TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Nui restaurant has authentic Italian food in a cozy, open air vibe. Every item we had on the menu made us feel like we were back in Italia. Was so good, we went back the next evening. Esther, the hostess was wonderful and so welcoming and the other staff were great as well. We will be back again, for sure.

I’m honestly surprised by some of the negative reviews out there, because a lot of them completely miss the bigger picture. People keep mentioning “long walks”, “slow service,” and “prices”, but they don’t seem to realize this is a 60+ acre resort . Yes, it’s big. Yes, you will walk. That’s part of what you’re signing up for when you book a stay at a large property. Do your research before booking so you know what to expect! As for service, the employees are clearly doing the best they can, especially given the size of the property and the number of guests they have to tend to. We personally had great service during our stay. We spent the day at the pool and had a cabana with Trey as our attendant and Catherine as our server. Both were incredibly attentive, even with the busy weekend crowd. Trey explained right away that Catherine would be taking care of us most of the day and that our checks would be separate. I appreciated the honesty and clarity so I knew how much to tip. Ofc we left a tip for both! Catherine was quick, friendly, and answered every question we had. They made our day at the pool genuinely enjoyable. Last but not least, the people complaining about prices… it’s Hawai‘i!! Everything here is expensive. That’s not the resort’s fault…that’s just the reality of being on an island in the middle of the Pacific. If you’re going to complain about prices, maybe vacationing in Hawai‘i isn’t for you. Overall, don’t let the negative reviews scare you off. A lot of those complaints come from unrealistic expectations. If you know what you’re booking, you’ll have an amazing time!!!

Annie was fantastic. She checked us in with a smile and went above and beyond customer service. Soooo thankful we got her for our check-in person. She treated us like family!

Okay, I’m going to share the goods and not so goods. First the good, the grounds are beautiful and expansive. You can walk the entire property and it’s over a mile . There is a good variety of food options, though pricey. Good gym facility with a variety of weights and machines and it was super fun watching the dolphins each day. The kings and queens mall shops are a short distance walk, with the Island Gourmet grocery store at the queens mall. You have a fridge in the room so you can get snacks and drinks and bring them back. The coffee shop has egg bites and cheaper breakfast options and great coffee. Team members were very kind and helpful. Now, the not so goods, noisy rooms, thin walls, we could hear a crying child every night till 10PM, and it could have been way cleaner. The rooms are in need of a deep clean, walls, doors, glass, floors etc. There were large clumps of hair floating down the hall ways in a couple buildings. The wi-fi was terrible, I couldn’t keep a connection at all. The water filling stations are great, but a map or list of them would be super useful. Also where are recycling bins? Cans, plastics and other recyclables filled all the trash cans. Parking cost is exorbitant and paying a fee to shuttle to the malls is terrible business practice with the expense to stay at the resort. It could be better. Overall enjoyed the trip.

I came in expecting to dislike this resort based on online complaints. Instead, it turned out to be very well designed. The property is large, but not confusing. Ignore the online comments about getting lost—if you can walk normally, everything is easy to find. The trams are slow and only useful if you have accessibility needs. Just walk. The resort was originally built to move guests by boat, which would’ve been amazing. Those boats are gone now, likely due to cost and staffing, but their removal creates a few odd walkways. For example, staying in Makai Tower (Room 2304), we had to walk past our room and loop back around because of the lagoon design. Not a major issue, just quirky. The property is nearly 40 years old and oceanfront, so yes, there are routine maintenance needs. Nothing severe. Our room was clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Complaints about age feel exaggerated—this is normal for tropical resorts. The biggest downside is pricing: • $48/night to self-park ($55 for valet) • $30 hamburgers FOR LUNCH • $52 breakfast buffet For comparison, Westin Hapuna parking is $32/night. Some pricing feels like unnecessary gouging. Even with status credits, breakfast isn’t reasonable. Thankfully, Starbucks is a short distance away. The positives easily outweigh the negatives. On-site dolphins (free to watch), sea turtles in the lagoon (I swam within 5 feet of them), great snorkeling with tons of fish and eels, multiple pools and slides, shopping, restaurants, and a luau several nights a week. Don’t listen to the loud “it was better 20 years ago” complaints. Even without the boats, this is a unique, family-friendly resort with a lot to offer. But to be clear removing the boats is a poor decision to guest experience regardless of the cost savings to the resort!