Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, Kohala Coast

We loved our stay at the Fairmont Orchid-Hawaii! This was our first trip to Hawaii & we sill definitely be back. The room was great--just perfect for the two of us! Everyone at the hotel was extremely friendly. We loved the Luana Lounge--one of the waitresses there was extremely friendly! My husband was attending a conference there, so I was a little nervous that it was going to be extremely busy. It wasn't that bad! We were always able to find a spot by the pool or by the ocean. We went in January and it was 80 degrees each day and it didn't rain at the hotel at all. We could rent a car right at the hotel and it was only $50 a day. We spent two days with the car touring the island on our own--I would recommend that way more than signing up with a tour company. We went on a tour with Polynesian Adventures and I was very disappointed. The concierge desk was the best concierge desk at any hotel I've ever stayed at. We LOVED eating at Niro's Japanese Restaurant and Brown's Beach House was good too. We also walked down the beach to eat at the Canoe House @ the Mauna Lani Resort. Shuttles run between both hotels so we didn't have to worry about walking back late at night. There are two great golf courses that both the hotels share--my husband enjoyed three days of golfing and loved the views on the golf course! The best food we had on the Big Island was at Merriman's in Waimea. This is only about 25 minutes away from the hotel--I would definitely recommend renting a car to go and see the sights & making sure you stop at Merriman's for dinner. You will NOT be disappointed. The only downside with the hotel was: the rental car staff were not that personable, and there were not that many restaurants to choose from and if you're staying there for 8 nights the food can get a little redundant. Also-if you have a cell phone, use that. Phone calls made (even local calls) are charged to your room. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't that noisy at the hotel--probably best to stay in the South Tower though, because our last night there there was a party happening near the Lobby and North Tower that we could hear! Our stay was expensive, but so worth it! I would definitely recommend this hotel & this Island to all my friends & relatives and we will definitely be back!

We had a poor experience from the moment we arrived. Staff everywhere, yet no service was offered. Very disorganized and not customer friendly. We checked out and moved over to the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and had a fantastic time. The fairmont is a convention hotel and not geared to offer personalized service.

We stayed here over our Christmas Holiday. After staying at the Four Seasons Resort about three times we decided to stay here instead. We were not happy with our decision. The service here was no five star. The staff were not very friendly. When ever we called room service. They always made rude remarks when they arrived saying that it was too late to be calling room service. The restaurants were not great and the Christmas party was definitely not worth $75 per person, but overall it was on a beautiful property and had a beautiful private beach.

The surrounding view is spectacular. The rooms are fairly comfortable. Their restaurants are great but very costly. Their staff are very friendly and they greet you by your name. Amazing!! They provide bathrobes and enough towels to last you from the time you shower up and gone swimming in their kid friendly pools and the lagoon that is just a few yards away from the hotel. Their "Spa Without Walls" are very soothing and calming. You don't need to have a massage to access their sauna, steam shower, and the quiet room for meditation. You can savor the various taste of their hot teas as well as their tropical iced teas in the spa. They also have a gym if you wish to workout. If you are going to rent a car (of course you have to) make sure to bring or rent a GPS. The neighboring shops and outside restaurants are miles and miles away...not to mention the black lava rocks on both sides of the road. They said it's bad luck to pick and bring them home, so we just took pictures instead. The location of the hotel is so remote...but I guess the purpose is to have a peaceful and fun vacation for both adults and children. Overall, we enjoyed our stay in this hotel. While there, please visit Kona and Waikoloa Beach for bargain shops and there are lots of small restaurants along the bay. Have fun :-)

The first time my wife and I stayed at this hotel, my wife was 6 months pregnant. We didn't know what to expect. We had been to all of the other islands but not the Big Island. We found this hotel through our travel agent. Our first impression was WOW! this was a very beautiful hotel. The lobby felt open and free. When you first walk into the lobby you get an amazing view of the pool and beach. The staff was very curtious and helpful. If it's your first time, on the way to your room someone talks to you about the hotel and what they offer. They get your bags situated in your room and talk to you about what your room has to offer. We decided to come a second time becasue the lagoon was perfect for kids. We decided that when our baby was old enough that we would take her here. Our second visit was even better. Because we were repeat guests they gave us a nice upgrade that overlooked the beach, and gave us a nice welcome back hors devores platter. Our daughter had a great time on the beach, she even got to see some turtles swim right up to the beach. It was very exciting for her. When our daughter got stung by a bee, the staff was quick to get medical attention to her, they made her feel comfortable with what they had to do. If we go back to the Big Island we will be coming back to this hotel.

PROS: It was in a beautiful location. There was much to do (we were never "bored"). The food was great. The view was beautiful. CONS: The service was not five star. When we had called room service and ordered sandwiches which we could on our tour that evening, they took an hour and a half just to get our sandwiches. We complained to the lady giving us the food and she rudly said that it was not her problem. We will never go to this hotel again.

all around we loved the beach, the room, the service was wonderful ,the view, was breathtaking, the snorkeling was amazing, the only thing we disliked was the food and drink prices

My husband and I stayed at the Fairmont Orchid on our first trip to Hawaii. The staff was most cordial and the rooms were immaculate and tastefully decorated. The view from our room was breathtaking. We were disappointed with the condition of the bicycles for rent, but that didn't detract us from our vacation and would certainly recommend anyone to stay at the Fairmont Orchid.

Nice property with a great view... Just watch the rooms with a view.. higher the better...Nice big rooms. Nice pool area.. Try the turkey sandwich froms Browns for lunch while poolside....

Wow! Service, awesome rooms! I booked through a travel agent, which I wouldnt normally do, but wanted an experienced opinion on where to stay to get real luxury. I booked through Hill Barrett travel and paid for a low end room ,with the suggestion that I may get upgraded. Not expecting anything, we got upgraded on check in to the 'Gold' floor, which would have paid for itself if we had forked out the extra $. The room was incredible, the lanai and partial ocean view was incredible. The free breakfast, free water and drinks and personal service from the Gold floor was awesome . If I go to another Fairmont (which I will) I will definitely pay for the Gold upgrade. One bummer was the restaurants (all except one) required a collared shirt for dinner for men and one even required a dress or dress slacks for women. We were only able to eat in one of the 5 restaurants at night due to this constraint (we pack very light). Brown's Beach club is overrated...good food, but service was only ok and prices too high. I saw people complain in other write ups about the wind and noise from the waterfall (for those with waterfall view). The wind is part of Hawaii and what helps cool the place...I find it relazing and it was never so bad we couldnt eat outside. The noise from the waterfall was a little loud, but who stays in their room that much when you have this incredible island and weather?! Recommendation: If you want to see the Volcano, book a hotel down in Hilo for 2 nights so you aren't rushed. We booked one night in the park and still didnt get to see everything.