Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel

I booked a room at this hotel and mistakenly selected a non-refundable rate without realizing it. I canceled the reservation right away and reached out to Marriott hoping they could offer at least a partial refund or a future stay credit. Unfortunately, they refused to make any exception even though the room had plenty of time to be rebooked. As someone who has trusted Marriott for many years, this experience has made me rethink future bookings. I hope management reviews how they handle situations like this, because treating honest mistakes with zero understanding is not what I expect from a major hotel brand.

This is one of a very few places where you can manage without a car (though I recommend doing so in Kona only if you're well-versed in traveling car-free, we did so and had no issues). Plenty of shops and restaurants steps away, including a local grocery chain and even some fast food (if that's what you really want). Lots of tours pick up right outside the front door, while others have offices on-site. We got the specific room type we asked for, it was clean and in good shape, and we were told in advance that housekeeping would be every other day (and it was). Staff were efficient and courteously accommadated our (reasonable) requests. There is some noise here because it is the center of a busy town with nightly entertainment, but as far as I can recall, it was always quiet by 8 or 9 PM. This hotel seems deserving of a better rating than it has, but we did travel during a low season. It is consistent with what you'd expect of a Courtyard by Marriott, a mid-tier brand that caters to conference or event travel by reliably offering the basics, with some allowance for being in Hawai'i (e.g. they're going to run out of some items that they won't be able to replenish right away, and the service will be more laid back). It is not a luxury resort or a "destination hotel" that caters to "high-maintenance" travelers, despite the high price, which is due to being in such a perfect location, so plan accordingly. One bonus tip: King's Coffee really is quite good, significantly better than what you typically find in a hotel coffee shop, and while it gets crowded at times, the long lines tend not to persist for more than a few minutes at a time.

Location

Architecture and poor coffee

The King Kamehameha Kona Beach resort met all our needs and then some. We enjoyed a spacious room with an outstanding view of the bay. The hotel has all the amenities! The beach at the hotel was very relaxing and there was a wonderful beach side pool and bar as well. A number of different eateries from restaurants to snack shops fitting everyone’s tastes from young to old. The hotel is within walking distance of incredible restaurants and shopping of Kona along the beautiful bayside strip. If you want to learn about Hawaiian culture, this hotel is your location! In addition to a hotel shop that offered opportunities to learn Hawaiian crafts, there is a renown art collection and short guided tour describing King Kamehameha, his family, and royal lineage as well as the historic site of the king’s estate on the grounds. It is the historic site where the hotel’s sumptuous luau is served along with incredible performances of Polynesian dancers. Make doubly sure you do not miss the breathtaking Flight of Aloha located at the hotel, a simulation experience that showcases the remarkable beauty of Hawaii!! Then there is the little touch that underscored our pleasant experience, a chilled water dispenser on every floor that most certainly quenched our thirst. When we return to the Big Island, there is no doubt this is where we will stay. A hui hou King Kamehameha Resort Hotel!

⚠️ WARNING! Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel – THEY EMPTY YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS AND COMMIT FRAUD ⚠️ We stayed in several hotels across Hawaii for three weeks and were extremely happy with our vacation — until we arrived here. We chose this hotel for the last days of our trip so our kids could simply enjoy swimming and playing on the beach. We are a family of four and stayed October 19–23, 2025. We paid with two separate debit cards — mine and my husband’s. Upon check-out, we were told everything was fine and received a printed bill confirming full payment. Just days later, Courtyard Kona Beach Marriott started charging our cards again — multiple unauthorized transactions, random amounts like €549, €541, €248, €836, etc. In total, 19 separate attempts were made from my account, and together we lost several thousand euros. When we finally reached home after 36 hours and three flights, we discovered that our accounts had been emptied. We immediately contacted our bank to block the cards. We have been trying to contact Marriott and the hotel for more than a week — they completely ignore our emails and no refund has been issued. We travel internationally and usually stay in reputable 4–5★ hotels, but this is the first time ever that such a trusted brand has misused our payment data and caused serious financial damage. We are now filing a police report and will be informing Hotels.com, Expedia, Booking.com, and Marriott headquarters. 🚫 If you don’t want to face the same nightmare — NEVER use your bank card at this hotel! (Stay: Oct 19–23, 2025, Room 274)

I liked how comfortable the bed was

The shower drained very slowly so as I showered I basically stood in the built up water, no one came to clean our room while we were out. Our shower ran out of conditioner.

This place is very run down. We booked 7 nights but checked out after one. The pool is off a parking lot. It’s tiny and gross. The rooms are the worst part. They haven’t been touched in many years. Smells of smoke and feels dirty. The bathroom had so much mold and rust I could not shower at this place. The rooms are the worst I have ever seen. I understand courtyards are not nice properties but they are typically clean, not here. I have had to stay are courtyards for kids sports travel, even off a highway, this is so much worse. Connected to a mall and tons of event space. If you plan on just sleeping here for a few hours you can do it. But this isn’t a resort. The staff are not customer service driven and because it’s not a nice hotel they don’t seem to care much. Just know what you get here. And if your titanium don’t expect a thing other than nuts

L’amabilité du manager qui a fait le maximum pour réparer un gros problème d’écoulement du lavabo sans nous changer de chambre La proximité directe d’antennes d’attractions Le self du petit déjeuner La proximité du centre de Kona et des boutiques

Il faut insister lourdement pour avoir l’entretien de la chambre tous les jours ; si on choisit un hôtel plutôt qu’un Air B&B c’est aussi pour ça ! Les oreillers mériteraient une remise à neuf .