Mauna Lani Bay Hotel

[rollingstone]

Has anyone gone here while in Kona? If so, have you just wandered around or do they offer a day pass for the pools etc? It is mentioned on the "destinations" board but I can't find anything on the chat boards.

Thanks

Nancy

[RSWBADGER]

Has anyone gone here while in Kona? If so, have you just wandered around or do they offer a day pass for the pools etc? It is mentioned on the "destinations" board but I can't find anything on the chat boards.

Thanks

Nancy

We have been on the grounds several times on trips to the Big Island. You can either park by the golf course, hotel registration or if you follow the road all the way to the right there is beach/park parking.

[Spikesgirl]

The nice thing about Hawai'i is that all the hotels have to provide day access to visitors and/or locals. You can swim there, but you won't have access to any of their rental facilities. It is a beautiful property and the Canoe House used to be the place to dine - not so much in the later years, but it still offers incredible views and it a lovely property to poke around in.

 

Charlie

[HawaiiCruisers]

The nice thing about Hawai'i is that all the hotels have to provide day access to visitors and/or locals. You can swim there, but you won't have access to any of their rental facilities. It is a beautiful property and the Canoe House used to be the place to dine - not so much in the later years, but it still offers incredible views and it a lovely property to poke around in.

 

Charlie

 

Hotels do not have to provide day access to their swimming pools but the requirement is access to the beach. They do not have to make it easy such as they don't have to provide free parking or any parking at all. They can limit use of the hotel equipment, chair, loungers, etc. to only hotel guests. Please don't think that you can walk into any hotel and use their pools or other facilities for free or at all. Yes the beach but they don't have to provide you with restroom facilities or any other service.

[beachchick]

The only way to know for sure is to call and ask, but in the past, the Mauna Lani has not offered any day passes for use of the resort facilities (pools and so forth). There is a public parking lot where you can park and then walk about 10 or 15 minutes (as I remember) to the beach fronting the hotel. That's the public part, just the beach.

 

It's rare for resorts or hotels in Hawaii to offer day passes. Those that do, may not do so at all times of the year (and some can be very expensive, such as the Grand Wailea at one time charging $300+ for a family of four for a day pass--that's practically the cost of a room sometimes).

 

As HawaiiCruisers rightly points out (and locals are the ones "in the know" for sure), all the beaches are public, but the resort facilities (pools, spa, and just about everything except the restaurants/bars/shops--where you'll spend money) and resort amenities on the beach (such as lounges, umbrellas, or cabanas) are private and are usually for resort guests only (because they've paid for the privilege and reasonably expect to have resort items available to them). It doesn't matter if you dine in one of their restaurants, drink in their bars, or spend money in their shops. You still are not allowed to use the resort recreational facilities.

 

Some beaches fronting resorts have independently run kiosks with rentals of chairs, umbrellas, and beach stuff. A few of the beaches (and definitely more than even just a couple of years ago) have stacks of plastic loungers up at the top of the beach that are free for any beach guest (resort or general public) to use. That was nice to see.

 

And as HawaiiCruisers also points out, the required public access doesn't mean that the resorts or private property owners have to make it easy or that they have to provide any services at all.

 

beachchick

[rollingstone]

Hawaii cruisers,

I was by no means looking for a free ride. I have been on cruises before where a day pass (about $25 each) gave you access to the pools, showers beach chairs etc.

Oh, well. Back to the excursion search!

[SweetEmi]

Rollingstone: I think the Hilton in Waikoloa is also a very beautiful hotel to visit and wander around in. The art work along the corridors and sculptures are amazing. I could (and have) spent most of the day there just wandering around looking at the birds and fish and art.

 

Last I remember, the lagoon area was open to the public only because it had to be I think because it is technically part of the ocean. However, the lounge chairs, cabanas, towels, etc are for hotel guests only as are the pools and the guests have arm bands. There are also other areas where you can walk out onto the rocks and out to the ocean though I've never tried it but have seen people out there and lots of times there are fishermen out there.

 

I also remember discussion here on these boards about a Day Pass for the Hilton and it was somewhere in the $75 to $80 range I'm thinking. I'll try to do a search.

 

Emi

[HawaiiCruisers]

Hawaii cruisers,

I was by no means looking for a free ride. I have been on cruises before where a day pass (about $25 each) gave you access to the pools, showers beach chairs etc.

Oh, well. Back to the excursion search!

 

RS - My response was only to clarify spikesgirl post. I was concerned that people would read the board and have the wrong impression about the hotels in Hawaii. I think she left out a key word or two and to save anyone any embarrasement I posted what was meant to be a clarification.

[beachchick]

HawaiiCruisers: I read your post as being for clarification, and I agree that some key words needed to be added. I would have said that resorts and hotels are required to give day access to the beaches fronting the resorts. Leaving that out makes it sound like resorts are required to give full access to the resorts themselves. I would also have said that you can swim at the beach but not in the pools there. That clarifies what is and what isn't open to the public.

 

No harm, no foul, no flames intended to anyone.

 

beachchick

[Bucky3]

We have been known to bring our own little beach chairs! You can also go into any of the ABC stores and buy a little folding beach chair OR one of the typical Hawaiian beach mats that come in the roll-up or folded variety. Lay the beach towel that you're provided on the ship on top and you're set for any beach!

[beachchick]

Bucky3: One of our first stops is always ABC or Whaler's to buy mats for the trip. I like the fold-up ones, even though they cost a whole $0.50 more than the roll-up ones.

 

beachchick