Are you and your ‘ohana looking to make an island getaway—either as kama’aina or as visitors from afar?
Then get ready to say aloha once again to one of the most-distinguished hotels in all of Hawai’i in the coming years!
The iconic Kona Bay Hotel—often known as ‘Uncle Billy’s’ throughout the years, located on Ali’i Drive in the heart of downtown Kailua-Kona—is set to make its triumphant return in the not-too-distant future, having been purchased by 12th and ‘A’ Hotel Partners, LP and being scheduled for a major face lift.
The former ‘Uncle Billy’s’ Kona Bay Hotel will be rebranded as a Hampton inn by Hilton, with 12th and ‘A’ planning to spend over $30 million to renovate the historic, 60-year-old site in Kailua Village. Hoping to begin construction later this year, the renovations are estimated to take around one year to complete. The Kona Bay Hotel has previously been closed since March of 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
The planned construction will not increase the current number of rooms, but rather restore the hotel in all its glory, from modern flourishes to important upgrades to the infrastructure.
Karen Bail and company are heartened to see the potential return of this monument to the Kailua-Kona core, and can’t wait to check things out when everything is finished. We’ll be sure to keep you apprised as things move toward their final approvals—and trust us when we say, there’s never been a better time to get in the game, so make sure you give Karen a call to talk turkey on making those Big Island real estate dreams come true!