Manta Rays and Kona’s Biggest Waterslide: OUTRIGGER Kona Reviewed

The manta ray viewing from Keauhou Bay — available nightly, directly off the resort property — is one of the more genuinely rare experiences available at any family hotel in Hawaii, and it alone sets OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa apart from the standard Big Island lineup. Add Kona’s largest waterslide and a roster of complimentary cultural activities, and you have a strong case for families with elementary-age and pre-teen kids who want structured activity alongside some real Hawaiian character. The honest caveat up front: this resort sits on lava rock cliffs, not a sandy beach, so if shoreline access is a priority for your family, that changes the calculation considerably.

Key Highlights

• Star rating: 4-star
• Price: $$$$ — rates start around $415/night; expect to pay over $500/night for a suite or larger room sleeping four during peak season (December–March, June–August), with some options exceeding $1,000/night. Note that daily resort and parking fees are charged separately.
• Waterslide: Yes — Kona’s largest, part of a multi-level pool area with a separate wading pool
• Kids’ club: Yes — structured weekly family activities; not a daily drop-off program
• Adult-only pool: Yes
• Beachfront: Yes, on Kamakahonu Bay — though access is via lava rock cliffs, not a sandy beach
• All-inclusive: No
• Manta ray viewing: Directly off the resort at Keauhou Bay; night snorkel boat tours available
• Spa: Yes
• Pet-friendly: Yes (dogs allowed)

A Water Park Setup That Punches Above Its Size

The pool complex is the operational center of a family stay here. The waterslide is the largest in Kona, running through a multi-level structure that also includes a separate wading pool for younger children — making the setup genuinely useful across a range of ages rather than catering only to older kids or only to toddlers. There is also a hot tub and a clearly delineated adult-only pool, which means parents travelling with children old enough for the slide can actually use the pool area separately without abandoning the kids to a different part of the resort entirely. Guest reviews consistently flag this area as the strongest daily feature of the property.

Beyond the pools, the resort has a game room stocked with pool tables, foosball, and arcade stations — a practical option for evenings or when kids need a change of pace from the water.

Cultural Programming Worth Building Around

Daily complimentary activities — lei making, hula lessons, and ukulele classes — are offered consistently enough that families can realistically plan to participate on multiple days of a stay. These are not token offerings: they represent genuine Hawaiian cultural programming that gives a trip more texture than pool time alone. The on-site Feast & Fire Luau includes a kid-friendly buffet, and Tasty Tuesday food truck nights add a casual, rotating dining option that tends to work well for families who want variety without a formal restaurant commitment.

For water activities beyond the pool, the bay provides access to snorkeling and scuba, and watercraft rentals are available. Kahalu’u Beach Park — one of the Big Island’s best beginner snorkeling spots — is a 5-minute drive (2.2 miles). For additional tours and activities across the island, you can browse family-friendly tours and activities or compare kid-friendly day tours in advance to lock in manta ray snorkel bookings, which sell out quickly.

The Manta Ray Factor

Manta ray viewing at Keauhou Bay runs nightly, and the resort’s position means guests with ocean-facing rooms can watch night snorkel tours from their balconies without booking anything. For families who want in-water encounters, boat-based tours depart directly from the resort. This is the kind of access that is genuinely difficult to replicate at most other Kona properties, and for many families it functions as the deciding reason to book here over alternatives.

Getting There and Getting Around

The resort is at 78-128 Ehukai St, Kailua-Kona — see directions here. Keauhou Bay is a 9-minute walk (0.5 miles); Magic Sands Beach is 7 minutes by car (3.3 miles). Kona’s town center, along with the bulk of its dining and shopping, sits 10–20 minutes away by car, so having a rental vehicle is effectively required to avoid being wholly dependent on resort dining and on-site retail. Grocery is available nearby. An airport shuttle is offered. Kona Coffee Farms, including Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, are roughly 25–30 minutes by car — a half-day excursion worth building into a longer stay.

What Recent Guests Say

• A common theme in guest feedback is that the pools are a consistent highlight, with several reviewers praising the pool area, water slide, and adults-only section as enjoyable for both kids and adults.
• Staff friendliness and helpfulness are frequently mentioned as standout positives, though some guests note that pool bar and restaurant service can feel understaffed, leading to long waits.
• Several recent reviewers highlight the resort’s proximity to manta ray viewing as a major draw, with many guests able to watch night snorkel tours directly from their ocean-view balconies.
• Ocean-view rooms are widely appreciated for their scenery and spaciousness, though a recurring concern across multiple reviews is that mattress or seating comfort could be improved.
• Some families mention that the resort lacks easy beach access for swimming, and a few guests noted maintenance or housekeeping inconsistencies during their stays.

Who This Hotel Suits (and Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere)

OUTRIGGER Kona earns its Family Preferred rating most directly for families with children in the elementary-to-pre-teen range. The waterslide, bay snorkeling, cultural programming, and nightly manta ray access form a coherent activity offering for kids who are old enough to engage with structured programming and water recreation independently. The adults-only pool and spa give parents their own space without leaving the property.

There are a few clear limitations to weigh honestly. The kids’ club here is not a daily structured drop-off program — it operates on a weekly activity schedule — so families expecting resort-style childcare as a planning anchor should factor that in. There is no teens’ club and no babysitting service listed. The resort-fee-and-parking structure adds meaningfully to the already high nightly rate, so budgeting realistically requires accounting for those charges beyond the room price. Some rooms and shared areas show their age, and the lava-rock-cliff setting means families who want to walk out to a sandy beach from their room will be disappointed — the nearest proper beach requires a car.

Families with toddlers who need gentle sandy-shoreline access daily, or those who need a full-day supervised kids’ club, would likely be better served by looking at alternatives. Families who prioritize a specific, distinctive experience — manta rays, Kona’s strongest waterslide setup, daily cultural programming — and are comfortable with a car-dependent location will find this property hard to beat on those specific terms.

For the full amenities breakdown and Family Fit rating details, see our full Resort Finder profile for OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa.