We are couple in our late 20's and just returned from a 6 day/ 5 night stay at Ko Olina. We were traveling for the purposes of relaxation and were less interested with night life and sightseeing, although we did make it to a few places. Overall, we were very impressed with Ko Olina, I'm hoping this review will be helpful

Rooms: We stayed in the guest room which is the lock off portion of a time share unit. We were traveling on a time share promotion and while it is sometimes possible to upgrade to the one bedroom unit, we were unable to do this. The lock of portion of the unit was just fine. It was spacious, with a queen size bed, seating area wtih couch, end tables, coffee table, chair and TV. There was also a balcony. While you probably won't get an ocean view with this promotion, ask for a room facing some greenery, because "mountain view" may mean you overlook a parking lot. The beds have a plush down comforter, decent sheets and plenty of pillows. Very comfy. There is also a small kitchen type area with a refridgerator, microwave, toaster, coffee maker and silverware,bottle opener, etc. There are also glass plates, paper towels, etc. The bathroom is a nice size with a curved shower rod for more space in the shower.

Food: Everything is VERY expensive in Hawaii. There is a very limited selection of dining options at Ko Olina. There is a beach side grill (Kolohes), a steak and seafood restaurant (Chucks), a Roy's across the other side of the resort near the golfing, and Azul, fancy/upscale pricy restaurant at the Marriott Ilihani down the way. Our best meal was by far the breakfast buffett offered at Kolohes each morning from 7-10am or so. Its all you can eat for 17.50 and has made to order omelettes, oatmeal, fresh fruit, granola, yogurt, waffles with fruit toppings, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage patties, pastries, bagels, you name it. This was delicious. We also tried the standard Kolohes dinner food and it was okay. Kolohes has an all you can eat buffett on Fri/Sat evenings with crab legs, prime rib, pork tenderloin, lobster pasta, desserts, etc. This was 37 dollars a person, and it was good, but we enjoyed the breakfast more. After our few meals, we went to the local Safeway and stocked up with groceries for the room. We had plenty of room in our fridge for groceries and there are cabinets to store food. This is a great way to travel on a budget b/c dining out at Ko Olina is not cheap. We also tried Duke's in Waikiki - this was delicious, and you must go to Leonard's Bakery in Waikiki to try the Malasadas (a donut), out of this world!

Beach/Pool: Ko Olina has several ocean lagoons (4), we spent most of our time at number 3 as this is where the most activity is. There are beach toys for rental such as snorkel equipment, boogie boards, peddle boats, etc. The beach is well maintained and very pretty. Compared to the Caribbean, it is not nearly as pretty, but the water was clear, sand soft, and its very scenic with the rock piles out at sea. Great place for kids to swim as it is roped off before you get out too far into the ocean and the waters are very calm, no waves. There were always plenty of chairs but no shade. If you walk to lagoon 2 nearer the Ilihani, there are some standing umbrella type things on their beach for shade. You can use any of the four lagoons so I recommended checking them all out as some are more quiet than others. The water was just right. As for the pool, the kids seemed to love it. No slides or anything yet, but I hear that is in the plans.

Service: The staff at Ko Olina are friendly and the service was well above average, it was super. Everyone was kind and willing tto help. The concierges went above and beyond to give you directions and assist with planning activities.

Activities: On Monday night the hotel held a Mai Tai party on the lawn (tickets were given for free at check it), this was great. A time for the guests to mingle, good drinks, and they had BBQ pork sandwhiches and snacks. We also visited the North Shore (I was not impressed) and the Dole Plantation. If you are a pineapple fan, you must visit. This was unique and fun. We went into Waikiki for a day, the beach is crystal blue, and looks quite different from the waters at Ko Olina, very big waves, lots of surfers and sight seeing. Its crowded, but worth a visit to the beach and restaurants on the strip. Once you park, you can walk to just about everything.

Overall, we had a great time. Ko Olina is secluded and not much going on at night, but a short drive to Waikiki will offer more to do if that's what you are looking for. The sales presentation was low pressure and didn't hurt our trip one bit, no big deal. The grounds are beautiful and I liked this hotel much better than the Ilhani (we just visited it for a bit while walking), but ours felt newer and the pool was much nicer for kids. Take walk to the Ilihani and check out the huge sting rays in their waters inside the resort, very cool.
As for the construction, we did not notice it.

I'd be happy to answer questions. Enjoy your trip!