Kona Beach Hostel

6 reports · 5 recent reports · 192 text reviews scanned

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1. 7 months ago
   • The manager did not accept this and forced me to pay the entire stay.

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   I had a very bad experience with the management here. I had an emergency and needed to change my stay from 8 nights to 5 nights. I found out just before check in and told them when I arrived to the hostel. Their cancellation policy is 48hr notice, so I was giving 5 days notice of canceling my last three days. The manager did not accept this and forced me to pay the entire stay. She also told me she would try to contact the owner and get me a refund of the last three days. I confirmed with her verbally multiple times which day I would be leaving, however, on my last day when I asked if she would give the refund she said no because “I did not tell her in writing”. One day she even entered my room without knocking and asked specifically which day I was leaving. She also told me there was a “wait list” for rooms which is another reason I could not have a refund, however the hostel was nearly empty during my entire stay. The entire time I was there she was condescending and rude to me and the staff there. I asked her if I can contact the owner and she told me to email their generic info email address, and I never received a response. Apart from management, the room is way too small for 4 people. I am lucky there was only 2-3 in the room each night as there is not enough space for everyone. Each guest has only a 1 cubic foot cupboard for their belongings. The wifi cuts out a lot. They do not let guests use laundry. There was a sign saying “out of order for cleaning staff only”. Overall I would not recommend this place, it is grossly overpriced, very bad value for the money. Kona beach area is amazing, I highly recommended going and staying anywhere else! * edit after comment: after reading other reviews I see a lot of people have had similar issues to me. Often with condescending comments back from owner/management. I tried to resolve this by email and did not receive an email back, however they were able to reply almost instantly to this review.

2. 9 months ago
   • Staff is rude,lie, steal your belongings, walk right into the room cause they think they can to go through your personal belongings.

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   I wouldn’t stay here again and must say that this is a horrible place. Staff is rude,lie, steal your belongings, walk right into the room cause they think they can to go through your personal belongings. Blankets and comforts never get washed. If the sheets look like they weren’t slept on then they would just leave it be or not washed but put in dryer. They hide certain cooking utensils. Have to wait to cook something. Don’t turn your back for a few minutes cause all the bugs they got there swarm to your food. Wake up to centipedes, cockroaches, termites and spiders all up in your business. Talking bout termites I’m surprised the building still standing. Out to date on electrical and plumbing

3. 11 months ago
   • Then, completely out of nowhere, Kona Beach Hostel charged me for a one-night stay after the reservation had already been canceled and refunded.

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   ⭐ 1-Star Review: Misleading Cancellation Policy & Unexpected Charge I would NOT recommend booking with Kona Beach Hostel. I booked a stay for January 18, 2026 through Hostelworld on 9/30. The listing on Hostelworld clearly stated that the reservation was cancelable, which is why I felt comfortable booking. A couple of days later, I canceled through Hostelworld with no issues—Hostelworld even refunded me right away. Then, completely out of nowhere, Kona Beach Hostel charged me for a one-night stay after the reservation had already been canceled and refunded. When I contacted them, they claimed they had a “different cancellation policy” than Hostelworld—yet I never booked directly with them, and nowhere on Hostelworld does it say that Kona Beach Hostel has a separate cancellation policy I needed to review. If they require guests to follow their own rules, then that should be clearly displayed on Hostelworld’s listing. It wasn’t. This feels misleading and unfair. I followed the cancellation terms exactly as presented on Hostelworld, and still ended up being charged by the hostel itself weeks later. Very disappointing, unethical and unprofessional. I recommend avoiding Kona Beach Hostel if you want transparent policies and honest business practices.

4. 1 year ago
   • The older bald guy making creepy comments to the females there.
   • They have hidden charges after booking (one night stay cleaning fee)

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   YUCK. They have hidden charges after booking (one night stay cleaning fee) and all but two of the hostel staff were very rude. The older bald guy making creepy comments to the females there. All the staff seem afraid of the owner and it doesn’t give a good vibe there at all. Highly not recommended and I’ve stayed in 100+ hostels. This one is not good. They wouldn’t store my bag for 20 minutes while I went to the store before my flight - asked for $20. Seems all about the money and rudeness

5. 1 year ago
   • Booked and payed a deposit to stay here about an hour before arriving in Kona.

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   Booked and payed a deposit to stay here about an hour before arriving in Kona. When we approached the front desk, we were told that our stay had not yet been approved by the owner. The worker tried to get in contact with the owner to no avail. We waited over an hour to see if she would call back and she did not. As it was getting late, we had to book another hostel to ensure we had somewhere to sleep that night. I emailed this property explaining the situation and requesting a refund for my deposit given we took every measure to stay there. I have followed up multiple times with no acknowledgment or refund. Unfortunately, this establishment uses an outdated booking system, resulting in scams. Would not recommend.