"Everything at Kona Village, Big Island was wonderful. From the smallest touches-- comfy sheets and towels, fluffy pillows, the recommended reading book on our night stand (Stoner), refilling the ice bucket every night are examples. Kona Village is made up of individual Halles, cabins. We loved that privacy. As far as our Halle--we loved the outdoor shower, loved the patio, loved the ample closet and drawer space, and loved the hanging bed on the patio. We were told they were at 85% capacity the days we were there; but you never felt like it. It was quiet, peaceful and slow paced. The mountain side view of the lagoon side offered us beautiful sunrises every morning. Housekeeping was amazing, they actually cleaned; not just made beds and checked the bar. There was a good bit of walking on unpaved roads; which was fine (and helped work off the malasadas that I had every morning) but people should be prepared for that. Many times staff would stop and offer us rides on their golf carts. As far as staff goes, they were consistently outstanding. From remembering your name, or how you liked your coffee, to making sure you knew keiki food service was free (which was a pleasant surprise) to the cabana service-all were well trained and eager to be helpful. Special shout out to the guys at Kilo Kai. They are phenomenal. We took advantage of the fishing, snorkeling and canoeing activities. They are a fun crew (Cam and Pooh) who go out of their way to be helpful. Daniel, the manager, was amazing. He added so much to our stay. I feel like he sets such a high bar for staff to emulate. We bumped into him several times and always had a great conversation and learned more about Hawaii. He's helped us become Rosewood fans. The daily activities make Kona village a truly special place. The shave ice days were delicious and those gals were fun too. We took advantage of the cocktail class featuring three mai tai recipes. Eric, the barkeep, was quite educational. (They have 5 different sizes of ice at Kona village -who knew?) We often don't fully appreciate a truly educated, experienced bartender and Eric definitely was one. I could have stayed there at Shipwreck all night if I didn't have some where else to be. Guest services they shared special features of Kona Village that they love. Three of my family members used the spa. My son and daughter-in-law did the couples massage and loved it, especially the champagne following their massage. My son said he could move his neck in a way that he hasn't been able to in quite a while. I appreciate all that Rosewood does/did to preserve the sacred places on site. We went to the resort's cultural center and learned about the history of the resort (before the tsunami) and about the petroglyphs. In speaking with the manager, Daniel, we learned even more about how Rosewood strives to use local resources/providers as much as possible. He even arranged for an individual tour for one of my sons to learn more about Kona's solar capacities and water conservation programs. That's not just being nice, that's genuinely caring for Rosewood, the island and your clients. We usually don't linger on site at a resort but at Kona you almost don't need to leave. The snorkeling was so special. It literally is right off the beach. No tour, no getting on a boat. Beautiful fish right there. It was magical. We went every day our schedule would allow. I do have to say the food opportunities were a bit limited. Maybe it was the time of the year? No sushi at the Shipwreck Bar which I had read about and was looking forward to. But the smoked oysters and Brussel sprouts at Kahuwai Cookhouse were incredible. We don't usually go back to somewhere we've already visited, but I'm pretty sure, in this case, we will. The island, the weather, the people, the resort--all were wonderful. Kona Village is indeed a very special place."

"I expected a premier luxury experience from a Rosewood property, but the management’s handling of a recent major storm—which left the island with flooded roads, downed power lines, and trees—was shockingly poor. While the resort offered to reschedule, they refused any refund or flexibility, hiding behind their "standard cancellation policy" despite the extraordinary circumstances. This resulted in fees approaching five digits for a situation entirely out of our control, as it was physically impossible to arrive during the severe storm. The communication and coordination throughout this ordeal were abysmal. Over several days, my attempts to find a resolution were met with several unanswered emails and numerous promised callbacks that never occurred. I was repeatedly routed to the wrong individuals and left on protracted holds. When I finally connected with the reservations manager, Anna Lisa, she was extremely unaccommodating and showed zero empathy for the significant safety concerns and logistical challenges posed by the storm. She simply reinforced their standard cancellation policy and associated fees, showing zero willingness to find a solution that could work for both parties outside of simply moving the reservation—which, unfortunately, was not a viable option for us. This experience aligns with previous reports of significant customer service issues at this property. Rather than prioritizing guest safety and satisfaction, the resort opted for an inflexible stance that felt like a predatory attempt to capitalize on a natural disaster. To hold onto substantial deposits for travel that was physically impossible given the state of the island is a disappointing departure from the hospitality one expects at this level. I strongly advise looking elsewhere."

"The Kona village has recently been voted a Travellers Choice Award and understandably so. It’s top end, with excellent accommodation, food and service, in a beautiful and unique setting. This Rosewood resort caters to the discerning traveller, whether in a family, couple or large group setting. The rooms are well equipped with stunning ocean views, the food is of a high quality, service is impeccable. Highly recommend this jewel."

"To sum it up - Kona Village is my favorite resort not just in Hawai'i but in the United States overall. It's not for everyone, but if you're looking for the things I desire you may well find it as magical as I do. Kona Village is not your standard Hawai'i mega-resort. Rather than being a huge, monolithic structure it is individual buildings ("hales") spread along the edge of one of the most beautiful bays on the Kona Coast. The resort, and the buildings, are deeply connected to the history of not just the resort, but this place and the ancient Hawaiian village that was once here. Hales are connected by a network of dirt roads, which you navigate using the provided bicycles. This combination of respect for the culture and the place and somewhat enforced "barefoot luxury" living creates a deeply restorative experience. The negative of this set-up is that Kona Village is likely not something that visitors who are looking for more of the "cruise ship" style resort where they can show off their resort wear and experience a resort scene and wear heels at night will enjoy. But that's fine. The Four Seasons is right next door and caters to exactly the kind of visitor who will be put off by the "expensive casualness" of the Kona Village. The staff are amazing. They bring aloha to every interaction, love to talk story, and are again connected to this place. They are not obsequious or silent as at some other luxury resorts - but again, the Four Seasons is right next door if that is what you're looking for. If you know the "barefoot luxury" experience, then you'll be prepared for what the Kona Village is like. You'll wear slippahs all day every day. You want to go on a sailing canoe - no worries. The hales are gorgeous but not ostentatious inside. Everything is elevated - but not showy. If you want a TV in your room - you can ask for one, but if you're coming to Kona Village you're likely not interested in watching TV, but rather in going to the Cultural Center to see the petroglyphs, or snorkeling in the bay in the morning, or just sitting on a lounge chair and staring at the incredible views. The food is quite good, especially at the signature restaurant Moana which has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year. The spa is excellent. It's a gorgeous space, with great services, and fantastic staff. If you can splurge for the Mahina Ritual, I strongly recommend it. Definitely a special experience. Now... to address the elephant in the room. Kona Village is not cheap. Anyone who is looking for value for the dollar is likely to be disappointed. But given the quality of the experience, if you're the kind of person who is looking for this kind of thing the question quickly stops being "is this worth it" and instead becomes "can I afford it?" It's that good."

"The resort was a perfect blend of luxury and space. The footprint of the resort is not as sprawling as the next door Four Seasons. Each room is its own individual "hale" or building. The beach front hales are great. We talked to people staying off the water in the "trees" and they loved it. If you need it there is always a golf cart around to get you from A to B but we never needed it. There are bikes to use as well. The rooms and the beach front really separate the Rosewood from the 4S. We had a number of people come over from the 4S & wanted to switch after seeing what we had. If you want to sit beach front and lounge in the ocean you really don't have that opportunity next door - but the Rosewood has ample space. The 4S has great restaurants and the golf course on property, but we just walked over if we wanted to eat at Beach Tree or the steak house for a change of pace. The island roots dinner was a cool gathering hosted by the GM Daniel. We never needed for anything. Highly recommend the rosewood. 15 minutes from the airport."