Outrigger Kolea at Waikoloa Beach

My husband and I just returned from the beautiful Kolea Villas located in Waikoloa Village. We stayed in unit 2B (name is Was- 2nd floor condo) and it was absolutely breathtaking! We can not wait to go back. We can not say enough about our condo. Our condo was amazing...from the beautiful decor, the picturesque oceanview from the lanai, the amenities on the resort such as the pool, hot tub, and beach access. The resort is clean, safe with security, and very well kept. During our stay we enjoyed dining at The Big Island Steak House in the King Shops in Waikoloa Village, Donatoni's at the Hilton Resort, Bubbba Gump's Shrimp Co. and Jameson's by the Sea both located in Kona on Alii Dr. We also enjoyed Dan Sweeney's Whale Watching Tour, visiting the beautiful Akaka Falls on our drive to Hilo, snorkeling on our resorts beach, and shopping in Kona on Alii Dr. This will be a place that we will always remember and will be returning to in the near future.

We recently stayed at Kolea for part of our honeymoon from Nov 14-19. I wanted to write a thorough review of the experience since there are not a lot of reviews/info on the property. First, we booked through Outrigger - they only manage 3 units at this property. The rest are privately owned or rented through agencies. We found that booking directly through Outrigger was extremely easy - basically you pay 30 days in advance and pick up the keys at the Kings Shops in Waikoloa and that's it. Also, there had been mention of construction noise in the past - the construction is done on the villas - there is no noise to deal with.

When we arrived we found that Kolea was the ONLY condo property right next to the beach. Kolea and the Marriott share the beach at Anaeho'omalu Bay (A-bay - fantastic beach - more on that later)...the rest of the Waikoloa properties are further back and off the water. We had booked a 2 bedroom condo (15M) and found it to be extremely well furnished and turned out. There is a very large kitchen with brand new appliances, a large living room with a sliding glass door (more like a wall) that opens up to a fully furnished lanai, two very large bath rooms (both with separate walk in showers), small laundry, and then two large bedrooms. The lanai was gorgeous and included Viking grill and range, a wine fridge and small wet bar.

15M is on the 4th floor overlooking the Marriott and other Kolea units - very nice but not any ocean views...

We were about a 1 minute walk through the property to the pool area. The pool consists of a nice sized infinity pool, kids pool (sand bottom with waterfall), a workout area and a large lanai for barbequing (although every unit has a bbq so no one was using the one at the pool area). The pool area is right next to A-bay and the historic fish ponds that sit in front of A-bay. There is a small path that runs from the pool through the lava rock to A-bay. The views are amazing overlooking A-bay and the path runs to the Marriott and then North to the Hilton Waikoloa - this walk is not to be missed at sunset...

A-bay was fantastic - it is a mostly calm inlet that is fantastic for snorkeling/swimming - the beach is very large and there is plenty of room in the bay to also do other water sports - but it was never crowded. There is a rental hut right there for snorkel gear, boat tours, etc...the place is loaded with sea turtles that come up to sun on the beach. When snorkeling you will see them in the shallows also. The bay also offers some of the best sunsets on the island - the Kohala coast is on the west side and sunsets on the bay are not to be missed.

I have stayed at Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the Islands at Waikoloa (condo) previously and this was by far the nicest property on the Big Island I have stayed at. I was a bit concerned before arriving as there was not many reviews of Kolea and the Outrigger website definitely does not do it justice. I have visited the Big Island three other times and have stayed in both hotels and condos - this was by far the nicest property I have stayed at and it is the nicest property in Waikoloa. You will spend more than staying at the Marriott, Hilton or up at Hapuna but it is definitely worth it.

Please view the attached photos for more.

We stayed at the Kolea from September 26th to October 2nd.

This was a beautiful unit (16H). It had a partial mountain view.

Very spacious and upscale. Beautiful decorated. I recommend it.

I booked this property thru Waikoloa Vacations Rental Mgt. When we were there the many of the other units were empty. I loved it.

We booked through Abbey Vacation Rentals. We stayed in Kolea 7B, which had a great view of the pool, and the "A" Bay. If you can, try to book in building 9, since right across the street, that lot is vacant, and you have an even better view of the water. The appliances in this place are all Viking, top of the line, granite countertops, the pocket wall was fabulous!!! Clean and very comfortable. We felt at home the moment we got there. If you go, be sure to spend some time at the Hilton, which is in walking distance, and use their pool too! Although we enjoyed the pool at Kolea much much more!!! the kids loved it as well. The Beach was great, saw so many sea turtles, and the snorkeling was good too. Loved the private elevator and the private entry hall!!

I would go there again in a heartbeat and recommend it to everyone. There was so much space to put all your things, plenty of hangers, and the showers were amazing!!! LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! check out the luau at the Marriott, you can watch it Sun or Wed nights, and not pay, but we did go one night for the food. Highly recommend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just a warning, don't stick your hands in any holes in the tidal pools, my son did, and got bit badly by a moray eel. needed stitches!! thankfully, it was at the end of our trip.

Girls gone Wild! 5 of us stayed in Kolea. Ages 23 to 50.

The place is wonderful. In between the Hilton and the Marriott.

You can walk to both Hotels and live in a beautiful villa.

Would do it again ....for sure!

I just returned from the Big Island and stayed at Kolea. After doing a lot of research, I decided on the Kolea and booked through Outrigger. It worked out great because they did not require a large security deposit or cleaning fee -- it was all included. We stayed in unit 15F and it was awesome. The place was on the top floor and was beautiful with lots of space and high ceilings. The complex was extremely quiet, but I don't think there were many people there. There was a little construction going on at the houses and next door at the Marriott, but the noise was pretty minimal. It was so quiet there that you could really hear any noise and the construction was not a problem at all. We walked down to the beach which was pretty close and very nice. We had a bit of an ocean view from our balcony , could hear the luau from Marriott at night, and saw some awesome fireworks one night. I would definitely recommend Kolea as it was really nice, but it is a bit of splurge. I will go there again, if I can afford it.

6/1-6/6/2006 KOLEA Unit 12B....ABSOLUTELY AWESOME UNIT!! Our 5 day short vacation was just wonderful thanks the great agents of Abbey Vacation Rentals. From day 1, we were welcomed to our unit with a beautiful bouquet as we got off of our elevator. How often does this happen to visitors to a unit by your vacationing agent?

We stayed on the second floor in unit 12B and this unit was so outstanding. Three spacious bedrooms, walkin showers, no shortage of bathrooms,extremely beautiful furniture with a very large Vizio Plasma television, DVD center,a kitchen with all the space in the world to complete your cooking and an extra spacious lanai to relax, watch the sunset, take in all the great sunny weather and to top that off, a grill to use at your hearts delight. What else could you possibly ask for? Well, here comes more, a private elevator to your unit, security on premises allowing only those who should be there, a jacuzzi, an infinity swimming pool...awesome,wonderful, beautiful Kolea!! Our group of 6 had a SUPER time and my husband and I, will certainly visit the Kolea again, request the excellent services of Abbey Vacation Rentals and thank you Mr Bryman for allowing us the use of your beautiful unit- 12B.

By the way, you don't have to be from the mainland to enjoy the Kolea. We're from right here on the Big Island of Hawaii. In other words, it's affordable for a three bedroom unit with all the ammenites and more than you could possibly get from a hotel and a unit that is extremely spacious than you could ever imagine whether you're a local from the islands or a mainlander. Absolutely, the BEST!! You will never regret choosing the Kolea units and the noise, well, some close to the buildings being worked on may have justification for their compliants but it isn't all that bad. All you need to do is concentrate on the beauty surrounding you in our islands, the friendliness of the people and just trying to make the best of your vacation instead of looking for the imperfections.

My husband and I just returned from the beautiful Kolea Villas located in Waikoloa Village. We stayed in unit 2B (name is Was- 2nd floor condo) and it was absolutely breathtaking! We can not wait to go back. We can not say enough about our condo. Our condo was amazing...from the beautiful decor, the picturesque oceanview from the lanai, the amenities on the resort such as the pool, hot tub, and beach access. The resort is clean, safe with security, and very well kept. During our stay we enjoyed dining at The Big Island Steak House in the King Shops in Waikoloa Village, Donatoni's at the Hilton Resort, Bubbba Gump's Shrimp Co. and Jameson's by the Sea both located in Kona on Alii Dr. We also enjoyed Dan Sweeney's Whale Watching Tour, visiting the beautiful Akaka Falls on our drive to Hilo, snorkeling on our resorts beach, and shopping in Kona on Alii Dr. This will be a place that we will always remember and will be returning to in the near future.

Stayed here in Feb. '06. Lovely place, everything is first rate. Beach, privacy, security, etc.

The interiors are as the ads say, ads's photos show, and the reviews indicate: beautiful, large, well-appointed. The lanais are very large. The bathrooms are large. Honestly, I don't understand how someone would pay 1.5-3M for such a villa and then rent it out for 400 a night, but I'm not complaining.

The beach club is comfortable. The pool is too small for real lap swimming. Kid's pool is fairly small but quite nice. Access to A-Bay is convenient. If all units were occupied I suspect the club would get crowded. Currently, it is mostly empty.

Construction update: Villas: Units 1-7,8,10 are done. 9,11 are getting close (installing trim on many). 13,14,15,16 still have a ways to go.

Houses: Only one lot on the north side has broken ground, it is framed and was being roofed while we were there. All but 3 lots of the west (beach) side have broken ground. Only 1 is finished. Two are still in framing, others are in various stages of interior work. One is for sale ($8M).

We stayed in Building#3, unit B (2nd floor). This currently has a good ocean view. When the rest of the north houses are completed, the view will be diminished considerably.

Over in Building 3, construction noise from the villas was not very noticeable. Just the occassional truck-reverse-beeping. Currently Villas 8,10 probably have a lot more impact since it is right behind them.

From Building 3, the houses weren't a big noise/distracton source. The north-lot one had activity only 2 of 7 days we were there; and from the west-lot ones we only heard the occassional saw-whine or diesel-engine-grunt. Overall, mostly we heard the wind and the ocean.

Currently villas 4-7 probably have more impact from house construction since the main activity is right in front of them.

Misc notes:

* According to the sales office all house lots are sold, so all this will change going forward.

* We didn't hear any construction before 8am or after 5pm.

* Note the Naupaka development (all homes) is being prepared to the north (between the Hilton and Kolea). When those houses are built, the views from 1-3 will decrease some more.

My advice:

Currently: Building 3, 2nd & 3rd floors (no villa impact, minimal house impact)

Long-term: 3rd floor units and buildings 4,5,6,7 (2nd tier: 8,10,12).

We just returned from nine wonderful nights at the Villas at Kolea in the Waikoloa Resort area. The furnishings were exquisite, the view outstanding and we felt right at home from the minute we arrived. The covered lanai, complete with outdoor kitchen was huge and we ate several meals there. All bathrooms had walk-in showers. After staying at Kolea, it will be hard to stay in a hotel again.

My family just returned from a weeks stay at Kolea. Our travel party consisted of 4 adults and 3 children ages 14, 4, and 2. This is our second condo stay in Hawaii, and our first on the Big Island. We learned from our first stay at Wailea Beach Villas that a “super premium” condo is far and away a better value than renting the necessary 2 rooms at a high end hotel.

Kolea is an outstanding property. We stayed in a 3 BR gound level unit that offered plenty of space for our entire party. We called ahead and had a crib and 2 tubs of age appropriate toys waiting for us. The area is a secure gated community close to amenities and restaurants at the Queen and King shops. The landscaping is well maintained and showcases local plant varieties.

If you have a ground floor unit be prepared to encounter a large number of feral (stray) cats. They are quite friendly, and will hang out in the vicinity if they sense that a snack is on the way.

The pool area is adequate. The pool ranges from 3 feet in the shallow end to 4 feet in the “deep” end. Very kid friendly! There are perhaps 20 comfortable lounge chairs poolside with another 10 or so in the periphery. It was very slow during our stay yet a time or two the area and pool seemed full. It may be an issue during a busier time of the year. Pool towels are provided.

The sand bottom kid pool is excellent. There is a large grassy area adjacent for parents or nannies to sit and watch the action.

The workout room is an open structure next to the pool with 2 ellipticals, a treadmill, and a recumbent bike. No weights.

A Bay is a short trail away. There are plenty of beach chairs from the Marriott to use, and an activity center with tours, kayaks, etc. is available. There are lots of sea turtles to view daily.

Now on to 10d.

We booked this unit based in part on its designation as “partial ocean view”. In fact, it is not. It is directly in front of the pool building. Attached is a picture from our patio.

There is water visible if you look just below the gazebo roof in the second picture. In my mind, this is a garden view unit. However, both ground floor units in building 8 just a few feet away offer views across the pool area and to the beach. Building 7 has nice views directly to the water as well, as long as Lot 6 remains vacant and unbuilt.

The interior of 10d is nicely appointed. It has a carpeted floor, while most other units have tile. The beds were comfortable. Additionally, there are snorkel sets (1 adult, 2 child), boogie boards, and pool/beach toys in the garage that appear to have been donated by prior tenants.

There are only 2 issues regarding this unit. 1. The televisions provided were tiny (26”). In this day an age I think a 42” is minimum. The set in the master bedroom (no attached dvd player) was nonfunctional during our stay. 2. The reason we and perhaps others choose a condo is to take advantage of the kitchen. This kitchen was supplied with generally substandard cooking utensils. We had to call the management company to request decent pans, since the one (yes one) we had was bowed at the bottom and would not heat on the Viking flat top cook top. The steak knives were dime store variety. We broke 2 through normal use, and the corkscrew broke into several pieces. Again, the management company was OUTSTANDING. Once contav\cted, they went out and bought 2 new calphalon pans for us. We made them aware of the other issues. It is likely they have been rectified.

We are looking forward to returning to Kolea in the future. All in all, 10d is an outstanding unit with a very convenient location.

If you are planning to stay at Kolea, I suggest getting a construction update first directly from the Marriott who is currently building a ballroom adjacent to Kolea. HEAVY construction noise from 8 am to 4 pm made it difficult to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Alternate option may be The Vista's, which was recommended to us by Destination Villas.

The units at Kolea are outstanding and all that one could hope for. The location is perfect. But....I just got home last night (4/1/2006) and I don't know who is saying there is little construction, because that is just not true, maybe they haven't been there in a while. It was everywhere and to some degree takes away from relaxation. There was active, outdoor construction from 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. with trucks backing up (think beep, beep, beep), backhoes, and endless pounding - it meant we really couldn't use the lanai during those hours for any peaceful purpose and certainly couldn't sleep past 6:30 a.m.. We had a very lovely condo in building 10 and we will definitely rent it again, but not until construction is over. We had three buildings behind us that were under construction, very noisy and two of the bedrooms were right back there and then houses kitty corner to both sides of the front were also underway with lots of noise and vehicles. I will attach photo's of conditions as of yesterday, 4/1 so that you will know this is accurate. I am disappointed that Abbey told me that there was absolutely NO construction near the unit we rented as I was very clear that this was important. Nonetheless, it will be outstanding when all is complete. The pool is lovely, though some food service would really be great in the future.