing felt five star about this place except the view and the fact that they left a lovely bottle of champagne acknowledging our anniversary. They give you refillable water bottles in the room and there are fill stations (love this idea!), so I went to fill up and get some ice for the champagne. Noticed lots of food left in the hallways and on the credenza by the elevator. Got to the water fill station and the trash next to it was full of dirty diapers. Eww. Not their fault but didn't help my impression. So then at bedtime, I pull back the sheets to get in and almost cried. They were stained and gross. One of the best parts about staying in a five star is the way it feels to slide into luxury bedding. Called front desk and they sent a sweet exchange student from Transylvania up to change the bedding. No exaggeration, we tried to find sheets that were not stained and went through four sets. The next day we noticed someone had dropped off fresh sheets for housekeeping to use. They were in plastic so I figured they were new and I felt a lot better. Got in bed the next night and this time the stain was on the top sheet instead of the fitted sheet. At least I could avoid that stain because it was on the edge of the sheet. But seriously, I could not believe it was possible. I didn't even tell the front desk because I figured they would think I was a complainer, which I swear I am not. This just yucked me out. Second reason we switched properties was the construction. It was extremely invasive. You could not spend time at the pool and feel like it was luxurious in any way. The noise was deafening, and the dust alone sent us out of there. But even if we wanted to stay, the lack of shade at both the pool and beach is troublesome. A cabana is $150 and really the only way to ensure shade for the day. Again the lack of five star feel is pretty evident here. Usually at the best resorts when I go to the pool or beach an attendant helps me set up with a towel and water. There was none of that kind of service at The Orchid. It truly felt more like a Hilton or Doubletree. Ultimately, we just did not want to spend time at The Orchid, which defeats the purpose of staying at a five star luxury property. Happy we switched to the Mauna Lani Auberge next door and unfortunately will not go to The Orchid again. I hope Fairmont reads this and seriously addresses the grime and cleanliness issues. It just was such a bummer for a long awaited trip.

We were set to stay in Kauai but the hurricane hit. We scrambled and decided to go to the big island and choose the Fairmont. Upon arrival and listening to our story, they automatically upgraded us to a suite. The resort is beautiful and staff are very friendly and accommodating. The water stations around the resort are so handy and a great idea! We did eat at the breakfast buffet once because it is $55 per person. The onsite deli is where we got most of our meals. It’s less expensive, plenty of food options and you can grab and go. It opens earlier than everything else too. There is a grocery store within walking distance or 3 minutes drive. The resort has a small but acceptable beach with a cove for easy swimming and snorkeling but can get a little busy during peak hours. My only issue was that the $50 per night resort fee didn’t cover the water toys on sight. We had to rent a kayak for $50 an hour. In my opinion it should be included in the resort fee. Other than that small detail we loved it. It’s pricey but we would go back.