Anyone been to Mauni Lani Bay in Hawaii?

[travelbug]

I've been away from these boards for a while now, so I apologize if this question has been recently asked.

Has anyone stayed at the Mauni Lani Bay Resort before? We booked 8 nights there for next March/April. My parents are coming along in honor of a special anniversary, and they are SO excited! I have read that it is a 5-star resort, and everything sounds wonderful. My only hope is that it is not TOO upscale or that it doesn't feel like only the wealthy should be there. (That sure wouldn't be us!!) Do you know what I mean? We are just anxious to enjoy the beach, the pool, the weather, and whatever the island has to offer. We're hoping the resort is beautiful and well-appointed without being "hoity-toity".

Any information would really be appreciated. Thanks very much!

 

[Disney On The Bayou]

Sorry I can't answer your question, but I would like to know how it goes in April. I thought about the same question. E-Mail me a trip report. Good Luck.

 

[Allan]

We're hoping the resort is beautiful and well-appointed without being "hoity-toity".

We found it to be exactly that. The rooms are large and well appointed and the grounds are beautiful. We would love to go back!

 

[travelbug]

Thanks, Allan, for your encouraging words. We hope to love the resort as much as you guys did.

On the Bayou, I will definitely report back after we take the trip. Hopefully it will be all good news!

Thanks for your responses. If anyone else out there has been to the Mauna Lani, I'd love to hear from you too.

 

[sweetp0618]

We're DVC Members and have been to Mauna Lani Bay twice; once 10 years ago on business and last year on points. I have travelled extensively in the US and Europe for business and pleasure. I can say, without a doubt, the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel is one of the finest hotels in the world!

I would splurge and spend the points!

 

[ceejay13]

It is absolutely gorgeous. You can't go wrong!

 

[travelbug]

Thanks so much for the replies. I'm really glad that the news is so positive. Again, my one and only concern is whether we will feel like country bumpkins (we're really not THAT bad!) who don't belong there because the resort is SO nice. But I'm not seeing any comments to that effect, so I'll try to put that out of my mind.

We have locked in our trip, and I'm using points for us to go. I had more than enough, plus there is a special deal where we get a free night for every 4 nights that we stay. Now we are just counting the weeks until we go!

By the way, does anyone know if there are mini-refrigerators available upon request? That wasn't in the info we got, but sometimes larger resorts have that type of thing available.

Once again, thank you all for answering my questions! I always know I can get good info on these boards from lots of great people.

 

[teri]

We didn't get to stay there, but we had breakfast there and toured the grounds. It is absolutely beautiful. I hope you enjoy your trip. Much to see and do on the Big Island!

In answer to your concern about feeling like country bumpkins... there was some element there among a few of the guests that we encountered, but the staff was absolutely wonderful. Consider that I have 2 special needs kids -- our son is a real handfull -- and my uniform dress code is something denim on the bottom and something cotton on top. They were kind, attentive, and went out of their way to help us feel comfortable. Most Hawaiians working at the resorts are very laid back and unpretentious people, they appreciate real folks visiting and not being stuffy.

 

[sweetp0618]

As to your concern about being "bumpkins", I wouldn't worry. It looked to us like many of the guests were probably better off than we were, spening lots of $$$ on poolside drinks and snacks and buying their kids everything in sight, but they may have been maxing out their credit cards--who knows? It really doesn't matter, unless you let it. It's a very beautiful and laid back resort. The staff is very competent and friendly. I never once felt out of place or "beneath" any other guests. Mostly everyone wears bathsuits with cover-ups or loose fitting Hawaiian type outfits (or regular shirts and shorts).

Be aware that the restaurants in the resort are pricey--even breakfast. They offer free coffee in the lobby in the morning, then we would grab breakfast on the way to where ever we were sightseeing for the day or would go to the small shopping mall at the entrance to the nearby Waikiloa that had a bakery and some other places to get an inexpensive breakfast.

They offer a really interesting resort tour where they feed the fish and explain the ancient fishponds and artifacts. I would recommend it.

Let me know if you have any other questions. We spent 7 days on the Big Island and had a truly wonderful experience. There is alot to do on the Island, so I would suggest you get an idea of the activities and plan ahead.

Happy Planning!
sweetp0618@aol.com

 

[antnee]

to their web page
Resort

 

[travelbug]

You all are wonderful! Thank you for all the helpful and reassuring information! I feel much better now about the atmosphere to expect at the Mauni Lani Bay. It sounds like just what we were hoping for!!

We've all been to the Hawaiian Islands before, but none of us have been to the Big Island. So we are very excited to explore a different island and return to the climate that we all fell in love with before. We figured that the restaurants would be pricey at the resort, and we know that things over there are pricey in general. We'll be okay with that, but we were more apprehensive about the intangible feeling of being out of place somehow at a 5-star resort. But not any more. You have put that to rest.

5 months & 24 days and counting!!! Thanks again to all of you!

 

[jekjones1558]

The Big Island is our favorite and the Mauna Lani has some of the loveliest gounds you'll see. We never felt out of place there, even though we did not choose to eat at their pricey restaurants. The poolside grill is not too awfully expensive and a nice treat if you are spending a lot of time at the pool or on the beach. There's a small town (forgot the name) about 5-7 miles to the left as you exit the resort onto the highway. There are a couple of good and not so expensive places to eat there. Kona is kind of far away but there are inexpensive eats there, as well as ABC stores, Long Drugs, Walmart, etc. The cabanas on the beach at Mauna Lani are free, unlike some resorts where you must rent them for the day. Be sure to do some research about what to visit on the Big Island, if you've not been there before. It really is difficult to do all four corners of the island, each of which has a different terrain, if you're only there for 8 days. But you're sure to love whatever you choose to see. Have fun! Wish we could afford to go again this year!

 

[travelbug]

Thanks, jekjones, for still more good information!

 

[DrDO]

I heartily agree with the other posters. Mauna Lani Bay is an outstanding property. The grounds are beautiful and the staff is wonderful, resort casual while instilling the "spirit of aloha". They are terrific about making everyone feel comfortable. It is our favorite non Disney resort and have visited 7 times.
There are several restaurants on site including their signature restaurant, the Canoe House. Its location on the ocean is just breathtaking and makes for a very special dinner. As other posters noted, food is very expensive. Without being extravagant, perdiem costs can easily exceed $100/ person.
The town that Jekjones1558 refers to is Waimea, a very quaint town in the mountains about a 10-15 minute drive. There is an excellent restaurant called Merriman's (reservations a must) that has outstanding pacific rim cuisine.
Another reasonable alternative is to take a drive south on highway 19 to Kona. There are several casual restaurants on the water in town that has great food at reasonable prices like "Huggos's, and Bubba Gump"
If you have time, a visit to volcanos national park would be a great experience.
Most importantly, have fun, relax and enjoy your self!
Aloha