TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The Westin Hapuna exceeded all of our expectations and if you are thinking about where to stay on the Big Island, you need to stay at the Westin. We were on a 10 day family vacation and stayed at a condo for the first three days and then did a time share presentation at the Hilton for five days and finally ended up for two days at the Westin. There was no comparison and we wish we would have spent our whole time at the Westin. From the moment we walked into the lobby we were greeted with the aloha spirit from all of the staff. Valet staff were great, front desk (greeted us immediately with cold washcloths, and fresh pineapple juice), restaurant staff were friendly and helpful, and the beach staff went out of their way to make sure we were welcomed. I want to recognize Pono (beach staff) who when he saw we were looking at the beach came up to us, greeted us so warmly, shared about the beach chairs and umbrellas, complimentary snorkel gear, paddle boards, kayaks, and canoe trips! Pono exemplified the aloha spirit, and made us feel like family. I am sure with all the guests he sees everyday he won’t remember us, but we sure remember him and how welcoming he made us feel. This kind of service throughout a large resort seems to be a rarity these days, but not at the Westin. When we were looking to book we read some of the reviews on trip advisor and we weren’t sure what to expect from the beach, but our worries were put to rest when we got there. The beach was terrific, pool area is laid back, never had to worry about getting a chair as there are plenty of options even in the shade. Food options were all really good and the best prices on the island. As an example, if you don’t want to pay for the buffet breakfast that looked phenomenal, they have options that we did both days that had to go boxes for $10 that my wife and I shared, that had eggs, sausage, hash browns, and Portuguese sausage. Effectively my wife and I could easily split one so breakfast for us was over looking the ocean and resort for $5 each. The evenings we sat at the Piko coffee and bar enjoying live music and the smells of the many plumeria trees. I could go on and on about the elegant rooms, bedding, showers, and so much more like the beautiful lighting that comes on during the evening, and the overall ambiance of this resort, but let me just say a very big Thank you to the Westin and staff for making our vacation and stay so memorable! We will be back and can’t wait until we can return again!

I was at this hotel with a group. Their responsiveness to groups is subpar. It takes many emails/calls to get any response. There were billing errors. We had to beg for attention. The hotel manager is always right. Think twice unless you want to deal with a nightmare.

I am currently staying at the Weston Hapuna Beach Resort and thought I would leave a review while I am here and my thoughts are fresh. We are a family of three and are here on the Big Island for a 14 day vacation. This is the last leg of our trip - having stayed at other locations around the island - and was supposed to be the highlight of our trip and what I personally was most looking forward to. We checked in yesterday into what was described as an Ocean View room. The hotel itself is beautiful. The grounds are immaculate, the lobby areas are beautiful and the pools are very nice. The rooms are not as described. There are varying levels of Ocean View… some partial ocean view, some on the ground floor with a lanai, some described as “premier” ocean view. The room we checked into was classified as Ocean View. The room itself was well maintained and what I’ve come to expect from a Westin room. The view was not “Ocean View”… yes, I would see some of the ocean, but someone thought it a good idea to place the seemingly more important “Residences” building directly in front of the of the hotel rooms… my room not only had an impeccable view of the Residences building, but was “lucky” enough to have a room on direct alignment with the elevator shaft… further limiting the already limited ocean view. Including a photo below. Once connecting back with the front desk and not expecting any options for moving (was already told that my room - all the way down at the end of the building and quite a walk to any amenities - was the only one available), I was offered the option. To change rooms to another Ocean View room… We ultimately ended up in a room that was a bit more centralized yet this “Ocean View” room has less view than the previous due to a giant set of trees directly in the line of sight. I opted to remain there as it was less of a walk to civilization - even though it had a much more limited Ocean View - because I am on vacation, supposed to be relaxing, and don’t have time to tour room options around d the resort hoping the room classification lived up to its description. We’ve only eaten at the poolside grill at this point - delicious food. No concerns there. The walk to the beach can only be described as a maze… constantly looking for the next set of stairs to take me another level down. I’ve got to imagine much of this is due to the Residences being plopped in prime location and limiting options for hotel access. Just a couple suggestions for management: 1) Reclassify your rooms to appropriately reflect their actual amenities. Totally understandable if you want to block the Ocean Views by placing a seemingly more lucrative and more important residences building directly in the line of sight, just be clear about the fact that Ocean View simply means you can crane your neck in a certain direction and often get a glimpse of the water. I’m reluctant to ask or see what the “Partial Ocean View” room looks like… maybe it has views of the golf course as opposed to the water? 2) make it less complicated to get to the beach We will continue to have a great tome… that’s just us… but it would have been better if we knew what we were getting into prior to arrival. As a lifetime Platinum member.. and 15+ years of earned Platinum status, I’ve become accustom to Marriott accurately describing their properties… the Westin Hapuna Beach has missed that mark by a country mile :)

Overall, I loved our time at the Westin Hapuna. The grounds are beautiful and our room had a gorgeous view of the ocean. I also loved the balcony - especially the little bed with pillows. The bathroom was big & had enough room to spread out. The mini fridge was a help as well. We had the continental breakfast each morning with my husband's Marriott status. It was plentiful, and very good. It was exactly what we needed and were very happy with it. I want to come back just to mix the guava and pineapple juice for a morning drink each day again!! The pools were really nice and I always appreciate having an adult pool. The metal water bottles and beach bag were a great touch too! Our stay was very "chill" and relaxed, which is what we were looking for. The resort has a beautiful, serene, and warm glow at night, which adds to the ambiance. A couple of honest suggestions..... 1. Be sure to have someone constantly cleaning up the beach. I, as well as two small boys, almost stepped on a broken glass bottle that would have sent someone to the hospital for stitches. I know it can be difficult to control with the tide constantly coming in and bringing glass with it, but a routine check and clean-up several times a day would definitely help. 2. Even though the pool staff leaves earlier, the pool is open until 10:00. Please make sure to always have towels available, even after the staff leaves. 3. I know there are some regulations about how long live music can go on into the night, and/or how long alcohol can be served, but I would have loved to have live music a little longer into the evening.

We stayed 4 days at the Westin in Maui, then came here and checked in a few hours ago. A way more natural vibe than Maui. I was a bit nervous after reading recent reviews. The pool side grill was opened today for the first time in weeks. The staff was trying as hard as they could. The food was very decent for what to expect. The jack hammering is for real. They stop at 4. Once you understand that they are renovating the pool deck section by section, it makes sense. I was notified in my Bonvoy email that there was construction on the main pool. We have adult children so the adult pool is our option. I kind of understand the frustration of people with young families that part of the pool deck is roped off and the Jack hammers are non stop during kid waking hours. The beach umbrellas and chairs are free and first come first serve. Not sure if that ends with construction. There were plenty of clean towels available. All front desk, bellman, and beach staff have been super nice and helpful explaining when is the best time to snorkel, paddle board, etc. Take a walk on the trails and you’ll see some great places to relax in quiet and just hear the ocean and wind in a very unique setting. The little lagoon is what it is. A natural lagoon. It’s not Disney. The beach was fine. No thorns or crap in the sand. It’s a public beach, with nice water, pretty chill waves, and a lot of families making the most of it. My point in writing this is - it’s clearly improved since the last visit. The staff seems to be aware of the frustration from the construction. Be nice and talk to them - they want us to have a good time too.