Kona Tiki Hotel

About Kona Tiki Hotel

The Kona Tiki Hotel was built in the 1950s on Alii Drive, one mile south of the Kailua-Kona town center, when Kona was still a fishing village and early resort destination before the resort industry reshaped much of the coast. Sixteen oceanfront rooms sit across three stories on a lava rock promontory above the open Pacific. Every room has a private lanai directly above the water. There is no air conditioning. There are no televisions. The trade winds off the Pacific do the cooling work they have done since the building opened. The resort hotels that arrived later on the Kona Coast brought air conditioning, amenities lists, and resort fees. The Kona Tiki brought the ocean through the open lanai door.

What Kona Tiki Hotel Is Known For

The Kona Tiki's achievement is holding the original line across seven decades: rooms on the Pacific, private lanai per room, saltwater pool fed from the ocean below, no air conditioning, no televisions, no resort fees. The resorts on the rest of the Kona Coast have all those things. The Kona Tiki has the Pacific through the open lanai door and the trade winds doing their job, which they have been doing since the building opened. It is the only hotel in Kona where every single room faces the water, independently owned and locally operated, and still running on the proposition that the ocean is enough.

Amenities

• WiFi
• Saltwater pool fed directly from the ocean
• Private oceanfront lanai in every room
• Complimentary snorkel gear, beach towels, and beach chairs
• Communal grilling area on pool deck
• Well-stocked kitchenette in every room (fridge, microwave, skillet, kettle, toaster)
• Free on-site parking
• Free luggage storage
• Solar-powered LED lighting throughout grounds

The Room

Rooms across three stories, recently renovated, in four configurations: Suite, Deluxe, Standard, and Petite, all with king beds and private oceanfront lanais. Every room has a well-stocked kitchenette: stainless steel sink, full-size fridge, coffee maker, microwave, skillet, kettle, toaster, and complete dishware. Walk-in shower with refillable toiletries. Ceiling fans throughout. The trade winds off the Pacific do the cooling: guests consistently report that air conditioning is not missed. No televisions, which has been true since the 1950s. Strong WiFi throughout the building. The lanai is the room's defining element: private, above the Pacific, with an unobstructed ocean horizon and the sound of waves directly below.

The Grounds

The Kona Tiki sits on a lava rock promontory on Alii Drive, with the Pacific directly below the building. The edge of the property is a lava rock seawall where the ocean breaks and occasionally sends spray over the wall into the pool. The saltwater pool occupies the deck between the building and the sea: fed from the ocean, with a blue-tiled bottom and a turtle carved into the tile. Umbrella-shaded tables and communal grilling areas line the pool deck. A book cart is available. Snorkel gear, beach towels, and beach chairs are available to borrow on a first-come basis. Free on-site parking (tight, one space per room). Solar-powered LED lighting throughout the grounds. There is no beach at the property. Magic Sands Beach Park is 0.9 miles south; the Kailua-Kona waterfront is 1 mile north.

The Experience

The Kona Tiki runs on a rhythm set entirely by the ocean and the light. Morning coffee on the lanai as the Pacific catches the early sun. The walk north to the Kailua-Kona waterfront and Hulihee Palace, or south to Magic Sands for a swim in actual sand. Snorkel gear borrowed from the deck and an afternoon in the water directly off the property. Spinner dolphins are spotted from the lanais regularly; humpback whales are visible from the building during winter months. The saltwater pool handles the sessions when the ocean is running rough. The Kona Coast faces west: in the late afternoon and at sunset, the lanai is the only place to be. No AC hum, no television: the sound is the ocean and the trade winds through the open door, which is exactly what the hotel has been offering since the 1950s.

Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Things to Do Near The Kona Coast

Magic Sands Beach Park

0.9 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.

A sandy pocket beach on Alii Drive that vanishes entirely at high tide when the surf pulls the sand offshore, then reappears when conditions settle. One of the few sandy beaches close to the Kona Tiki, and a popular local spot for bodysurfing, snorkeling, and watching the sand come and go with the season.

Kailua-Kona Waterfront

1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.

The historic center of Kona, with the King Kamehameha statue, the nineteenth-century Hulihee Palace, and the old Mokuaikaua Church on the harbor waterfront. The main stretch of Alii Drive runs north from the hotel through restaurants, cafes, surf shops, and galleries. The Kailua Pier is the starting point for many fishing and snorkeling charters.

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

20 miles, about a 40 minute drive.

One of the most significant historical sites in Hawaii: the Place of Refuge, an ancient sanctuary where defeated warriors and those who broke the kapu could seek absolution and protection. The park preserves royal fishponds, reconstructed temple structures, and the original stone wall of the refuge itself, set on a dramatic lava shoreline south of Kona.