Kona Kai Resort & Spa

When we moved into our new home in San Diego, we knew that something was terribly wrong with the floors. It took several months of negotiating with the builder, but, ultimately, it was shared that we needed to move out for a week and into a temporary space. The builder gave us a stipend for housing and food, and I set out to find a place to stay for a week. Kona Kai stood out to me, not only because of the location to our jobs, but also the beauty of Shelter Island and the ability to stay in a new neighborhood. Close to the end of said week, we were informed that construction was behind and we needed to stay an extra week. Luckily, Kona Kai had space for us, as there was nowhere we would have rather stayed. From the first day until our last day there, every single staff member - from the front desk, to the housekeeping staff, to the valet, to the wait staff in the restaurant - was truly lovely. During a frustrating time due to the construction of our house, combined with still needing to get to our jobs each day, the staff made us feel welcome and helped us with anything we needed. In fact, once they knew the circumstances of why we were staying for such a length of time, many of them began inquiring about the construction and how things were moving along, which was very kind. Our room was lovely, clean, and well-appointed. Every day, we opened the balcony door to let in the fresh air from the bay. We ate many times at the restaurant, enjoying the food, cocktails, and great wine list. One evening, a friend of mine came to have dinner with me and brought along her dog. It is a dog friendly hotel, so we were able to sit and enjoy our dinner on the beautiful patio and watch the sunset. Her dog was treated so well by staff. We ordered a little side dish of bacon for him and our sweet waiter brought him a HUGE plate to enjoy. So, dogs and humans alike were happy. While there, I also had the opportunity to enjoy the spa one day after work when I booked myself a massage and an express facial. It was a great experience! Staff were lovely and accommodating and I left the spa fully relaxed and rejuvenated. In summary - while the circumstances of us staying at Kona Kai were the result of frustrating construction at our house, Kona Kai truly felt like home by the end of our two week stay. The property is beautiful, the location is perfect, but, above all, the staff really went above and beyond. The next time we have family or friends in town, we will absolutely recommend that they book a room at Kona Kai. In fact, we just may do our own little weekend getaway here, even though we only live 20 minutes away! THANK YOU to the lovely staff for accommodating us. We really had an exceptional experience and we are grateful to you all. Read less

Quick weekend get away with the family. Checking in was really easy with the friendly staff. Rooms were clean and the beds were comfortable. We stayed in a marina view and glad we did instead of bay view. The pool is heated and the speakers played the top hits as I was sipping on a michelada. At night time it was amazing to sit by the fire pits just relaxing watching boats passing by the bay. Can’t wait to go back. Read less

Lisa Fleming (Kona Kai’s Assistant Director of Catering) coordinated our 25th Anniversary Wedding Renewal Ceremony at the Kona Kai Resort and Spa. Lisa was very patient and detail oriented from the very beginning when we first met with her to discuss options, through the months that followed, and until the very day of our ceremony. My wife and I were very happy with her excellent customer service. The venue was awesome, the food was catered to us (Hawaiian style), and the hotel was excellent. Thank you Lisa for making my wife very happy which makes me very happy. As the saying goes, “Happy Wife, Happy Life!” My wife’s endless smiles made my day! I would definitely recommend Kona Kai, particularly the services of Lisa Fleming for your events. Read less