As long-time Big Island residents, we are especially fond of the Mauna Lani area when we take small "staycations" from our Hilo home. So when it was time to plan a special 40th anniversary celebration which coincided with a visit from our daughter, (who came from Colorado with her partner for this special occasion), we happily booked a long weekend at Anna and Russell's Fairways condo. The grounds are lovely and the condo is furnished nicely. The lanai dining area is pretty and private and we enjoyed having most of our meals outside. Access to lovely beaches, petroglyph fields, a convenient little supermarket with plenty of local treats as well as gourmet items and a nice selection of adult beverages were all within a 5 minute drive. We also ventured up the coast a bit for a special dinner at Meridia restaurant at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, which we highly recommend for excellent food, friendly and efficient service and a beautiful ambience. We definitely had a memorable weekend together and look forward to other celebrations in the future.
We did encounter a couple of problems during our stay. The downstairs bedroom had no air conditioning at all and it was a very hot weekend in late August, so half of our party did not have a comfortable environment for sleeping. Presumably, that is something that has been repaired though they were unable to repair it during our visit. Additionally there were numerous security codes sent out for the front gate and the garage door and the main entryway and the garage code did not work so it was a bit problematic arriving and unpacking whilst trying to abide by the rules of the development. It's a fairly "corporate" structure so guests should be prepared for lots of rules and guidelines and notifications about how to check out (which oddly arrived less than a day after we checked in...). Also, unlike other accommodations we have experienced over our years here, where early check-ins or late check outs can be accommodated, there was no flexibility during our stay and no way even to access the pool or beach club once we had packed the car, which was a bit disappointing. But despite these inconveniences, we had a wonderful weekend with family and The Fairways is a great spot for enjoying the beauty of the Big Island and all the adventures that are available here. Mahalo!