We just returned from Paniolo yesterday. I would highly recommend it, especially for families. There is no restaurant, drinking, bar,...
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We just returned from Paniolo yesterday. I would highly recommend it,
especially for families. There is no restaurant, drinking, bar, etc., and it is
definitely family-oriented. No gangs of adolescents hogging the spa at night!
The condo was EXTREMELY spacious and immaculate, with very soft and
clean towels which were replaced as often as we asked, and definitely mid-
week if you don't ask. The kitchen was the most well-equipped I have seen
yet. We had a ground floor unit which had its drawbacks, such as feeling like
you couldn't leave the sliders open at night, walk around in your jammies,
and DEFINITELY was noisy since the large family upstairs had to move
furniture every am and pm to arrange for sleeping. The ground floor units are
good if you don't want to do stairs, because they are all on one level. The
upstairs units have the kitchen and living room on the second level and the
bedrooms upstairs. I would defintely ask for a second/third floor unit next
time.
We were astounded at the friendliness and responsiveness of the staff! They
were great! I had read some less than great reviews online and was
concerned, but there was NO NEED to worry at all. We would definitely go
back. The location was good too, because it was not humid at all. We went
in July and we definitely needed the A/C for $5.00 a day. It was well worth
it. We would have been very hot and humid without it in July. We often
turned it off and used the ceiling fans, but at times, needed it. Thirty miles
away in Kona, on the coast, the heat and humidity were UNBEARABLE, but
we were very comfortable as Waikoloa sits high up and is windy and dry. At a
different time of the year, I probably would not have added the A/C.
Our favorite beach was "69's". In contrast to Hapuna beach ( which is a
lovely, sunny, classically beautiful beach), 69's had plenty of shade, and in
July we needed it. We couldn't even walk on the sand at Hapuna without
shoes. 69's is not well-marked, it is named after the electric pole number
closest to it, but you just follow the same road past the parking lot to
Hapuna Beach and it is the next parking lot. I snorkeled there and it was
FANTASTIC, so many fish and you don't need to go out very far AT ALL!! Very
close to the beach, there are zillions of fish. It is a great snorkel beach for
kids, and inexperienced swimmers. A bit farther out, I snorkeled with a
turtle, and that is the highlight of all my snorkeling adventures to date.
This resort is not the Westin or the ultimate in luxury, but it is affordable,
clean, well-equipped and well-located. I would definltely recommend it
wholeheartedly. I had one complaint and that is that you have to go to the
pool area or front office to get online. The rooms did have internet access,
but it was dial-up.