Mauna Lani Bay Hotel – Hawaii ☆☆☆☆☆

Our three-day stay at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel was a pleasant and memorable one.  A warm welcome and brief resort overview by Zelda and Bree was preceded by an orchid lei greeting accompanied by cool hand towel and refreshing tropical juice beverage. This impeccable customer service continued when Danny delivered our luggage to the room in great time.

Mauna Lani Bay Hotel

The Mauna Lani has been one of Big Island’s leading accommodations for almost 30 years. The grand entrance leads into a tropical atrium brimming with vegetation and flowing junction of serene water features. As we walked the resort grounds we found ourselves mesmerized by an array of marine life habitats home to endangered green sea turtles, juvenile sharks, moray eels and the list goes on. The Mauna Lani is known for its annual honu (turtle) release program earning it high regard within the marine life conservation community.

Our fifth floor room looked out over a densely vegetated lagoon area (to the left) and the pool area was to the right. Just beyond was a panoramic view of the pacific ocean. Our room was beautifully renovated, clean and very well-kept. Counter space in the bathroom was ample and toiletries were of very good quality. The shower was spacious featuring floor to ceiling travertine tile creating a spa-like feel.

We attempted to make a dinner reservation at the Canoe House Restaurant, however, they were completely booked for the evening. Consider calling ahead if you’d like to make the Canoe House part of your Big Island dining experience. We ended up having our evening meal at The Bay Terrace which offered a relaxed atmosphere, prompt service and good food. 

Although I spent most of my time at The Fairmont Orchid assisting in my friend’s wedding (click here for my review of The Orchid from a previous stay), my husband gave me good feedback regarding the Mauna Lani’s pool area and Lunch Grill. He appreciated how much more of a relaxed atmosphere this resort offered than many of the others we’ve experienced. In addition to that aforementioned serenity, pool staff brought by complimentary Melona ice cream bars which were a very nice addition to his sweltering sunbathing experience. Lunch overlooking the waterfront at Ocean Bar & Grill featured fresh menu items and yet again, great service.

The gift shop/convenience store on the lobby level was open 7am to 10pm which proved to be most convenient on more than one occasion. Although neither of us had excess time to visit the gym, we overheard some fellow guests raving about how pleasantly surprised they were with the fitness facility. My husband did make use of the breathtaking ocean front trail for his morning jogs though.

We found time to dine at The Bay Terrace for breakfast on the day of our departure and were happy to see that in addition to the buffet, an a la carte menu was an option. Food in Hawaii is inevitably overpriced but the Mauna Lani didn’t exceed the usual price range for resort quality cuisine.

However brief, our time at the Mauna Lani was relaxing, enjoyable and we’re looking forward to another visit in the future. I’d also like to point out that a few of my personal items were unintentionally left in the room and I didn’t detect their absence until we were already out of town. When I contacted the hotel to see if these items had been collected by housekeeping, indeed they was safely in the possession of security. Every time I’ve ever left something in a hotel room in the past I’ve never been lucky enough to retrieve the lost articles. It’s nice to know that not only are the staff at Mauna Lani friendly and personable, but honest and trustworthy as well.

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Mauna Lani on Dwellable