Mauna Kea Beach Hotel - Day 1

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Drive, Kohala Coast, HI 96743

(808) 882-7222

Duration of Stay - 6 nights (2/28/09-3/6/09)

Rating - 4 out of 5 stars

WOW! That's all I can say, WOW! It is amazing what two years and $150 million can do to a hotel. The Mauna Kea reopened in December 2008 after a forced renovation due to earthquake damage and has reemerged as the diamond of the Kohala Coast. They shall certainly give Four Seasons Resort, Hualalai (30 minutes south of Mauna Kea) a run for their money. The amazing thing about the new Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, is that none of its uniqueness was lost during it 21st century transformation. What was designed as "understated elegance" in the 1960s and severed the hotel so well for 40 years, has been replaced by a more modern sense of "understated elegance"  (no doubt carrying the hotel for the next 40 years). 

One of the things I love most about the property is the guardhouse located at the entrance from the highway. Not only is the guardhouse still there (and renovated) but the posted guard once again serves a purpose. Past the guardhouse the familiar views return and memories of prior visits come flooding back. (Especially the memory of hitting a window while playing on the 4th hole). And then you reach the bottom of the road where it gently curves to the left and you witness one of the pretties views on the Island, right there in front of the world famous 3rd hole at the Mauna Kea Golf Course.  Finally, you pull into the main driveway and the beautiful structure is there in front of you and after taking it in your eyes finally pick up the crystal clear waters of Kauna'oa Bay. 

Familiar faces are there to greet you at the car and you are then ushered into the lobby. The lobby has undergone massive changes. The beautiful marble and teak front desk has been replaced by a simpler "more inviting" set up. They are essentially sit down desks; I understand the idea behind them but its hard to accept changes. The worst part of the set up are the hideous orange retro style desk chair, (i get the orange bit since it's the hotels color but I sure has hell don't get the styling).  The front desk and lobby staff were very warm, welcoming and attentive. Their service was spot on; though Landon, the gentleman who checked us in, seemed to be in an awful hurry to show us our rooms, almost as if he had better things to be doing (oh, and he is the assistant hotel manager...). A young lady named Misty who works at the Concierge desk was extremely helpful with arranging our dinner reservations. 

The new rooms, which were created by Berry Designs, are jaw dropping. No longer the tired yet tradtional furniture but a highly modified floor plan as well. To say the least they are stunning and will require a separate post just for them. 

Our choices for lunch ended up being rather disappointing. We had been looking forward to having lunch at the beachside "Hau Tree" restaurant but they were closed (guessing due to the high winds). We ended up having lunch at the new "Number 3" restaurant located in the golf club house. The food was of superior quality but the service tended to be slow. The restaurant has only been open for two weeks and it seems like they are still getting all the kinks out. Number 3 will also be serving dinner in the near future. 

Due to the extremely windy weather, we were unable to have cocktails at the Copper Bar Terrace to watch the sunset. Instead we head over early to the restaurant. "Manta and Pavilion Wine Bar" is currently the properties only dining venue open for dinner (The Batik Restaurant will not be reopening in the foreseeable future). The service was excellent, with prompt attentive staff who went the extra mile on everything. With this being said, there was an extreme low point. Their menu is rather small and since I have severe food allergies, this limited my choices even further. The Chef was extremely helpful in providing a dish I could eat but it wasn't worth the excessive cost. 

I will end it here for this evening and post more tomorrow. So Far So Good. 

-- Jaguar

Santa Fe Review

Sorry for the delay, work got the larger portion of my schedule.

Eldorado Hotel and Spa
309 West San Francisco, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Rating – 3.5 of 5 stars
Duration of Stay – 4 Nights (January 15 – 19, 2009)

The Eldorado is an interesting hotel and my perception of the property has changed over the last 15 years. After going through a multi-million dollar new lease on life, you would believe that the hotel would have some potential, especially with the addition of the Nidah Spa. On prior visits my opinion of what the property had going for it was its level of service, which was worthy of its AAA 4 Diamond award (and possibly its location depending on which entrance you used). But, alas this is no longer true and magnified by the economic downturn. Architecturally, the Eldorado never had anything going for it - the rooms are cramped with low ceilings and out-of-date fixtures.

Having flown from Denver to Albuquerque on a delayed flight due to weather (there is no such thing as an on-time departure from Denver) and then driving an hour to Santa Fe, I was looking forward to a warm welcome. This warm welcome was nowhere to be found when we arrived at the hotel. Even though the hotel had undergone an extensive renovation that added a porte-cochere, you are still required to drive down into the garage. When you get to the bottom of the garage ramp, there is a little kiosk and office where the porters usually hang out. But not on this night, the garage was abandoned except for the lone luggage cart (I thought this was a 4 Diamond property).

Unfortunately I do not understand the concept of packing light, since planning for every occasion makes sense, and was once again forced to lug my bags from the garage to the lobby. I had to park the car myself at a hotel with “valet parking”. Now in the lobby you would expect there to be a front desk agent to assist you with checking in…wrong! Well actually they were there just in the back having a bit of an old chinwag, and obviously could care less about the guests. After coaxing one of them out of the cubby, an attempt was made to check in and proved to be far more difficult than I expected. It is never a good sign when you are informed that you can stay in a particular room for one night and that you would have to be moved the following day because another guest had reserved it. Then why the hell are you assigning me to that room is someone else is going to need it the following day?

Once this was all sorted out and we were informed that the hotel no longer offers 24-hour room service that there is an all night diner “down the road”. (…4 Diamonds?...) By this point it was close to 11 o’clock at night and there was still one more bump in the road to come. Now I was in my room, tired and ready to pass out, except that fact that the heater was on but the room was getting colder. In Santa Fe it is customary for hotel rooms to be equipped with a wood burning kiva fireplace. The room not only had the late 1970s era designed fireplace but it also had a broken damper which couldn’t close and allowed cold air to pour in. Up come engineering, well a security guard who claimed he knew how to fix it. You have probably guessed right, he couldn’t fix it and I was too tired to make a bigger fuss about it, which would eventually come back to bite me in the butt.

The next day was busy at the Eldorado since there was an in-house convention and this kept housekeeping busy. Somehow they managed to miss my room…twice. But phone calls solved those issues though it was still a headache. Overall there was more staff on hand to assist guests, which allowed for valet parking, room service but the lobby lounge was still not open. We did have a lovely dinner this evening at the hotel’s fine dining venue, The Old House (please refer to separate entry for restaurant details). Service was back to normal to normal on Saturday and Sunday. What we found out is that the property management company had lain off the majority of the property’s middle management and run a skeleton crew when the occupancy falls below a certain level.

During my trip, I did not have the pleasure of enjoying the Nidah Spa but received a quick tour of it. I must admit that it wasn’t overly impressive. The spa’s lobby was overly modern and not the welcoming feeling a spa should have. Throughout the facility cheap materials were used and did not measure up to what their local competitors offer.

The real disaster occurred the next evening and of course it had to happen to me. Having returned from a day of skiing and sight seeing, I was ready to get to bed until I walked into my room. No, there was no one in there and nothing had been stolen, but my room was filled with smoke and smelled like a wild fire had been through it. There were no visible flames but the smoke was getting thicker. Ten minutes had passed before I made my way down to the front desk since security had never sent someone up after I called. What surprised me the most was that the front desk staff didn’t take it seriously until I requested the manager. Oddly enough the manager on duty happened to be the Director of Sales and Marketing; she seemed to be scared to death to deal with a serious problem but in the end handled it well and I was impressed.

Would anyone like to take a guess as to where the smoke was coming from? The broken damper in the kiva fireplace allowed smoke from the neighboring room’s fireplace to vent into my room because of the vacuum effect. After more than an hour, the maintenance team couldn’t manually close the damper from the room or roof and I was forced to change rooms. It is always a pain moving your luggage after you have unpacked and settled in, but alas it had to be done. In the end it wasn’t too bad. I was upgraded to a spacious junior suite, received that night complimentary, received a decent bottle of white wine from Napa, and a plate of expensive French cheeses. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful and the staff went out of their way to assist us. When we checked out on Monday, the hotel was back down to a skeleton crew and we were forced to drag our bags down to the garage again.

The Eldorado Hotel and Nidah Spa are something of an oddity. As Santa Fe’s largest hotel, you would expect them to go the extra mile and stand out from the crowd. This has never been the case from any of my encounters at the property over the last 15 years. The recession has made matters only worse. There are better lodging options through out the city and personally would suggest La Posada de Santa Fe, Inn of the Anasazi, or Inn on the Alameda (B&B).


Inn of the Anasazi, A Rosewood Hotel
4.5 of 5 Stars
Duration of Stay – Walkthrough

The boutique Inn of the Anasazi is Santa Fe’s most celebrated and talked about property. The hotel is so popular that room reservations are required a year in advance during the high season. The exterior of the hotel provides you with the poor impression and misleads you as to what lays inside. This changes when you are welcomed and ushered inside by a doorman, who is donning a southwestern cowboy uniform. Once indoors, your impression changes even further because of the simple yet lush appointments. By no means is the Inn spacious but the designers used every possible square inch to the best of its capability.

If you have the opportunity to dine at the hotel’s fine dining venue, I would suggest not passing it up. The menu is to die for with its succulent ingredients. Below the restaurant is the wine cellar (private dining room) with an expanse of vintage wines. Also check out the Inn of the Anasazi’s small library that can serve as your home away from home.


La Posada de Santa Fe, a Rock Resort
4 of 5 stars
Duration of Stay – Walkthrough **was a guest in 2002, prior to renovation and Rock Resort’s purchase**

I have always been harsh on La Posada since a disastrous stay in 2002. After walking through the property and engaging with the staff, my opinion on the hotel as lightened a bit. The property has a few things going for it. The service is exceptional and personalized, beautiful manicured southwestern grounds, its location, and intimacy. Lap Posada does have the southwestern charm and elegance down to the last letter. Beyond there, it has some low points. To say the rooms are tiny and tend to be dark would be an understatement. It also has expensive rates and it is not the most family-friendly. I would highly suggest that you avoid the rooms located in the Staab House, unless you like haunted Victorian rooms.



Inn on the Alameda
4 of 5 Stars
Duration of Stay – Walkthrough **former guest**

A quaint boutique hotel, if not a bed and breakfast, located along the Santa Fe River and a moments walk from the Plaza and Canyon Road. The Inn on the Alameda is a great place for families due to its friendly staff and the wonderful secluded casitas. Like any traditional bed and breakfast, limited services are offered; so don’t expect room service but they do have two Jacuzzis and a fitness center. If you are a first time visitor to Santa Fe, this is a great place to have your home base during your trip.

Bishop’s Lodge
Duration of Stay - Walkthrough
3 of 5 Stars

Still not quite sure what my final opinion is on this property. If you like to be off the beaten path and enjoy remoteness, this is the place for you. Bishop’s Lodge has an attentive and friendly staff. They go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and enjoying yourself but sometimes fail. The lodge has been through a recent renovation but still seems aged and tired, though quaint. Don’t hold your breath on their culinary abilities. I attempted to enjoy dinner in the dinning room one evening but was plagued with poor quality food and a kitchen with the inability to meet necessary dietary requirements. There are better places to stay, trust me.


Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
Duration of Stay – Walkthrough
4 of 5 Stars

What an amazing resort! After visiting Buffalo Thunder, my impression of Hilton has changed considerably. Through out the property a modern take on the pueblo style has been used, with beautiful craftsmanship. The staff is more than attentive and outgoing. Make sure to visit the resorts upscale dining venue, Red Sage, which is an amazing restaurant with an outstanding menu and wine list plus knowledgeable staff. Though I have not had the opportunity to view one of the guestrooms, I would expect the rooms to be of higher quality than found in the average Hilton.

On the other hand, the casino is interesting to say the least. The patrons are comparable to those in downtown Las Vegas; the more compulsive type who have been there since the yesterday. The staff attempts to be attentive but tends to be preoccupied with trying to figure out the rules of the game. It is slightly embarrassing when they have to ask customers if they are doing it right. Overall it was a fun experience but keep a close eye on your chips, you might not get them or your winnings back.

The difference in management styles and employee qualifications are apparent between the resort and casino. This is entirely due in part to the fact separate companies operate them. The resort is managed by Hilton and the casino by the local Native American tribe. The Buffalo Thunder has only been open for a little over 6 months but in time they will get things right.

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Beginning this Saturday, February 28, there will be daily posts reviewing the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and other venues on the Big Island of Hawaii. Until then, happy travels.

- Jaguar