Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel

Nice beach. Very difficult to get to both the hotel and the beach. It’s not your typical ocean front hotel and you walk right into the beach. I have an ocean view room and still have to walk a mile to the beach and over a mile to the parking garage. Dated décor and customer service not consistent. I would try a different hotel if I were to come back to the big island.

Staff — 60% of staff were not friendly nor helpful
Beach bar — not good service, had to wait for a while to get menu even after being seated
coast grill — 7:30 pm dinner appointment was made. when we checked in at 7:30pm we were told that there is a wait and 7 parties were ahead of us.
gym — got impolitely kicked out by aerobic instructor while stretching at gym.
internet and TV — out of service for almost 24 hours on 8÷17÷2016.
food is overpriced, guest room is spacious, but old furniture.

I attended a wedding reception at Kahua Ranch and my friends who were getting married arranged for a group rate at Hapuna Beach Prince. My mom and I were the only ones from my family attending (my brother and dad decided to stay home) so we decided to treat ourselves instead of staying at a bed and breakfast in Kamuela like some of the other guests. Although I’m not sure I would have paid full price for the room since we only stayed overnight and were basically only there to sleep, I enjoyed my stay.
We didn’t check in until almost 8 at night, after the wedding reception since we didn’t have time to go and check in before we headed to the wedding. We decided to valet instead of me having to find a parking space because, let’s face it, I’m not the best at remembering where I parked if I haven’t seen the parking lot before. The woman at the front desk was super nice and gave us great directions to our room. We were on the 8^th floor, the same as the lobby, but it was nice because the room was right past the little shopping corridor.
The room was beautiful. I loved how much space there was for all of our stuff (although we didn’t unpack. But we did use all of the benches and chairs for miscellaneous stuff.) And the bathroom was amazing. Yes, the shuttered doors were a little unusual, but very pretty. And I liked how the toilet area was separated from the rest of the bathroom. (Another shuttered door, but oh well.) The TV was huge! I loved watching the football game on it from the fluffy bed on Sunday morning. And it was very much appreciated that there was the lightning charger for my iPhone provided in the room. I had forgotten mine in the car.
I could keep going on and on about the amazing little things in the room that I liked, but there were also a few little drawbacks. The room was right near the ballrooms, so if there had been an event going on out there, we more than likely would have been able to hear it loud and clear. (So I’m grateful that there wasn’t an event going on.) We were told that we were going to be getting two bottles of water in the room, so my mom and I didn’t bother picking any up before heading to the hotel, but the water was not in the room. (I’m not sure if this is because the resort fee had been waived with our group rate or not, but it would have been nice if we had been told that since the resort fee had been waived, we were not going to be entitled to any of the amenities that were listed as part of the room.) All of the restaurants were closed by 8:30PM. We had eaten dinner at about 6 and were a bit hungry shortly after we arrived at the hotel since my family typically doesn’t eat until around 9. We ended up having to go to the little sundries shop and purchase snacks, but we would have appreciated if there had been a café or something open at 9PM.
Otherwise, our stay was lovely. If I could find a great rate like the one we got again, then I would definitely stay there again.

My visit occurred during the 1^st of December.
*Would’ve gave it 4 if there was Wi-​Fi in the rooms! Wth? Is it 2015 or 2005?! but if you’re looking to be completely unplugged on this vacation, its a good way to push you to be!
Here is my honest review:
Right off the bat — hotel is beautiful and quiet, exactly what you’d expect for a Hawaiian vacation. Hotel staff were very nice, welcoming and accommodating. The views are breathtaking!
So down to the specifics–
PROS :)
Room
The décor was very nice, comfortable, room was huge, had a queen sized bed and partial ocean view. Big flat screen TV. Loved how the phones came with iphone cables! Bathroom was huge — looked very nice and clean. The sheets and bed were very comfortable. Partial ocean view was super nice — patio was a good size.
Bathroom
Clean and super spacious! Separate shower from the tub which I love. Full length body mirror! Bathroom was fit for a queen!
Hotel — Recreational Areas
Having private access to one of the best beaches on the island is a huge PLUS! Resort Fee came with snorkeling gear. Amazing coral reefs in the ocean so take advantage of that snorkeling gear! Water at Hapuna Beach is just amazing! Temperature was PERFECT, the water was rough at times but expected during this season. Just loved the beach — just hangout all day there!
Hammock by the pool side was nice for relaxing! Staff go around offering you water and can take beverage orders.
The Hapuna Café? I think it was called that — it’s their little café/​coffee shop near the lobby. Good snacks and variety for what it’s worth. Had a spam musubi that was good, some chips and a latter. The yogurt parfait was good for what it was. It was a good café for quick snacks, on the go, etc. Also had a dessert window and everything looked so good and wanted to try but couldnt…
Activities /​Recreational Desk
Only spoke to the lady at the desk once and it was actually end of her day and she was about to go home and i asked her a quick question about going to Mauna Kea and she was very helpful and broke things down super clear for me and just super friendly.
CONS :(
Room
BUGS — DEAD AND ALIVE! I’m not talking about an ant or a spider or some gnat, I’m talking roaches or beetles whatever they were! I have a huge phobia against bugs — just hate them and I freak out! For such a nice hotel this pricey, the amount of bugs made it feel like a cheapy MOTEL! Found one brown looking bug that blended into the frame of the mirror and didn’t spot it until I was going to throw something in the trash and was up close! After screaming, I grabbed a huge wad of tissues to kill it, then flushed it.
THEN AFTER I started inspecting the room closer, I found 2 more Dead bugs against the wall on the floor — did they even vacuum?! Refused to pick it up as I wanted the hotel to see their sloppiness so I called housekeeping.
Saw bugs of this sort in the room each day I was there and NO I did not ever leave any doors open! Maybe when housekeeping came?
Unless you’re cool with bugs, then this was a HUGE con for me.
Also NO WI-​FI, as mentioned above — seriously guys! They have the ethernet cables to plug in and you can do internet that way? but seriously who does that these days? I think only desktops do this and who would bring a desktop on vacation?! Macs don’t even have these ports anymore! Come on Hapuna Prince — get with the game on this one, it’s a bit ridiculous considering the age we live in…
Nonetheless, might be good to stay unplugged while you’re on vacation :)
Poolside Bar/​Restauarant:
Didn’t eat much but I had the tropical fruit platter which was $ 15 and worth like $ 1.50… the fruit all seemed canned or bought cut from a grocery store or costco and just sitting in the fridge for 5 x days then served it to me — it was the fruit on its last leg before they needed to toss it out… Wish there were more food options or one other all day sit-​down restaurant.
OVERALL:
I think I got the hotel at a deal so at the time it was worth it. Wish there were more options for food. The bug thing killed me though and the no Wi-​Fi kinda dropped it for me too… I would give it another shot if I had another great discount… I would NEVER pay full price for this though…

Stayed here in August of this year. Fabulous ocean views, great breakfasts. You can relax on a beach cabana at the large pool or walk to the beach where you can do the same, as well as snorkel. It can be a very long walk to your room depending on where it’s located, and you are charged for parking. Rooms are somewhat outdated, but you’re paying for the beach location. It is quite a ways to civilization, but would visit again.

Not one thing on the buffet line that was on my plate that I didn’t eat.
Amazingly good.
I am one of those who needs a little bit of everything–

Amazing Sunday brunch!
The view is spectacular and the food delicious.
The service was friendly and attentive, too!
Great place to relax and dine.

This is our 2^nd visit to the Big Island and the Hapuna Prince. I was in awe of this place the first time we visited. The lobby entrance is breath taking and the room is so comfortable.
This time around I was less impressed initially especially with the décor. The hotel is in of a renovation. But after a few days here, I am impressed with the staff and overall environment. The staff is friendly and respectful— always smiling and ready to greet visitors. I also like the atmosphere here it’s laid back and many of the guests are very friendly and happy (unlike the guests at the Mauna Kea who come off as stand– offish and unhappy.)
Environment: Friendly, Laid back, simple yet elegant,
Pool and beach are fantastic for children– lifeguard on duty at both Hapuna Hotel and the Hapuna State beach
Rooms: Are very comfortable just slightly dated
We plan to stay here again when visiting

I’ll start with the positives… The beach is nice and so was our patio view. There was air conditioning. There was a friendly Orange cat that hung out at the pool.
Moving on to the negatives. The resort is distant to gas stations, stores and restaurants. Next time I’ll stay a little further south. You must PAY for your parking approximately $ 20/​day. We purchased a deal approximately $ 25 a day that included parking, Internet, breakfast, 2 daily coffees & bottled waters, 1 hour snorkel rental and 2 Mai Tais. The Internet simply would not work. I spoke to the front desk and Time Warner several times and I still couldn’t even sign into WiFi. I ended up going to the lobby to use the free WiFi.
This place was probably very stylish and lavish during the Disco or Miami Vice era; however, it was horribly dated and seemed neglected. Our room actually had a nice big flat screen TV, but the rest was outdated. A clean, yellow stained bathtub, yellow electrical plates, old grout and the whole interior/​exterior resort needed a paint job. Another EPIC design FAIL was SHUTTERED doors for the bathroom. Shuttered bathroom doors?! Why… Why… Why?! At least have a loud fan in the bathroom to muffle the romantic sounds of your partner using the toilet.
Food! Breakfast was good; however, large course salt is nasty and Saccharin for my coffee is too 1970’s for me. I tried to order room service and they CLOSE at 10pm. REALLY? I thought the point of room service was to eat during inconvenient times? We visited the gift shop and decided to pick up a 6-​pack of Longboard beer; it was 23.00! That’s right (black market prices), what a ripoff!
The pool area was nice. The hot tub was scalding though. Unfortunate, I really wanted to use it. The poolside bar closes at 6:30 on Friday. That’s not a typo. This wasn’t the worst place I stayed in… But, for the price I expected more. I’m amazed that there are several 4 – 5 star ratings on this place.

Lovely lovely Hotel in Hawaii (the big island).
Rooms: 4 star: large lovely rooms the key is to opt for a view of the ocean, more expensive but completely worth it! Sound of the ocean and the island breeze as you sleep with your patio doors open is pure paradise. Large room and large bathroom overall. The tub could nicer but these rooms are a little older. The reason for a docked star is the rooms need some renovating in my opinion. Also a very musty smell in our room the first day or two, luckily it went away but I think the rooms could use a through once over cleaning/​updating.
Hotel: 5 star — service was fanatic and everyone is so friendly makes your stay that much more enjoyable. The hotel itself is stunning, open outdoor Terrance’s from every angle what’s not to love? Hawaii living at it’s finest. Flowers, palm trees, and ocean views from every angle this hotel is a show stopper. The pool is great, plenty of seating and good drinks by the pool. Also by default they have their own private beach basically due to the structure of how to get to it. It’s lovely. Plenty of patio chairs and umbrellas on the beach make this hotel A+. I’d highly recommend this hotel if you are ever to stay on the big island.

Just got back from a week stay. Amazing service. Special thanks to the lady’s in the Hapuna Café, we visit every morning and my daughter would ask them if they remember our room number until they did. Thank you lady’s! Food and service at the pool lounge is really good. Great experience and we will be back next year! Mahalo!

Stayed here a couple nights for a conference, which was in the same hotel. I was very pleased with the experience. Every evening promises a gorgeous sunset. The beach is beautiful. The hotel has a very linear layout, and I did a lot of walking getting to various points of the hotel. My cell did not get reception in the rooms, so I basically went offline for a good chunk of my stay. Service could’ve been better. I was disappointed when we arrived in the morning and could not be checked into our rooms right away, as the hotel did not seem full. Thankfully we were able to check in around 1:30.
Room: My room was beautiful. It was in tower 5 on the 9^th floor and I had a view of the ocean. The AC worked wonderfully, which was great because it was very hot and humid outside. I had a balcony with 2 chairs, a recliner, and a beautiful view of the ocean. It was very quiet at night and during the day. The bathroom was huge with a separate bath tub, shower, and 2 sinks. Robes are provided and towels were plentiful. My only gripes about the room were the TV service, which had no HBO/​Showtime type channels, and the user software was cumbersome. And the hairdryers, which broke on me twice.
Conference facilities: The conference facilities were great. They were spacious and water and mints were on everytable. There were coffee breaks, ice tea, and cookies. The rooms were cool and the location was convenient to my room. There were buffet lunches in the makai ballroom and the food was very good. My favorite items were the fern salad, the hawaiian sweet potato salad, and tbe strawberry cheesecake.
Ocean terrace: I had breakfast at the Ocean Terrace 2 mornings. It was good, with an omlette station, nice fruit, breakfast meat, and more. It was pretty hot outside, where Ocean Terrace is located, and there were birds that swoop in to pick at unattended plates. Otherwise, it was a satisfying place for breakfast (which was included in our conference registration price).
Beach Bar: Drink prices are elevated, as they usually are at hotels. They have happy hour from 3 to sunset, but discounts are not that great. I had the fish sandwich, and the fish was fresh. I would return.
Hapuna villa: Beautiful 5 room villa and the end of the property. The conference planners rented it out and had receptions here at night with entertainment. There is a pool and a beautiful view.
Fitness center: There is a fitness center on the second floor of the golf clubhouse. It’s pretty well-​appointed with a cardio room, a weight room, and more cardio machines in the second floor lobby. Towels and iced water are provided.
I would definitely stay here again if I can get a good rate.

I’m so soured by the customer service that I doubt I’ll ever actually stay here.
My girlfriend and I are taking a vacation to big island in a few months and staying at a few different places. We wanted to splurge on something nice and somewhat close to the airport for the first couple days. We found this place and loved it from the pictures. I booked through Travelocity which gave me two very clear options of payment. I could either pay in full up front or pay upon arrival. Since I had just spent 1,700 $ on plane tickets and didn’t have much left at the moment I opted to pay upon arrival.
I receive an email days later from Travelocity stating that the hotel had cancelled my reservation. I call the hotel and spoke to someone whom I believe was a manager as the reservation desk was not yet open. When he finally found my reservation he told me that even though the site said very clearly that we pay nothing until we arrive that the hotel charges the card the full price of the first night to hold the reservation, and even though they took 56 $ from my account, that I needed to pay the rest of the first night’s fee to reinstate my reservation. Also didn’t even bother to get hold of me to tell me this information, they just had Travelocity cancel our reservation. When I told him I’d be happy to pay for the whole stay in a few days I was told that they would not hold it for me and that If it was still available I could rebook at whatever the rate jumps to by then.
My girlfriend calls back an hour later, as I was going to be unable to calmly deal with this issue without verbally abusing the staff. She is speaking with two different people in the reservation department who are telling her two different things, neither of which I was told. They told her that they didn’t charge anything but 1 $ to make sure the card was valid (which there was no longer funds available as it had already taken it every cent that was in my account.) and that Travelocity must have charged my card (though my online statement clearly says the hotels name on the 56 $ charge and mentions nothing of Travelocity.)
Why are three different people telling us three different things and no one is trying to help solve the problem? I understand a hotel having policies regarding deposits and cancellation, and I understand that miscommunication can happen between a hotel and a booking site but in my opinion that if someone is advertising misinformation on behalf of a hotel then at the end of the day it’s up to the hotel to make it right. This hotel seems very uninterested in solving any problems with their affiliates or having us as guests.
If this is the kind of service we can expect from this hotel then we will be staying somewhere else and giving them our very hard earned money.

Great pool and beach access. We stayed here for 2 days and had a child with us. This hotel has beautiful landscaping and great views of the pool/​ocean. It’s good for someone who needs a more affordable stay however they do not have some of the nicer amenities a higher end resort has. For example: no complimentary sunscreen by the pool, no pool service or complimentary water. You have to walk up to the bar to get a drink or food. I think it would be a nice touch to have a few pool servers available. But I still think it was a good experience, it just would have enhanced it more. Overall I would stay again. Beautiful surroundings and nice pool/​beach area. The food was just okay. We are the breakfast buffet one day. I’m a lighter and healthier eater so found it hard to find healthy options.

Very nice hotel.
We had a king room with a partial ocean view, room was very nice, bathroom was surprisingly large. Very clean and no complaints.
Beach at the hotel was excellent, nice sand, calm clear water, a few rocks to the side to explore, nice pool and hot tub — though only open while the sun is up.
The restaurants in the hotel have some strange opening times, our first evening everything was closed… However when we did dine it was excellent.
If I had one complaint it is that it took two elevators and a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the room. And one elevator and a slightly longer walk with stairs to get down to the beach. An elevator to the beach or pool level would have been nice.
Location wise it gives good access to drive to any part of the island, there isn’t too much in the immediate vicinity though.

This our 9^th trip to Hapuna over the last 11 years. There is a reason we come to the Hapuna Beach Prince… It is simply the best place to vacation on the Big Island. If you are looking for a family friendly hotel, beautiful sandy beach, comfortable rooms, great food and the best people who work at the hotel and truly care about your happiness… Than this is the spot. My wife and I are made to feel like part of the family while we are here. We have loved getting to know all of the staff over the years and establishing great friendships. We look forward to many more years of coming to Hapuna to relax after long hours at our jobs and the stress of everyday life. We are truly fortunate to enjoy paradise and spend time with our friends at the hotel who work hard to make us feel special… Shout out to Maka, MJ, Jenna, Fro, Luther, Michael, Yuki and all of the others who allow us into their beautiful world /​culture so that we can take a break from ours!!! All of you at Hapuna are the BEST !
Thank you…

Got a good deal on hotwire so I did not pay even closetothe standard rate, and that probably boostsmy rating up to 5.
Get the splash deal if you need parking and wifi, otherwise skip it.
has a decent pool but nothing special about it. Good enough though.
the beach is legit though. kona is not exactly covered in beaches so great to have one near that works great.
Food is not so great, eat elsewhere.
room is good, bathroom is large and has bath and shower separately. lcd tv, nice sized everything.
as you can tell I am all about the room and the beach, if other items matter like onsite restraunts that dont suck this may not be a good choice for you.

Great service. Amazing views. Beautiful Hotel.
On a natural white sand beach on the big island.
About 30 min north of Kona. Worth the drive up the coast.
We had a deluxe ocean view. Little far from the lobby. But it was quiet and the view was amazing!

I won the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on Priceline through their express deals for $ 170/​night which came out to $ 240/​night after taxes and fees and it was worth every penny.
They do not have a required resort fee, but their self parking fee was $ 15/​day and their wifi was another $ 12/​day. They offer a «Splash» package which is $ 24/​day which includes: Parking, Wifi, 2 free Mai Tais (one time only), 2 bottles of waters per day, 2 coffees from the hotel café, snorkeling gear and discounts for the spa and restaurants across the property. We needed parking and wifi so this was a perfect deal for us! We also really enjoyed walking down to the pool bar which is beach side right after checking in and enjoyed our complimentary Mai Tai’s.
Afterwards, my husband and I headed to the beach a few steps away. My husband went snorkeling and I sat on one of their free beach chairs and sipped my Mai Tai as the sun disappeared into the surf.
The rooms were very nice with 2 double beds which were cozy with soft sheets. The pillow were a little bit on the hard side, but I still slept really well. We ended up getting a room with a private-​ish balcony and partial ocean view which was great.
The staff is super friendly and they have a very cute brown cat that runs around and oversees the property to make sure that everything is copacetic. I named him — Security Guard. :)
I think I will make this hotel our ‘go-​to’ every time we come to Big Island which I hope will be a lot! :)

Loved our stay at Hapuna! The room was bright and beautiful. Clean with a beautiful accent wall, new carpet and very large screen TV.
The staff is very nice, cheerfully greeting us and very polite.
Location is great, easy drive to Waimea.
Property is so nice and well kept. Will definitely return.