I waited a few weeks to write this review, mostly to let my entire vacation sink in, and to attempt to pair down the voluminous accolades and comments running through my head regarding the magical Kona Village. First, I should explain that am one of "those" guests who experienced the old Kona Village back in my early 20's, albeit only for one night and in the lowest price room. As a broke Kama'aina living in Oahu for a year, I took advantage of the resident discount to splurge on a 24 hour stay. Like the rest of us who witnessed the old KV, I was skeptical and overwhelmingly curious about whether the new hotel could possibly maintain the perfectly laid back, unapologetically quirky, yet luxurious vibe from before. Well, all I can say is....you NAILED it Rosewood. Partially stealing a description from a recent Conde Nast article, the new and improved Kona Village is that perfect mix of luxurious and laid back, and no other high end resort in Hawaii or even the world does this far too rare vibe better. Can you appreciate and enjoy the finest things in life without feeling compelled to don designer clothes and consume 5 star dinners each night? The answer is definitively yes at Kona Village, as here you can be who you are, eat what you eat, do what you do, and still be 100% pampered, respected, cared for and recognized.
I always gravitate toward reviews that mention the people who work at a hotel. For anyone who has read my few and far between past posts, you will recall that my husband and I treasure the "people" we meet during our travels above anything else. With this in mind, and knowing already that Hawaiians in general are the friendliest people on the planet, I came armed to KV with the intention of asking the current employees what THEY thought of their new employer and the new hotel in general, and the answers I received were honest, authentic, and affirming. Time and again, staff told us that Rosewood is always working to maintain the ethos of the old KV, is committed to their employees' wellness and job-security, is giving more than lip service to eco and cultural preservation initiatives, and is generally a great employer to work for. This job satisfaction was demonstrated daily in how staff interacted with guests and each other, and unlike so many resorts, each employee's individual personality shined through which was SO important. There was no predictable script being followed by the KV "family," and you really felt like you got to know the individuals who worked there before you left. It was more then knowing names, and instead about getting to know the person. I stress again, this is extremely rare for staff in a 5 star hotel/resort, and it is the top reason we will be back.
Now onto some but certainly not all of my favorite things. Our Hale (by request) was located quite some distance from the main hub of the Village (pools, restaurants, beachfront), which was the best decision ever (hey Rosewood, remember that we want a similar Hale when we come back please:-). Riding the bikes to and from our Hale was as close to "no-stress" as I have been in over 30 years. I found myself finding excuses to go back to the Hale just so I could ride the road, say Aloha to the staff and other guests, to feel the sun and wind on my face, and to not have a care in the world. Then there was the beach staff - so professional and kind, and always at the ready with a towel, snorkel gear, kayak or SUP, yet never, ever even the slightest bit pushy and always genuinely friendly. A surprising plus was the fantastic gym and wonderful lap pool that allowed me to get in an amazing swim one morning. Many five star hotels have nice workout facilities, but KV manages to incorporate their immaculately maintained gym and lap pool into the surroundings so you do not feel like you are missing out on Hawaii's or KV's beauty. If I have one regret, it is that we spent too much time traversing the island and sightseeing, and not enough "down time" at the resort to relax and enjoy other activities on offer (early morning snorkel or canoe out to see dolphins, breakfast each morning at Moana, spending more time at Shipwreck bar, etc.). From a food perspective, the Kahuwai Cookhouse and Market is the true star, if for no other reason than so few luxury resorts have the foresight to include informal eateries in their design plan, let alone ones with a stand alone juice/breakfast bar and snack stand that are open all day and night. What an important option for families with small kids, couples on the go for island sightseeing, folks who by design or delay return to the resort too late to commit to a formal dinner, or anybody just wishing for a quick bite on the go. For a definitively 5 star hotel company like Rosewood, the choice to incorporate this perhaps less lucrative food and drink option was bold - and oh so welcome.
Was everything perfect - heck no, but whoever expects it to be is (1) never happy with anything so bound to find something wrong no matter where they are; (2) has never stayed at a relatively new hotel who understandably needs time to work out kinks and make adjustments; and (3) simply did not stop to "feel" Kona Village or live on island time, which is the whole point. What mattered for us was that Kona Village never hesitated to address whatever was not perfect, and with kindness and class. This is and will continue to be my definition of perfection, and the new and improved KV has this in spades.
Finally, between my husband and I, we have 6 adult kids, so we have done our time traveling with little ones and were happy to be on an adults only trip. With that said, we knew Kona Village always was and continues to be family friendly, and had no advance concerns with that concept. With that said, I was completely surprised and amazed at how calm, relaxed, chill and relatively quiet the resort was at all times, and although I saw and heard plenty of kids around all parts of the resort during our stay, the resort/hale layout, plentiful open space, abundance of activities and amenities and overall relaxed vibe meant that even the most child-averse, adults-only guest had absolutely no reason to complain about having children around. I am not sure how Rosewood managed this feat, but it is one of the many elements of the old Kona Village that stood the test of time. I truly felt the wahi pana of this beautiful place, and the "pulse of the land" was magically preserved. We will with absolute certainty be back!
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