First of all, welcome to the boards! I see that this is your first post. Great to have you here!
Yes, I spent 8 wonderful days at the Mauna Lani last Easter. It is a drop-dead beautiful resort, really first class. Because we knew it would be a 5-star place, we were concerned that we would feel out of place somehow. You know, the country bumpkin feeling. But that wasn't the case at all. While it is classy, it is also very comfortable and the staff is so welcoming. We never once felt out of place.
We opted to stay in a mountain/garden view room in order to use less points. We weren't in our room much anyway, so the view didn't really matter to us. That turned out to be a good choice for us. By total luck, we also wound up in a very spacious room, apparently bigger than most. Not sure why, but we didn't mind!
The rooms have a small frig, so we kept stuff on hand for breakfast and most lunches in the room. That helped us out because the restaurants at the resort are very expensive. We did eat out though at a nearby resort that had a nice food court and at other places when we drove down to Kona. We also had one nice dinner there at the hotel, and the food was excellent.
We don't golf, but the Mauna Lani is known for 2 world class golf courses. They also have an outstanding spa. The beach is small in area, but they supply snorkeling stuff and other water equipment free of charge. The pool was really enjoyable. Service at the hotel was exceptional. Twice a day housekeeping, cold towels brought around on a tray at the pool, certainly poolside waiter service, children's programs, very knowledgable and eager-to-help desk staff, etc. The pampering starts already at checkin time. We were greeted with beautiful fresh leis, escorted to comfortable chairs at a desk, and served fresh fruit juice while we checked in.
A rental car would be a must, since the resort is pretty much secluded. We enjoyed exploring the island on our own, but we also booked a Circle Island tour one day. That was terrific!
When I made the reservation through Disney, they told me that there was a special going on. One free night for every four you stay. So we were there 8 nights for only 7 nights' worth of points. Others on this board have referred to a more recent special that also includes free breakfast at the hotel. Wish that had been available for us! Anyway, if you decide to check this out, be sure to ask if there are any specials going on.
One more thing. The hotel is very long in the direction going AWAY from the ocean. (Does that make sense?) So rooms that are categorized as partial ocean view could have a pretty nice view of the water. But they could also have a pretty poor view of the water. The ones categorized as full ocean view are just that. Directly facing the ocean, and pretty close to water's edge.
Others on this board may have more information for you. I know that some have booked other Hawaii resorts through the World Passport Collection, for fewer points. The Mauna Lani was our choice for several reasons, and we didn't regret anything about it. We would go back in a heartbeat!
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions. Again, it's great to have you on the boards!