Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection Reviews

Reviews

• Maria F. Sent on 07/17/2023
  5 out of 5 rating

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  A stunning venue w/ top rate vendors and support - the wedding of our dreams

  10/10! We could not have chosen a better venue and wedding coordinator for our Hawaiian wedding. The MLA is an elegant venue with stunning views. Every single detail from the moment we chose the MLA through to our wedding day was organized and thoughtfully considered. Vendors (Emily Lehnert, Bula Music, Indigo Artistry and Lalamilo Flower Girl) all helped make our day even more than we envisioned. Chelsea Kuali'i is an exceptional coordinator, host and planner extravagant. She remained in touch w/ us through our entire 10 month wedding planning journey and was incredibly thoughtful as our day approached. We looked at several places in Hawaii and even considered some DIY options. We are so happy to have chosen the MLA which brought to life the wedding of our dreams.

  10/10! We could not have chosen a better venue and wedding coordinator for our Hawaiian wedding. The MLA is an elegant venue with stunning views. Every single detail from the moment we chose the MLA through to our wedding day was organized and thoughtfully considered. Vendors (Emily Lehnert, Bula Music, Indigo Artistry and Lalamilo Flower Girl) all helped make our day even more than we envisioned. Chelsea Kuali'i is an exceptional coordinator, host and planner extravagant. She remained in touch w/ us through our entire 10 month wedding planning journey and was incredibly thoughtful as our day approached. We looked at several places in Hawaii and even considered some DIY options. We are so happy to have chosen the MLA which brought to life the wedding of our dreams.

  • +2 photos
• Jennifer Sent on 11/21/2017
  5 out of 5 rating

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  We got married in an elopement ceremony at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on November 13, and it was pretty much perfect. The beach setting was stunning, and the sun set behind us lighting up the sky with colors as we said our vows. The Mauna Lani's wedding coordinator, Stasha, was there for us every step of the way from the time that I first contacted the hotel about the possibility of having our wedding there all the way up through the wedding and after we checked out of the hotel. The process was incredibly easy, I went though Stasha for everything -- florist, photographer, officiant, cake, wedding license process, etc. She has preferred vendors, and they are all amazing -- Grace Flowers did an incredible job on my bouquet, our officiant Dean Kauka gave us a beautiful cereomony, our photographer Alex Klarc was so much fun, just fantastic to work with, and the dinner on the beach and wedding cake from Canoe House restaurant were delicious. The day of the wedding went very smoothly, with Stasha coordinating everything. In sum, we never had to worry about anything, and everything went perfectly. If you are considering a wedding in Hawaii you simply must consider Mauna Lani Bay, I really don't think anything could have been any better than it was. And it was very affordable, too. I am so grateful to Stasha and the Mauna Lani team!

  We got married in an elopement ceremony at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on November 13, and it was pretty much perfect. The beach setting was stunning, and the sun set behind us lighting up the sky with colors as we said our vows. The Mauna Lani's wedding coordinator, Stasha, was there for us every step of the way from the time that I first contacted the hotel about the possibility of having our wedding there all the way up through the wedding and after we checked out of the hotel. The process was incredibly easy, I went though Stasha for everything -- florist, photographer, officiant, cake, wedding license process, etc. She has preferred vendors, and they are all amazing -- Grace Flowers did an incredible job on my bouquet, our officiant Dean Kauka gave us a beautiful cereomony, our photographer Alex Klarc was so much fun, just fantastic to work with, and the dinner on the beach and wedding cake from Canoe House restaurant were delicious. The day of the wedding went very smoothly, with Stasha coordinating everything. In sum, we never had to worry about anything, and everything went perfectly. If you are considering a wedding in Hawaii you simply must consider Mauna Lani Bay, I really don't think anything could have been any better than it was. And it was very affordable, too. I am so grateful to Stasha and the Mauna Lani team!
• Mimi Sent on 09/24/2017
  5 out of 5 rating

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  This resort is the best resort on the kohala coast of the Big Island. I definitely recommend anyone wanting to get married ok the Big Island consider this venue. The staff is amazing and make you feel very welcomed no matter your age or what you look like. My husband and I are young looking and 80% of the time we get treated that way but not at the Mauna Lani. We stay here all the time and it was fitting we get married here. I have nothing but good things to say. They were very accommodating not just to me but all my wedding guests as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

  This resort is the best resort on the kohala coast of the Big Island. I definitely recommend anyone wanting to get married ok the Big Island consider this venue. The staff is amazing and make you feel very welcomed no matter your age or what you look like. My husband and I are young looking and 80% of the time we get treated that way but not at the Mauna Lani. We stay here all the time and it was fitting we get married here. I have nothing but good things to say. They were very accommodating not just to me but all my wedding guests as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
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  User1818541 Sent on 09/19/2014
  5 out of 5 rating

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  Amazing place to have a beautiful wedding. Their staff is friendly and professional. Their wedding coordinator is quick and efficient -especially in regards to communication. My husband and I had a wonderful experience and our guests can't stop talking about how much they loved the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, their staff, their scenery, and of course how beautiful our wedding was! There were no problems the day of or leading up to the wedding. 5 stars all around for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel!!

  Amazing place to have a beautiful wedding. Their staff is friendly and professional. Their wedding coordinator is quick and efficient -especially in regards to communication. My husband and I had a wonderful experience and our guests can't stop talking about how much they loved the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, their staff, their scenery, and of course how beautiful our wedding was! There were no problems the day of or leading up to the wedding. 5 stars all around for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel!!
• Kelly Sent on 04/20/2013
  5 out of 5 rating

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  Most beautiful location for a beach wedding! Lauren and Cherly are wonderful to work with!
  

  Most beautiful location for a beach wedding! Lauren and Cherly are wonderful to work with!
  
• Dara Sent on 06/07/2013
  5 out of 5 rating

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  Everything turned out so beautiful - it was really windy on my wedding day but the coordinator was on it and had a back up plan just in case. I had the ceremony and dinner out on the beach. The ceremony was perfect and food set up buffet exceeded my expectations.

  Everything turned out so beautiful - it was really windy on my wedding day but the coordinator was on it and had a back up plan just in case. I had the ceremony and dinner out on the beach. The ceremony was perfect and food set up buffet exceeded my expectations.
• Jeni Sent on 01/25/2012
  5 out of 5 rating

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  Pinkie and everyone at the Mauna Lani were absolutely amazing...our wedding was even better than I could have imagined. All of our guests continue to dream of when we can all go back to the Mauna Lani and experience it all again...it was magical and perfect in every way. The service Pinkie provided was above and beyond - the setting was gorgeous, food was delicious, wine and beer were flowing...it was seamless and made me feel like I could just relax and enjoy our wedding day (and our whole week at the resort)

  Pinkie and everyone at the Mauna Lani were absolutely amazing...our wedding was even better than I could have imagined. All of our guests continue to dream of when we can all go back to the Mauna Lani and experience it all again...it was magical and perfect in every way. The service Pinkie provided was above and beyond - the setting was gorgeous, food was delicious, wine and beer were flowing...it was seamless and made me feel like I could just relax and enjoy our wedding day (and our whole week at the resort)
• Christine Sent on 11/10/2016
  4.9 out of 5 rating

  4.9
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  We had our wedding ceremony at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island. The planner there was fantastic and very helpful in accommodating our special requests for what we wanted to have at the ceremony. We booked our ceremony here two weeks before our actual wedding date as we had a sudden closure of our initial ceremony beach site. The planner was fantastic in helping us put together our details so quickly and so close to the wedding date. We were coming from out of state and had never met her in person or toured the grounds. She was great in responding quickly and providing information such as layouts and maps to us to get an idea of the grounds for a wedding. All her descriptions and photos matched exactly to what we saw when we toured the grounds after arriving to the island. Beautiful ceremony and we had a wonderful experience that we will never forget!

  We had our wedding ceremony at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island. The planner there was fantastic and very helpful in accommodating our special requests for what we wanted to have at the ceremony. We booked our ceremony here two weeks before our actual wedding date as we had a sudden closure of our initial ceremony beach site. The planner was fantastic in helping us put together our details so quickly and so close to the wedding date. We were coming from out of state and had never met her in person or toured the grounds. She was great in responding quickly and providing information such as layouts and maps to us to get an idea of the grounds for a wedding. All her descriptions and photos matched exactly to what we saw when we toured the grounds after arriving to the island. Beautiful ceremony and we had a wonderful experience that we will never forget!
• Christen Sent on 10/04/2011
  4.4 out of 5 rating

  4.4
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    4.0 out of 5 rating
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  We booked the Mauna Lani right after getting engaged and about two years before the actual wedding. I originally began planning with Lauren, who is wonderful. She helped me set up a flexible payment plan, which enabled us to pay down the balance over the duration of our engagement, which was really helpful so we didn't face a huge bill when we checked out.
  
  Lauren didn't try to push anything we didn't want on us, and was able to aid in coming up with viable options that fit right into our budget.
  
  About six months before the wedding, we had to switch over to Pinkie because Lauren had a scheduling conflict. Communication with Pinkie didn't flow as easily, but I think she has an easier time communicating in person or over the phone rather than via email. However, Pinkie was integral in setting up the vision of what we wanted the ceremony and reception space to look. She also directed our guests from the hotel entry to the ceremony to the reception in a flow that was very smooth and understandable. Her work was apparent that she'd been doing it for some time.
  
  The pricing at the Mauna Lani was a bit much, but we were able to opt out of some things, like speakers during the ceremony and a full sit-down dinner, to keep within our budget.
  
  The entire staff at the Mauna Lani was incredibly gracious and helpful. I've never stayed at a nicer hotel or received better service all around. Everything is personalized and catered to your wants and needs and the hotel is absolutely gorgeous.

  We booked the Mauna Lani right after getting engaged and about two years before the actual wedding. I originally began planning with Lauren, who is wonderful. She helped me set up a flexible payment plan, which enabled us to pay down the balance over the duration of our engagement, which was really helpful so we didn't face a huge bill when we checked out.
  
  Lauren didn't try to push anything we didn't want on us, and was able to aid in coming up with viable options that fit right into our budget.
  
  About six months before the wedding, we had to switch over to Pinkie because Lauren had a scheduling conflict. Communication with Pinkie didn't flow as easily, but I think she has an easier time communicating in person or over the phone rather than via email. However, Pinkie was integral in setting up the vision of what we wanted the ceremony and reception space to look. She also directed our guests from the hotel entry to the ceremony to the reception in a flow that was very smooth and understandable. Her work was apparent that she'd been doing it for some time.
  
  The pricing at the Mauna Lani was a bit much, but we were able to opt out of some things, like speakers during the ceremony and a full sit-down dinner, to keep within our budget.
  
  The entire staff at the Mauna Lani was incredibly gracious and helpful. I've never stayed at a nicer hotel or received better service all around. Everything is personalized and catered to your wants and needs and the hotel is absolutely gorgeous.
• Miko Sent on 07/13/2011
  0.4 out of 5 rating

  0.4
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    1.5 out of 5 rating
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  I have spent my whole life visiting this beautiful resort and it was my childhood dream to marry here. My love for this place has been punched out of me from planning my wedding here. My experience working with the hotel's wedding coordinator, Pinkie Crowe, was one of the most exasperating of my life. Dealing with her and her vendors was so impossible that my husband, myself and our families almost called off our Hawaiian dream wedding, forfeiting our deposits and airfare just to alleviate the stress of having to plan a wedding from 2000 miles away with the someone so completely inept, inefficient and insensitive. Planning any wedding is stressful but confounding it with such total incompetence that it sucks the joy out of what should be a joyous occasion is unacceptable. You should not fear and/or dread your wedding. It pains me to no end that with a wedding there is no "do-over" which is why I cannot more strongly urge you to look elsewhere. Just come to the resort for your honeymoon! All we wanted was a simple, small, elegant wedding and reception by the ocean with a handful of family and friends able to make the trip (12) and wanted to enjoy spending time with them. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the feeling that made our skin crawl is that the Mauna Lani only cares about you if you are a BIG DEAL. Unless you have at least 50 guests ready and able to travel or are willing to get ripped off by meaningless "perks" like weak ceremony niblets (fruit skewers), unnecessary decorative lighting and superfluous photo/video packages . . . you'll likely be ignored the way we were. There's nothing worse than feeling like your wedding's their lowest priority. Regardless, we wanted to create something special and to have input on who our other vendors were, like our photographer. Another point we grappled with! It seems the hotel receives kickbacks when you use their "preferred vendors". Finding our own fantastic outside vendors was the saving grace for my sanity and best aspects of our wedding. After eight months of tireless efforts to communicate, and weeks without responses to decision making questions, we arrived to find key issues still not correct and/or settled, such as our ceremony style and rehearsal dinner menu. There was a constant retraction of what was "actually" available us - the elegant steak and seafood plated dinner originally offered was reduced to a family buffet of fried chicken and biscuits because of the number of rooms booked by my guests. Perhaps the most disturbing part was having to reiterate to Pinkie Crowe what prices and options she had initially offered me when she increased our commitment to guest rooms and impoverished our dinner buffet. I prey I will never have to wage a battle for Mahi Mahi again for the rest of my life. (***To their credit, any stars are earned solely by the quality of the food and service at the reception. The people taking care of you at the hotel are lovely and my guests enjoyed their stay. Like I said, good for honeymooning!***) In the end (among other things) Pinkie offended our friends and family at the ceremony AND reception, the minister read the WRONG ceremony (Hawaiian themed instead of Civil a.k.a."T'il death do us part"), and the hotel destroyed the top layer of my wedding cake before I even received it. I could not wait to leave. The Mauna Lani has been my family's most favorite vacationing spot since I was seven. I will likely never return after this experience.

  I have spent my whole life visiting this beautiful resort and it was my childhood dream to marry here. My love for this place has been punched out of me from planning my wedding here. My experience working with the hotel's wedding coordinator, Pinkie Crowe, was one of the most exasperating of my life. Dealing with her and her vendors was so impossible that my husband, myself and our families almost called off our Hawaiian dream wedding, forfeiting our deposits and airfare just to alleviate the stress of having to plan a wedding from 2000 miles away with the someone so completely inept, inefficient and insensitive. Planning any wedding is stressful but confounding it with such total incompetence that it sucks the joy out of what should be a joyous occasion is unacceptable. You should not fear and/or dread your wedding. It pains me to no end that with a wedding there is no "do-over" which is why I cannot more strongly urge you to look elsewhere. Just come to the resort for your honeymoon! All we wanted was a simple, small, elegant wedding and reception by the ocean with a handful of family and friends able to make the trip (12) and wanted to enjoy spending time with them. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the feeling that made our skin crawl is that the Mauna Lani only cares about you if you are a BIG DEAL. Unless you have at least 50 guests ready and able to travel or are willing to get ripped off by meaningless "perks" like weak ceremony niblets (fruit skewers), unnecessary decorative lighting and superfluous photo/video packages . . . you'll likely be ignored the way we were. There's nothing worse than feeling like your wedding's their lowest priority. Regardless, we wanted to create something special and to have input on who our other vendors were, like our photographer. Another point we grappled with! It seems the hotel receives kickbacks when you use their "preferred vendors". Finding our own fantastic outside vendors was the saving grace for my sanity and best aspects of our wedding. After eight months of tireless efforts to communicate, and weeks without responses to decision making questions, we arrived to find key issues still not correct and/or settled, such as our ceremony style and rehearsal dinner menu. There was a constant retraction of what was "actually" available us - the elegant steak and seafood plated dinner originally offered was reduced to a family buffet of fried chicken and biscuits because of the number of rooms booked by my guests. Perhaps the most disturbing part was having to reiterate to Pinkie Crowe what prices and options she had initially offered me when she increased our commitment to guest rooms and impoverished our dinner buffet. I prey I will never have to wage a battle for Mahi Mahi again for the rest of my life. (***To their credit, any stars are earned solely by the quality of the food and service at the reception. The people taking care of you at the hotel are lovely and my guests enjoyed their stay. Like I said, good for honeymooning!***) In the end (among other things) Pinkie offended our friends and family at the ceremony AND reception, the minister read the WRONG ceremony (Hawaiian themed instead of Civil a.k.a."T'il death do us part"), and the hotel destroyed the top layer of my wedding cake before I even received it. I could not wait to leave. The Mauna Lani has been my family's most favorite vacationing spot since I was seven. I will likely never return after this experience.