TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

I am not sure where the 4 & 5 star reviews come from unless there are remodeled rooms of which we did clearly did not have. We stayed in a Marina View Two Queen room and from the hotel web page I thought I was staying in an upscale property but this is not what we got. The check in was easy and the gent that helped us was nice, but never mentioned the maid service. It was from there that it went downhill. The furnishings were okay but the floor in front of the dresser was so warped that every time we walked past it would juggle the doors and the floor. When the door was open the drawers tried to open on their own due to the bow in the floor. I weigh about 140 and it felt kind of unsafe for me, must be worse for someone heavier. They have odd lighting, nothing really matches and seems to be just thrown together. The bed is pretty firm and the pillows go flat fast, I mean really flat. I moved the corner chair so we could both sit at the desk to go over some things and it was filthy behind there, all kinds of black dust over the trim and power cords, pretty gross, had not been cleaned back there for some time. The bath tub/shower had been resurfaced with white paint and the paint was peeling both on the inside and outside and the lower edge was rusting out. The tile had black spots on the grout lines. There is zero bathroom counter space, ended up keeping out toiletries in the closet. The provided bath soaps were nice as are the towel quality. As far as maid service, apparently you need to request when you are checking in because I tried the option to call and request early morning but no one ever came even after talking to the woman at the hotel that answered the phone and confirming we wanted our room serviced two times on separate days. I was asked if I wanted a light or full cleaning. The first day I requested just to have the coffee refilled, towels and the bed made. The second day I requested a full service since no one came the day before. I would have rather been told no than to be told yes and expect it to be done. It took several tries to even get someone to answer after dialing zero. We did try the Vessel Restaurant, service was kind of slow even though there were less than 20 people in there, when our burgers arrived they were burnt but it was late by this time and we did not want to wait another who knows how long for something else. We ended up eating at the Blue Wave Bar & Grill down the street which had great service and amazing food. It is unfortunate because it is in a beautiful location.

Location of the KonaKai is amazing. One of the best locations in San Diego

My stay at Kona Kai Resort was outstanding from start to finish. The property itself is beautiful, with a relaxing atmosphere that really sets the tone for a great getaway. A special shoutout to Ray at the front desk—he was incredibly helpful and made our experience even better by getting us checked in a bit earlier than expected. That extra effort did not go unnoticed and was very much appreciated after a long day of travel. What really stood out was how well the resort communicates with guests. The staff kept us informed through text updates about events happening on-site, including anything that might impact our stay. That level of transparency made it easy to plan around things and enjoy everything without surprises. Even with an event taking place during our visit, everything ran smoothly. The staff handled it professionally, and it never disrupted our experience. Overall, the service, communication, and atmosphere made this a memorable stay. I’d definitely come back again.

A group of our boys had prom at the resort and stayed overnight. From check in to check out, the staff was friendly and kind. Great room location with view of the bay and a nice vibe overall; they had a great time! Will definitely visit again.

We had a good experience overall. The place was pretty, clean, and the amenities were fantastic. The only issue that I had was waiting for 45 minutes to check in due to it only being one person at the desk working.