Great location! Ali'i Drive is the place to be. The street can be noisy at busy times, but it is not offensive. If you want some quiet the front door is virtually soundproof and the a/c runs like a top.
There is a great little coffee shop a few doors North, that has great Kona coffee and even Kombucha on tap!
Pool and BBQ is a wee walk but well worth it. The pool is right by the ocean and it's a very relaxing setting.
The BBQ is charcoal and works best with the hardwood lumps, not briquettes.
There is a sign up sheet for the bbq on the whiteboard in the communal area.
It's a short 1.7km walk North, to the downtown area. Lots of things to see on the way. If you don't fancy a stroll, It's less than 5 minutes to drive down there, traffic permitting.
Best book for getting around Big Island is on Jenna's coffee table "Big Island Revealed", with a blue cover. Take the time to go through it.
A full grocery shop is a car or taxi situation. Safeway and Wal-Mart are a few miles away.
Get a Safeway club card if you don't want to get too hosed by Hawaiian grocery prices. Costco is about 20 min away, but might be worth it if you have a long stay/large group.
Last note...if you like AMAZING Mexican food....go to Habaneros! It's a few min North on the way downtown. You won't be sorry.