u/rozes10

Deviating a bit from the normal asks but does anyone have recs for a nutritionist who also can do meal delivery (or partners with one closely)? Trying to get some of my eating back on track. Thanks!

Hi all - heading to Portugal for the very first time this summer for a wedding in Lisbon. We plan to do some travel afterwards and have seen some great recs! For the portugal experts out there, would we be remiss if we missed Algarve / Albufeira completely? I'm interested in the surfing in Ericeira (looking at Aethos property) but I think Algarve is a bit warmer/more to do but no surfing. Trying to figure out if i'm going to miss anything spectacular if we didn't venture more south. Thanks!

Hi all - heading to Portugal for the very first time this summer for a wedding in Lisbon. We plan to do some travel afterwards and have seen some great recs! For the portugal experts out there, would we be remiss if we missed Algarve / Albufeira completely? I'm interested in the surfing in Ericeira (looking at Aethos property) but I think Algarve is a bit warmer/more to do but no surfing. Trying to figure out if i'm going to miss anything spectacular if we didn't venture more south. Thanks!

We just finished a 5 night stay at the Hapuna Residences at the Mauna Kea Resort on Big Island.

Where/when/who:

• Hapuna Residences (C building) in 3 bath, 3BR oceanfront villa in April. Included a small plunge pool, which was great for our little one. I think cost was ~$12k for 5 nights (inclusive of taxes, fees, etc.) and we received a $150/day resort credit that we could use
• Went with my family including a toddler-baby, grandma, and husband

Property:

• Situated between the Westin resort and Mauna Kea resorts. Mauna Kea just finished a big renovation so everything was new and sparkly. We had resort access to both properties though Westin was a bit closer (5 min walk to the lobby, pool, beach). Mauna Kea was a bit further though I think there's a way to get there via walking trail but it's a bit rugged and cliffside.
• Rooms were clean, well appointed with awesome Toto toilets, nice decor, kitchen, laundry, etc.
• We used both the pools and beaches at both resorts - I preferred the beach at Mauna Kea while my husband liked the Westin better. Both have sandy shorelines which is a bit different than the rest of Big Island, which is often rocky. Westin pool was much better, which is a shame because Mauna Kea really did have an opportunity to zhuzh it up during the renovation (they did not). We did not check out the adults only pools but they looked nice from the outside
• Free valet parking at both resorts, which was pretty nice

Service:

• Kind of nonexistent given they are residences. Check-in was uneventful and not really ceremonial in anyway (e.g. no leis)
• I would've liked a bit more service but I think for longer stays, there's more housekeeping. Pools/Beaches were pretty self-serve but never had an issue with getting chairs or towels. They are not allowed to serve on the beach directly in Hawaii but you can go to the beachside cafes at the resorts and get 'takeout'. There is poolside service, which was fast - I'm a sucker for pina coladas and chicken tenders/fries by the pool so I was happy.
• Staff was fine and pretty nice but nothing to write home about

Food

• Meh. We had dinner one night at the Copper Bar - expensive and not great
• Breakfast buffet at Westin one morning but also kind of meh
• We ended up doing all other meals in Waimea (about a 20 min drive) and/or at our residence. We also did Canoe House at Mauna Lani one night, which was very good (thanks to all who wrote about the garlic fried rice). I personally enjoyed poking around the property at Mauna Lani but the beach looked underwhelming compared to Westin/Mauna Kea

Activities

• We did mostly beach and pool given we had our kid. We did check out a Farmer's Market one day and took the baby to a pretty awesome playground in Waimea but overall, it was a lot of lounging and relaxing
• The Manta Ray viewing point at Mauna Kea is very cool. We've done the snorkeling version in the past but just seeing the Mantas from a pier was great as well

Overall, it was a very relaxing trip. These resorts are great for families but if you stay in the residences, expect to be pretty self-sufficient.

We did FS Hualalai a few years ago as a couple and really enjoyed the property though had a few issues there. Obviously, price differential would be pretty drastic now. We hope to return to check out the Rosewood and/or FS as a family of 3 in the future!