Renting a condo at the Fairways at Mauna Lani

My husband, parents and 4 month old son will be traveling to the BI at the end of July. We are planning to rent a condo at the Fairways at Mauna Lani, as we need a kitchen for the infant. Has anyone stayed there recently? My ideal place is a 2 bedroom condo with lots of amenities (e.g. nice pool, not too crowded, not far from a beach), but I%26#39;m just not sure if the Fairways at Mauna Lani is a good fit, or if I should be looking in a different condo complex. ?

Renting a condo at the Fairways at Mauna Lani

I have stayed at Mauna Lani many times, always in the hotel, but have observed the condos over time. See my review of the hotel for ideas about what this resort area has to offer and where the beaches are:

tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60588-d1115…

The Fairways is a new complex, so the units are likely to be fresh and in good shape. Like other new complexes (Villages, Palms) Fairways is surroun ded by the golf course and lava fields--resulting in lower rental proces but making it more of a production to get to the beaches.

Be sure to find out if your rental comes with a PASS TO THE BEACH CLUB PARKING! Hotel guests don%26#39;t get one, but there is a free shuttle and the hotel is on one beach (lagoon beach) and a short walk (10-15 min) to the beach club/boat house beach.

If you don;t have parking at the beach club, you will either have a 15-min walk from the parking area for public access, or you will need to drive over to the hotel, park in the lot there, and walk to the beach from that point. It%26#39;s about the same walk to the beach club/boat house beach from either of those options, but the hotel is near the other beach (good for kids). I%26#39;d suggest clarifying what the condo rental says regarding how to get to the beaches.

Higher priced, older and better located condos like the Terrace are very close to the hotel, the lagoon beach, and an easier walk to the boat house beach. If you look on the Mauna Lani Resort website there is a map there--also in the realty section--showing all the condos. Terrace condos can ber rented thru the hotel or via owner/agencies like Abbey. If you google you will see some of those.

I think Mauna Lani resort is fantastic--we go there year after year--and the new condos are priced competititvely with Waikoloa Resort. I think the ';trek to the beach'; is much longer at Waikoloa and I don%26#39;t personally like A-Bay as much as I like the quieter Mauna Lani beaches.

Renting a condo at the Fairways at Mauna Lani

Aloha,

The Fairways while new are in the middle of no where. You can%26#39;t walk to the beach, or really anything else for that matter. If you want new at the Mauna Lani Resort, The Palm Villas at Mauan Lani are your best best. They are an 8 minute walk to the Mauna Lani Beach over a paved path, directly across form the Spa and General Store at the Mauna Lani Resort as well.

%26gt;%26gt;They are an 8 minute walk to the Mauna Lani Beach over a paved path, directly across form the Spa and General Store at the Mauna Lani Resort as well.

This is the public access path, right?

It%26#39;s not bad; neither is it as nice as having more direct access to that beach. I%26#39;m noting the end of July timing and that you%26#39;re carrying an infant. This path BAKES (black lava area); it was hot last time I went in March and you are coming at the hottest time of year. It%26#39;s OK, but by the time you get back from your trek to the beach you%26#39;ll be needing refreshment.

If I had a choice I would pay more to get that easy beach access.

I love the Mauna Lani area and I too prefer it to Waikoloa Beach Resort.

If you go for the pool amenity, make sure they keep it to a decent temperature. It%26#39;s expensive to heat pools in Hawai%26#39;i and believe it or not, the sun doesn%26#39;t get the water warm enough. The ocean will be warm but the pool may be chilly. Ask.

I understand that the pool at the Palm Villas is not heated. Does anyone know if this is correct?

I%26#39;m not sure many pools are heated on the BI---at least not so they are toasty warm. Where we stay at hotels, pools often are cooler than the ocean (which is in the mid-70s to low 80s depending on time of year).

Actually from the Fairways you can walk to the Mauna Lani shops and to the Orchid quite easily.

We just got back from the Big Island yesterday... We stayed part of the time at the Fairways in Mauna Lani.

The Fairways are very nice condominiums with a nice pool, but not easy access to everything. It%26#39;s less than a half mile to the shops and the Fairmont Orchid (opposite directions) but you have to walk on the road as there are no sidewalks - something you might not want to do with a 4 month old. It was really easy to drive everywhere within the resort (only the Fairmont charges for parking).

The units themselves are very nice and each have a Viking grill on the lanai. The complex seems a little more residential than resort like. The unit we rented at a last minute rate was a great deal, especially compared to the rates at the hotels.

The best part was the access to the beach club. The pass allowed parking and towel service. The beach is small and protected. It%26#39;s very easily accessible with a stroller. We really enjoyed the trails and paths along the beach and the fish ponds.

I also agree with wb2ahm - check out the Palm Villas. They are in a nice location in the resort and are brand new. They are right next to the public access trail that is no more than an 8-10 minute walk over a paved trail to the beach club. Most of them have BBQs on the lanai, but not all of them...