Royal Kona Resort

This resort has a nice oceanfront location in downtown Kona. Of the three buildings, the Lagoon Building is the quietest in terms of human activity. Connecting rooms are only at corners of the buildings. Room renovations done in 2021 are an improvement, though the bathrooms didn’t get upgraded. Watch out for your shins when walking near the bed frames. They are modern but a bit stark in feel. They don’t have a beach, but there is a saltwater lagoon to swim in next to the Lagoon Tower and they have a bar that sits right over the water. The other big downtown Kona hotel is the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, and between the two, we prefer the King Kam over the Royal Kona. However, we did find the staff attentive here. Their “Romance Center” is exceptionally helpful if you’re in need of wedding (or wedding-related) assistance. Even if you aren’t staying here, stop by Thursday nights when Don’s Mai Tai Bar has live local music. The well-known bar has featured some of Hawaii’s favorite musicians over the years and offers a great ocean-view along with umbrella-ed cocktails. Rooms (337–450 sq. ft.) start at $250. Deluxes start (598–1,348 sq. ft.) around $350.