I am beyond pleased with the service I received from the catering manager, Brenna, and the team at Kona Kai for my wedding. Brenna immediately responded to my inquiry, was waiting for us 10 minutes before the start of our tour, and was very flexible and patient with us as we made our decision to book a venue. All these reasons plus her genuine kindness lead us to choose Kona Kai, and we are SO happy we did. Throughout the whole planning process, Brenna was there to answer every email and phone call in a timely manner, support me during my low-key meltdowns about non-venue related matters, and coordinated so well with my wedding planner. When the City of San Diego denied our permit, Brenna and her manager went above and beyond to refute it, ultimately leading the city to approve our permit. On the day of the wedding, the team at Kona Kai moved everything along effortlessly. The set up of the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception were absolutely stunning. The accommodations made for my vendors' parking were appreciated, and the discounted valet for my guests were very reasonable. I continuously had to add more rooms to my room block, which Brenna, Sal, and Osae were SO patient and accommodating with. I could go on and on with how satisfied I am, but no amount of words will capture how grateful and happy I am. I absolutely recommend working with Brenna and her team at Kona Kai for your wedding!

Where do I even begin? Stephanie is, without question, the most incredible event coordinator anyone could ask for. Over the 2.5 years we worked together, she became so much more than a planner—she truly felt like a best friend who cared about every detail as much as I did.
From day one, she went above and beyond to make sure our planning experience was smooth, joyful, and completely stress-free. Every suggestion, every tiny comment we made—she listened, understood, and somehow always managed to make things even better than I imagined. Her ability to improve and elevate every idea was nothing short of magic.
She guided us through every stage of the process with such grace and professionalism, all while keeping everything lighthearted and fun. Additionally, she was extremely flexible, working with us on budget concerns, she was responsive, and always reliable. She worked with all of my vendors seamlessly, and without her I don’t think the day would have been as perfect as it was.
And the thoughtfulness! Stephanie and Peter (our hotel block coordinator) have such beautiful hearts—they even surprised us with the most meaningful little gifts along the way during our weekend. Those gestures meant the world to me and reminded me just how lucky we were to have them by our side.
If you’re looking for someone who will not only plan your wedding flawlessly but also care about you, your story, and your happiness, look no further than Stephanie. She’s pure magic. 💕

For Kona Kai as a hotel, they are updating the rooms and various areas so there were some issues with the properties that our guests experienced. However, the staff was always kind in working with us and did everything they could to provide the best experience.

Kona Kai San Diego Resort was an absolute dream venue for our wedding! From the moment we started working with Stephanie and her team, their communication was prompt, and they were always excited and warm. They were so helpful in bringing our vision to life, and everything turned out even more stunning, magical and unique than we could have imagined. Stephanie was a godsend - she was so easy to work with, and helped mitigate every fear I had, talking me off the ledge several times with her warmth and friendliness. My family loved staying at the beautiful hotel, and it was the perfect setting for our out-of-town guests. Thanks to Stephanie and her amazing team, our wedding day was truly magical.

We fell in love with Kona Kai the moment we stepped foot at the resort. What was supposed to be us inquiring about the possibility of getting married there quickly turned into inquiring about the process to move forward. Stephanie the catering manager gave us a tour and answered all our questions as well as guided us through the process from start to finish. We had some different and difficult requests at times and Kona Kai was very flexible and willing to work with us, especially considering we were planning the wedding from out of town. We were even allowed to visit the resort for a different event to get inspiration and see the resort in full wedding mode. We were supported the whole process and we absolute loved our wedding week. Everyone was amazing, from Angie and Enrique at the front desk to Mialani with hotel booking, to the banquet manager ensuring everything was running smoothly on the day of. We can’t say enough how much we loved our wedding and will definitely be visiting Kona Kai again. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a spot to get married. We picked a beach ceremony and courtyard reception and everything was stunning.

We got married at the Kona Kai a month ago today and I couldn’t be happier with how the day went! The resort is beautiful and everything turned out so great.. Brenna was so great to work with, very communicative through the whole process leading up to the big day.. the hotel rooms are very nice which was a plus.. I was able to use one of their getting ready rooms with my gals before the ceremony which was so helpful since I had a huge wedding party.. so much easier than getting ready in a hotel room! The grounds are kept up very nice and they have their own private beach.. just beautiful with all the fancy boats and mansions on the hillside.. great service from everyone we encountered there too.. I will definitely be back for a staycation and be highly recommending it as a wedding venue :)

It was a pleasure working with Stephanie at Kona Kai as we pulled off a Big Fat Greek Wedding together. Everything was absolutely WONDERFUL and I must say, that was one of the smoothest receptions I have ever coordinated, even with all of the intricate details. The Kona Kai banquet team overall is AMAZING. Erol handled everything so beautifully and all of the servers were polite, welcoming, and diligent as they worked around everyone in the room.

Stephanie and Erol, thank you for the opportunity to serve along side you and your remarkable team.

KoKo McDowell 7/22/23
C/O Beatific Events
https://www.beatificevents.com

I am a wedding planner that had the pleasure of working at the Kona Kai for one of my client's weddings last month. The Kona Kai's staff was very professional, diligent, and easy to work with. Brenna was very involved in the logistics leading up to the wedding, and Stephanie & her staff were very helpful point people on the day. Their catering staff was amazing! So hard working, efficient, and on it. They were able to accommodate the client's needs throughout the whole planning process, and it was truly a joy to work with everyone involved.
The venue is absolutely beautiful with a harbor view for the ceremony and lovely outdoor courtyard for the reception. The adjacent spaces create an easy flow for the guests from one event to the next. It is an all-inclusive venue which makes things so much easier for clients in planning their wedding!
I would definitely recommend this venue for future clients, and I hope to work there again soon!

Words cannot express our appreciation for the level of excellence and beauty provided by everyone at the Kona Kai Resort. Every single person who worked to put together our wedding was kind, hardworking, and dedicated, and we have never had as delicious and perfectly cooked (even the wild salmon!) dinner at a venue. Our guests were full of compliments for the chef as well as for the aesthetic beauty of the event. Catering Director, Brenna Guerchon, is as professional as 100% caring and effective. Aline Bichara Events created exquisite, elegant ceremony, lounge and dining areas, Willmus Weddings’ Heather kept us on task and on time while her husband, Christophe, took fabulous photos and video… and West Coast Music’s JB Project is absolutely THE BEST! Overall we could not have hoped for a more heartwarming event.

Kona Kai was the PERFECT wedding venue for us. From the beginning of the wedding planning process, the staff at Kona Kai was amazing. They understood how much all the small wedding details mattered to me, and that meant so much. They went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect. On the wedding day, everything went off without a hitch! It was more than anything that I had ever imagined. There were great rooms for both the girls and guys to get ready. The ceremony space was stunning, with the most beautiful aisle-way I have ever seen (we got married on the circle patio). The photo areas were perfect, and the reception in Cabo Courtyard was amazing! An amazing dinner, twinkly lights, and dancing under the stars with my new husband and all of our family and friends. PERFECT doesn't even begin to cover it. I can't thank Kona Kai enough for making our wedding dreams come to life. :)

The Kona Kai team brings the true spirit of Aloha to San Diego. Before you walk in the front door the Team has greeted you like family, and it just gets better every step of the way. Our gentle giant furbaby, Keenan, knows everyone on staff, exactly where all the treat stations are and was totally loved on and spoiled! The entire hotel is beautiful and our room had a see through fireplace to the stunning marina view. During our 30-person wedding party's four night stay, the entire team at Kona Kai could not have been nicer or more helpful! They even jumped in to save the day when we realized the zipper on my dress was 100% defective 30-minutes before the start of wedding. The front desk team came through with multiple safety pins and needle/thread packets while Jeffrey and his catering team effortlessly switched up the timeline and our guests never knew there was a problem (until they saw the back of my dress).
They treated us as if we were the only people there even though they had their annual Luau event that evening and other private events happening. The food was amazing, our family & guests are still talking about it!
The wedding location was breathtaking and we reserved cabanas at the main pool for a fun reception party! Yes, since the dress was already ruined - we Took The Plunge fully dressed into the pool! Only wish we would've stayed longer to enjoy the paddleboards and bikes to cruise Shelter Island, the spa and more but we plan on going back often.
We both have been very blessed to travel the world, and we highly recommend the Kona Kai for a perfect wedding venue, fantastic pet family destination, weekend visit or even stop in for a great meal at Vessel's.