What can one do when you’re stuck on an island and itching to go somewhere? Considering the circumstances, we’ve been very fortunate this year and have enjoyed spending time at home, but as frequent travelers still very eager to go somewhere.

So, if there are no cruises or abilities to fly off island, what do you do? A staycation of course! However, due to pandemic lockdowns and safety restrictions, there weren’t many places you could go. Recently, as everyone is thinking of the bottom line and getting back to some kind of normal, things are changing. Hawaii is slowly re-opening and so are resorts.

Therefore, we decided to pull the trigger and spend a weekend at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club on the west coast of Oahu, before the tourists come rushing back. The experience was a of course a mixed bag, but considering the circumstances, totally acceptable and really worth every penny. The facilities and staff at Ko Olina were extraordinary. It’s not easy being in customer service these days, and they did a fantastic job with whatever they had. Stores were closed, restaurants were closed, and there was no room service. There was a pizza establishment nearby that allowed for takeouts, a convenience store for sandwiches and snacks, as well as an upscale restaurant open that unfortunately was fully booked. Leaving not much choice, we opted for sandwich lunches and pizza dinners. That said, the resort does have a barbecue area for those who want to bring and cook their own food.

This was probably our only chance to enjoy this resort with minimal crowds. Prime parking – no problem, access to all the pools – no problem, access to beach and pool chairs – no problem. It almost felt as we had the resort to ourselves, but we did indeed see a few other guests.

Having spent the last 7 months at home, one of the highlights was to just hang out and sleep somewhere else, and the “1 bedroom villa” was fabulous, specious, and comfortable for a party of 4.

If you don’t know about Ko Olina, it’s an Oahu upscale resort developed away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu. You can read more about it HERE.

Aloha!