Where to Stay on the Big Island with Kids
The Big Island of Hawaii is, as the name suggests, BIG. This means that you will be doing a lot more driving than on the other Hawaiian islands. And parents know that long drives and kids and toddlers do not always make for a relaxing trip. Because of that, it is even more important to pick a central place to stay when visiting the Big Island with kids and toddlers to minimize drive times and maximize fun. Our recommendations are close to the best baby beaches and delicious family friendly restaurants, so you can enjoy the Big Island with your kids with minimal car meltdowns.
Read on for our recommendations for the best areas to stay on the Big Island with kids, including the best hotels and home rentals!
Orientation to the Big Island
The main attractions on the Big Island for visitors are split between the Kona and Hilo sides of the island. Kona and Hilo are on opposing coasts of the island, and each has different activities, attractions, and climates. The highways connecting the Kona and Hilo sides are only one lane in each direction. Keep in mind that it can take at least 2 hours to drive from one coast to the other.
Kona
The Kona side is home to the Kona International Airport, which is where most of the flights from the mainland arrive. The Kona side tends to be the warmer and drier side of the island. Popular areas in the Kona side of the island for tourists are Kailua-Kona (next to the airport, where the big stores are), Waikoloa (the resort area, King’s Shops and Queen’s Marketplace), and Waimea (farmers markets).
There are plenty of resort hotels all along the coast and condos all around the Waikoloa area. Although expensive, one huge benefit of staying in the resorts is easy access to calm beaches. While all the resorts have public parking for these beaches, those spaces are often limited. The public parking spaces for the best keiki (baby) beaches on the island are very limited, so it could be worth the cost of the resort to save time waiting for a parking spot. On the other hand, staying in a condo rental offers the conveniences of home with a kitchen and more space. Many of the condos in Waikoloa are near the King’s Shops and Queen’s Marketplace, so you have more options for dining, or you can save money by cooking in your own kitchen.
Hilo
The Hilo side also has an airport, but this is the smaller regional airport that mostly services inter-island flights. The Hilo side is definitely wetter, so expect rain when staying in Hilo. Hilo is much less touristy than the Kona side, despite being the gateway to Volcanoes National Park. The Volcanoes National Park is definitely the biggest attraction in the Hilo side, but there are many other places of natural beauty to explore thanks to the wet weather. Think waterfalls, lush vegetation, and colorful flowers. Most tourists staying in the Hilo side will stay in the city of Hilo.
From the Kona side, it is possible to do a day trip to the Hilo side. However, you would only be scratching the surface of the Volcanoes National Park when visiting as a day trip (see how we did it here). One popular option is to stay a couple nights on the Kona side and on the Hilo side. However, when traveling with a toddler, it can be easier to stay in one place for the whole trip, rather than packing and unpacking all the toddler gear halfway through. If you have to pick one side of the island as your home base, I would pick the Kona side for its proximity to the airport and keiki beaches.
Best Places to Stay in Kona
Waikoloa Beach Resort Condos
The Waikoloa Resort area is conveniently located about a 15-30 minute drive from the airport, the beaches, and the other towns on the Kona side of the island. When traveling with kids and toddlers, home rentals can make everyday life easier. Having a kitchen and a separate room to hang out after the kids go to sleep can make the difference between it feeling like a trip versus a vacation. Accommodations on the Big Island are expensive. But staying in a home rental with a kitchen can help balance out food costs in the travel budget. And since the majority of your days will be doing free activities, that can allow for more room in the travel budget to spend on comfortable accommodations.
Fairway Villas ($$$)
The Fairway Villas condos are right next to the King’s Shops and across the street from the Queen’s Marketplace. The location is super convenient for shops and restaurants – you’re just a short walk away from the best shave ice! Many of the condos have a nice view of the golf course. We stayed in this VRBO rental in the Fairway Villas and loved the lay out. The kitchen was well stocked, it was super clean, and the air conditioning was a bonus. However, this rental was on the second floor, so it was stressful to try to keep our toddler from running or moving furniture to avoid disturbing the downstairs neighbors. If we were to stay in this resort again, we would choose a ground floor unit like this one.
Kolea Condos ($$$$)
Friends of ours stayed at the Kolea Condos and highly recommended it. The Kolea Condos are a short drive from the King’s Shops. The big benefits of the Kolea Condos are its beachfront location and the pools and resort amenities. Our recommendations for ground floor Kolea condo options include this one or this one.
Resort Hotels
If home rentals on the Big Island are expensive, then resort hotels on the Big Island are EXPENSIVE. But you are paying for the convenience of having easy access to some of the best calm beaches on the island. And that may be a worthwhile price to pay if it saves you from toddler meltdowns on vacation. If you only plan on going to the beach or the pool, then staying at a resort hotel could well be worth it. We are not usually resort people. But after hustling to get public parking spots at the baby beaches every day with our toddler, we would seriously consider forking over the big bucks to stay at one of these resort hotels to save ourselves from all that rushing.
Mauna Lani Point ($$$$)
Makaiwa Bay at the Mauna Lani Beach Club is one of the best keiki (baby) beaches on the Big Island. Its public parking lot is also small and a 3/4 mile walk away from the beach. To save yourself the trek to the beach with all your gear and your kids, stay at one of the resorts with access to the Mauna Lani Beach Club. The Mauna Lani Point has a variety of 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom condos that may be a better deal than the Mauna Lani Hotel. Another condo option in the area is The Islands at Mauna Lani, though it is further away from the beach.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel ($$$$)
The Mauna Kea beach is the perfect crescent white sand beach. The public parking spaces for the Mauna Kea Beach are also very limited. To guarantee a spot on the beach, stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. You will pay 5 star prices to stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, but you will also get 5 star amenities and a stunning beach at your doorstep.
Hilton Waikoloa Village ($$$)
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is a slightly more affordable choice in the Waikoloa resort area than the ones above. If you’re looking for resort pools, waterslides, and experiences, then this is a great choice. The lagoon beach here is also very calm for small kids, with possible animal sightings to make it more fun! This is a great option if you plan on just staying within a resort. It’s a bit more of a drive to get out to the local restaurants, though there are on site restaurants available.
Best Places to Stay in Hilo
Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo ($$)
The draw of the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo is its central location. It is right on the ocean, but also walking distance to downtown Hilo. They have a variety of room types, and some even have a small kitchenette or two rooms if you need more space. Many of the rooms have breathtaking ocean views.
Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel ($)
Another waterfront hotel option in Hilo is the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. This hotel is located right on the bay, and many of the rooms have nice lanais with ocean views. Some room options also have kitchenettes and a separate sitting area for more space. This hotel is more budget-friendly but also a little more basic than the other resort hotels on the island. It’s in a great location and there is free parking!
Kid Essentials You’ll Be Glad You Packed
- Sound Machine: If you’re sharing a room with your little one, a portable sound machine can be a total lifesaver. Because of the time difference and earlier bedtimes, kids are more likely to be asleep while there’s still noise around. A sound machine helps drown out outside sounds and keeps them sleeping longer.
- Pack and play sheets: Even if the condo/hotel has a pack and play, they may not always have sheets to go with it. We always bring our own. It’s even better if your kiddo has slept on the sheets recently, because then it smells like home and can put them to sleep easier in an unfamiliar place.
- Slumberpod: The Slumberpod worked wonders for us when our kid was smaller. Once he turned 2 though, being zipped up in the Slumberpod seemed to scare him more if he woke up in the middle of the night.
- Hip seat carrier: We love our hip seat carrier with convertible straps! It’s so much easier to move around beaches and carry beach gear when our kid is strapped to us rather than pull a wagon or stroller through the sand. The hip seat is also much more comfortable for him to nap in if we’re taking longer walks or hikes because he can actually sit rather than being suspended. We especially love ours because it’s hands free, and can be worn in the front or back.
- Oxo Tot 2-in-1 travel potty: I bring this potty seat everywhere. I love that it can be a standalone potty that you can use with any old plastic bag. And you can put it on top of a regular toilet to make it easier for kids to sit.
- Long sleeve rash guards: If your kid hates putting on sunscreen (as mine does), then a long sleeve rash guard is key for protecting them from the sun. Choose neon yellow, neon green, bright orange, or hot pink for maximum visibility in the pool.
- Sun hat with neck cover: A wide brimmed sunhat with a neck cover is so useful for a bit more sun coverage. Especially on the back of the neck, where we always forget to reapply sunscreen!
- Water shoes: Our kiddo got a blister once after walking in wet rubber sandals. So now we make sure to bring the water shoes that are made of neoprene.
- Kid’s reef safe mineral sunscreen: Walmart and Target on the island usually has adult versions of reef safe sunscreen. However, we brought our own mineral sunscreen for our kiddo when he was smaller and had more sensitive skin.
- Travel entertainment: Our go-tos are one new book (seek and find books or lift the flap books last longer!), Water WOW coloring books, sticker books (the ones from Daiso are amazing and cheap), a drawing pad, and mini magnatiles.
- Water bottles: We like the stainless steel ones.
- Health kit: I always bring a thermometer and Children’s Tylenol. If your kid has any allergies, definitely bring Children’s Benadryl. It’s easier to have it on hand when you need it. I also bring hydrocortisone 1% cream to Hawaii because I always get mosquito bites!
