Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

There’s no denying that the Fairmont Orchid is set in one of the most stunning locations in Hawaii. The natural beauty of the coastline and grounds remains a huge draw and is a major reason I’ve been returning here for years. Unfortunately, while the surroundings are exceptional, the property itself is no longer keeping up and it shows. The rooms have undergone some renovation, but oddly enough, the bathrooms were left untouched. The explanation I was given was that the marble is "classic," but in reality, the bathrooms feel outdated and in desperate need of a full refresh. Likewise, the hallway carpets are musty and stale, signaling a clear need for new flooring and better upkeep. The spa is another weak point. It feels old, uninspired, and not up to the standard you'd expect from a luxury resort in this price range. Meanwhile, the dining experience is hit-or-miss. Brown’s Beach House is still solid and enjoyable, but the other venues particularly Binchotan and Luana Lounge served disappointing meals and lackluster service. The dining density and layout also need a rethink, especially during peak hours when the experience feels crowded and rushed. One of the most disappointing aspects of this trip was how poorly Accor members, especially long-time loyal guests are treated. While I watched new guests being given free perks as part of recruitment efforts into the Accor program, I wasn’t offered any of the benefits that I, as a long-term member, should have received. That left a bitter taste and made me question the value of continued loyalty. A final major concern is the pool and beach setup. The pool area is outdated and in desperate need of new loungers and umbrellas. The resort’s approach seems to prioritize squeezing extra dollars from guests rather than providing comfort and hospitality. They rely on guests paying extra for shade or cabanas a practice that feels like a blatant money grab. As for the beach, I was told they couldn’t place umbrellas in the sand due to it being a managed beach or having concrete beneath, but there are rolling umbrellas designed exactly for that purpose. It feels like an excuse, not a solution. Overall, the Fairmont Orchid has the potential to be a world-class resort again. The setting is truly magical. But it desperately needs renovation, better management of amenities, a focus on guest comfort over upselling, and a much better appreciation of loyal Accor members. Until then, it’s hard to justify the cost or return as enthusiastically as I once did. Bottom line is this is no longer a five-star hotel. It’s coasting on its location and charging luxury prices for a mid-range experience. I hope they invest in the updates and service improvements that are clearly needed but until then, I won’t be rushing back.

Fairmont is NOT a 5 star hotel. I repeat, it is not a 5 star hotel. I have stayed at many luxurious hotels and this is not it. It’s clean ENOUGH, but not quite. (Nothing was consistently cleaned around the grounds and I was grossed out by my bathroom door that clearly hadn’t ever been cleaned) The staff is nice ENOUGH, but they have not been trained in the way of a luxurious hotel. It’s the little things but also the big things too. The service (the way they hire nice people but you can tell the training was minimal from top down) , the way there isn’t consistent messaging (the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing), the price for what you get. The website was incredible, quite misleading in my opinion. I have stayed all over, including various hotels on 4 different islands and Fairmount Orchid is either purposely false advertising their hotel status OR naively believe they are worthy of that title.

From the minute we arrived, every member of the staff at the Fairmont Orchid was welcoming. kind, and truly outstanding. Our service was excellent throughout our stay. Dinner at Brown’s Beach House, overlooking the ocean, listening to live music, and watching a breathtaking sunset was absolute perfection. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet daily. The food quality was great as was the service. We both enjoyed massages at the spa, which were relaxing and Tulsa and Branden were true professionals. The resort was also able to accommodated a late check-out, which gave us the chance to soak up every last moment in paradise before heading home. During our stay, we experienced an unexpected tsunami warning and had to evacuate. The hotel offered a hot food bar for us to take in to go containers and was well organized. We drove a couple of miles inland and waited along the side of the road for about five hours. When we returned, the hotel staff was calm, professional, and welcoming—many we saw again just hours later, still smiling and taking care of guests. As a small business owner in NW Florida who has to make decisions on weather related issues regularly, their grace under pressure was remarkable. We were thoroughly impressed by every aspect of our stay and will be recommending this resort. We are already looking forward to returning!

I stayed at Fairmont Orchid with my husband and 2 young kids in July. I definitely will not come back. The hotel is nice, the rooms are pretty clean, staff is mostly friendly, there are comfortable beds but there are a few must-haves that are missing and made the trip uncomfortable. There is absolutely no shade at the beach. You can rent an umbrella type chair that has 2 seats for $150 a day, and even these are not full shade and not useful for kids as it’s just 2 shaded lounge chairs, not an umbrella on the sand which kids can play under. I am used to resorts having tons of umbrellas on their beach for everyone to use. It is unacceptable not to have umbrellas set up at a 5 star hotel beach especially when there are no trees for shade. It is also almost impossible to find shady seats at the pool as people snag them all before 9am and leave their stuff on them all day. The pool is fully sunny with no trees to shade any area of the pool. So if you love full sun you won’t mind but with small kids I like to have some shady areas to play. It is a typical resort— they charge for everything. You can borrow snorkel gear for 1 hour a day but other than that if you want it longer or want a paddle board or something you have to pay. The area surrounding the hotel is all lava rocks/desert, but there are some good beaches nearby. A 1.5 hour drive gets you to the other side of the island which is a bit more lush. The food at the hotel is also pretty bad. It is almost impossible to find healthy options for the kids for lunch, there’s a food truck for tacos but then they cook the fish in vegetable oil which defeats the purpose of healthy fish. The food at the restaurants was mediocre and a total rip off. We left the property for most meals as the food sucked.

This is one of those hotels that we loved so much the first time (over a decade ago before kids), that we returned again, with kids. It is so rare to find a place that is even better the second time around, and this fit that bill. The rooms have been nicely renovated and the service is impeccable and so so friendly. Everyone was so nice, from the front desk, the servers, the hosts at breakfasts that gave my children fish food to toss into the koi pond, to the water sports staff. I feel like at a lot of hotels, they have removed staffing as a cost cutting measure, but at the Fairmont Orchid, there was always somebody around to help. It is SO well staffed and it makes a huge difference. I loved how thoughtful everything was - even the fact that there were WORKING washer dryers in the buildings (such a blessing so you don't need to hand wash when you inevitably run out of clothes.) And... The best part? The glorious beach. It's a lagoon, so there's no waves and crystal clear water, and it was magical snorkeling with turtles, puffer fish, eels, parrotfish, etc. every day. You can swim out of the lagoon and there's some waves but you're still inside the reef with so much fish to see! It's a great way to introduce your kid to snorkeling (or yourself if you're an adult who has never been!) And this might be controversial but I absolutely loved the beach cabana situation. There's plenty of open included umbrellas at the pool, but at the beach, there's loads of beach chairs and a row of beach cabanas in the back. Those cabanas are paid for (reasonable pricing) and the only shaded seating offered. You're not going to be spending the full day on the beach every day (you'll want to do hikes, go on tours, etc.) but the days you want to spend on the beach, if you want shade, you don't need to wake up at 5am to put down a towel. There will always be a cabana for purchase, and it just reduces that stress so much. I'll pay for some peace of mind! If you're looking for water slides, and a party vibe, this isn't the hotel for you. But if you're looking for a relaxing, beautiful, amazing, luxurious stay, look no further! It's absolute perfection and I can't wait to go back (and hopefully sooner than another decade!)