TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We stayed in unit 303 at the Aston Kona by the sea. It was ocean front and the view was nice. House keeping could have been better as there were obvious signs of the previous occupant. The basics appeared clean. The bedroom window looks directly onto the common walkway and the drapes wouldn’t close correctly without moving furniture. Other units seemed to have nice blinds. The rollers on the closet doors were shot and were very difficult to open. Evidently only certain people are allowed to fix items and they were not on site during our visit. There were 2 TV’s which were programmed for one channel only and casting from your phone or tablet was not an option. Kitchen utensils were obviously dollar store quality. The best and most unfortunate part was the Lanai. Having morning coffee watching the waves was great, except when the people below our unit started smoking marijuana. They smoked it daily. The smell would waft up into our lanai every day for our entire stay. It was reported to the front desk each day. The $425 fine was either not a deterrent or not enforced. Unfortunately our five night stay was not the experience we hoped and paid for. We will not be returning to Aston Kona by the sea.

During or vacation on the Big Island, we stayed in Hilo for a few days, but in Aston Kona for the rest. We had done the condo route before in Hawaii, which works out great. After looking over several choices, we went with Aston Kona by the Sea. We were really happy with the choice. The first time we walked into the condo, which was a 1BR with oceanfront view, we were a little concerned. There is a bit of a mildewy/musty smell. It was very humid there, which I'm sure it always is, and that contributes to the smell. Our solution was to grab a bottle of Febreeze when we hit the grocery store, and from that point on it wasn't a big deal. We would just give it a good spray down each morning, and everything was fine. The condo itself was awesome. The bed was very comfortable, it was great having 2 full bathrooms, and the balcony overlooking the beach & ocean was the best part. We had plenty of space on the balcony, in the living, kitchen and bedroom areas. The furniture was fine, although we did pull the lounge chair from the balcony into the living room, so we could both lay down and stretch out in the evenings to relax. The kitchen was fine. The microwave over the stove was broken, but they already had put one on the counter to use, which was fine. It could use a few more dishes, and cooking utensils. No pizza cutter....that was a surprise. But we really didn't do any cooking in the kitchen, so it really wasn't a big deal. The grounds were great. The pool is very nice, and they clean it every morning. Plenty of chairs and umbrellas, around the pool and on the beach area. Keep in mind though, the beach area is just for sitting, not swimming. There is a wall between the beach and the rocky shoreline of the ocean, and there are signs saying not to go into the ocean water. Once you see the rocky shore, you'll understand why. But....the local kids and adults would go out there every day to surf on the waves. Not monster waves, but enough that they could surf. And we enjoyed watching them do so, from the beach or our balcony. Our condo was clean, and housekeeping came around, pre-scheduled, about every 3 or 4 days. They did a great job of sprucing up the place, and replacing all the towels. You'll see the maintenance guys working around the place every day. If anyone used one of the 3 large gas grills they have by the pool, they would do a deep clean on it the next day. They always looked brand new inside. And our experience with maintenance was A+. We made one call, about 9pm, about our dishwasher. A guy was there in 15 minutes. A second maintenance issue, in one of the showers, we didn't even call anyone about. Apparently, housekeeping let maintenance know, and they came and fixed it. The location is both good and bad, depending on what you want. It's about a mile or so from the main Kailua-Kona "downtown" area. Some people walked that far, because we would see it every day. But we're not those people and had a rental car. So we drove into town when we needed something or were going to eat. There are a ton of restaurants, lots of shopping, and Walmart, Target & Safeway for groceries. All of it is within 10 minutes. Parking can be a challenge, but you'll figure it out. There are plenty of expensive park & pay lots in the town. But there are also a lot of free spaces up the hill from Ali'i Dr (the main street), and a lot of the restaurants will validate your parking for you. There is one place close to the condo, however. The Ali'i Garden Market is across the street, and about 100 yards south. An easy walk. They have one food vendor (tacos), and about a dozen or so local vendors with handmade souvenirs and stuff. It's worth the visit. All in all, we had a great time there, enjoyed the condo a lot, and would book it again on any repeat visit. And the answer to that standard survey question "would you recommend this place to family or a friend?", is absolutely.

While the accommodations and location were great, sadly our trip was tainted by a horrible experience at check-in. Luanne was the nastiest, most unprofessional front desk receptionist that I've ever experienced. She called my husband and me "rude" over 20 times when I asked that she finish helping us check-in before moving on to another guest that was behind us in line, and threatened to not let us check-in to our condo. It was a terrible way to start our vacation, and I hope other guests do not have an experience like ours checking in.

After hearing about this place for a while, we finally had the opportunity to experience it. This place is wonderful. The grounds are beautiful and kept very orderly and clean and secure. Every morning I would enjoy my coffee on the lanai watching the caretakers clean the saltwater pool, hot-tub, gas grills and all of the tables, chairs and lounge chairs daily. Unit 309 was fantastic! It’s a one bedroom condo with two pullout beds, two full bathrooms, in-unit washer/dryer and plenty of living space. It seemed like this unit was recently remodeled as all of the appliances were new. The condo’s decor totally captured the Hawaiian vibe, fun, relaxing and all done tastefully with elements harkening back to Hawaii of the 50’s & 60’s. This is an Ocean front condo with a lanai that is outfitted with table & chairs, loveseat and a lounge chair, enough to seat 7 people, all with a fantastic views of the ocean, pool, hot-tub and beach. We will definitely be returning! Hopefully we’ll be able to request #309 as it is exactly how I would imagine a Hawaiian vacation home to be like.

My family and I had a wonderful stay. We were fortunate to have the ocean-view suite, and that truly took the experience to another level. Having breakfast while overlooking the ocean and falling asleep each night to the sound of the waves made our stay incredibly relaxing and memorable. The staff was consistently friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful throughout our visit, making us feel valued from start to finish. Thank you for helping make our trip such an enjoyable and unforgettable experience.