Halii Kai Resort at Waikoloa Beach

We found unit 5F on vrbo.com (#163192) and all of our expectations were exceeded. This unit is very well furnished - from the awesome beds to the plasma tv's. Location is excellent. The unit overlooks the golf course and has peekaboo views of the ocean. Tennis and basketball courts are right out the door and the pool/bar is a short walk away. The pool area is amazing. Our three kids (ages 2 to 10) loved the waterfall and fountain features. We loved the bar/restaurant!! The views from the pool are stunning - sunset, whales, etc. Also, the workout room has sliders that open on all sides for an unobstructed view of the ocean while you are on the treadmill, etc - an unexpected bonus. We will most definitely be returning to this unit and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone!

I stayed at unit 6d in Hali’I Kai for 4 days beginning on October 25 of 2008. I have traveled to the Islands for 7 years and rented many units. This was an exceptional unit, one of the nicest. I needed a place on the Kohala Coast that I could use as my base of operation. I didn’t need a fancy place because I don’t use the property or unit much during the day, too much to do and see. Despite my need, this was a beautiful unit and property and at a very reasonable price.

The owner are Gordon and Beth and they furnished the condo with everything that a vacationing couple would need. The kitchen is top notch. We tend to eat in and there was nothing we could not cook because of lack of utensils. The pot and pans are all first rate, not your typical rental gear. There are two master suites with two great bathrooms. Granite was everywhere. There is a 52 inch flat screen HDTV to watch your 200.5 K shrink. There are TVs in every bedroom. A sensational collection of Hawaiian music awaits you. This is a great place for 4 adults. The lanai overlooks the golf course and a view of the ocean. Very peaceful. Because this is an upper floor unit, the view is outstanding.

The resort has it’s own pool area that was well design for maximum scenic viewing. There is a community bbq where you can grill. The pool is approximately a five minute walk. The resort is very quiet and restful.

Some have complained that Waikoloa is too big. I did not find this a problem. I liked the place and Hali’I Kai is in a very quiet corner of the development. You can walk to the golf course or Hilton for drinks, it is a good location for the exploration of the Kohala Coast.

I found the unit on tripadvisor and at homeaway.com. Gordon invites discounts, and I can confirm that his off-season rate was more than fair, it was a bargain.

My only complaint was the lack of an onsite bbq. I understand that the complex does not allow bbq on the second floor lanai units but walking to the pool to use the bbq is a slight pain. However, the kitchen more than makes up for the lack of a bbq.

This is a wonderful unit in a upscale complex. It is worth every penny I paid. I will return.

Bill

We just returned for our stay at Halii Kai on the Big Island a couple of weeks ago (Aug 3-12, 2008). We had a great stay and absolutely loved the accomodations. We have two girls (14 and 10) and the 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo was wonderful to enable us all to have our own space. They had flat screens in both bedrooms and the living room so we could even relax and all watch what we wanted in the evenings.

We booked an oceanfront room in Bldg 15 which was absolutely great. We ate dinner out on the lanai several times and watched the sunset over the ocean. How great is that!! I would certainly book an oceanfront room again. It was well-worth it! The kitchen was extremely well equipped and we did take advantage of that by eating most of our meals in the condo which reduced our cost tremendously. Prices for everything in Hawaii are very high so feeding a whole family at a restaurant is very expensive. This kitchen was spotless and very functional so we used it alot!

The only drawback of the condo (which is a probably in many places on the Big Island) is that there is no beach, only very sharp lava rock between the oceanfront condos and the water. Although, this did not discourage my husband as he was up at dawn every morning, fishing on the rocks behind our place. He caught some great stuff after he learned from the locals how to do it. He also went out a couple of times to fish for marlin and ono, but he really liked the shore fishing better.

If you do want to hit a close beach (no drive), we just walked on the trail around the golf course from our condo to the Hilton next door and used their beach. Our girls also participated in the dolphin quest at the Hilton as well which was really wonderful.

All in all, I have nothing bad to say about the Halii Kai condos. It was family-oriented but not kid crazy. It was quiet and relaxed, not like the big hotels with screaming kids and lots of drunk adults. It was truly terrific! We had a wonderful stay and would definitely come back again!

Tips for Families:

We did go to the grocery store in Kona the day we arrived (per a tip from this site) to stock up for the week. This was absolutely the right decision since food is so expensive here. Any meals you can cook and eat yourselves will save lots of money. In terms of attractions, we did almost everything including some great beach time (A-Beach and a great turtle beach by the Ritz), but really loved the Dolphin Quest for our girls, the Volcano Helicopter tour was awesome, and we really enjoyed the tour of the only Seahorse Farm in the US (down by Kona). Have a great time ~ we sure did!

My wife, two kids and I have traditionally stayed at resorts when we go to Hawaii. We like the large pool, the restaurants, the activities. But it's not much fun to share a room with two double beds. And, the dollars add up pretty quickly when you add up the room rate, the resort fees, and especially eating out.

Staying at Halii Kai makes me want to always book a condo in the future. It's the best of both worlds: a beautiful, well appointed, spacious place to stay, along with a pool scene and facilities that surpass many resorts.

We stayed in unit 5B, a ground level 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit. It's very comfortable and includes a king bed in each room. The unit overlooks the golf course with the ocean in the distance. It's very quiet. There was a family above us with at least 4 kids, and we never heard them walking or talking above us. There's a lanai and a lawn where you can sit out and take in the beauty of the scenery.

The condo is a short walk to the pool area, which is amazing. It's the best setting I've ever had for a gym, overlooking the lava rocks and the glimmering ocean below you. The pool has several levels, palm trees, and floating lounge chairs that are very comfortable. The food at the pool area is excellent, and the resort person mentioned that a former chef from the nearby Four Seasons is currently handling cooking duties at Halii Kai. We had several lunches there that were excellent. The pool area has a nice bbq that we used several times in the evening to grill some fish. It was spectacular to have a glass of wine, a nice meal, and watch the sunset.

I'd definitely retun to Halii Kai and highly recommend it.

My husband, his parents, and myself all stayed at the Hali'i Kai from June 18th-July 3rd. We booked unit 5F, 3 bed/3 bath, through vrbo.com, we were able to talk directly with the owner as well at Centrex Property Management.

The staff at Centrex were so helpful. I emailed them back and forth several times before we went, and they even went to the unit and took pictures for me. Once we got there, they had someone clean the condo every 3 days, as well as refresh anything that we were out of, laundry soap, dish towels, soaps, etc.

Overall, Hali'i Kai was amazing, the pool was beautiful, the food was great, the service was top notch, the exercise hale had a great view, and was a great way to start the morning.

The condo itself was fabulous. I felt like I was at home!

My only complaint would be the walk to the pool from the condo. My husband and I had no problem doing it, but my mother n law (who is blind) had to be driven to the pool everyday.

I would recommend this condo to anyone. We loved feeling like we were in a resort, but were still able to cook our own food, and also had the option of eating at the restaurant on site, or at anyone other great restaurant on the island.

I cant wait for my return trip!

Feel free to email me with any specific questions.

I agree with all the other reviewers -- Hali'i Kai is great. My daughter, her boy friend, boyfriend's mom, my son, and I stayed in unit 6G, which has the larger of the 3 bedroom layouts (~1600 SF on two floors), for four nights. The condo itself was lovely and very comfortable with upscale furnishings and tasteful decor. It was delightful to sit on either lanai and gaze out at the golf course and the ocean in the distance.

The pool area is beautiful, right next to the ocean on a lava cliff. A bonus is that it's a fifteen minute walk from the Hali'i Kai pool area along the ocean to the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort and then beyond to A-Bay beach.

We stayed at Halii Kai in January 2008 for a couple of nights. What a paradise. We came across ther resort online and were impressed immediately. When we arrived at Halii Kai everything was exactly like you see on the website. This is 5star luxury.

We stayed in a 3 bedroom apartment and wow. Weren't we impressed. The main room had a king bed and a huge ensuite, the second bedroom had a queen bed and the 3rd bedroom had 2 king singles. There was another bathroom with a bath /shower and toilet and was also very spacious. There is a laundry with waher and dryer and a lanai with a table and chairs. The kitchen had all stainless steel appliances and was gorgeous. Plenty of room for the 5 of us. The was a flat screen tv in the lounge room and one in the main bedroom as well.

There is private parking for your vehicle and the pool area has to be seen to be believed. The pool area makes you feel like you are in paradise. It overlooks the whole ocean and plenty of pool chairs to lay back and sunbake on. The fully equipped gym also overlooks the ocean so you can watch the whales as you have a workout. it s close to all the shops, either a 10 minute leisurley walk or a 2 minute drive and is only 20mins from Kona airport. I highly recommend this resort and would stay nowhere other than here on our next visit. Thank you Keala and staff at Halii Kai. Our stay wasn't long enough but it sure was memorable. Thanks again for a wonderful stay. Regards Brooke Simmonds

Booked my stay on VRBO. One of the few oceanfront buildings. Ground floor. Awesome views. 2 Bedroom. All the units are essentially new. The unit we stayed in was very well kept. A peaceful relaxing vacation. 5 Stars!

We found unit 5F on vrbo.com (#163192) and all of our expectations were exceeded. This unit is very well furnished - from the awesome beds to the plasma tv's. Location is excellent. The unit overlooks the golf course and has peekaboo views of the ocean. Tennis and basketball courts are right out the door and the pool/bar is a short walk away. The pool area is amazing. Our three kids (ages 2 to 10) loved the waterfall and fountain features. We loved the bar/restaurant!! The views from the pool are stunning - sunset, whales, etc. Also, the workout room has sliders that open on all sides for an unobstructed view of the ocean while you are on the treadmill, etc - an unexpected bonus. We will most definitely be returning to this unit and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone!

This is a beautiful complex. The views from the pool/club house are beautiful. We liked the BBQ area at the pool, but get there early since there is one 1 grill in this area. The new "coconut grove" area for BBQing is nearly ready and will be available any time. This area is very convenient to the condo we stayed in.

We stayed in unit 3A and found it to be very comfortable and beautifully decorated. Many extras - boogie boards - games - movies - highspeed wireless internet (hooray), HDTVs. A lot of nice little touches.

Lovely lanai and a nice view of the fairway.

The grounds of the complex are beautiful so we enjoyed the short walk to the pool.

We really enjoyed it and would definitely stay there again.

Very nice layout for 2 couples or family with kids.

We just got back from a week at Halii Kai resort and it was fantastic.

We stayed in 13H - rented through a great rental company called Resortica. Wonderful service.

Chef Jeff makes the best burger ever. Get it with everything on it. The fish sandwich is also incredible. We traveled to all the big resorts, and this place had the best lunch by far.

Plus Lora the server is warm and welcoming and makes your lunch a joy.

Perfect weather - constant whales - great food and a beautiful condo. I highly recommend Hali i Kai.

Aloha,

My stay at the Hali'i kai was awesome. The staff and condos were amazing. I am counting down the days until I can return and swim in the pool or play golf at one of the most beautiful golf courses!!! I was fortunate to also see humpback whales breaching out of the water while I was lounging poolside!! I DEFINATELY recommend this resort!!!

Thanks to this wonderful resort my family and I had the best vacation of our lives! The property is beautiful, the staff is accommodating, and the pool is to die for. Our condo was a 2 bedroom unit and we loved the security, the beautiful kitchen with marble countertops and stainless steel appliances, and the bathrooms were absolute luxury. Thick, soft towels, comfortable beds, perfect air conditioning, and they even included boogie boards for the kids and a rolling cooler. I had a chance to see about 4 of the rooms as we were there for a wedding (perfect spot for the wedding!) and they were all decorated with individual style and the decorating was exquisite throughout. The 2nd floor units have amazing views and the first floor lanai was perfect for us to just walk right outside and to the pool. The kids hardly wanted to go to the beach because the pool is so perfect. And the lounging chairs are fabulously comfortable. I loved the wicker chairs partially submerged in the pool so I could stay cool and close to the kids while they played.

I don't get the feeling that this resort was built with kids in mind, but the pool did have a 'kiddie' section for very small children to safely play. Overall it's a very romantic spot perfect for vacationing couples, weddings, or large family vacations.

The Halii Kai is a condominium community in the resort area of Waikoloa, just across from the Hilton. We stayed in 12-H as did a previous reviewer. Each unit is individually owned, but there are only three basic floor plans. This unit is on the ground level with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It is very close to the clubhouse/pool area, and has wonderful views of the golf course and ocean (black lava cliffs, no beach close by).

We were quite surprised by the amenities, The unit had binoculars (nice for whale watching), four sets of snorkel gear, floats, tennis rackets and balls, and just about everything else we could think of. Plates, appliances, cookware, everything was top quality and in excellent repair.

We went with our two young children and wife's parents, six in all. The unit was more than adequate for us and never felt cramped.

The pool is wonderful, actually a set of tiered connected pools including a 1.5 foot deep kids pool. They are great for floating, splashing and lounging; actually swimming for exercise in them would be nearly impossible because of their size and shape. The exercise room is small but very well maintained with excellent equipment and never crowded. The Hilton is only a short walk away, though everywhere else requires driving.

Overall, it was one of the nicest places we've stayed, and was an excellent value in Waikoloa.

Having said that, there were a few negatives. The first is Waikaloa. We travel to Hawaii very frequently and it is not one of our favorite areas. Aside from the resorts and golf, there's just not a lot close by. The volcano is about 100 miles away. Our preference is for Oahu or Kuaii, but that's just us.

Second, the window shades were inadequate. They provided neither shade nor privacy.

Finally, our upstairs neighbors seemed to be fond of clogging. Noise from upstairs was more than expected, though, in fairness, the unit was generally amazingly quiet.

Overall, for Waikoloa, unit 12-H in Halii Kai is wonderful. Of note, good grocery stores are found in Waikoloa Village and Mauna Lani's shops where there are also free shows at night.

We recently returned from a wonderful week at this unit (5f) and had an amazing time! I loved how the unit was furnished--gorgeous and comfortable--and the location with the golf course and partial ocean views. Hali Kai is in a great location and I loved that the condo development has a bar that you can order food and drinks from when at the pool. Speaking of the pool, it is so beautiful with unsurpassed views of the sunsets, an amazing number of whales (at least during whale season) and just the ocean. The workout room has the same view with open air. I went running in the morning, we usually would hit a beach or take a drive after that and spend the remainder of the day at the pool. You can't go wrong staying here--our family had plenty of room --it has 3 beautifully furnished bedrooms and 3 baths and sleeps 8--and no one was ever bored. Hali Kai is perfect for adults, honeymooners and families. Only a short drive to great beaches, shopping and restaurants too. Great weather at this part of the island too.

We found this unit through VBRO (#163192). Anyway, this property is amazing! I am not an owner, but I can see why you would want to be. This was our first visit to the Big Island and we barely started to see everything there is to see. Wow! I can't wait to go back to this peaceful and beautiful place. I have been to Maui many times, Kauai once and Oahu once, but this is my new favorite island!

We have travelled to Hawaii every year for seven years and after staying at many hotels and condos, this is the best! We had unit 12H which was right beside the clubhouse. This unit had a great view and you could watch the sunset from our lanai.

The furniture varies from unit to unit but all units are well appointed. They have granite countertops, high end finishings, and every cooking utensil, and spice you could ever need.

The beds were so comfortable in 12h, I had my husband rip off the bedding to find out the make and model! The ensuite off the master was nicer than my ensuite at home. Our unit had 3 bedrooms and two baths. 1 king, 1 queen and 2 twin beds.

The clubhouse has a fabulous 3 tier pool. I found this wonderful because families with little kids swam at the shallow pool, and adults without kids went to the other end. I worked out every day in the open exercise room. There were 2 treadmills, 1 elliptical and one weight/ bench machine. The restaurant at the clubhouse is open from 11-6:30 and is very good.

As for negatives, I will mention some but feel guilty doing so!

If you are a beach person, there is no beach at the resort. A bay is a 5 minute drive and Hapuna is 20 minutes away. A bay is great for families. The grounds are so well kept that the landscapers were everywhere, all the time. In the morning when you want to have coffee on your lanai, it can get a bit tiresome to constantly have mowers and groundskeepers making noise. It's worth it though, because the grounds are beautiful. Also, please be aware this is a large complex and if you book a condo, you need to know how far you are from the clubhouse. I saw a lot of people driving to the clubhouse. If you go to hali'i kai website you can see where the unit you are interested in is located. have a great vacation..we sure did!

What a find! Our experience was 5 star...we are very particular and usually stay at the Four Seasons Hualalai ($650+ per night). The Four Seasons was fully booked during our trip dates. Lucky for us because...we LOVE Hali'i Kai!

This is our favorite new spot on the Big Island. The whale watching from the Ocean Club was beyond incredible. We loved that this is more of a "resort" than just a condo. The restaurant & bar at the Ocean Club serve fresh fish, salads, burgers, tropical desserts & have a full bar. Keiki selections also available. Our children enjoyed every inch of the 3-tier infinity pool with panoramic ocean views...the sand-bottom jacuzzi was also a hit! The gym takes full advantage of the ocean views and is well equipped.

Our 2br/2ba villa was wonderfully stocked with games, expanded movie channels, teak furniture on the lanai....and a kitchen with everything we could think of!

We were nervous booking a condo...but already looking forward to the next visit. The value here is one of a kind!

We stayed at Halii Kai in Oct. 2007 for a week. The place is beautiful! It really is a hidden jewel right now. The pool is amazing! We have a one year old and loved the fact that the pool had a 6" area that she could play in. There are also lounge chairs in the water....what a great idea!! The employees at the bar were extremely nice, especially Craig the bartender. The condo was big and clean. We had a 3 bedroom condo on the bottom floor with a garden view. As soon as we got to Hali i Kai we were immediately relaxed, something that usually takes a few days for us. We got a great rate through the Hali i Kai management who were very friendly and helpful.

We stayed at the Hali'i Kai in May of this year for seven nights. My recommendations are solely based on the particular unit that we stayed in and our limited experience with the amenities that the resort offers.

1) The unit was new and included very comfortable furnishings and amenities. If my memory serves me correct (and it's been almost five months since our stay), I think each of the bedrooms included a plasma tv and clock-radio. I do know that it had a full-sized washer and dryer in its own laundry room located across the kitchen. The pantry and refrigerator had more than enough room to contain our groceries and snacks for the week.

2) The "Hali'i Kai Ocean Club" includes a pool, exercise cabana, and grill that is a short walk from our unit and faces the ocean - a great place to view the sunset!. My two children enjoyed the pool almost as much they enjoyed the beach since it was on the shallow side (about three feet at its deepest). Speaking of beaches (slight tangent here), Hali'i Kai is about a 10 minute drive south of Hapuna Beach - this truly is a great beach for families and my children loved it. During our stay in May, the water was relatively calm.

3) Our unit was on the ground floor and had both a golf-course and ocean view. For our lanai, we could see the ocean and of course, the sunset.

4) There was construction going on but that was located far enough away from our unit that we were not bothered by the noise. My understanding is that the whole development will be finished sometime in spring of 2008. Even with construction, our stay was both a peaceful and relaxing one.

5) In terms of cost, yes, it's not exactly on the cheap end. We paid $400/night during our stay. But we figured for our party of seven, that was about $57 per person per night.

For families, I would definitely recommend this place. It's quiet, has a great shallow pool that parents can let their children play in, and a nice kitchen where you can cook your meals (and save money by not eating out).

You can view the layout of the unit we stayed in by going to [--]haliikai.com/residences_kipuka.html.

This is the second unit I've rented from Sandy Vacations (you can "google" for the website's url) - the owner is very professional and courteous. I recommend her to my family and friends whenever I get the chance.

Hope this helps and good luck!

We stayed at the Halii Kai resort in August 2007. The resort is spectacular! We stayed in 9D and from our lanai could watch the sunset every evening. The Ocean Club (a very short walk from the condo) offers a multi-tiered pool, spa, wading area, pool lounge chairs, exercise cabana, barbeque and restaurant/bar. The restaurant serves lunch 11:30-3:30 daily except Mondays and serves cocktails from 3:30 until sunset. In the winter when you can watch the whales from the Ocean Club while enjoying a cocktail, I can't imagine anything better. The menu is well rounded and priced appropriately, complete with even a children's menu. My 12 year old son who usually prefers the ocean to the pool really enjoyed frolicking in the pool every afternoon. The Queens shops scheduled to open this fall/winter will expand the restaurant and shop offerings and include a market, too. The development is still under construction but does not impact any of the units that are now completed. All the units by the pool and with ocean views are completed. Contact resort directly for rentals. There may be some discounts offered while still under construction. I have posted some pictures, but they can not begin to due justice to just how spectacular the views are at Halii Kai.

We stayed at Hali’i Kai, unit 12A for five nights in June, 2007. I have not bothered to post interior pictures because the unit is just like the photos shown on the Abbey Vacation Rental website. I can highly recommend this property. It was clean, comfortable, spacious, and practically brand new. Although I list some negatives below, don’t let that keep you from considering Hali’i Kai. We would be happy to stay here again if we ever go back to the Big Island.

The Good

There was plenty of space for our family of four. Our kids are teenagers and were very pleased to have their own room with a full size bed for each of them. Having two full bathrooms was a great benefit as well.

The kitchen was equipped with every gadget you might need to fix a good meal. Bring your Costco card and stock up while you are in Kona. Eating at the condo saved us a great deal of money and time (service at most of the restaurants we visited was quite slow).

The location is very peaceful. The golfers on the adjacent course did not bother us at all.

The pool is very nice and was not crowded during our whole visit. The hot tub has a sand bottom which was new for us, but we grew to like it. The exercise room was open to the ocean breeze and was pleasant to use.

The Not So Good

The Waikoloa Beach Resort (that Hali’i Kai is a part of) is about 30 miles north of Kona. There is no reasonably priced place to shop for groceries in the area. We did not try to eat at any of the restaurants at Waikoloa because all the travel guide books said they were very expensive. There is only one road down to Kona and traffic got backed up a couple times while we were there. Allow extra time if you are trying to make an appointment to do something in Kona.

There is no beach within reasonable walking distance of Hali’i Kai. Anaeho’omalu Bay is the closest beach and we tried to walk there but gave up. Plan to drive there.

The dishwasher is loud. Don’t start it just before you go to bed!

The only grill is located at the pool. We had difficulty starting it due to the ocean breeze, but we did eventually get it lit.

There are no condiments such as salt and pepper at the condo. Bring small amounts of the things you will need so you don’t have to buy a whole container in Hawaii.

Most of the units of Hali’i Kai are still under construction. Only the five or six buildings that are nearest the pool are finished and accepting visitors. While the construction noise did not bother us at all, I am concerned that once all the units are finished the pool might get over crowded.

Hali’i Kai is expensive. The listed price was $400 a night but after you pay taxes, cleaning fees, and trip insurance (optional) the final cost was $522.57 per night. You also have to pay a $750 security deposit. We kept the place reasonably clean and our entire deposit was credited to our account 12 days after we checked out. However, we saved a great deal of money by being able to cook for ourselves. We think that paying more for a nice condo and eating in was better than paying less for a lower end condo or hotel room and having to eat out.

The grass at Hali’i Kai looks great but has only been put in recently. If you walk barefoot on the grass you can still feel the lava rocks underneath!