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We stayed in a unit in Phase I and couldn't have been happier. My complaints are so few that they are trivial; things like 'wish there were drapes in the bedroom instead of just blinds.'
The unit was Big and Beautiful. Decorated in a retro/vintage Hawaiian theme, down to the retro radio/cd player. Great fabrics, and beautifull Hawaiian quilted bedding. The master was big, with a great footed tub (with jets, yippee) and two sinks. Comfy king bed, big armoire w/tv (never turned it on).
The living room was huge. Big tv in there, too, nicely hidden. Beautiful big lanai with round table and four chairs. It would have been nice to have a lounge chair, but I would have to put that in the 'trivial' category. The lanai had an electric fan over the table, very nice on humid days. The lanai looked out over the pool/hot tub but they were mostly obscured by mature trees/foliage. There were some geckos, but not a lot and they didn't bother us. We did find the hot tub small and often crowded. The noise was only a bother one night and security quickly took care of it.
The kitchen had everything we could need, and the counter stools were fine. We preferred eating on the lanai so didn't miss having a more formal eating area indoors. I guess that's why the living room seemed so large, and given a choice I'd keep it the way it is.
The second bedroom had a queen bed, also with a beautiful quilt. There was an armoire, but there was no tv despite the empty shelf for one. I was told the Phase I units d/n have tvs in the 2nd bedroom but that the newer units do. It worked out great, our kids actually read books at night before going to sleep, instead of staying up way too late watching tv.
The second bath had a shower but no tub, and had a washer/dryer.
I didn't get to see the newer part of the resort as we were always on the go, but I wouldn't hesitate to stay in the older units again. I posted some pics on the photoserver, though I am no photographer (I also can't figure out how to post the link here without posting the link to all my photos, and the files are too big to attach to this post).
The resort is a long walk from Kona town, but they lent my son a bicycle one day so he could go on his own. He got back in time for a ukelele lesson (which he put to good use while we waited for an interisland flight, much to the chagrin of other waiting passengers), but we d/n participate in any other activities at the resort since we were on the go in our 4wd using the Big Island Revealed guide to get to some 'hard to find' places, etc..
There is WiFi in the lobby, but not in the units (ok that's a bit more than trivial for me). The part of Kona town near the resort is charming by day but can get a bit seedy at night. There were groups of mostly young people hanging out on the rocks drinking and getting high, and a guy staying nearby got beat up pretty bad one night. It was reported as a robbery and the police were looking around and asking at FFKHV while I was in the lobby. I live in New York and I'm a practical traveler; I'm only mentioning this because it made me think twice about letting my 14 yr old son go into town by himself at night (I didn't let him).
ETA: The resort is not on the beach. There is a snorkeling spot or two you can walk to, but we never got there as we were busy doing 'bigger' trips and these spots looked a bit crowded and were 'roadside.' I am a major beachlover, but this wasn't a drawback for me since we drove to some great beaches (thanks to Big Island Revealed) that would have been ruined (jmho) if there were resorts built on them. So it's a trade-off but I would do it again. Mind you, this was a very active week, not for everyone. If you would rather relax at a resort and go out to the beach for a few hours, sit around the pool, etc., this may not be an ideal destination. But we have much closer destinations (caribbean, cancun, florida, hilton head, etc.) for that, so we planned on a lot of action/adventure and we got it!
Best things we did on Big Island: Snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument (we got there by kayak but there is a hike as an alternative, or you can take a tour boat if you must) and near Place of Refuge, finding secluded beaches accessible only by 'nasty 4 wd roads.'
Tip: if you rent kayaks to go to Captain Cook's monument, don't forget the paddles after you've loaded the kayaks back onto your hood
We loved FFKHV and the Big Island. Can't wait to go back!
The unit was Big and Beautiful. Decorated in a retro/vintage Hawaiian theme, down to the retro radio/cd player. Great fabrics, and beautifull Hawaiian quilted bedding. The master was big, with a great footed tub (with jets, yippee) and two sinks. Comfy king bed, big armoire w/tv (never turned it on).
The living room was huge. Big tv in there, too, nicely hidden. Beautiful big lanai with round table and four chairs. It would have been nice to have a lounge chair, but I would have to put that in the 'trivial' category. The lanai had an electric fan over the table, very nice on humid days. The lanai looked out over the pool/hot tub but they were mostly obscured by mature trees/foliage. There were some geckos, but not a lot and they didn't bother us. We did find the hot tub small and often crowded. The noise was only a bother one night and security quickly took care of it.
The kitchen had everything we could need, and the counter stools were fine. We preferred eating on the lanai so didn't miss having a more formal eating area indoors. I guess that's why the living room seemed so large, and given a choice I'd keep it the way it is.
The second bedroom had a queen bed, also with a beautiful quilt. There was an armoire, but there was no tv despite the empty shelf for one. I was told the Phase I units d/n have tvs in the 2nd bedroom but that the newer units do. It worked out great, our kids actually read books at night before going to sleep, instead of staying up way too late watching tv.
The second bath had a shower but no tub, and had a washer/dryer.
I didn't get to see the newer part of the resort as we were always on the go, but I wouldn't hesitate to stay in the older units again. I posted some pics on the photoserver, though I am no photographer (I also can't figure out how to post the link here without posting the link to all my photos, and the files are too big to attach to this post).
The resort is a long walk from Kona town, but they lent my son a bicycle one day so he could go on his own. He got back in time for a ukelele lesson (which he put to good use while we waited for an interisland flight, much to the chagrin of other waiting passengers), but we d/n participate in any other activities at the resort since we were on the go in our 4wd using the Big Island Revealed guide to get to some 'hard to find' places, etc..
There is WiFi in the lobby, but not in the units (ok that's a bit more than trivial for me). The part of Kona town near the resort is charming by day but can get a bit seedy at night. There were groups of mostly young people hanging out on the rocks drinking and getting high, and a guy staying nearby got beat up pretty bad one night. It was reported as a robbery and the police were looking around and asking at FFKHV while I was in the lobby. I live in New York and I'm a practical traveler; I'm only mentioning this because it made me think twice about letting my 14 yr old son go into town by himself at night (I didn't let him).
ETA: The resort is not on the beach. There is a snorkeling spot or two you can walk to, but we never got there as we were busy doing 'bigger' trips and these spots looked a bit crowded and were 'roadside.' I am a major beachlover, but this wasn't a drawback for me since we drove to some great beaches (thanks to Big Island Revealed) that would have been ruined (jmho) if there were resorts built on them. So it's a trade-off but I would do it again. Mind you, this was a very active week, not for everyone. If you would rather relax at a resort and go out to the beach for a few hours, sit around the pool, etc., this may not be an ideal destination. But we have much closer destinations (caribbean, cancun, florida, hilton head, etc.) for that, so we planned on a lot of action/adventure and we got it!
Best things we did on Big Island: Snorkeling at Captain Cook's monument (we got there by kayak but there is a hike as an alternative, or you can take a tour boat if you must) and near Place of Refuge, finding secluded beaches accessible only by 'nasty 4 wd roads.'
Tip: if you rent kayaks to go to Captain Cook's monument, don't forget the paddles after you've loaded the kayaks back onto your hood
We loved FFKHV and the Big Island. Can't wait to go back!
You will love that Island and it is not as commercial and crowded as Maui is becoming today. 
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