Tourist can't decide on hotel on west side. Best beach? (Kaanapali: car rental, sales)

[AndyAMG]

I thought I would get more realistic responses here compared to a travel site selling something.

We plan on visiting in late June for the first time on the big island.

Which one of these hotels on the Big island has a beach that is most like Kaanapali or D.T. Fleming on Maui? We choose hotels solely on the beach. I know that's weird, but my family are a bunch of beach bums we will be out there from 10 am to after sunset. I can only see from Google Earth what the Beach may be like. Prices and hotel amenities/dining aren't really a concern they are all within 1000 bucks total package price of each other.

My choices are:

Hapuna Prince. I'm a bit leery of that one as it shares the beach with a state park. But it does really look nice from the air and from pictures.

Mauna Lani. Looks neat with its little cove with rocks. Is there any snorkeling there similar to Black rock on Maui? Some people on Travelocity were saying the sand was coarse.

Marriott Waikoloa. Looks interesting with a fish pond on the other side, looks a bit short and possibly crowded.

The Mauna Kea. A bit more expensive but looks like the nicest on Google Earth.

Now, I know there are better beaches, but it's hard to coordinate 5 people, so I like not getting in a car.

How would you rank these hotels for best beach?

Sorry if you guys hate tourist questions, but since it was big island specific and most travel forum threads are about random general topics I figured it would be better to ask here. In the end its all just ones and zeros.

Do you think I would be better off waiting until the first week of December?

Thanks

[davephan]

If you're looking for the best beach, I think it is the Hapuna State Park Recreation Area beach, which extends to one of the hotel you mentioned. We found the Hapuna State Park Recreation Area beach was hands down the best beach on the Big Island. We didn't walk over to the hotel area of the beach since it was more crowded over there, and it's a very long hike. We went to the Hapuna State Park Recreation Area beach many times. I think the most people we saw on the park side of the beach was less than 20 people, often times maybe only 12 people, spread out over a large area. I heard that the Hapuna State Park Recreation Area beach was voted the number one beach in the US several times. It's a great area to watch the sunset. In case you didn't know, all beaches in Hawaii are considered public.

We don't like to stay at hotels when we visit. We stay at VRBO rentals instead. That means driving to the beach, which isn't a big deal to us. We find staying a VRBO rental is more like staying at home rather than staying at a hotel with a tiny room and being forced to eat at restaurants for every meal, which becomes quickly tiring for us. Many times, Internet is an extra charge at hotels, as well as parking. Some people do prefer hotels, maybe you prefer hotels.

[TwoPearls]

I'm with DavePhan on skipping the whole resort thing. However, I understand it's a simplified, sterile experience and some people prefer that. I get it-- my last two resort stays were in Mexico; I felt safer and less stressed just hopping on a plane and taking a taxi to a resort where I could simply sit on the beach and have drinks delivered all day. I did feel like a tacky tourist doing that. Hawaii, on the other hand, is different-- to sit at a resort all day would be sacrilege! Not to mention SO overpriced.

Having said this, if you really want to stay at a resort: Hapuna Beach Resort would sort-of be more like the experience of Kaanapali-- but remember you're comparing apples to oranges. Mauna Kea does seem to be less crowded, mainly because of the parking limitations. (BTW, I have been to Mauna Kea Beach, but I would choose Hapuna over the hassle of Mauna Kea any day.) I think Mauna Lani is beautiful. The beach "cove" here is more crowded on the weekends, but overall I think it's a sweet place to hang out with a beach umbrella.

NOW, if you can back away from the (very limiting) resort experience mindset:
Consider Dave's VRBO recommendation; I wouldn't do it any other way in Hawaii, especially on the Big Island where the prices are so reasonable. A resort on the Big Island is an incredible waste of money, IMO. I can think of scenarios that would place you right next to your all-day beach experience and also include lovely accommodations. For instance, here's a great VRBO that is next to Waialea Beach (Beach 69): Puako Vacation Rental - VRBO 426410 - 2 BR Kohala Coast House in HI, 2 Bedroom Rental House in Puako
Beach 69 is beautiful and more secluded than Hapuna Beach, maybe a bit more like Mauna Kea Beach-- again, it's hard to compare these things, as each has its own character and uniqueness.

That's just one example. I understand if someone has a voucher or Costco deal or resort offer, that they want to use for their vacation. I almost used one of those for a Kauai trip, until I found a VRBO that was WAY cheaper (even AFTER the meal voucher and car rental) and turned out to be in a better location for all of the activities we wanted to do. ALSO, we always meet great people when staying in VRBOs: the owners, the neighbors, the locals. It gives us a better feel of island life, which is what we really want. Resort guests are all in their own worlds. You're not exactly passing folks in the halls with a smile and "Aloha!"

Hope all of this advice doesn't just confuse you more! Good luck with your plans!

P.S. You'd be crazy to skip Hapuna Beach simply because it's a state park.

[Travlin'grl]

I have to disagree. Not everyone wants the same thing which is why you should probably go back and ask this question on Tripadvisor where I don't believe anyone wishes to sell you anything more than C-D.
IMO, Mauna Kea is the loveliest and least crowded of the beaches mentioned (the parking thing helps). The resort is iconic and interesting and often has excellent packages. There are ways to incorporate all sorts of perks. That said, aside from a reasonable breakfast, the food sucks and, as with anywhere you'd stay on the island, you'll want a car.
Use that car to visit Kua Bay close to the airport for another spectacular beach.

[TwoPearls]

Originally Posted by Travlin'grl

I have to disagree. Not everyone wants the same thing which is why you should probably go back and ask this question on Tripadvisor where I don't believe anyone wishes to sell you anything more than C-D.

???? I don't think anyone's response was a sales tactic. Just want to be clear that I don't have any vested interest in VRBO, nor do I have an interest in the property I recommended. Like I said, it was just an example. Just trying to help! I've stayed in plenty of resorts- all over the country and out-of-country. I've also stayed in tons of VRBOs and AirBnB's. There are pros and cons to each, but overall, my VRBO experiences have been the best vacations ever. It's just a little more work to investigate the nice ones.