We stayed here Aug 14-20, 2022. Although this is one of the more affordable condos in the Mauna Lani area, it is still expensive and I had some doubts about whether the cost would be worth it, compared to less expensive options along the Kohala coast. Wow, am I happy that we chose Mauna Lani!
The condo was fully equipped, clean, and comfortable. The AC and wifi worked fine (although we had to figure out to recycle the router once). The garage contains beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, etc. so you don't need to rent or bring your own. Beach towels are also provided. Kitchen and laundry were excellent. The pool for the Golf Villas is very nice, and warm, but not extravagant. There is no view from this condo: the lanai opens to 10-15 yards of flat green grass, followed by natural mounds of black lava that border the golf course but are too tall to see over. So, rather than sit on the lanai, we sat inside for the AC, or we sat in the shade at the beach (below). The host responded quickly to our inquiries and there is a local manager to help with any issues that arise.
The location, and specifically "Mauna Lani Beach Club" (aka Makaiwa Bay), is what makes this such a fantastic place to stay. MLBC is a small beach, with gated access, golden sand, shady groomed grassy fringe, chairs, restaurant, gear rental shack. Technically, it has public access, but unless you have a MLBC access card, you have to walk 0.8 miles from the public parking. Few people from outside the resort seemed to make this hot walk during our visit, so the beach was far less crowded than other nice beaches nearby (e.g. Manini'owali, Hapuna, or Mauna Kea). From our condo, using the MLBC access card, we drove about 1 mile, through the private gate, into the shady private parking, directly adjacent to the beach. This lot never seemed to fill completely, at any time of the day while we visited.
Furthermore, the snorkeling from MLBC (and a connected walking path) was superior to anywhere else we snorkeled on the big island (we are avid snorkelers). Fantastic snorkeling for both beginners and experts. So, if you like sitting, sunning, swimming, water sports, or snorkeling on a luxurious nearly-private beach, MLBC was ideal, and we loved it so much that we reduced our excursions elsewhere because few other beaches could compete. As long as the host continues to provide the MLBC access card to his guests, this is a huge reason to prefer his condo (or similar in Mauna Lani) to other options like Waikaloa or Mauna Kea. Check this before you rent anywhere in Mauna Lani.
We are already planning to bring our adult kids here at the first opportunity, and we will take this condo again if possible. We have been to Hawaii perhaps a dozen times, and this was one of our favorite locations on any island. Highly recommended.