Review of Mauna Lani | Big Island

https://reddit.com/link/1gc5pq1/video/2bokfcjs3zwd1/player

Sharing my thoughts on Mauna Lani from this latest trip. I really, really value transparency and honesty so I want to give you a real look at my honest thoughts without sugar coating things. If I hype up all aspects of every property, it will dilute the power of what I do strongly recommend and be of no value to our group.

Next up after this will be Rosewood Kona Village & FS Hualalai.

Overview

  • This is a great property for those who want to do luxury in Hawaii but are more price sensitive and are OK with some misses - specifically some parts of the dining options. 
  • It’s great for families and for those who are OK with lots of kids. 
  • It’s ~1/2 the price of top spots on the island (FS & Rosewood), but it’s is not 1/2 the value. However, there are definitely areas where if you’re a super discerning guest, you may find it lacking. 

Where we went: Mauna Lani | Big Island, Hawaii
When we went: End of October, 2024
Pictures of the property: Video attached
Price per night: ~$450/night for these nights in October vs $1200 at RW Kona Village & FS Hualalai. Obviously these are not peak season rates. For summer it’s more like $1000+/night vs FS and RW are like ~$2000/night

Service: 9

  • Service here across the board is very strong. There are a couple areas where things could be better. Pool service feels lacking a bit. But the staff on property are very helpful, generally attentive, kind and upbeat. 
  • The room service is quick and easy 
  • The housekeeping service is thorough and quick
  • Even when the property got busier as the weekend traffic came in, things stayed smooth - which is a good sign that they can adapt well to increased demand and flex 
  • I had many meals where there were few other tables in the breakfast restaurant - and even on my departure day when nearly every table was full, the food came out just as fast 
  • I will note again: this is not a top tier luxe property - which many may know but I do think it gets lumped in with some of the more luxe spots. This comes out in many small ways - one example being the fact that turndown service is fairly minimal. 

Property: 9.5

  • The property is absolutely beautiful.
  • The location, grounds and placement of key pieces like the large pool, beach and restaurants are great. 
  • Seriously, the actual placement of the land and area they have is fantastic
  • It’s large and open while still feeling private
  • The beach access is amazing
  • The views from spots like Canoe House are incredible 
  • The amenities are great
    • Pools - the large family pool is spacious and beautiful with a killer view, and a nice jacuzzi in front 
    • The adults only pool is nice as well, but I honestly spent no time there because the view is obstructed 
    • The beach area is large and expansive with tons of seating options both out on the beach and also up on the decking
      • Whether you want to hang on the beach or have a drink at the Surf Shack, it’s a great spot
    • The gym is large and has top notch equipment. Tons of cardio machines inside and then a great, huge outdoor weight area (in addition to a small indoor weight area) 
  • There are a LOT of kids at this property. Even in “off season” when school is in session, this is a very very family oriented property. So please keep that in mind when selecting it. You can go to the adults pool and try and avoid kids - but you will notice them. 
  • There’s also an entire separate fitness / tennis center with multiple courts, a pro, an olympic swimming pool, etc

Rooms: 7.5

  • The rooms and food are where things aren’t as good 
  • The room was pretty good, but not a home run 
  • I was in an Ocean View King 
  • The view was beautiful, as you can see from my video
  • AC worked great and bed was super comfy 
  • It was a bit tired, especially in the bathroom and I could hear others in the rooms around me.
  • It’s also on the small side for a standard room, particularly the bathroom
  • Again - for someone who is OK with lower tier luxe and values the price point, it’s a really lovely room 

Food: 6.5

  • This was by far the worst part for me
  • Canoe House, their fine dining outlet is outstanding and Halani, the breakfast and all-day restaurant is pretty good r
    • Halani ube pancakes and veggie hash are incredible 
  • Where they need to step it up
    • The room service food is very hit or miss. Some is good - like the truffle fries and some is very mid like the chocolate chip cookies which didn’t even seem homemade and the margarita pizza which was bland 
    • Also some odd basic things like there’s no metal plate lids on food so it gets cold as soon as they put it in your room. Not a big deal most of the time, but it’s one of those things that’s nice to have
    • The Surf Shack food options are really underwhelming. I ordered multiple things from here that I did not like, which is rare for me 
    • I found it difficult to find enough variety - because Surf Shack is really not good, there’s really only 2 sit down dining venues being Canoe House and Halani and the lunch/dinner options at Halani felt limited to me 
    • They also have a market for grab and go stuff which is convenient for a meal like breakfast smoothies and such but very limited for things beyond that 
    • One of my issues is that the food is priced quite high, but they aren’t delivering on the quality across the board. If you’re going to charge spe

Extras & activities: 9

  • There’s tons of fun stuff to do here
  • Lots of complimentary beach equipment that you’d expect
  • A cool sunrise paddle out each morning
  • Yoga
  • A great fitness center
  • Free bikes to ride around the entire surrounding property which is great 
  • The ocean here is very swimmable and they have a fun platform out in the water 
  • Solid kids club for those with kids

Bottom line: this is a really solid resort for the price point and a great and easy no-brainer spot for a family trip, your kids will love it. But it’s not a top tier property. It’s great if you’re more price sensitive and/or newer to luxe travel. But if you’re used to the product and service of spots like FS/Rosewood/etc, you may find certain areas lacking.