mcwedding

We have reservations for 8 nights at the 4 seasons BI, but were looking at th flights back to HNL airport and they are not good at all we'd have to sit at the airport for 6 hours b4 flying back to nyc. So I thought maybe we would fly back to HNL a few days early and check out the Turtle Bay resort. They have a beachfront cottage available. We'd stay for 3 nights, and have 5 nights in the Big Island. Will we be disappointed in the turtle bay resort after staying at the four seasons? Is it a mistake to shorten our stay on the BI?

mcwedding

ok, what about just telling me your experiences at one or the other island?

marksfour

It will definitely be a different experience..you could stay at the Turtle Bay for 2 nights and "do the North Shore"..any longer, I would not recommend esp. since it would mean leaving the Four Seasons earlier.

Personally, I would stay 8 nights on BI and use the layover time to see Pearl Harbor, etc.

dusty56438

If this is your only trip to Hawaii, than go to Oahu for the 3 days. You won't be disappointed with Oahu.

There is a lot to see & do on Oahu.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

jgoebel

The 4 seasons on the big island is awesome, but I agree with the previous poster that if you've never been to Oahu, it would be 3 days well spent. One thing to consider...Turtle Bay is a good distance from Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, etc...

On our last visit we opted to stay at the Ihilani Marriott resort, which is removed from the city, but still close to the attractions...great beach, nice hotel.

lonestarcars

Turtle Bay is very nice,do you play golf?It is close to the Polynesian Culture center and a very beautiful area without the city feel of Oahu,you can drive to anything you want to see on Oahu,the resorts you mentioned are different but I would recommend Turtle Bay.The move "Forgetting Sara Marshall" was filmed at Turtle Bay,Enjoy your trip!

leavingsoon

They are very different experiences.

The Turtle Bay Resort is very Hawaiian feeling - large spaces, not particularly great at attention to detail. It's huge and has a lot of kids and families.

The cottages themselves are set apart from the rest of the hotel, but you still must use the hotel pool and fitness facilities which will not be a fair comparison.

The location is remote but also very relaxing, if that is your goal.

If you are looking for a match in terms of services and accommodations, then you are better of selecting Kahala Mandarin - understaed and quiet and closer to Waikiki for restaurants, etc.

The Turtle Bay is on a lovely beach but definitely will have a more bustling feel. Go see that Sarah Marshal movie- they shot it there and you can get a feel for the resort.

bunniesarefun

IMO, 4S on BI is one of the best or the best hotels on all of the islands. Just ask Fodor's. Turtle Bay isn't even in the top 10. Just ask Fodor's. If you need to stay on Oahu, stay in Waikiki at the Halekulani. That's on the same scale as 4S. Just ask Fodor's. And it's in the middle of everything to do in Waikiki! Sorry about all the references to Fodor's but they are usually always right!

travelinwifey

4 Seasons is a 5* experience, the Turtle bay, while gorgeous in it's setting is 3-4* in every other aspect. I think you will be disappointed. Non hotel guests are allowed to use the pool making it more crowded for everyone, especially on the weekends, no one enforces the non-guest pool policy, especially at the kiddie waterfall.

I stayed in a cottage and it was very nice. Food was mediocre and as mentioned in previous threads there is a huge feral cat problem. Hubby's best friend lives on Oahu and a lot of their visiting friends stay there bacause the rooms in the main building are mostly inexpensive, seems as though nothing has changed since we've been there. As long as you know that about the TB you'll be fine. Again, the views are amazing and some of the island's surfing/surf watching is a few minutes away with many sea turtles. If you go outside the hotel for dining it's not very good. It is 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. drive to Oahu depending on traffic.

Ihilani is nice but again not 4S quality. 45mins to an hour (or more with traffic) to HNL. Stayed many times and IMO it deteriorates every time we go with more and more nickel and diming. The hotel has many visitors from the Marriott's timeshares so it is much more congested.

Oahu is nice to see metropolitain Hawaii, if you don't want to deal with crowds perhaps try 6 nights at the 4 Seasons and 2 nights in Oahu. It is crowded but the attractions and people watching/shopping keep you busy.

From the 4 Seasons you can go to the King's Crossing shops for less expensive dining and there is a Roy's.

Unfortunately none of Oahu's hotels have it all, the Kahala has a dime sized pool and the Mandarin has no large beach/privacy.

Hope this helps. HNL is so multicultural with authentic asian food you may not want to miss it if this is the only time you'll be seeing Hawaii.

Finally, if you drive around the Big Island it is quite lush....just not in the 4 Seasons location. You may not want to leave the hotel (we barely do) but if you want to "see" Hawaii driving around the BI is a must.

What month are you going? That also makes a huge difference in tourism.

travelinwifey

Sorry, didn't mean for the post to be that long!

Ps, the Banyan tree pool at the 4S is adults only and the no cell phone policy is strictly enforced which is great for relaxation.

Have a great trip!

travelinwifey

Oy, instead of the Mandarin I meant the Halekulani...