1928The doors open
The Kona Inn Hotel is built
On November 1, 1928, the Kona Inn opened its doors as the first visitor-oriented resort hotel on a neighbor island, a bold bet on Kona at a time when few believed travelers would come this far.
It all started in 1928
Bringing Kona together since 1928
For nearly 100 years, the Kona Inn has stood at the water's edge on Aliʻi Drive. From the first visitor resort on the island to a beloved Kailua-Kona landmark, here is how it got here, and how it keeps getting better.
The timeline
From a 1928 inn to a Kona institution
- 1928The doors open
1949Kona takes off1949Kona takes offThe first flights reach Kona
In 1949, the first commercial flight from Honolulu touched down at the original Kona Airport just north of town. With it came a new wave of visitors discovering what locals had always known.
1976The hotel closes1976The hotel closesA chapter closes, the legacy stays
In 1976, after nearly five decades of welcoming visitors to Kona, the hotel closed its doors. But the legacy was too good to let go.
1979Restaurant opens1979Restaurant opensKona Inn Restaurant opens
Three years later the Kona Inn Restaurant opened in the hotel's place, carrying the name and the spirit forward. The waterfront rooms became an open-air restaurant where the Mai Tais go out and the sunsets come in.
1980Anchor of the village1980Anchor of the villageAnchor of the Kona Inn Shopping Village
By 1980 the restaurant had become the anchor of the Kona Inn Shopping Village on Aliʻi Drive, the gathering place at the heart of historic Kona town.
TodayA new chapterTodayA new chapterA new brand, the same values
Nearly a century after the original doors opened, Kona Inn Restaurant is beginning a new chapter. Under new local ownership, the team is reinvesting in the space and refreshing the menu while honoring everything that has always made this place special: the world-famous Mai Tai, the tall-back chairs, and the kind of ocean view that stops you mid-sip.
- 1928
- On the water since
- Daily
- 11:30 AM to 9 PM
- 2–5 PM
- Happy hour, every day
- Local
- New island ownership
The doors open
1928
The Kona Inn Hotel is built
A new brand, the same values
Under new local ownership, we are reinvesting in the space and refreshing the menu while honoring what has always made this place special: the world-famous Mai Tai, the tall-back chairs, and the kind of ocean view that stops you mid-sip.
See you on the water. 75-5744 Aliʻi Drive.